The tree

Considering we broke my wheelchair at the zoo, I didn't want to risk messing up my scooter on the uneven grounds at a tree farm!  So, this year it was straight to Lowe's.  It was freezing anyway, so I think we would have been a bit miserable traipsing around outside for too long.  This is our last Christmas in our current home so I insisted on the tallest tree they had.  I'm gonna miss these high ceilings!



C thought he was pretty big stuff using grown-up scissors and standing on the ladder.  After he got all the twine cut off we strung up the lights and hung our ornaments. 

 

Before lil' peanut went down for his nap we hadn't even brought the tree in from the garage so I was excited to see his reaction when he came downstairs.  Here he is getting his first glimpse at the Christmas tree.  "Whoa" he says.  Over and over again.  :)

C handing him his ornament that we saved so he could put it on the tree himself.

Getting a kick out of seeing his picture. :)

The verdict?  He loves it.  And other than touching the lights and the occasional ornament he doesn't bother it too much.  He is quick to tell me "on" when the lights aren't flashing and he really likes looking at it when we have bottle time on the couch.  He points, signs "tree" and says "on" and "off" with the lights.  I am excited to enjoy this Christmas season with both my boys.

phone photos

Some of these are pretty old, but wanted to share them.

Right after we landed in B'more.  He looks so tired in this picture.  And sad.  

C with the giant sunflower outside the aquatic center where he takes swim lessons.

Playing in Nana and Papa's backyard.

Our first opportunity for a little one-on-one date.  We went during peanut's nap to get my haircut and then for frozen yogurt.  I was so happy that day to just be with him.

Lil' peanut and I having some one-on-one time while C was camping with Grandpa.

C's 6th birthday!

My other birthday boy!  Two years old!

Back at home.

So, I was pretty bummed homeschooling didn't work out.  But, I have found great joy in making school lunches.  Ha!  I've been slacking since my surgery...need to pick it back up.

 

Looking super stylish (in hand-me-downs, of course!)

Checking out all the boats on the bay.

Riding out to the apple orchard!

Santa and his little helper. :)

Student of the Month!

Hubby just texted me this picture and I can NOT stop smiling over it!!!  I am so, so proud of him.  I know how hard he has had to work at making good choices.  Totally over the moon about this!  Thankful hubby was right after day one "It can only go up from here, right?"  :)  

Animal Sounds

Choo Choo!

Had to share this cute picture hubby took of the boys on the zoo train.  I took the boys to the zoo once this summer and we did ride the train.  Lil' peanut seemed to enjoy it then, but this time he LOVED it.  They had to wait almost 20 minutes until it started and hubby said he just kept saying choo choo over and over again and smiling.  When they came back to the table I was sitting at, lil' peanut's face was all lit up and he was still talking about the choo choo. :)  My big boy has always loved the train rides too!  Over the summer when we went, C sat in the very back by himself and I rode with lil' peanut.  This time C was adamant that his little brother sit right next to him...and he was happy about it!  A small thing, but it speaks volumes about the progress we've seen in their relationship!  Maybe that's why I love this picture so much. :)  

Christmas Tree Day 2012

The Zoo-Check

I don't think we are quite going to make it through our Fall Bucket List.  But, still impressed that we got most of them done even with me having a bum ankle for most of the season.  A trip to the zoo was on the list, so we decided Black Friday would be a good day to go.  And it was, until my wheelchair tried to break. 

 

There are three main sections to the zoo.  The Bog, Africa, and the Arctic.  We were just about to enter the bog when we realized the right, front wheel was sticking against the back wheel.  Sure enough that super handicap friendly sidewalk (sarcasm) where hubby almost dumped me had bent the wheel.  It was working ok, but didn't seem like it would take any more abuse.  I told hubby to just park me and take the boys through the bog.  The farther we went in, the farther we would have to find a way to get me out if my chair decided to totally conk out on us.  I don't think hubby would have enjoyed carrying me while chasing after two kids!  Ha!  So, they left me.  Twenty minutes of people watching later and they came back.  We made it to the picnic tables and had lunch.  Then they left me again and went to the petting zoo area.  After that they rode the train.  We ended up staying about 4 hours!  Thankful I had my phone on me to do something to pass the time.  I'm glad that the boys were still able to have a good time and our trip wasn't a total bust!  We promised C we would go back again soon and see the whole zoo.  Here are the few pictures I took before we split up.

 



Thanksgiving 2012

I missed the beach this year!  We still had a good day though.  We watched the parade, had a yummy lunch, took naps (well, peanut and I did!), played trains, read books, and baked cookies.  

C made each of us placecards to decorate our Thanksgiving table...Pilgrims and Native Americans.

He also insisted that chopsticks be used. ;)

Making gingerbread cookies together.

 

The playground

The weather was gorgeous this afternoon!  So, a little stroll (or in my case, roll, haha) down to the playground was a must.

He's really catching onto this "cheese" thing. :)

The logistics of taking your little brother down the tunnel slide are a little trickier.  Note lil' peanut's sneaker.  Ha!  In the end C decided it was easier just to send him down on his own and hope for the best.  Thankfully hubby was there to catch him!

After we played it was time to run to the store for the last of what we need for our Thanksgiving feast.  We also made a stop at the urgent care clinic for lil' peanut.  His super-human immune system finally succumbed to our germs.  We've got antibiotics for an ear infection and I'm hoping that they will have some effect on the recent screaming habit he's developed.  Poor little guy...he's still trying to figure his new world out.

;)  Have a Happy Thanksgiving ya'll!