Christmas day

Family picture for Christmas 2006

Uncle Kyle and Auntie Belle's gift was a big hit with Benji

Zac looking cute in his new monkey hat

Benji is all of his glory (wearing the necklaces he made himself plus his new frog rain boots)

All in one day

It's quite amazing the range of emotions I can feel in one day towards our toddler.

Admiration for his new words (today's word was "new").

Concern when he scrapes his knee.

Extreme frustration when he won't take a nap after 2 hours of me trying to put him down.

Lack of sympathy when he first gets cranky because he's overly tired.

Eventual pity when he's just so tired he can't think straight by 6.30 p.m.

Love and affection when he wants me to hold him before bedtime...

True feelings are coming out

Benji: "Just sit there like a good little boy, Zac."

Zac: "I've had enough of his patronizing - I'm gonna get that guy!"
(You might need to click on this picture to see the true expression on Zac's face - it's worth a click!)

Benji's favorite part of a Christmas tree

This is the first year we bought a live Christmas tree. I am enjoying the lovely scent in our living room. Benji enjoyed the decorating, but his favorite part of having a Christmas tree is ... the needles! Most people find them a nuisance, but for him it's the best - because it means he can use the small hand held vacuum every day to clean up the needles that dropped over the course of the day. Like they say, it's the small things that make the holiday fun. :)

Sling baby

Zachary just loves being in the sling - whether Mommy, Daddy, or Nona is wearing it. He especially likes to fall asleep in there.

Zachary has found his thumb

He seems to be following in his brother's footsteps in liking that thumb.

The first snow of the season