The Christmas Season in Photos

Our Christmas season kicked off with the JJGames Christmas party!

The company has grown so much these last few years that it was employees and significant others only (and Gianna and Mike).

Next, we had a Christmas dinner with the Delagado Family that was all kinds of fun, including some Just Dance 3 on the Wii. Everyone got in the action.

We also took part in the ROP Christmas party. Angie baked 8 dozen pizelles that day.

We celebrated Jesus Birthday at Marmee's house with Christmas gifts, snacks, stories and an ice cream cake.

On Christmas Eve Daniel chose to open the largest present under the tree.


Good thing all the aunts and uncles were over to help us set up Daniel's new marble shoot.

Daniel and JJ tried out our new griddle Christmas morning. Although Chase couldn't enjoy the feast of french toast, eggs and bacon, he was all smiles.

A real tree this year!

Grandpa Tiger had just the right size batteries to get Daniel's PlayDoh assembly line in operation.

A Christmas walk. Dozens of dear were spotted on this beautiful Christmas afternoon.

Heidi outdid herself again with an amazing feast for her army.


Sunset at Grandpa Tiger's House.

Time for presents. Daniel was super excited to get a set of Tomika cars and trains that "go by themselves."

A little dessert to end the wonderful day.

Merry Christmas!

Play Doh "Mega Fun"

Thanks, Nanny!

Spiders for Christmas?

Daniel got just what he asked for this Christmas. A remote control tarantula ... really?



Daniel enjoys playing with his fuzzy, little friend, but every once in a while it gives him the creeps like it does his mommy.

The Big One

Daniel got to open one present Christmas Eve. Of course he chose the biggest one under the tree. He wasn't disappointed. Thanks, Pop Pop!

Look Alike. Laugh Alike.

A recent experiment with Chase reveals that both of our boys have/had the same laugh at age four months.

Check out Chase' video here:



And Daniel's here:

http://littlebeansadventures.blogspot.com/2009/08/daniel-loves-punching-daddy.html

Snow Day Dec. 3, 2011

Some unexpected snow made for some unexpected fun on Daniel's sled. We were walking/sledding the neighborhood until our noses were pink. Check it out.

Second Day of School: There's Hope in New Beginnings

Today was Daniel's second day of preschool. The verdict? He had a very good time.

When I picked Daniel up I braced for more tears and stories about my son wetting his pants and not participating with the rest of the class. Instead, my heart was filled with joy as I walked in to find Daniel cleaning up toys with his teacher, a smile on his face. When I peeked into the classroom he ran to me with big eyes and lots of stories about his morning. Good stories.

Praise be to God! My son is going to make it through school after all.

First Day of School: No Paints for this Preschooler

Unfortunately, Daniel's first day of school wasn't the shining moment of self-expression and play I had so hoped for him.

Quite the opposite, I picked up my little munchkin practically in tears because he wet his pants for the second time and he wanted his mommy. (Until today, poor Daniel has only had two accidents since being potty trained.) I was crushed to find out that Daniel had not jumped right in with the other boys and girls in his class, did not participate in painting time, and didn't even eat his snack. No fruit loops? Really? Where did my son go?

We will try again on Monday. I'm hoping once Daniel gets to know his teachers and classmates better, and he gets accustom to the new routine, my precious boy will come to life and share all his love, his joy and his friendship with the rest of his class. And who knows? Maybe he will even pick up a paint brush.

Daniel before his first day of school. Despite the fact that he had no problem saying goodbye to mommy while at the Sand Table this morning, Daniel was more than ready to come home when mommy picked him up 3 hours later.

Chase' Favorite Things: 4 Months

1. His Big Brother, Daniel.
2. Food! Glorious, food! (He isn't 90th percentile for nothing.)
3. Gumming on Daddy's knuckle.
4. Chewing on his own hand.
5. Being rocked to sleep in his car seat.
6. His pacifier. Yup! It's back.
7. Laughter. Chase loves hearing others giggle. You'll almost always get a laugh right back.

East Coast Visit 2.0

Oh, the adventures we had on Chase' first trip East ...


First Day: Ice cream for lunch at The Ice Cream Man. Good idea, Carl!

Next on the agenda: Throwing rocks into Saratoga Lake.


No visit is complete without making cupcakes with Auntie Jenny.


Games Played: Card Games, trains and rides on Nanny's walker!


Look What Daniel Found. He played by his own rules.


New hats for a new head. Thanks Nana's secretary.


"This coffee maker is a cinch! Who wants a cup?"


I don't know who was more excited to look for frogs and splash in the pond, Pop-Pop or Daniel.


Beep! Beep! Here we come!

Just getting a few chores done on Pop-Pop and Christin's farm.

I Get This, Too

It took this coffee lover until I was the mom of two to realize the true necessity of the drive thru coffee shop. I get it. Trust me. I get it.

I Get It

When I got married and was looking for photos of my childhood for a slide show I was appalled that I could find so few without my older sister Jen in them. Where were all the cute photos of me? Just me. Truth be told, there weren't many. End of story.

Chase, honey. When I was pregnant with you I vowed to take countless photos of you ALONE. I didn't want your fate to be the same as mine, where I was stuck with the photos I had, cute or not - Okay. It wasn't really a big deal. But I vowed nonetheless.

Sorry. As my parents could have guessed - as could all you other parents of two or more kids - my commitment to your photo album is falling behind in the list of all things important, like keeping you and your brother alive!

So here are some precious pictures of my TWO boys!

In Chase' crib.

Smooch'n on the couch.

All three boys.

Happy Halloween

Guess what I am for Halloween?


That's right! I'm a train conductor!

And Chase?



He's Superman!

No More Binky ... Seriously?

Well, it was only a matter of time before our second born, like his older brother, decided the binky wasn't for him. However, JJ and I were hopeful that the soft plastic vice would sooth Chase for a while longer than two months. (Not sure why we thought this since Daniel stopped taking one after two weeks.) Heck! I would go as far to say that we were of the mindset that a tearful goodbye to the pacifier at a late age would be a worthwhile trade off for the contentment that it brought today. But we won't have to worry about all those tears after all. Chase does not like the binky any longer. Sad.

Chase still loves to be swaddled at bed time. We will see how long that lasts!

Chase at Two Months

Well Chase, you have got your brother beat as far as your Well Child Exam numbers go at two months. And despite the red-eye that this photo displays, you have beautiful blue eyes, perhaps passed down to you by your Pop Pop.

Weight: 13lb 5oz

Height: 24 inches

Head: 16 1/2 inches

Manner: Smiley, loves peek-a-boo, very chill

Another Ball Game

Our tradition of introducing our children to the Colorado Rockie's for the first time with Grandpa Tiger continues. Chase was five weeks old (Daniel was three weeks at his first game) as we watched the Rockies crush Cincinnati a few weeks ago. Chase caught about as much of the game as Daniel did his first time.

What's a little kiss?

Daniel has been sick these last few days. A cough, sniffles, nothing major for a two-and-a-half-year-old. But, JJ and I realize that for Chase, not yet two months old, the same symptoms could turn into another story. So, JJ and I have reminded Daniel repeatedly not to touch his brother, sneeze on him, or give him the kisses he regularly dishes out to Chase each day - it was worth a shot, right?

But as you can see below, despite all the reminders Daniel can't resist loving on his little bro. And yes. I caught it on camera instead of pulling Daniel's lips apart from Chase's cheek. Here's to Chase' first cold.

Brothers

Daniel Sings to Mom and Chase

Daniel sings songs all the time now. He sings in the car to his Music Machine CD. Sings while watching TV. Sings while playing. And even sings to Chase and Angie.

Daniel singing the "ABC's"

Daniel singing "I Love You" from Barney

Daniel and Jenny Make Cupcakes.....Mmmm

Daniel helped Aunt Jenny make some chocolate cupcakes. My favorite part is when Daniel taste tests the M&M's.

A Tale of Two Cupcakes

Okay. More than two cupcakes may have been eaten in these scenarios.

Jen's most recent visit wasn't complete without baking cupcakes.

Daniel's first cupcake lesson with Auntie Jenny in Rochester NY in March.
A tradition was born.

Auntie Jenny Takes on Two

Auntie Jenny came to visit this week to play with the boys and help out our family as we hit the one-month mark of being a family of four - needless to say, we sent her home exhausted.

Some of the many adventures Auntie Jenny enjoyed included a trip to "Monkey Business," an indoor play gym, a day at the zoo, dinner at Daniel's favorite pizza parlor, a late-night excursion to Chuck E Cheese, jumping on a trampoline, playing "mailman," "grocery store" and "choo-choo train."

Daniel showed off his climbing skills at Monkey Business ... for three hours!

Daniel used dozens of tokens in record time. Dad and Auntie Jenny helped!

Jenny and Daniel feed the birds nectar during a trip to the Denver Zoo.

Chase would be happy to live in Jen's arms or on her lap.

And of course, there were lots of "special treats" this week!
(see next post for chocolaty tales)

Shared Offices

As her mom's visit grows to a close, Angie is wondering what exactly being home with her two little munchkins by herself will look like. How many days out of the week will she have the strength for play dates, chores around the house AND some time for her family, friends and neighbors? How many days will she be pulling her hair out by the time daddy's work day ends?

One thing that might help share the load of her two-year-old's need for almost-constant stimulation and play is the fact that Daniel now has his very own desk in daddy and mommy's office. Oh, the companies He will start from here!