New Year's Eve

Earlier in the day, Harrison decided he wanted to make cards to thank people who gave him presents for Christmas. These are all his doing, minus any legible words which he asked me to write. Santa and Rudolf were the first two "people" to receive his gratitude, he really wanted them to know how much he appreciates and loves them.

Once you have kids, it's pretty hard to go out on New Year's Eve so you have to make the best of things relaxing at home. Dad has always been good at making mundane things special so he came home with a fancy picnic of cheeses, crackers, and fig spread as well as champagne and sparkling cider for the family to enjoy. His timing was impeccable as Harrison had been asking for a picnic so we enjoyed our spread in the living room.

To top things off, we had a couple of the Star Wars movies recorded and Harrison recently began to love everything Star Wars despite he had never seen any of the movies. Talk about a special treat. While it was heavily edited to keep away scary and inappropriate parts, Harrison still loved it and begged to watch them again and again in the days to follow.

I did find party poppers which we enjoyed popping in the house and donning our silly paper hats. Harrison thought the different little toys inside were like the best toys ever!

Since we still had a stash of sparklers from Independence Day, we went outside into the practically freezing, foggy darkness and had a little fun.

The Rest of December

The entire month of December is always busy, here are some of the things worth noting:

We decided to sell the beloved "Saabaru" which Michael bought in June 2005 a few weeks after we were married. Before our friend came to pick it up, Harrison became nostalgic and sad so we decided to take a picture with it so he wouldn't forget daddy's blue car.

Mom pulled out all sorts of crafts to celebrate the season including marshmallow snowmen, frosting sugar cookies with friends, making our first ever gingerbread house (from a kit) and making brownies because I love brownies. 

One of the last big projects we worked on were ornaments Harrison would give as gifts for family members. They smelled amazing because they are made with tons of ground cinnamon and applesauce (and white Elmer's glue to hold the shape). We mixed it together with our hands, rolled and cut them out like sugar cookies then bake to dry them out. Viola!

Enter Michael Fein. Dad, ever the amazing provider, worked late and arrived home around 9pm just as I was putting Harrison to bed. I came downstairs and saw him hovering over the ornaments in the darkened kitchen and blurted out "don't eat those!" as he simultaneously started spitting over the kitchen sink and muttered something like "I just figured that out!" Dad notoriously wants to dig into baked goods fresh out of the oven and I constantly have to tell him to wait. He says that it was dark, something smelled delicious and he was hungry, why should he think anything is amiss? We are still laughing about this little episode.

After Harrison decorated the ornaments with colored glitter glue and I added ribbon, he chose a few to add to his kid Christmas tree. When we went to the tree lot just after Thanksgiving and we were waiting for the tree to go onto our car, Harrison rounded a corner and found an assortment of small trees. He became super excited, pulled a tree out and exclaimed that it was "just my size!" Michael and I remember years our parents let us have our own Christmas trees so we indulged and took this sweet little tree home. 

This is the part of the blog where I admit to being a poor parent. I did not take any pictures on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, save this one photo of Harrison's dictated note to Santa and the plate of cookies. Sorry Tucker, I blew documenting your first Christmas. If it is any consolation, you were very happy visiting with family and watching all the hubbub.

Overnight in Seattle

Dad and mom decided it would be nice to pack up the kids and spend a night in Seattle over the weekend. We got a great little room at the Edgewater Hotel that Harrison LOVED. There was a little black teddy bear on the bed when we arrived and a fireplace in the room and a big window overlooking the city.

On the drive into Seattle, I needed to call the hotel prior to our arrival. Since my car has bluetooth, he can hear the phone ringing and asks:

H: mommy who are you talking to?
Me: I'm calling the hotel.
H: that's silly, hotels cant talk!

Downstairs there is a lovely sitting room adjacent to the lobby which juts out over Elliot Bay and had board games to play. Harrison even picked out the photo of the Beatles on the wall (in the fall we stumbled upon the Beatles debuted on the Ed Sullivan show and now Harrison loves "She loves you, YAY, YAY, YAY!"). In the days and weeks after we left he would sigh and tell me "I just miss the hotel." The photo below is of their reflection in the window while playing chess with city lights and a ferry boat through the window in the darkness.

We did manage to get Harrison out of the hotel and enjoyed the evening in downtown Seattle. Harrison and dad rode the carousel in Westlake Center. We went to a steakhouse for a "fancy dinner" and Harrison behaved marvelously, in part because we told him Santa's helpers are everywhere, watching everything, and reporting back to Santa. The Sheraton houses the annual gingerbread house competition and although the line was probably 90 a minute wait we were able to walk through the lobby and peek between people as they walked by which was good enough for us.

I made the mistake of telling Harrison that we probably visit Santa downtown and when we passed the Santa that sits in the window at Nordstroms, Harrison made us stand there and watch for awhile and then begged to go see Santa and then melted down into a bit of a crying fit when we told him we couldn't because we didn't have reservation (the line was hideously long and we were seeing Santa the next week at the mall). I felt really bad about that, if we go again next year I am going to try to make that happen.

On Sunday morning we checked out and went to the new Ferris Wheel and got high views of the Bay and Downtown. Unfortunetly the weather was dreary and rainy but we enjoyed ourselves despite the gray.

SantaLand

Friday night at dinner I reminded Harrison of something very important:

Me: Harrison, tomorrow we get to go see Santa. 

HJ: Tomorrow?

Me: Yes, tomorrow after breakfast. 

HJ: (in a rousing rendition of his days-of-the-week song) Suuuun-day, Mon-Day, Tues-day, Wedns-day, Thurs-day, Friiiii-Day, Sat-UR-day, Those-are-the Daaays of-the-week... Hey! There's no "tomorrow!"

So true, my son! Well this morning Harrison woke up and as he does every morning he asked me sleepily, "what we going to do to day, mommy?" When I reminded him we are going to see Santa he spent most of the rest of the morning jumping up and down around the house saying, "Santa! Santa! Santa!" He helped pick out his perfect Christmas outfit, excitedly waited while I dug out his belt (!) and attempted to stand still while I wet down and then blow dried his hair to remove the bedhead look. Dad had him practice his "Santa Smile" for the photos as well as his answers to the most likely questions Santa would ask. I imagine it was a little like the President of the United States prepping for a press conference regarding his close ally to the north.

As is his nature, the minute he got up to Santa he suddenly became introverted and barely managed to smile for the photos. When he got his 60 seconds alone with Santa and was asked what he wanted for Christmas he replied, as rehearsed, "Spiderman Books."

Tucker for his part did not cry or squirm, he was mostly confused to wake up from a nap to find Santa, Santa's helpers, extended family and bright lights and decorations everywhere.

Christmas Program

Harrison's preschool puts on two music programs each year which we have been looking forward to for months. Just after Halloween, Harrison would come home from school and sing bits and pieces from "Jingle Bells" and other holiday music staples.

The big finally day arrived. Dad took some time off of work, Grandmama, Zaidy and Great Papa came. We all sat in eager anticipation. Harrison's class filed in. He didn't look us in the eye. They started singing. He wouldn't sing or only did what he needed to just get by. Our kid had stage fright. Then Tucker started crying, exhausted but unable to fall asleep, and grandmama and zaidy had to leave in turns to quiet him down, missing a lot of the program and distracting Harrison. Eventually he loosened up and would sing and do some of the sign language but he kept sitting down on the stage like he didn't want to be seen. The song list:


Happy Birthday To You (baby Jesus)
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Guess Who's Beard is Long and White
When Santa Comes Down the Chimney
I'm a little Christmas Tree
Angels We Have Heard on High
We Wish You a Merry Christmas


Hopefully next time Harrison will be in the swing of things. He definitely knew the music and at home enjoyed cupping his hands, elbows out to the sides and singing the gloria chorus to "Angels We Have Heard on High."

His teacher is Miss Lovely, dressed in all black. His music teacher is in a red sweater and the teacher that does music and sign language is in a white sweater.

Hmmm... the videos aren't uploading...

Our Tucker

I can hardly believe my baby Tucker is almost 4 months old already and he seems to develop a new skill almost daily. His neck muscles keep his head up well and his abdominal muscles continue to strengthen so that he will sit upright in my arms steadily most of the time (although he can't be trusted not to tip over quite yet). Lying down, you can see him try to crunch his abs to sit up to no avail but he can hold my fingers and I can pull him into a sitting position. He recently got into the excersaucer and loves it, even managing to push buttons to make animal sounds to his surprise and delight. He tracks objects with his eyes and movements of his head. Though he grabs fingers tightly he doesn't grab objects but does bat at hanging toys. His favorite people are definitely mom, dad and Harrison, as he will give us big smiles whenever he greets us. Without a doubt, he looks very much like his daddy.

This past week I started reading short books to him before nap time and consistently read "The Little Blue Truck" and now when I sit him down he smiles when he sees the book and I start reading! To help Harrison feel more included I asked him to join us in the rocking chair when we read and he enjoys this time with us even if they are short "baby books" with few words.

Tucker gives huge smiles and lots of laughs and brings us so much joy. He still has such a sweet disposition, really only cries when he is tired or hungry but even then it is mostly a whine. Tucker is super cuddly and happy after a meal, full of smiles and "goos" and it is mom and dad's favorite time with him during the day.

Harrison is so funny, he speaks in this ear piercing high pitched voice and uses it to pretend to be Tucker talking to us. Even funnier, he will dialogue between himself and Tucker, something like this:

"Tucker": wahhh, I want to put this little toy in my mouth!

Harrison: no, no Tucker, you can't have it you will choke, and then you will get sick and have to go to the hopstibal (hospital).

Tucker and I drop off and pick up Harrison at school twice a week and when we arrive all the other kids run up behind Harrison and say "hiiii bay-beeee Tuck-errrrr" in a cute, super drawn out way. They all want to say hi or look or touch him (which they are forbidden to do, ack, the germs!) and they are all oh so sweet. Harrison relishes in the fact that he is the only one that gets to give Tucker hugs, kisses and gently strokes his head as they greet.

updated: 12/21/12

November

After Halloween things slowed down  until the week prior to Thanksgiving; dad took Harrison on a trip to Denver to visit good friends and cheer on the Huskies to a victory over Colorodo.

While the big boys were away, mom and Tucker had a date with Auntie Chyna for dim sum and bubble tea and enjoyed the rainy, blustery afternoon together.

About the same time Tucker also turned 3 months old, he's getting so big so fast!

Despite having my hands full, I did manage to get the kids coordinating Christmas jammies and take their picture in anticipation of our annual Christmas card. This was the winner, coming soon to a mailbox near you! Of course I couldn't get them both to smile.

Thanksgiving was spent and Aunt Shivonne and Uncle John's house and auntie Chyna got to come as well since she stayed in town for the long weekend. The evening was nice, warm and full of family but alas, no photos. Chyna spent the rest of the weekend at our home and we enjoyed having her around, especially me. She kindly agreed to babysit for an evening while we went to out for a few hours to a comedy club with friends and poor thing was stuck with a crying baby that I was sure would not wake up! After a quick call to me, she rocked the baby back to sleep and also got Harrison put down to bed, what a pro. 

I just found a list I jotted down, verbatim, of all the things Harrison said he was thankful for: 

• cereal
• pumpkins
• yummy food
• for the food I eat
• toys
• the things for my birthday
• Spiderman, Captain America and the other guy that flies (Iron Man) and all the other super heroes

Something random Harrison said that was cute: one day he told me that I am "pretty like a sister, but you're a mommy." Puzzled, I asked him what he meant  and he said something about a stitch; after some deciphering I realized he meant that, in referring to the movie "Lilo & Stitch," he thought I am pretty like Lilo's sister. I think he means that she is pretty and Hawaiian and he thinks I am pretty and look Hawaiian. 

This also reminds me of when we were watching ESPN's coverage of the Nathan's hot dog eating contenst (on July 4), women's division, when my three year old blurts out, "she looks like mommy!" Luckily the national champ hadn't started eating yet otherwise I might have more in common with her than just a passing resemblance (I was pregnant at the time). You be the judge.

Halloween

This year for Halloween, I asked Harrison what he would like to be and offered the suggestion of pirate to which he enthusiastically agreed to. Call me manipulative but even though he loves Spiderman I didn't suggest any super heroes because I wanted my little boy to be cute one more year before begging for a super commercialized bad guy vanquishing hero costume. It was also nice he didn't have the same costume every other boy had, especially since they were readily available at Costco.

Harrison and mom went to his gym for a Halloween party and met up with his gym friends for rounds and rounds of games such as fishing at the witch pond and throwing bean bags at bats for prizes. He was not on his best behavior that day and I was super frustrated with him at dinner time and threatened not to take him but all of that melted away on the drive there when he said several times (slowly), "I'm so excited!" while he balled up his fists, tensed up and shook slightly with excitement and anticipation.

Halloween night mom stayed home with Tucker on doorbell duty while dad and Harrison went around the neighborhood twice! Harrison's favorite phrase was "ahoy mateys, ARRRG!"

This last mummy picture I had to include because he had this same shirt in orange when he was 9 months old.

Farm Days

Ack I am two months behind on posts so this will be short on commentary and more about the photos. In early October we made our annual visit to The Farm but it was still warm and sunny which did not make for my favorite idyllic fall photos as it was too warm to wear sweaters and the sun was shining in our eyes causing squinting. Harrison had fun as Lilah and Gavin's families also came but we decided to skip the pumpkin patch that day.

A couple weeks later we were going to run by the supermarket for pumpkins and then decided to drive the extra 10 miles to real patches and then last minute drove the extra mile to Craven Farm and just do this thing right. It was severally overcast, threatening to rain, gusty winds and cold - it was almost perfect for photos! The last photo here I had made into a canvas, it is so precious!