Birthday Party

We spent a wonderful week and a half in Indiana for Christmas and had a great time with my family.  We left Savannah at 10:30 on Saturday morning and planned on driving just as far as we could and finish it up on Sunday.  Well, James was a perfect angel and we were feeling great, so we drove the whole 14 hours in one day instead!  In fact, we only stopped three times the whole trip!  Sunday, my mom planned a little birthday party for James and invited our family over to celebrate.  She made this adorable Thomas the Train cake for him which was delicious!  :) James was spoiled with wonderful attention, gifts and balloons...living it up!

I'm TWO!

Steven James:  Two years old today!

33.2 lbs

36 inches tall

Size 2T-3T clothes

7.5-8 shoes

Size 4 diapers...I think we need to move to 5's

• Loves his Daddy more than words can express.  Likes me when Daddy isn't around, then I'm chopped liver when he's home :)  
• Sleeps 7:30pm-6:00am (usually 5:45am), and takes a 2-2.5 hour nap around 11am. 
• Loves to play with trains and cars, push the stroller, build towers, read books, take baths, brush his hair, wrestle Daddy, paint, color, and play outside.
• Says lots of words, and a few are actually decipherable to the untrained ear. 
• Has 2, 3 and 4 word sentences.  usually about food, "More cheese please, mom"
• Timeout actually works now.  He will sit on the step and not move until I come to get him.  YES!
• Has no interest in potty training yet.  Sits on his little "Cars" potty with all his clothes on and thinks that's pretty fun. 
• Helps me unload the dishwasher and knows where most things go
• Climbs on everything.  Especially the couch and then likes to body-slam himself into the cushions when we're not looking....he's going to crack his skull
• If there isn't a bruise, scrape or bump on his head then it hasn't been a very fun week.  :)
• Loves to spin and then fall down.  Ring-around-the-Rosie if we'll play, but just as happy spinning and falling by himself, then giggles like crazy. 
• Loves to get and give belly busters
• Tells me when he's ready for a nap, says "Pillow and Binkey" and heads for the stairs.
• Wants Daddy to snuggle him at bed-time...not mommy.  :(   doing great in his toddler bed. 
• The only fruits and veggies I can get him to eat are bananas, peas, sweet & regular potatoes and smoothies.  drives.me.crazy.  he won't even try anything.  this is Steven's fault!
• He would eat "toast" with peanut butter at every meal if I let him...and yogurt. 
• Gives good kisses!  Will pucker his lips, and make the kissing sound against your cheek, or the teddy bear's.  :)
• Knows how to unlock my Nook and find the puzzle and sounds apps!  wow
• Loves Mickey Mouse, Cars, the Polar Express, and any animated movie.  He's really starting to respond and laugh at the shows.  Too cute!

 Come on, mom...are we done yet? 

Diaper Man, Vaseline, and Silly Faces

 Who dresses this kid?  :)  hahaa.  Dressing him in PJ's that match is last on the list of priorities in this household...but having fun IS on the list!  James really wanted to play "Diaper Man" this night.  We giggled. :P

One day after his nap, I hear James walking around upstairs.  I call for him to come down, and he makes his way down the stairs and into the kitchen where I'm making lunch.  He peeks around the corner with a big smile, and I see all this goo on his face and hands.  VASELINE.  ugh.  I like to blame this one on my mother.  My siblings will attest to this story....growing up it was the ongoing joke that mom rubs Vaseline all over her face and then kisses us.  She claims it's the world's best kept beauty secret.  She says she just puts it on her lips...but we know the truth.  She rubs it all over her face...and I mean ALL over.  eewwwwww.  yes, you can say it. ewwwww.  it is gross. 
Anyway, back to the story....I do own a jar....I guess my mom wasn't completely crazy, it is a fantastic moisturizer and I do use it on my lips ONLY!   However, I do not rub it all over my face and then rub my face all over my kids.  Nonetheless, James found my Vaseline on my nightstand and got into it.  All over his hands, face, up his nose, and on the stair walls.  not fun.  By the time i found my camera to snap this picture, he'd been waiting for a while not allowed to move, and the fun had worn off.  The Vaseline is no longer on the nightstand.  :)

Just being cute.  He has so many silly faces.  I love this one! 

Decorating for Christmas

We decorated for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving.  I love putting up all the Christmas decor, nativities, and lights, and James really got into it this year, too.  We got him his own little tree with multi-colored lights and fun little ornaments that he can play with and decorate whenever he wants.  It has really helped keep his little fingers off the glass ornaments on the big tree.  Steven also got him a pretty awesome train that goes around the tree....James races down the stairs as soon as he wakes up in the morning to play with that thing.  Pictures of the train to come later :)

Thanksgiving

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year with some of our good friends.  Rachel & Wesley, Lauren & Scott, and Ian joined us and helped cook this fantastic feast!  I got off pretty easy with just the turkey, corn caserole, and pumpkin cheesecake, Lauren and Rachel brought everythinge else!  We ate, played some cornhole, the boys watched football, and the girls had an awesome craft day!  I didn't get pics of the crafts, but we made these great Christmas card holders. 

Thankful Craft Day

James and I had a fun afternoon of crafting just before Thanksgiving.  James loves to paint and did a great job filling up the paper with pretty colors.  I traced his little hands, cut them out and turned them into cute little turkeys.  We sent these to all the grandparents and great-grandparents.  :)

"Choo-Choo"

We took James to the Roundhouse Museum in downtown Savannah a few weeks ago.  The kid is obsessed with trains and we thought he'd love seeing all the cars and taking an actual train ride.  I was also hoping to get a few good pictures of him to suffice for his 2 year old photo shoot....that did not work out as planned.  I think I got 2 good ones, all the others he's making some crazy face, eyes closed, or scrunching his nose! 
Anyway, he really enjoyed the museum and we had a fun family day out!

 They had a little train for the kids to play in that had some driving gear and knobs for them to pull.  I think James said "Choo-Choo" about 800 times that day.  Loved it! 

 My one good picture of the day, above. 

 James saying "choo-choo" and pumping his arm like he's pulling the whistle. 

 They had this miniature city of Savannah set up that shows where all the tracks are and where the trains run.  They had about 12 trains running on this track and James loved walking around and watching them. 

 Train Ride!

 Looking out at the roundhouse.  We got to tour a few Officer Cars that held the President of the Georgia Railroad back in the 50's. 

If Steven would lose the shades and James would open his eyes, we might actually get a decent picture once in a while.  :(  boo. 

Just a few laughs...

Just when we think James is growing up to be such a smart little boy...he goes and does something like this.  ugh....at least he's entertaining!  :) 



We got a balloon at Kroger last week and it provided three days of fun!  Every time he watches this video he laughs so loud!


This cute video of Claire, Ava and James just makes me laugh.  They were cracking themselves up!