Comments for the New Year

We are still at Dawn and Greg's house, due to a winter storm making travel hazardous. We aren't all that upset about being stuck here two extra days. *smile* I thought I would take some time to update the blog, and to also give some updates on Liam and Maia, since I have been lax in doing more than just plopping pictures up here. Both children amaze me and there is way more to them than words can describe, but I am going to do my best to share some details about them.

Liam: He is totally and thoroughly a Doctor Who fan. In fact, he IS the Doctor. Usually Matt Smith, but sometimes David Tenant. He has seen EVERY episode since Chris Eccleston, including the specials, and a few from earlier Doctors. It's amazing what he remembers, and in such detail. He loves drawing the Tardis and the 10th and 11th Doctors. He often pretends to be a Dalek or Cyberman, so much so that Maia also copies him, pretending to be a Dalek at times.
Liam is also very musical, it seems. He is very good at humming tunes and also recognizing them from just a few notes. As a result, he seems to be somewhat good at playing music on instruments for the first time. He was given a harmonica and his attempts at playing it actually sound nice, instead of irritating huffing and puffing. The same occurred when he was given a dulcimer and tried it out. We should probably try to find time get him involved in music lessons of some sort.
Not all siblings get along, but Liam is pretty good with his sister. There is the usual irritating-the-other that he involves himself in, but for the most part he is very nice to her, tries to teach her things, and loves her to death. I am very proud of him.

Maia: She is my precocious, spirited, inquisitive, opinionated, bossy, lovable little cutie. She always wants to know what's going on, wants to participate, and wants to do things her way. She loves copying her brother, but also has her own interests. She LOVES drawing...just give her a pad of paper and some crayons or a pencil and she is good for a while. She LOVES pretending to "cook" dinner, pulling out measuring cups and spoons to play with. (We got her a play kitchen for Christmas and hopes this helps to keep her out of the drawers a bit more). She often brings us "juice" or "pancakes" or "bacon". I remember having little tea parties when I was a child (complete with sweet gherkins pickles, little hard candies, and actual tea), so I think I might have to introduce her to that concept.
She loves her brother a lot. She follows him around, wanting to do what he is doing (though not all the time...sometimes he annoys her). She has picked up his interest in Doctor Who and often pretends to be a Dalek, "exterminating" us and zapping us with her zapper thingy. She also will pretend to be the Doctor, or his companion.
She will dance to music, and she likes "singing". She will make up songs as much as sing something she already knows. Her made-up songs usually consist of things that have happened in her life (she recently sang a song about how Mommy and Daddy come into her room and tell her to lay down and go to sleep and she says "No!" and then she lays down and gets her pacifier and wants her blanket). She also sometimes sings songs that we have listened to a lot on the radio or iPhones. Very cute.
She gets into EVERYTHING, wanting to know how things work, what's over there, what happens when you do THIS, can I get away with THAT, etc. She is quick to figure out how to work things if you show her...very smart. But sometimes it can lead to trouble if it's something she can apply to a situation where she shouldn't be so curious. And she has little fear of situations that could get her hurt...like standing on the arms of a couch or her chair, or climbing up onto the table, or trying to get a hold of scissors to cut something (darn Liam and his safety scissors). Like a weeping angel, we can't turn our back for a second.

Wow...there is SO much more I could share, but there is just so much that I feel overwhelmed...and what I have shared is SO very inadequate. This will have to do for now, though.

Christmas Eve and Beyond

Every Christmas Eve, the family gets together to enjoy each other's company, and to 'ahem' help Santa move gifts from household to household. We used to do this at my grandparent's house, but life changes and now we do it at my sister Sandy's place, which is a neutral meeting ground.

Maia is dressed and ready to go, but insists she has to "cook" first.

Liam is dressed handsomely for Christmas Eve.

Cousin photo! (this was the best of the lot)

Brother and Sister, Cuties-in-cahoots.

Awwwwwwwwww

Liam helps decorate Sandy's tree with candy canes.

CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!
The big red gift is Maia's new play kitchen (a toy she LOVES), and the big black gift is Liam's handmade Tardis (how awesome is that? Your very own Tardis??).

Following the tradition of my family, the kids wait at the top of the stairs, where they can't see the tree or gifts yet, until we are ready for them to come down.

Slowly they inch down.

Until finally they see the amazing sight under the tree.

Maia is in love with her kitchen from the first second.

And I can't even begin to explain how excited Liam was to get his Tardis. AND to find another gift waiting inside for him.

The perfect gift for the Doctor.

Next we head to Grandmom and PopPop's house for more gift open. Cousin Cole has been patiently waiting to open the gift we got for him, so he goes first (Spiderman comforter).

Then Aunt Michelle begins handing out the gifts while Liam looks on excitedly.

Maia makes herself comfortable near Sandy and commences gift opening. Awesome Hello Kitty pajamas.

And Hello Kitty slippers.

Ahhhhhh, how comfy.

Liam gets a mini Tardis to play with, complete with the 11th Doctor and Amy.

He also got a Doctor Who calendar.

Maia waits patiently while Sandy helps.

But a 2-year-old only has so much patience.

What a lovely necklace! (yes, she loves Hello Kitty...can you tell?).

And Liam gets a belt display rack, to display his belts from Tae Kwon Do.

(Sadly, though, he quit three weeks later)

Season's Greetings

The holidays are in full force and with it the barrage of pictures. Okay, maybe a small barrage.

Liam and Maia were pretending to be ninjas. We managed to catch them in this one picture.

A selfie with Maia.

Liam and Maia love hanging out together (most of the time).

The annual decorating of the tree. This time most of the ornaments were pretty well distributed instead of ending up on one branch.

Though we did have to encourage Maia to try for different branches.

We even had help from the Ramsdells.

After the arduous work of hanging ornaments, Anastasia kicks back with her knitting (which I taught her, I am proud to say).

One of the kids' favorite spots is in our bed. They love getting under the sheets.

They also love it when we treat them with a movie in bed.

Maia insisted that she was one of Santa's elves. Apparently they wear pants on their heads.

Yearly visit from Santa on the fire truck.

Liam and Willa did their Christmas exchange at the skating center.

Afterwards there was playing out in the yard (yes, it was actually warm enough to play in December, though I did have to yell at Liam to put his jacket back on).

Maia is a cutey, even when she gets angry. Here, she is upset at us and after finishing crying, she is hiding in anger behind a pillow. Hey, whatever works...it kept her out of our hair for a few minutes.

Then Liam calmed her down more by reading her a book. Ah, big brothers to the rescue.

Christmas Eve morning, Liam wasn't feeling so hot. We were worried he would throw up and have to miss the holiday festivities that evening. Maia kept him company on the couch while watching TV.

  Luckily he felt better by noon.

And it was November...

Pictures from November. Relatively good days, which made for nice pictures.
First, the Doctor (Who), contemplating the universe's mysteries.

The kids are enjoying the brand new glider that we bought for the play set.

Cheese!

And then they enjoy the pile of leaves that Mommy just raked up.

I might have mentioned before that the kids love to snuggle in our bed whenever they get the chance. I think this is probably a Saturday morning, as they are trying to wake up. Liam probably jumped into our bed, and Maia wanted to join him.

Liam introduces Maia to the joys of sack races. Or at least hopping around in them.

Apparently Liam makes a good bed.

Liam has some pretty good artwork. And I am impressed by his attempt to spell things.

Christmas tree shopping! The kids pick THIS one.

A romp through the trees and fields and the kids have turned into bugs! Check out their antennae!