"Rockin' around Christmas tree..."

I was so happy that this occupied him for as long as it did. He enjoyed doing all five of them, and two or three puzzles before we headed out. 

It was cold, but we still spent some time outside.

Given his own camera, he wants to try every camera. This is a photo he took with mine. 

Our simple soup dinner for new year's eve. 

While singing, "Rockin' around, Christmas tree, happy holiday, eating pie and dancing...." 

(Those were the only words he knew and sang. He told us to sing, but we didn't know the words either!) and spinning in circles, he trips over himself and falls into a chair and hit his head. Baba and I were laughing, but he started crying. Baba told him he looks just like the picture in the hall way and to go look at it. He went over and said, "I can't see anything it's too dark!" And then, "I flashed my light on it, I see it." Baba told him to imitate it and he did. It's a photo of him as a baby crying. This is his impression of it, but half laughing. 

He hasn't done this since he was first going to the bathroom by himself when he was younger, he didn't even bother to pull up his pants. He was on his way to his room to change into his pj's until he said he needed to pee. 

"We can see Christmas lights too?"

Trying to tie another knot in his paracord loop. Like father, like son.

"Are we going to eat?"

NJ had lots of fun playing Hungry Hungry Hippos and all the other fun toys at Uncle and Auntie's house. A great time of relaxation for us! 

All bundled up, it's in the forties tonight. The boys had a great time walking the neighborhood to see Christmas lights. So far I think we've made this a yearly tradition. We have photos of NJ on this street from our first Christmas together. And this is where I'd walk to see lights when I was little. Nice that they're still going all out in decorations.

"You never played balloon hole frisbee before?"

Christmas decorations are still out, yay! We took one of NJ and he took one of us. Ha, ha, not bad, but we weren't ready. 

"Ooh, bacon." (Sounds just like Baba)

NJ on his first sled ride. He seemed to have fun, but didn't want to go a second time. 

Baba let NJ take some photos with his camera. He was clicking away. Our little photographer. He took these two photos. 

It was really nice to get out and hang out as a family. It got cold and started to rain though and we all headed home early. More time to rest, so it's ok. 

He was moving too much so it was hard to get a better photo. NJ got Baba to play a game with him. He made a loop in the balloon string and asked Baba to get the frisbee through it. Baba was really good and kept getting it through.
So NJ says, "Hey, why you so good Baba?"
Baba says, "Because Baba used to play frisbee all the time and flag frisbee."
NJ, "You never played balloon hole frisbee before?"
What?

"Watermelon tiger!"

A visit to the mall, I think this is only my second or third visit this whole year. Not a fan of the mall, but we got to visit an old friend at the apple store. While we caught up for a bit NJ played on an iPad. 

NJ was saying something today and I couldn't quite hear him in the car.
I asked him, "What did you say? Lemon?"
He laughs and says, "Lemon poopoo!"
Oh dear, here comes his jokes... He says it a few times more while laughing hysterically until he moves on to his next one, "Watermelon tiger!" Where does he come up with this stuff? 

"It smells like chocolate pudding!"

It was nice to get out to the park to relax. The boys played and the rest of us sat and talked. NJ tried guh-guh's (big brother's) scooter, his first attempt at a big boy scooter. He did pretty good. He fell a few times, but he was fine, he's tough.

Today he said again, "I want to talk about parents." 

When we asked the usual, "Where are your parents?" we waited for his new punchline...

He says, "Baba's in the shower and Mama's driving with me in the car." (busts up laughing)

Baba and I roll our eyes, he's so weird! 

After his bath Baba asked him, "How does your feet smell?" He used to do this a lot especially when NJ was younger, he'd jokingly say, "Stinky!"And NJ would repeat it. But today when Baba asked him NJ says, "It smells like chocolate pudding!" and laughs. 

"Are you still angry at me?"

NJ ran into our room to ask me, "Mama, are you still angry at me?" I got upset over him playing with two new cars in a pool of liquid soap with the water running. I gave him a time out and after our talk I went to get ready. When he knows he's in trouble he likes to give his cheesy smile. He can't stand to have us be upset at him. I'm glad.

We took Ah-goo (Uncle Perry) out to get some boba again and had lunch together. NJ liked pointing out what he thought was cool. 

During and after dinner, NJ kept asking for what he wanted to talk about... "Baba, I want to talk about parents."
Baba- "Ok, Who are your parents?"
NJ- "Mama and Baba."
Baba- "Where are your parents?"
NJ- "Mama is there and Baba's in the shower!" He cracks up laughing as if it was the funniest thing.
Baba- "Oh, you think you're funny! Have you been saving that joke to tell us?"
He kept repeating the same line over and over, "Mama is there and Baba's in the shower" laughing hysterically. It made us laugh, but it didn't make sense or was very funny except for the fact that he thought it was so hilarious and couldn't stop laughing at his own "joke". He also asked later... "Baba, I want to talk about cats."
Baba- "Cats?"
NJ- "Meow!" Cracks up laughing
Oh dear, we have a wanna be comedian in our midst. I love that he's thinking creatively and wants to make us laugh.

Christmas

French toast breakfast, yum! NJ must have asked about twenty times to open his gifts. I kept telling him that he had to wait until we were all up, and after we eat breakfast. That was a pretty long wait for him. I just really wanted us all to sit down and have a nice good breakfast together. And it gave him some patience. 

Finally some gift opening. It was once again, all for him! We loved watching him open them, though. I'll be sad for the day he doesn't have this smile on his face and the excitement that he has. As excited as he was, we only let him open one gift to actually play with. We put most of them away to take them out little by little. It's also time to put some away. 

Lunch at Tai-Ma's (great grandma's) house with Baba's relatives. NJ liked the cream corn and lumpia the most. For dessert, leche flan and cheesecake. 

I was happy to be feeling more myself again and happy to have a relaxed day spent with my two favorite boys. For NJ's advent calendar, I asked him everyday for something he was thankful for. I'm glad I did it, I think I'll make it a tradition. He had some good ones... Mama, Baba, Ah-ma (Acura and Toyota), Ah-gong, Gong-gong, Ah-goo, Ah-gim, teachers, church, school, food... I'm thankful for NJ, our best Christmas gift. It's always extra special to think about the Christmas day that we found out about NJ and knew we'd be family of three. I'm grateful for our health, my two loves, the ones that surround us, and so many little (and big) blessings in our lives. I love celebrating Christmas as a family of three.

Christmas Eve

"Look Mama, I can make a X!" He stole my empty wrapping paper rolls and played with them all morning. I'm pretty sure he also chased Dotty with them too. 

Christmas eve dinner just the three of us. I made something as easy as possible and it made my boys happy. 

Hmm, yummy gingerbread ninja's from Auntie Janell (thank you!)

After a nice bath, we snuggled up on the couch to watch a Veggie Tales Christmas DVD together and snacked on popcorn. A nice end to our Christmas eve together. So nice to not have plans and just relax at home. Better for me to recover from my stinkin' cold too. When NJ went to sleep, Baba and I watched Elf together.