Playmat Montage

This may be a little over the top...but at least I condensed it to one video!

Jacob at the Monument

Here is a cool picture I took of Jacob at the monument across from my mom's house at Thanksgiving. Playing on that thing brings back so many memories that it's really fun to do it with my nephews.

Friendly Boy

My son is quick with a smile - he seems much more gregarious than Cecilia at this age. There is nothing he likes more than for someone to be making eye contact with him, making baby sounds, and smiling.

Pancakes!

 It never dawned on me that in a million years one of my favorite activities would become cooking with my daughter. Pancakes, banana bread and cookies are good because there is lots of mixing and not as much cutting, but she loves to help out in anything we make. Here she is giving a proud (if forced) smile over some of our handiwork.

At school the other week they were making tomato sauce and the teachers gave each kid a plastic knife and a few onion slices, but without any expectation that they would do anything other than play with them. When they turned around Cecilia had chopped her onion into neat little pieces! It's funny the things that make you so proud as a parent.

Big Smile

I was emailing with my friend Stuk in New York and made this video to show him what I was doing in between emails.

Making a Movie with Dad

Cecilia and Phillip on the Couch

Reading to Little Brother

This is a little dated, but hopefully it becomes a regular occurrence.

Reading to Mommy

Audio's not great and you can hear Herc in the background, but still a cute video. It's funny because now every time after I finish reading stories to her she asks if she car read one to me. I say yes and then she proceeds to flip through an entire book without saying a word...I don't call her on it though :)

Cleaning Snow off the Car

She loves to be helpful!

York Animal Kingdom in the summer

Over the summer, we went to York Animal Kingdom and York Beach again because it was SUCH a big hit last year. It was an exhausting, but incredible fun day!

The full photos can be found here.

Here are a few videos from the day.

Feeding the ducks:



Rides at the carnival area:



At York Beach:

Phillip and the Penguin

That funny looking penguin is a one of those Russian matryoshka dolls, with a bunch of smaller penguins in side. Something we bought for Cecilia when she must have been about 1 and a half.

Petting zoo at Reid's birthday

Reid had an animal guy come to his birthday party to show the kids (and adults) all sorts of animals!

Cecilia followed her cousin, Jacob, and was very brave in petting and looking at all the animals.

Swim Class - all by myself!

Over the summer, Cecilia started having swim classes withOUT mommy or daddy! She was so proud to be there by herself. The teacher, Adam, was fantastic. Here is a long video medley of one of the classes:

Fighting with animals

Phillip has really been getting interactive with the stuffed animals - reaching for them, fighting with them, chewing on them, etc. It's so cute!

Part of this video is blurry, but you get the idea:

Tickling

Little Phillip is starting to laugh more and more, especially with his Daddy. He's starting to like being tickled! :)

Easy Chair

This is from when Phillip was only a couple weeks old... if only he could use Grandma as an easy chair forever!

Rolling over

The little guy has learned to roll over!