December Grab-Bag

An old wooden high chair was hanging out in the burn pile waiting for its reduction to ashes when Tadhg noticed it. Ever since, he makes frequent requests that snacks and meals be eaten outside. Rain, shine, snow--he cares not.

Barefooted eating is the only way to go, I guess.

Raking up the debris left over from our wood splitting day. 

When Tadhg dresses himself...

A word of explanation: Tadhg's favorite letter for many months now has been T (for obvious reasons). I caught him using it as a telephone not long ago. Who knew?

After he discovered that his doll had his own carseat, Tadhg was lost in forlornness when he realized that the car he wanted to put the carseat in was in the shop instead of in our driveway.

All was well several days later, though. He was very attentive making sure his baby could accompany us to church.

Pundit.

We were listening to a Christmas album the other day, and one of the songs was instrumental featuring violin and piano solos. Tadhg is familiar with pianos since we have one, but I realized he didn't know what a violin is. So I pulled up a video of Joshua Bell playing Vivaldi, and Tadhg was lost in silent wonder. As soon as the video was finished, he looked at me and said, "Mo!" (I obliged, of course.)

This video is just a taste; some of the best parts (big-eyed swaying, for example) are lodged in my memory but didn't make it into the video.

The only bread I've ever made that could (maybe? possibly?) be mistaken for a loaf of Justin's.

Tea-drinker.

Imp. The first (somehow!) time Tadhg has ever dumped a box of cereal while my back was turned. 

Just look at that face...

They melt me.

This is not the best video, but it's enough to give you an idea of what happens every morning these days. Tadhg was given an advent calendar (of the chocolate persuasion) by his cousins' grandma on the other side of the family (yep, she is such a grandma's grandma that spoiling her own grandchildren just wasn't enough). He is lost in ecstasy every time we pull it down from its safe spot on top of the fridge. This video is a mild excitement sort of day. You'd think he never got sugar...

Architecture 101

It's been an imaginative month in these parts. (And boy, has it been fun to watch.)

Words of the month: "Blocks." "Road."

This one was especially fun. Castle. Tower. Moat. Fire-breathing Caterpillar-Dragon (we happened to have one on hand). I love watching the lines between imagination and reality blur. The emotions are real, people.

And THIS fort masterpiece was freshly made tonight with Daddy.

This picture makes the cut because of those pearly whites. Tadhg noticed me and I told him to smile. He maintained this grimace for at least 20 seconds. 

Behold! The inception of the Fake Smile!

First Snowman

One of my favorite parts was the ceaseless stream of hugs that he greeted the snowman with on our way to and from chicken chores ever thereafter.

The other favorite part was what he did after one of his habitual hugs on the second day after the snowman was made. I bundled him up and let him loose outside while I watched from the window. He hugged the snowman. He grabbed the snowman's nose. He ate the snowman's nose.

What are friends for? Sacrificing their noses to satiate growing boys' bellies, apparently.

 

Winter Wonderland

Some of the best parts of motherhood are getting to remember and taste again the goodness of life. Some of the hardest parts will be the reverse, but for today--it's a fresh snowfall, a hushed world, a still morning waiting to be stepped into.

The first snow of the winter, in color.

 

And the most recent Big Snow, in black and white.

Deck the Halls

Hall-decking has always been enjoyable for me, but it's even more so when you have a baby old enough  to think it's all exciting. I'm enjoying the season so much more this year with a curious, enthusiastic Tadhg bouncing around.

I have very few photos of our decked halls (both in progress and after the fact), but here's the handful I do have.

Tadhg particularly enjoyed making sure the nails holding our stockings were thoroughly hammered. (If they weren't thoroughly hammered then, they are now.)

Christmas lights for the Big Boy's room. (A real thrill.)

Last year I hung this ornament for baby Tadhg. And this year I'll be hanging a different one for baby Peregrine. A lot can change in a year; it's enough to make my head whirl.