O Christmas Tree

We got our Christmas tree last weekend, and we picked it out in record time. We went to support the local boy scout troop selling trees at Safeway, and bought maybe the third tree we looked at. Its usually quite the production of inspecting each tree. Anyway, this year we got a tree that is still probably 7' tall, but it is also very skinny, so it fits much better into the living room. I don't know how we never thought of this before, but it has worked out very well. Anyway, the number of cords and breakable things, and crinkly paper everywhere was very exciting for Jam. Thus far he has broken one yellow dog ornament, and decapitated one angel ornament. I think they can both be resurrected with a little glue. Overall it has been much easier than I anticpated. I had visions of him pulling the tree over on himself (as he did with the fireplace screen a few days ago), but so far, so good.

Snow Baby!

We had some snow this weekend, just enough to be fun, but not so much to cause us any problems. Benjamin did see snow last year, but it didn't make a big impression. This year, a little more, but still not super excited about it. Maisy, on the other hand, highly approved of it. We walked over to the Cowen Park ravine, and it was all very lovely.

Uh Oh Spaghetti O

We introduced Benjamin to spaghetti at the pre half marathon carbs and Run Fat Boy Run party the other night. (I think this will be an annual event from now on. You too could be invited, if you want to run the half marathon next year. Even if you just promised to come out and cheer, you could probably get an invite. It turns out its not actually that exclusive of a party). He liked it pretty well, but the funniest pictures are from when he was very definitely done with being in his high chair. He went directly from chair to bath as soon as these photos were taken.

Mini couch

We have this great little kid size pull out couch in Benjamin's room, which I believe was a Go To Your Room freebie, way back from Loren's warehouse boy days, and recently came back to us from Isabelle and Maria. Anyway, whenever it is folded out, Maisy and I battle to see who gets to lay on it, and Benjamin crawls around on us like we are a jungle jim. She is a very tolerant dogger.

Extension Cord Baby

So when Loren was working on the bathroom with the door closed, Benjamin was milling around outside the door, trying to figure out how to get in. At one point, Loren was using something or other that plugged in, and had the extension cord going over the top of the door. Jam was fascinated. I like the first photo, where it looks like he is going to climb up the cord a la the man in black up the cliffs of insanity. Then he is very sad that he can't climb it, in despair about what else to use it for, and in the end, very happy with having discovered what the cord is good for.

This will not be a popular post when he is 15....

Benjamin escaped from me the other night after he got out of the bath tub, and was running around wearing only his hooded towel. Well of course the towel only stayed on him for so long, but he was still going strong after it fell off. I couldn't resist taking a few photos. His little naked tush is so cute! And I love how he casually walks around drinking out of his sippy cup now, like its no big deal. Funny little show off.

Hammering BAM

Benjamin is a total tool guy already, it is very funny. He loves to play with any kind of tool and he wants to help his dad with projects so badly. In this sequence of photos, he basically tries to climb up Loren's leg to get the hammer from him. When he can't reach it, he sees his little hammer, and proceeds to hammer the paint, the toilet and basically anything else in his reach. I love the photo where he is wielding the hammer like a weapon, with the crazed look in his eye. Dangerous hammering fiend, I say. In the other photo, Loren is giving him a crowbar to play with. In what universe is it a good idea to let a 1 year old play with a crowbar??? Must be a guy thing. They both survived.

I interrupt the regularly scheduled post....

...for an update on house progress. We have started on what I like to think of as the final frontier of the upstairs of the house, Benjamin's bathroom. These are the before pictures, and the demo pictures. Note that even the before pictures actually show a big improvement from when we bought the house. The paint, light fixture, mirror, towel bars, fan, light switch, etc. etc. are all newly done. So not a true before photo, is what I am getting at. But anyway, exciting progress is being made! These pictures show demo'ing the tub surround that was built around the old clawfoot tub in the 70's. Right now the tub is getting reglazed, and after that comes tile. Yay!