More photos

Seth's crazy hair! See it sticking up :)

Ever since Halloween Ben has been obsessed with his clown hat. He needs to know where it is every moment of the day even if he's not wearing it, he usually is though. (So that's a yes, he has been wearing this hat every day for TWO months now!)

Hello, psycho Cal! Not sure what happened to smiling :)

It's beginning to look a lot like Hanukkah!

First night of Hanukkah! (Sunday night)

Snow! Thank goodness for the plow guy (who plowed down our Verizon tower :()

And more snow! See difference from pic on bottom. I think we got another foot or more of snow on Sunday! I can't remember the last time I've seen so much snow all at once. Since it's early in the winter I can say with enthusiasm - What fun! Cal stayed out another hour despite temperatures in the teens!

Ben managed to stay out for 20 mins and Cal was out for an hour 15 mins this first day. We probably got 8-10 inches from this storm (Friday).

Before the downpour of snow!

Seth Babbling

He's a talker!

Chillin', Late but free, and Bolt!

Cal and Ben's gingerbread house

3 months old - already?!

Seth loves this toy, mainly because it's the only one he sees on a regular basis!

• The holidays aren't feeling very magical this year. I think it's the lack of snow. I was excited to see first snow fall, only for it not to stick :( We did however get hit by that big ice storm. Thank goodness for those fireplaces!!! LOVE THEM! We lost power sometime in the wee hours. I was woken by the baby stirring at 2:30am and realized it was oddly dark and then saw my clock was out. After I was awake, it was hard to go back to sleep. Every minute or so I'd hear a big snap and then the thud of the branch with all the ice raining down. I was afraid to change the baby on the changing table because it's right near a window that could possibly have a branch come through it! I was a little freaked out so I woke Eric up and made him come and sleep in the room with us (he normally sleeps in the guest room so the baby doesn't wake him). Anyways, we were SOOOO lucky to get our power back with 8-12 hours. By 10:40am the next morning it was up and running! The fireplaces kept us nice and toasty for the 3.5 hours we needed them. Our neighbors on the street that literally loops around ours didn't get power back until today! Distant memories of the hurricane and being without power for 5 days with a 10-month-old Cal drift back....

• Also, what's up??! Is everyone just slacking this year? Is it the economy? What?! It's December 14th and I have only SEVEN holiday cards...hmmm...to be fair, mine haven't been sent yet...BUT...it's really really not my fault. I ordered my cards from Tiny Prints because every time I got one in the mail last year I said to myself, "Ooooo this one is nice, where from?" and every time I flipped it over I saw the little Tiny Print logo and knew I had to have it this year :) Now these dumb things aren't cheap....but they are for me this year!!! That's right...they may be late but they are FREE!! Coming to a mailbox near you soon...

• I was so bummed when I didn't get to take Cal to his first movie ever. When Eric came home and told me how much Cal LOVED Horton Hears a Who, I could have just cried to not be there. But today I got to take him to his first 3D movie ever so that was cool :) The timing worked out that the baby was fed and I could get away for a few hours so we scurried off to see Bolt! Cal was so excited...he runs around like a psycho...he's so excited at first that he just can't stand still. He even fell flat on his face once. Oy vey! He made it through a good hour and 15 mins before he started asking when it would be over. Only 45 mins of that was the actual movie. They REALLY need to make previews for kids movies shorter or NON-EXISTANT! Anyways, he liked the 3D effect and it was a cute story even for adults. I'm a big fan of going to the movies so I was just happy to be able to take Cal for the experience!
  

All in the Family

Here are all the cousins on my side of the family...We're missing Matt (17) who was too sick to join us for Thanksgiving. From left to right: Clare (2.5), Cal (4), Michelle (15), Seth (3 mos), Alyson (8), Ben (2) and Colin (5.5)

As if he needed another...

• Ben was very excited about his SECOND birthday cake with the edible Doodlebops image. First there was Rooney's blue guitar and now Moe's orange drums! I have to say that this blowing of the candles out went much better than the first where he reached out and touched the flame and then cried :( I refrained from posting those photos...

• We had Ben's physical today. He's growing like a weed: 35 inches (more or less) since that is never accurate and 26lbs 8oz. We were in the same room that he had his flu shot in a month ago so he was not too happy to be revisiting the doctor today but we managed. He also had a re-evaluation on Monday with his speech therapist. I thought for sure we were done with free services but we were granted 2 more months on account of him not doing too well on the S and Z sounds.

• Also had our first successful potty experience on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Ben was eager to sit on the little potty before a bath and told me he needed to go poopy. He sat and sat and sat which is unusual since Cal was already in the bathtub but he refused to get off until he went pee! Woo hoo. Not making too much of this since I have neither the time or energy to potty train him at this point (and don't think it would be too successful). He's interested and I indulge him when he catches me at a time when I have a second to put him on the potty and wait with him. I'm hoping the whole experience is easier the 2nd time around since he has Cal as the "big brother" who already goes in the potty.