Snow Snow Snow

We spent the day after Christmas at Sequoia National Park with the Kennedy clan.

A beautiful chain free drive on the way up and warm weather made for a perfect opportunity to sled. We bundled him in several layers including gloves he will probably have until he's 10 and hoped for the best.ThankfullyIan's first encounter with snow was a dry event for him. He loved the snow and was mildly okay with sledding down the hill with dad.

I think the big kids had the most fun!

Christmas Kennedy Style

A Kennedy Christmas is a little calmer than the previously mentioned one.

More cute cousins!

Presents are opened with a little help from Grandma.

Cousins pose for the camera.

Stairs are climbed

A good time for all!

Christmas Weisenberger Style

How do you describe a Weisenberger Christmas? Here goes...

Lots of family! (16 total this year!)

Cute Cousins!

Fun Aunts

Lots of presents in your jammies!

Excitement!
Gramps and the hit present of Christmas Morning...a vacuum!

Festivus

We celebrated our Christmas on Festivus (December 23rd for all you nonSenfield fans) A small Christmas the day before driving to our families for Christmas Gone Wild!

Opening presents is hard work!

But worth the effort

Books were a hit

Mom loves her new flash!

Ho, Ho, Ho

We went to the zoo to see Santa. Zoo Santa seemed like such a better idea than Mall Santa. He saw Santa from a distance and was completely excited! He laughed, pointed, and said ho, ho, ho.

We got close and ... that was it!

Growth

It was a big week for the little man! He hit 19.5 pounds...so around went the carseat! Yeah, he's facing forward finally. It was met with concern followed by glee!


He also had his first playgroup at the park with his friends since he's been walking! So now most pictures will be taken from behind as he walks away from me.

And just when we thought saying ho, ho, ho was going to be our high point, he grabbed his stuffed dog "Whitey the Wonderdog" and figured out how to hang it on his walker so he could push him around the house!
It was a good week.

Bad Parents

Today we let Ian play in the street!

St Turkey Day, Olives, and Personal Bests

Happy Saint Turkey Day!

We continued our family tradition with the Run To Feed The Hungry on Thanksgiving morning. Ian had his personal best race finishing the 10k in 45:48.3 minutes and placing 4th in his age group! He got to go really fast...and a little farther than Mom and Dad ever take him! Of course Uncle Justin helped him out a little bit! What a great way to start our day...beautiful day and lots of friends supporting a great cause.

We then had a great dinner with our friends Colleen and Raj and of course Uncle Justin to entertain Ian. Ian discovered the olive trick that every kid needs to master for holiday dinners!

We missed seeing family but felt great knowing we'd shared our PreThanksgiving dinner over the weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Now we can finally listen to Christmas music!

Books and Lashes

Ian loves to read! He spends hours sitting looking at his books, turning the pages, "reading" them. I love to watch him get so excited when he finds something he really likes in them -- typically lions or ducks. He will roar with glee or quack uncontrollably! Why is it that kids learn animal sounds first?

He is gathering quite a library in our living room. He has taken over an entire shelf of a bookcase and is slowly moving into the one above it! Before he was born I was so worried that he wouldn't like books. I wasn't sure I could cope with a child that didn't connect with my favorite thing! That makes me laugh now since there are SOOOO many other things to cope with including his latest tantrums if he can't go outside or dig in the trash! Oh Boy!

***What do you think of my new lens?? I'm loving it!***

First Real Steps

Disconnected...

I was given an amazing new lens for my birthday and...the card reader in my computer has decided to no longer work! AHHHHH So I can't show you the amazing pictures. You can't see Ian wearing his bike helmet around the living room or eating rice at my birthday lunch. You will just have to take my word for it! He was pretty funny. He really wanted help putting the helmet on and then he just sat on his little couch and smiled. It was the first time I said, "smile" and he sat and smiled without grabbing the camera! He knows how special my new lens is = )

El Diablo

Trick or Treat
Smell My Feet
I'm Cranky And Want to Go Home!

So Ian's first trick or treat outing ended after knocking on one door! We visited Uncle Justin who was still at work and then attempted to visit a friend's house to the sounds of screaming from the back seat. It was the longest 5 minute drive of my life! We decided that between the time change and all of the excitement it was just a little too much for a little guy so home we went.

He did successfully, although reluctantly visit our next door neighbor's house. Then it was home for dinner and watching trick or treaters from inside. Year one = one house so I'm thinking year two = two houses. I can handle this pace!

Once you discover the vat of candy why go door to door?

Pre Halloween Festivities

We got the "babies" together for some picture taking and play date fun yesterday. They had fun and the moms all attempted to get pictures of the wiggly group of toddlers. Ian was a good sport and sat with the pumpkins for lots of pictures. He's becoming a better model every day...should I be worried? We missed his friend Leo who was home with a cough.

Then we got an extra treat with a short visit with Auntie Jordona and her kids at Southside Park! Wish we could see her more often.


A good day for all of us.

oh...and another good thing...finally got an offer on our house! woohoo

There would be more pictures, but silly blogspot won't upload them!

Babies On A Plane

Shea had the week off so we jumped on a plane for a visit with his sister's family in San Diego. It was a quick 3 days of the zoo, sunset on the beach, and juggling a 14 month old and 17 month old on opposite napping schedules! They had fun playing, but not really with each other. Ian also increased his asleep during take off record to 7 of 8! I think our days of easy flights may be numbered though!

Ian played with his cousin Kirin's toys! Toys that belong to someone else are always best!

They played with the goats in the petting zoo.

Ian showed us his ice cream tongue...mmmmmmmm

There was a panda sighting. (1 of only 12 in the United States!)

And back at Erin's we found a little monkey in the window!

Lots of books were enjoyed. (I think I can go a few months before I need to read Are You My Mother again!) They were okay with each other as long as there was NO TOUCHING!

Pumpkins

We ventured up to Apple Hill today to pick Ian's first pumpkin! It was a beautiful day for walking through a field of soft dirt with big weeds to find the perfect pumpkin. Ian loved the dirt, but wasn't a fan of the weeds touching him.



We decided that we each needed our own pumpkin, so...



Three pumpkins, an apple pie, and lunch at Sweetie Pie's and we headed home again! It was a good day.

Surrounded By Girls

Ian had a playdate at his friend Annika's house yesterday. They loved playing with this crazy toy that shot balls up and around with air. They tried to put balls down the tube and Ian would scream uncontrollably every time they'd come flying out. His screams scared poor Annika but didn't seem to phase Addie.

I think Ian has entered the screaming like a girl phase...I hope it's short!

Baby Einstein?

Ian has asked me to take over his blog for a bit. He's just a little busy lately with playing, sleeping, growing, eating, and other toddler activities.

So tonight while giving him a bath we discovered that he might just be a little genius! I asked him where Sammy the Seal was and he picked it up. I asked him where Danger Duck was and, you guessed it, he picked it up. I asked him where his boat was and, once again, he picked it up! He didn't just recognize the right bath toy, he was able to distinguish them from the required thirty toys bobbing in the tub.

In our amazement we asked each other, "is he smarter than most babies?" And of course...we know the answer! I refuse to pick up a child development book to confirm.

--Ian's Mom

McWho?

My parents were taking me to the park a few days ago talking about this place called McSomething or other. They sounded really happy saying that I would probably never really know what it was since we don't have a tv (although I've seen the huge one at my uncle's house) and they haven't eaten there in over seven years.

People keep calling me vegetarian, but I don't really know what that means. All I know is that I like my food!

My favorites lately are:

• Beans -- any size, color and flavor
• Broccolli
• Peas
• Corn
• Grean Beans -- especially when they are long and I can hold onto them
• Garden Burger patties like my mom eats, in fact I ate half of hers a few weeks ago so they started giving me my own
• Soy yogurt
• Blueberries
• Grapes
• Bananas -- they aren't letting me eat them anymore, something about something called constipation
• My favorite food -- Goldfish -- although mom makes a mean face at dad when he gives them to me at dinner
  
  You can make your own sign too!
  
  

And for you skeptics (dad taught me that word...he tries to teach all "his kids" that word) out there that wonder, what will my parents do when I go to school. Check here! Thanks Cousin Brian for sharing that link!

Leo Said It Best

I had a great day on Friday! We spent three hours with my friends at Southside Park. Leo's mom took great pictures.

A Day Off With Mom

Mom and I took a day off today. We skipped right over my nap -- woohoo -- so that we could play together. We started out at that coffee place she likes so much and shared a scone...ymmmm. We walked to the park right by my daycare. I know all of my friends there were sleeping AND missing their moms.

Mom let me play on a new bench that she told me was for Tony and Rich. They didn't die, just helped a lot of people run 26.2 miles. (I'm not really certain how far that is...mom said something about 26 times around the park, but I won't usually let her go more than 2 times around) Rich is the guy who always tells me how cute I am. I kind of like him. I'm sure glad they let me share their bench.

I fed the ducks cheerios, and well, I ate some myself. I talked to some other kids my size. Mom pushed me in the swing, but I'm really not such a fan of swinging. I'd rather just watch the other kids. We went down the slide together and watched the squirrels on the walk home.

What a good day! I think I'm sleepy now... I hope mom and I take tomorrow off too.

The Sleepiest Place On Earth

Disneyland

The Happiest Place on Earth

The Magic Kingdom

Mickey Mouse

I slept...and slept...and slept.

When I woke up we were someplace called ToonTown and there were people everywhere! My cousin Lainie had a great time taking pictures with Minnie Mouse. I thought she was big and kind of scarey.

I liked It's a Small World A LOT, but my dad kept muttering, "you won't like this next time we come."

The parade was pretty cool, but those mice are HUGE!

But sleeping...that was the best!