"MORE!!"

Sneaky Grevin

When things get quiet in our house, you better go see what is happening. Grevin decided to help himself to the dinner rolls that we had just bought at Costco... If I didn't know better, I would think he was trying to hide under his jumperoo!

Christmas 2009

Celebrating this year with Grevin was so much fun. He loves Christmas lights and Christmas trees...and anything Christmas related.

We started off our Christmas holiday on the 23rd with a visit to Scott's house on Cielo Circle. Zippy lived two houses down from them when we were in college. Scott went crazy, making all of his own cut outs then, but has gone even crazier since we left! I think he ran out of Disney characters so he has moved on to Nickelodeon now! He even has 101 Dalmations running through his yard and across the neighbors houses. Each year he moves Waldo from "Where's Waldo?" He spends over a month trying to get it all up for the holiday season. I would hate to see his electric bill!!

Christmas Eve morning, we opened presents at the house. This was Grevin's first experience with trying to open presents and he thought he could just eat his way through them.

We headed over to Zippy's aunt's house for the evening and Grevin had alot of fun playing with his other cousins. Four boys under the age of 5 was alot of fun. He had alot of fun chasing bals with his cousin, Austin, who just turned one. Grevin is really getting into hanging out with other kids and following them around.

(you may notice that Grevin is not wearing socks-he loves to pull them off. I am thinking about getting him tights!!)

The present pile.Notice that Grevin is more interested in the tree...

He thought that banging on the presents might be how you open them!

Christmas morning we headed out to Grammie's house to see what Santa brought. Santa is always so generous! We opened our stockings, ate breakfast, and played for awhile before heading home. Later that afternoon, we headed to Concord to go to Great Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Hanging out with Grandpa-his MOST favorite person

Playing in his Christmas jammies

Playing on the stairs at his Great Grandparent's house

Here is a little video of Grevin trying to point out the Christmas tree to me. I teased Zippy that he reminded me of him when he has too much to drink!( I apologize for it being sideways, I thought it would flip)

It was alot of running around but it was so good to see everyone and spend time with family. We missed my side of the family alot but I am kind of glad we did not try to come back this year-it was blizzard conditions in Missouri-most of the locals didn't even make it to my parents house for Christmas day since everyone was snowed in!

Zippy's Company Christmas Party

Christmas Card 2009

This year for Christmas cards, I sent out a postcard. I took the lazy route: I had someone on etsy design it and then used snapfish to print and mail them! I knew I wouldn't have time to handwrite all the addresses so I took the easy route. I am sorry if you didn't get one, I must not have your address!! If you would like one, send me an email or something, I have a few extras at the house!

Merry Christmas!

Love my boys

This picture makes me smile. I am one lucky girl!!

Santa, I have been really good!

Grevin had a very serious conversation with Santa

Getting Excited for Christmas!

Checking out the lights across the street and the reflection of our Christmas tree

Checking out the Christmas tree and all of the ornaments

Trying on our Christmas sweaters

What's that you say?

Figuring out the world

Grevin has figured out how to put the ball in his toy. He will find these balls all throughout the house and will carry them over to the dinosaur to put them in. It is funny watching him experiment with it because he will put EVERYTHING in it now. Just FYI-socks do not roll through it!

NINE is fine!

Dear Grevin,
I am not going to start this letter off the same as all of the others talking about how the time is flying by(even though it really IS flying by!). I am really trying to live in the moment and enjoy every single second with you.

This month has been a little crazy. You have had a cold for the whole month and every single thing I wear ends up covered in snot since you prefer to wipe your nose on my shoulder! When you are feeling the yuckiest, all you want to do is hang out in my arms and nurse. I hate that you are not feeling well but I secretly enjoy the cuddling since you usually won't hold still for more than 5 seconds! This cold though has not stopped you from continuing to explore the world around you.

While we were in L.A., you decided that you could climb a whole flight of stairs. You finally realized that once you start, you can't stop to sit since the stairs are too narrow. You got your rhythm and up you went! You also discovered that you need to go backwards to get back down stairs. You crawl right up to the edge and start scooting backwards across the floor(too bad you are pointed the wrong way!). You get a little frustrated that you aren't successful. But if we turn you around, you actually will go down the stairs. You don't quite have the concept of turning around but it won't be long:)

Your favorite things are dogs and balls. You even have a special noise you make when you want see the dogs or want to get a ball. They both sound a little like "dur" but there is a slight difference for each. I think you are trying to sign a little, too. When I do the sign for all done, you hit your hands down on the tray. You laugh and try to help me get you out of the high chair.

Eating has become more interesting. You have decided that you want to mostly eat on your own with me-but of course you will eat anything for Grammie! With me, you just can't get enough of PEAS! I can put pasta, cheese, peas, pieces of fruit on your plate, and you will move everything out of the way to eat the peas! I am trying to make sure you get a variety of things but how can I complain about you wanting peas? I am not sure if this is a bad thing-can you overdose on peas??

You continue to crawl all over the house and pull up on everything you can reach. You also stood all by yourself, not holding on to anything, but I don't think you realized what you were doing. You had pulled yourself up on the wine rack and had discovered tissue paper in a gift bag. You were busy tearing the paper into pieces (so you could eat them) and I asked you what you were doing. You looked up at me and showed me the paper in both of your hands-with a big grin on your face. You stood there for almost 5 seconds not holding on before you went back to tearing up the tissue paper!

You like to help me put all the toys in your bath. You will grab each one off of the floor in the bathroom, pull yourself up onto the side of the tub and you toss each one in as it is filling with water. If I am changing you in the bathroom, you will throw in all of your clothes, too, if I am not paying attention!

You still don't like to be in a room all by yourself. If we walk around the corner, you come crawling after us or sit and cry until we get back. Once we return, you are fine to continue playing. The one good thing about this is that you don't tend to get into as much trouble this way!

You have started giving kisses. BIG, WET, open mouth kisses! You think they are funny and will cover us in slobber. You love to kiss cheeks, noses, lips, whatever is in your reach. You are just too darn cute :)

Grevin, I am so glad that you are part of our lives. You make each day that much brighter!

Lots of love,
Mommy

 This is as good as I could get with the ball this month

This is how most of my picture taking goes now-he is trying to eat the camera strap

Throwing his socks in his toy basket

You love this dinosaur/ball toy-thanks, Jill!

Getting ready for your bath

If you look close, you can see teeth!

And another! 

You love to make us laugh. You do this fake little chuckle that makes us laugh and you do it over and over again to get a reaction.

Grevin's stash

Grevin loves to hang out and play in the kitchen when I am making dinner. He likes to play with the Tupperware, the wooden spoons, the letters on the fridge, and to pull himself up on anything that is on the floor. He is always so busy! I realized though that the letters on the fridge kept disappearing. I thought they were getting shoved under the fridge but it turns out Grevin was stashing them!

If you look closer, you will notice that there is even a sock and a ball in there!!

He is such a goofball!

Oh, Christmas Tree!

One of the many great things about Sonoma County is the massive amounts of tree farms in the area. Zippy and I have been going for a few years out to some farms in Sebastopol. We spend the day walking around the farms, picking out the best tree, and then head to the apple farm for some yummy apple pie and hot cider. It is the beginning of the holiday season for us! This year, Grammie and Grandpa joined us and Grevin helped us pick out trees for both houses. It was a beautiful day and Grevin even helped us decorate for Christmas!

"I like this one, dad!"

"Doing a good job there, dad!"

Helping me eat apple pie

Grandpa and Grevin people watching

Playing in the front yard while Zippy brought in the tree

"Yay for Christmas!!"

Christmas tree!

Thanksgiving 2009

We headed down to visit the Deierlings for Thanksgiving in Redondo Beach.  We had so much hanging out with them even though everyone was sick. We did not do too much as the kids and Adam lounged around trying to recover.  We got to meet the newest Deierling, little Mackenzie, who is such a cutie and the most mellow baby I have ever seen.  She would be playing on her playmat and we would forget she was even there!  That would have never happened with Grevin! We ate lots of yummy food, played at the beach a little, put up Christmas decorations, and just enjoyed hanging out with good friends.  Even though Grevin wasn't feeling great (he had a fever of 103+ for a few days) he loved watching Trevor and Kaylee run around and play 'boo' with him.  I can't wait to hang out with them again soon!

 Mackenzie-4 months

Cruising with Trevor

Kaylee and Grevin playing in the yard with everyone putting up Christmas decorations

Trevor and Zippy trying to dig a hole to put up the North Pole.  Trevor had to take off his shirt, too, so he could be like all the other guys!

Lisa reading to all the kids on Thanksgiving-notice Zippy sleeping in the background

Kaylee making sure Grevin was looking at the camera for once!

Playing in the sand

Adam pulling Trevor and Kaylee on the dunes

 Happy Thanksgiving

We are so thankful for great family and great friends!