Belated 2.5 for Smoochface

We just had a month milestone, but I realized I never blogged about Smoochface's 2.5!  So here it is.

Our little girl is (morethan) halfway to 3, which is crazy but also lots of fun.  She is articulate and opinionated, has a sense of humor and a sense of style, has high highs and low lows, in thoughtful and sweet.  She loves Little Mister and often pats him when he needs attention, imitating our "there there" voices.  She loooooves Big Brother and can often be found trying to sneak into his room after bedtime to sit in his bed and read together (or, you know, play at very high volumes).  She often resists bedtime, usually vociferously, which has been a struggle, but we try to remember that one day she won't even want to hang out and rock with us in the evenings.  She's reportedly a delight in Nursery, she took right to potty and she has a hearty appetite.  She loves all princesses but especially Rapunzel (especially when we get to watch a Perpunzel Cocoon) and she sings along with whatever we're listening to.  She's started trying to negotiate for things which is often hilarious and her emotions are so strong sometimes even she doesn't know why she feels the way she does.  She's healthy and strong and clever and lovely.

Birthday girl montage!

Trimming Goldilocks

<3 td="">

So happy to be wearing Daddy's old running shorts!

C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R

Summer Smooch

She loves a good bake.

Middle child!!!

She doesn't seem to mind.

2 kewl.

Eep!

She's finally into the water on the day we didn't bring her swimsuit.

Berrypicking!

Miss A's Salon

Though Mommy has been doing her fair share of creative hairstyling too.

... with adorable results.

We love our Smoochy!!!  Sorry about the delay!  See you in a couple months!

We Wish You a Merry... and a Happy... (2015-2016)

Just a quick post with more details about Christmas before I forget them all...

What a wonderful Christmastime was this last!  It was busy and crazy but fun and snowy and all the things that Christmas should be.

:D

We thought this tree looked like a Weasley.  Pigwidgeon it is.  (I will also say that I felt really bad throwing our tree out a couple weeks ago... It stood tall and strong and beautiful without being watered for days on the back patio and even after I put it on the curb.  Well done, Costco.)

Let's make a little list:

I was... recruited to sing with a fun community choir, which ended up being a lot more of a commitment than I expected, but also really enjoyable.  We had a handful of concerts in various venues (Temple Square was fun but a drive, and the AF library atrium is interesting for a chance, and a high school auditorium always brings back memories, though the Alpine Tabernacle is probably the best overall), and it gave me a chance to wear a sparkly bow-tie and cummerbund, so there is that.

 Our family Christmas portraits turned out beautifully and arrived just in time to put on display:

Thanks, Kami!

At work we had a white elephant exchange party, and in true white elephant fashion I found whatever I had on hand (not that I forgot until I arrived at work or anything...), and it turned out my gift was pretty popular and was traded around a few times.

If you think that I just found something in my car and put it in a gift bag... well, you're right, but I also embellished with a couple of wintertime accoutrements.

I didn't end up with this remarkable piece, but it was enough for me to know that it even exists (it's a musical box that plays The Entertainer).

We also had a team building activity building "gingerbread" houses. Mine is a miserable failure, but hey, I went out on a limb and tried to tie it to HP.

Sorry, Hagrid.

Then of course Star Wars was a thing going on, so we went to that eventually (we didn't plan on seeing it right away, but the threat of spoilers grew too great).  This was a Sunday morning art activity, which ended up featuring a certain young Jedi.

Wife, Rey and Baby Jesus.

 For Primary we had our 2nd annual Primary Christmas Concert, where each class takes a turn singing one song in front of the rest of the group and it turned out to be really great.  Some classes went above and beyond in preparing visual aids or learning sign language.

While I was at my Temple Square concert I took a few minutes to walk around and look at the lights in the rain.

 Then it was Christmas Eve and the kids were in bed and Santa was on the way and we realized that we haven't watched this in a while:

And then it was Christmas morning!  It's been interesting with two kids, one getting older and realizing what Christmas morning means, and trying to find a good balance of gift giving, and I really felt great about what we gave and how much.  It's hard because there are soooo many fun things and I feel like I said, "oh, he/she would totally love that" like a hundred times, but in the end they would love quite a lot of things, but that doesn't mean they NEED all the things.  As it is it's been almost a month and he's still not tired on that train or those tools.

We love Santa!  (But we love Jesus more.)

As for us, we treated each other to fun and great things, from literary adaptations (Jonathan Strange!  Far From the Madding Crowd!) to books (art and HP music and AG!) and some great supplies for my cubicle, and some unique touches as well.  That Hogwarts sweater quite becomes our favorite Gryffindor.

I'm kind of thinking he doesn't quite grasp the concept of stockings?  Or maybe he does and we're the ones who don't.

And then I decided I better take an extra day off work to spend the day with these three beloveds:

(The inclusion of the train was a coincidence in the first two, but totally planned in the third.)

We spent plenty of time with family and having the usual fun and foods (fondue) (pullaparrrrts...) (little buffet at home), and webcamming with our family in the Midwest and generally having a nice time, enjoying being home together, and watching the snow fall off and on.

as

My top Instaposts of the year.  Is it surprising that every single one features Poopsie?

New Year's Eve was fun with family goings-on and then, well, watching the ball drop on YouTube at around 10:37 and calling it a night.  Then of course it was time for the annual shave-and-a-haircut, which this year evidently meant going full-on buzzer without even the shortest attachment.  Brr.

Don't be deceived by her puzzled expression, she knew her daddy.

This middle step we like to call the 24601.

This was a really interesting year, from a lot of highs (a certain arrival in mid-March, lots of family visits, actual road trips) to a few lows (lost job, insane societal issues, new sleeping schedules), but we're the four of us standing tall.

I really think it was the merriest Christmas yet, at least for me, and there were many times when I just sat and observed and it was like Christmastime was all brand new again for me, whether sitting back watching my little ones just doing their thing on Christmas morning or learning some new Christmas songs or snuggling with my darling girl.  It's always sad when it's over, but hey, we're already 2/3 through January, right?

Bring it, 2016.

2 Birthdays, 2 Years

These posts do seem to get combined more and more regularly these days.

Anyway, we had two big birthdays a couple of weeks ago!  We're starting to get the hang of this juggling of two special days one right after the other.  The Wife posted a fun update here, but by way of update here, I'll say that we had a lot of cake and lots of fun times.  For The Wife's birthday we had fun times at home with some fun surprises and cupcakes and ice cream (on separate outings), and then over the weekend she made one of her epic cakes (it's been a while!) and we had a fun turnout of friends and family.

Beautiful birthday girl.

Happy 1st, Wife!  Observe The Boy's leftovers on the right.

One of her favorite presents from The Husband (and The Kids)

Then on The Boy's birthday we had breakfast at Kneaders and then met up with my parents for a fun morning at the dinosaur museum (which he liked even more than he did last time), after which there were new trains and super hero getups, and then later in the week we had a fun playdate with some little friends, where bubbles and sidewalk chalk and a little chocolate cake abounded.

Fun and delicious times!

Presents and a little browniecake!

And now we have a two-year-old in the house.  This boy is clever and sweet and funny and lively, he says almost everything like a very enthusiastic question, he still loves tractors and trucks and cars and airplanes and helicopters and riding or pushing anything with wheels (especially his little lawnmower from his birthday, which he doesn't even know blows bubbles!), and he loves his baby sister.  He loves visiting cousins or Nana and Papa, he loves Nursery, and he always loved a ride in the running stroller or the car.  He will occasionally stop everything he's doing and collapse in hysterics, stretching out on the floor in his most recent version of a tantrum, but it doesn't take long for him to find something to distract him or to make his needs known.  He's putting together sentences and figuring out electronics (yikes, more reason than ever to have the phone out at an absolute minimum), and is getting pretty familiar with his alphabet and his 1-10 numbers.  He loves books, and he loves to look at pictures and videos of people he knows, especially himself.  He's done such a good job adjusting to having a little one in the house who demands so much of his parents' attention, though he's certainly not afraid of letting himself be heard!  He's just a good little kid.

Trying out baby's new bedding

Finishing up our Disney movie indoctrination education

Getting over a sad little sickness just before baby's arrival

So happy when they bounce back!

Hairy little mancub.

He's starting to do his part a little more.

Testing out his old things for Baby's future use.

A P.S. to the series.  The circle of life continues.

Just a dude hangin' out at the auto parts store.

He loves Papa's "tractor" SO much.

No way this boy's going to grow up without an appreciation of art.

This was a not uncommon morning occurrence for a while.

This kids loves having neighbors across the street with lots of fun toys.  He can't quite reach the pedals, but it won't be long now.

All by himself!  Well, he's getting the hang of it.

Starting early on our new and exciting new addition.  He loves the Tangled book for the plentiful horses.

Such a big boy with his new haircut!

Helping himself to Mommy's Mother's Day breakfast in bed.

Happy birthday, boy!  You are a sunbeam.