firetrucks

Luke loves firetrucks - today he got to sit in one while his cousins explored it with Daddy The slightest sound of a siren breaks him out into the biggest smile and trucks in traffic are always pointed out with Ah! SSS!Kelsea does not like firetrucks...this is about as close as she wanted to be to it, aside from occasional protests that we take Luke out of the firetruck because it wasn't safe. Same photo, zoomed in on the face:

Monday: Puppy Hugging & Fishing

Sometimes you just need to hug a puppy! Monday was a drizzly grey day, with nothing going our way, so a trip to Southeastern Guide Dogs was in order! We hugged puppies, kissed puppies, watched them sleep and learned about how all of this was helping to properly socialize them for their big dog job later.

We even helped pick up the toys afterwards and were invited to come back again whenever we like!

In the afternoon things finally cleared up and we went for a short fishing trip with Uncle Rich & Sarah:

haircut

beforeduring (taken by Kelsea)

After!

Luke has a big boy bed!

This weekend Daddy and I worked to take the side off of my crib and make it into a big boy bed. Kelsea documented our progress with these pictures (she took all the ones she's not in)

Words Words Words!

This week I discovered the power of language to influence my daily life - suddenly there is a nodding yes and no, a pointing and pushing away, and signs as fast as Mom can show them to me: Cereal, Dog, Birds, Trees, Water and Milk were added to All Done and Bye. I even told Dad "Luv Ya!" when he went to leave for work.

Christmas

Our first homegrown strawberry

Stockings

Rainstick

Mommy's Mommy helping unwrap gifts

Mom says it's a harmonica

Christmas Parades

We are out to watch the Arcadia Christmas Parade!waiting for things to get started

then once it did it was too late for any more pictures. But I did stay awake for the entire parade - the bands were my favorite!

Our awesome spot at Marina Jacks for the Boat Parade

In Emma's food

about gifts

Note from Mom and Dad on Christmas:

This is for those of you who have asked what (we want for) the kids for Christmas so here goes:Please help us in raising children who know what this holiday is really about. Help us to balance the wants with the needs and present them with what will help them to grow in a way we would want them to go. Let’s bring in toys that are responsible – even in this small way our monies will shape their future, both in where the money goes and what it brings home to them.

General Ideas:Cotton clothes, practical for playing in, Luke in sizes 18M and up and Kelsea in size 4T.
Books! Or Magazines like “Ladybug”, “Wild Animal Baby” or “Little Kids National Geographic”
Memberships to places we can take them to visit year round, like an Annual State Park Pass, Selby Gardens or the Children's Garden.
Waldorf or Montessori style toys – toys that are real things (musical instruments, gardening tools, art supplies) or that encourage creative play (play food/dishes, cloth baby doll, wooden blocks and cars).

Stocking ideas: Lara bars, Aura Cacia or California Baby soaps, boiron care kits, toothbrushes, poufs/washclothes.

A few things Kelsea specifically would like: a tea set (oompa has some nice ones), a family for her doll house, produce for her kitchen, and wooden beads to make her own necklaces.

Luke would like additions to the band (particularly things to blow on - harmonica, recorder) more wooden vehicles, and his first Brio train set.

These websites are great for ideas: http://oompa.com/, http://www.willowtreetoys.com/, www.threesisterstoys.com, www.earthchildonline.com. Locally Toy Lab, Funtoysia, and Learning Express all carry these types of toys.

And to avoid as much as possible: Plastic, Batteries, Magnets, Characters, “Made in China”!

Thank you so much for asking, and Thank you again for respecting our wishes.

Much Love and Wishes for a Merry Christmas!

The Adams Family

playground

It might seem a little daring, but I can climb all the way to the top

and go down the big slide all by myself