Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! Sam seems to be getting used to the fun of the holidays. Yesterday we went to the afternoon Christmas Eve service at Grandma Barb's church. Sam was so well-behaved, wearing his Christmas sweater and coloring a picture of the Nativity. He started to get a little restless so Grandma Barb handed him a sucker. He sat there, happily sucking away, and the children's choir started to sing Go Tell It On the Mountain. He got so excited he started to clap along with the music, and his enthusiasm caused him to drop his sucker. It rolled out of sight. He dove after it, trying to wriggle under the pew, and then looked up with the saddest face any of us have ever seen. He was so upset, Uncle Mike had to take him out. When the service was over, we found them happily playing in the courtyard - all painful memories forgotten. We went right to my Uncle Bryce and Aunt Pat's house. It was full of family and friends, good food and excellent wine. Uncle Bryce made an appearance as a very convincing Santa Claus. He even has twinkling blue eyes! Sam was not afraid, but was also not interested in getting too close to him. Santa had a big sack full of toys, and Sam got a book and two big yellow trucks. We stayed much later than we had intended and Sam had a very late bedtime. This morning, Sam and I were dragged out of bed by Miranda. Sam was so good! It had to be overwhelming to see all of the presents, but he was incredibly polite. He waited his turn, oooohed or screamed at everything he received, and sweetly said "please" for each gift. (It's the closest I can get him to say thank you...it works for me.) Today we will stay in our pajamas, play with our new toys, and have a wonderful dinner. I pray that all reading this feel as blessed as Sam and I do today!

The Denver Zoo

Earlier tonight the whole family went to the Denver Zoo to see their holiday light display. It was amazing!

We all ooohed and aaahed over the millions of twinkling lights. Every tree and shrub was covered. Stars and globes hung overhead. Lights outlined the shapes of every imaginable animal, and many gave the illusion of moving. Sam was incredibly impressed, and we were having the best time. We had no idea the animal houses would be open!

We walked into the first house and there it was - Sam's first in-person encounter with an elephant. Two elephants, in fact, using their trunks to shove food into their mouths. Sam gave a little scream and then trumpeted his little heart out at both of them. Also in that building were two hippos, who were actually wallowing (I thought that was an exaggeration of their day-to-day lives, but there they were). Sam liked the hippos but 14-year-old Miranda was just blown away. I was watching her face as she scanned the water looking for them. The second her eyes registered on the huge, floating head she jerked back and her mouth fell open. She attests that it was the most amazing thing she has ever seen.

We went on to see several other animals, including camels (Sam didn't care) and sea lions (Sam barked and clapped his hands at them). Once he realized how amazing the zoo was, Sam couldn't stop squealing or pointing at everything he saw. The park benches wowed him just as much as the animatronic giraffe. (That reminds me - we saw giraffes, too. I thought it was awesome when the biggest giraffe bent his head down and stared directly at me and Sam, and then it started getting scary. After a few minutes I ended up backing out, terrified.)

Between the lights, the delight on Sam's face, and the Christmas carols sung in the car, I am definitely getting in to the holiday spirit!

Purging the Friendly Skies

Sam and I were up at 4 am today. This morning was the beginning of our Christmas vacation and we were both too excited to sleep. By 7:30, we were packed into a car with Jackie, Mike, Miranda, James, and countless bags. We drove to a park-and-ride lot, hopped on a shuttle, and checked our luggage at the airport.

Through all of this, Sam was an angel. He took it all in stride. He patiently allowed himself to be pushed and pulled through the Minneapolis airport. After arriving at our gate two hours before takeoff, Sam fell asleep in his stroller and didn't wake up until it was time to board.

Unfortunately, our plane was late coming through Chicago, and we weren't boarding. Sam started to get cranky. An hour after our original departure time, we boarded the plane. We then waited about 30 minutes for our bags to be loaded. After finally starting to move, we stopped again to have the plane de-iced. Sam was really, really mad.

I did everything I could to keep him happy. I sang, gave him snacks, and passed him to Mike, Jackie, and Miranda. He was just miserable. A couple of times I looked away from him, hoping that if I ignored him he'd get bored and stop whining. Each time I thought he was fine, I'd look back to find him sobbing silently in his seat, huge tears covering his face.

After finally landing in Denver, he just went limp. He didn't seem to feel anything about making our way to the main terminal, seeing Grandma Barb and Grandpa Doug, or waiting for our bags. He was silent as he was strapped into the car and didn't pay any attention to the rest of us on the ride to Grandma Barb's house.

As soon as we were home, Sam walked into Grandma Barb's living room and threw up all over the coffee table.

Since then, he has been his happy, giggling self. Happy holidays!

Faces of Sam

Thanks to Grandpa Mark for taking these awesome pictures of Sam!

Cookies are a serious business.

On the other hand, cookies can be the height of hilarity.

The antlers help him concentrate.

Embodying the essence of his Cobra Strike monster truck.

Just...about...there! The piano is perfectly tuned.

Grandpa Mark and the Mall

Yesterday, my dad drove up to spend the day with Sam. We originally planned to take Sam to the Children's Museum, but I was afraid of him catching something so close to Christmas. Instead, we went to the mall.

Grandpa Mark bought us lunch. The food court was very busy and we ended up sharing a table with two other women and their 10-12 kids. (I never counted...but there was a LOT of commotion from their end of the table.) In comparison, Sam was an angel. He doesn't cry or throw fits when I tell him no. The only poor table manners he showed was the non-stop pointing and staring at all of the good (junk) food the other kids were having.

After lunch, we went to check out the little put-a-quarter-in-it-and-it-shakes vehicles. Sam sat in all of them, and was shocked when Grandpa actually put money in one. I'm cheap, and Sam is too little to understand, so I have always let him think just sitting in a little car is the fun part. Grandpa had no problem paying 75 cents, so Sam's eyes bugged out when his car began to shake and rattle.

After the cars, we rode on the carousel. Grandpa stood by Sam's horse and I concentrated on not feeling sick. As Sam's horse went up and down, Sam's head went the opposite way, staring at Grandpa. He was amazed each time he found himself looking Grandpa right in the eye.

Because we were having such a relaxed day, I thought it would be a good idea to try to see Santa. Eric took Sam a few weeks ago, and it was a fiasco. Eric saw no sense in buying a picture of Santa sitting merrily in his chair while Sam was a sobbing blur trying desperately to get away. So, we walked up to Santa's area and watched him for a while. Sam still looked pretty happy and I asked him if he wanted to go sit on his lap. He said yes, so we got in line. Within a minute or two the line advanced forward and Grandpa and I turned to see Sam still rooted to the floor. I asked him to move forward and he looked at me blankly. I asked if he wanted to see Santa, and he slowly shook his head no. And so we gave up - I was pretty happy Sam changed his mind before we made it to Santa's lap.

I shopped in a few stores while Sam played with Grandpa. They had the best time! Grandpa bought Sam a little ball and they must have sat on every bench in the mall, taking turns putting the ball in their pockets, while I shopped with no one hanging on me or whining. It was beautiful.

Grandpa Mark, you can come to the mall with us anytime!

How To Get To Sesame Street

Several weeks ago, Eric bravely took Sam (by himself) to the Children's Museum. The museum rotates special features, and right now they have an entire exhibit set up as Sesame Street. Sam was just wild about being there - we will definitely be going again before it changes!

Sam is happy - but the slightly crazed, glassy look in his eyes is worrying.

Sam chillin' on the front steps of 123 Sesame Street.

Ringing the bell for Gina...

...and leaving her a message when she didn't answer.

Simply one of the funniest pictures I have ever seen.

Sam's Perfect 10

This morning Sam and I went over to (my friend) Karen and (his friend) Aiden's house for a playdate. They just moved in to a house with a big, unfinished basement. It is full of great outdoor toys, including a large castle with a slide.

Sam and Aiden took turns climbing up and sliding down. Each time Sam came down the slide, he tried to land on his feet in a standing position. Each time it looked like he was going to do it, he'd fall over.

Karen and I were kneeling on either side of the slide, half-ignoring the boys. We saw Sam come down, concentrating. He landed on his feet (!) and almost lost his balance. Bent at the waist, he steadied himself with his hands on the floor in front of him. As soon as he stopped wobbling, he snapped straight up, threw his hands up in the air, tilted his head back, and smiled.

He had stuck his landing - and made sure everyone knew it!

Presents Under the Tree

This is a slow Monday morning. Sam and I are coming off of a weekend filled with Christmas celebrations, and we are wiped out.

On Saturday, we had Christmas at Eric's dad's house. It was a mess of adults, kids, cookies, and tissue paper. The first present Sam opened was a train flashlight. As soon as enough paper was off for Sam to see what it was, he said, "Oooooooh!" and ran in place watching his aunt get the rest of the paper off. He was SO excited. The presents just kept coming. He got a little overwhelmed in the middle of opening, so I took him in the other room to play with his flashlight. After less than a minute, he was ready to go back in with a clear head.

On Sunday, we had Christmas at my dad's house. We take turns opening presents, so it was much calmer. Sam is now the one-year-old owner of his own CD player and remote control car. He remained pumped up through the whole thing. Each gift warranted either an "Oooooh!" or an "Awwww!" and lots of running, jumping, and twisting. When he pushed the button to make his car go, he simply screamed in delight.

Now we're completely exhausted. I'm not going to tell him that we're doing it all again next week...

Sam Phones Home

First of all, I must assure everyone that Sam recovered from yesterday's trauma quite nicely. I painted a horrible picture (it was horrible) and didn't include a happy ending. Many people have voiced their concern for his well-being. Sam is more than fine - I would venture a guess that he'd like to go to the playland again today.

Sam is obsessed with phones. In a pinch, he walks around with a remote pressed to the side of his face, chatting away.

I didn't realize how phone-savvy he was until this morning. Sam was talking to Eric on my cell phone while I supervised, making sure he didn't hang up on him or throw the phone in the toilet. The phone is loud enough for me to hear Eric talking.

I got a call on the house phone and ran to answer it. I talked for a minute or two, and then went back to Sam. He was still holding the phone to his ear, and I heard Eric say, "Sam, did you just call me back?" Sam said, "I did!"

Sure enough, as soon as my back was turned Sam closed the phone, ending the call. That is nothing new. He has hung up on most of the people I know. My surprise lies in the fact that he then opened the phone and managed to call Eric back.

I am more than a little afraid of him.

Playland of Horror

With all of the snow and cold, Sam has spent a lot of time stuck inside. He was really climbing the walls on Tuesday, so on Wednesday I decided to take him to McDonald's playland. I figured it is free and he could run around to his heart's content.

When we first arrived, Sam spent quite a bit of time in a small room designed for toddlers. It was right off the beginning of the elaborate tube tunnels that climbed to about 15 feet in the air. When Sam started getting bored, I kicked off my shoes and led him into the tunnels.

We climbed up into one twist and immediately found an opening for a slide. We went down together, hair standing on end. Another boy's father (let's call him Boy 1's Dad) saw me come down and laughed.

It was all so innocent and fun, I decided to go in with him to go down the tall slide. I don't know at what point I remembered that I am painfully claustrophobic. I think it was when each turn in the tubes led to a dead end. I started panicking. I was sweating and hardly able to breathe. Anyone who has had a panic attack or that horrible, closed-in feeling knows what I'm talking about. I had a brief vision of an employee taking the tunnels apart to pull me out when I found us at an end. We had totally missed the slide, but came out where we had to contort ourselves down a caged-in ladder. Again, Boy 1's Dad saw me and laughed.

A few minutes later, Sam was playing in the toddler room with two boys (Boy 1 and Boy 2). The boys were about 4 years old. After a few minutes, the older boys decided to go up into the tunnels. Sam followed them. I watched him go apprehensively. I wanted to stop him, but I try to let him have his own little experiences, believing it is good for him (and I hadn't been much help when I went with him).

For a few minutes, all I could hear was the boys climbing around above my head. Then there was some commotion at the top of the tall slide, which was a very tight spiral. Boy 1 came down, followed by Boy 2. I waited a minute, and then asked the boys, "Um...is the baby still up there?'' That, along with the wail that came from the top of the slide, got Boy 1 and Boy 2's parents' attention. I took off my shoes, planning to go in. Boy 1's Dad, familiar with my previous luck, offered to go in to get Sam.

He took off his shoes and went in. Boy 1 and Boy 2, eager to be heroes, yelled, "Let's save the baby!" and went in after him. By this time, Sam was yelling for me without stopping and I was yelling words of encouragement to him. It seemed like forever, and then I heard Boy 1's Dad saying, "Sam! Come on, Sam! Let's go see mom!"

There was a scuffle, and then Boy 1 came down in a sitting position. Boy 2 followed, head first, and they collided in a giggling pile of arms and legs. I could hear Boy 1's Dad trying to get Sam down the slide. He was obviously trying to go slowly down the slide, pointlessly trying to hold the sides of the slide, while Sam yelled and fought him. Then Sam appeared, feet first, still looking up the tunnel. Boy 1's Dad lost his grip and slid down on top of all of them.

Boy 1's Dad was contorting himself, trying to hold himself up so he wasn't laying on Sam, while Sam, unaware he was so close to freedom, was panicking and trying to climb back up the slide. I had to practically lay on top of Boy 1's Dad while I wrenched Sam out of the slide by one arm.

Sam was inconsolable. He wandered around the room, yelling at tables, crying out the windows, obviously traumatized by his feeling of captivity. I eventually wrestled his shoes and coat on him and got the heck out of there.

What is it they say about good intentions? I wonder if that road is a spiral slide.

The Wheels on the Bus Are Upsetting

Sam is really into music right now. His favorite songs are the ones that have hand movements. The little stinker won't sing them, but I often walk in on him doing a song, beginning to end, in just the motions.

He LOVES The Wheels on the Bus. If it were up to him, we'd never stop doing it. As soon as we are done, he looks up at me and says, "Again?" and hold his hands up, ready to go.

I was so excited when I found a Wheels on the Bus book. It has all of the lyrics inside, and the buttons on the side that make the corresponding noises. Doors? Check. Wipers? Check. Horn? Check.

I gave the book to him this morning. It was meant to be a Christmas present, but I decided to spread out his presents so he isn't so overwhelmed. He was so happy when I handed it to him! He sat down on my lap and merrily pushed all of the buttons. He got all the way down to the baby crying, heard it, and stopped. He pushed it again, and looked up at me, worried. He pushed it again and then put the book down and hugged me.

I got up and walked away, assuming he was fine. He squatted over the book, pushing the baby button, getting more and more upset. Finally he started whimpering and had to come over to me for another hug. I guess the baby sounds too real for him - ? Hearing the baby on his book cry makes him sad.

I eventually hid the book. Apparently Sam is too sensitive to hear babies cry right now!

Beckett Russell Paulson Is Here!

Any of one you who personally knows me has to also know my friend Tali. We have been friends since college, and I adore and respect that girl to the point of being stalker-ish.

On December 7 (the day that will live in infamy, now in more ways than one), Tali gave birth to her first child, Beckett Russell. So many people have been waiting (years!) for that little guy! I could almost hear the cheers across the country as people learned he was here.

Tali and her husband, Chad, are just over the moon about him. I can't wait to hold him!

Here he is - beautiful! Thanks to Tali's sister Marissa, who took these pictures that I subsequently stole from her site.

Sam Is A Weird Kisser

The snow has me feeling sluggish, and I am unable to come up with a better title.

Starting when Sam was very little, I kissed him on the forehead when we were snuggling or giving each other a hug. He therefore assumed that his forehead was for kissing. Anyone asking Sam for a kiss has to be ready, because the top of his 98th-percentile-head is coming for your mouth.

I finally decided that I was going to just make him use his lips. I've been grabbing the sides of his head, squishing his cheeks, and struggling with him until I kiss somewhere in the area of his mouth. (Typed out, that sounds just horrible. Honestly, he hasn't seemed bothered by it.)

Today we had a kissing breakthrough (!) followed by yet another bizarre behavior. We were getting a little crazy, with Sam starting about 10 feet from me and then running and tackling me to the floor. After each tackle, we'd laugh like maniacs and he'd offer me his forehead. I just kept saying "No, no, no," into his hair and then he turned his face up to me and gave me a real kiss! My heart melted - but just for a moment - because he immediately offered his hand for me to kiss. As if I were kissing his ring. And that's how the game went - run, tackle, laugh, kiss on the mouth, and kiss His Excellency's knuckles. Repeat.

I have said it before - the kid is deranged.

Holiday Preparation

Last year, Sam was 10 months old at Christmas time. He was mildly entertained by the decorations, and enjoyed his presents, but for the most part he seemed unimpressed by the gaiety. This year he is 22 months old and can't believe all of the fun!

His favorite part has to be the Christmas tree. When it is lit, he gazes at it and says, "Ohhhh...tree!" He loves poking the prickly branches and tries his hardest not to touch the ornaments. I have been amazed by his self-control. I gave him a set of Sesame Street ornaments and told him he could take them off and put them back on as much as he wanted. He showed me where to put them, on the bottom branch of the tree, and smiled. Then he pulled them all off and lined them up in front of the TV. Now a couple of them are in the pocket of his coat and I know I saw Elmo rolling around in the backseat of the car.

Holiday decorations have made shopping a whole new adventure. He loves going to Menard's to see the giant blow-up lawn decorations. This morning we went to Wal-Mart and spent almost 20 minutes walking around their Christmas displays. He pointed at the trees and said, "Tree!" He pointed at the snowmen and said, "Ball!" (Technically, he's right.)

When we left the store, I gave him my change to put into the Salvation Army bucket. The man ringing the bell was so kind, and held the bucket right up to Sam. His little fingers pushed every last cent in, and then he smiled and wildly waved bye-bye to the bell ringer.

Fa la la la la, la la la la!

Bedtime for Sam

I have worked very hard to establish a bedtime routine for Sam. I guide him through books, bath, pajamas and teeth, and he happily climbs into bed. I give him a kiss and within a few minutes he falls asleep on his own.

Routine is important, but I am not completely militant about it. If we are out late, I won't force an almost-sleeping kid into the tub. If Sam is feeling a bit off I'll sit by him for a while before he falls asleep. I assume his needs will just keep changing as he enters each phase of his life.

About a week ago, I waited too long to start bedtime. Sam was out of his mind, crying and carrying on like a crazy person. He needed a bath that night, so I let him bring his cars into the tub. He then clung to them as I dried him off, put him in pajamas, and brushed his teeth. He had never slept with a toy before, so I tried to take the cars from him as he got into bed. He screamed like I have never heard him scream before. I really didn't care if he slept with cars or not, so I put one in each of his little hands. Within 60 seconds, he was asleep.

Every night since, he has tried out a new toy. He slept with Big Bird and Cookie Monster, a truck, and a doll. Two nights ago, he took the little bear Grandpa Mark and Grandma Tina gave him when he was born. It plays music when its tail is pulled. I sat in the living room and listened to Sam pull the tail over and over, each time with less enthusiasm. Eventually it stopped all together and I could hear the bear hit the floor as Sam fell asleep.

Last night was a bad night. Sam had a short nap yesterday, which I did not account for when planning bedtime. He was miserable and sobbing as I started the tub. I had just finished reading to him from a book he had chosen from his bookshelf. It was a hardcover Disney book, one of a set of 18 my sister handed down from her kids to Sam. He had never looked at them before, but last night he acted like his life depended on being near those books. Trying to appease him, I carried his book into the bathroom, telling him it could come with. He stayed by his shelf, wailing, until I went out and found him trying to carry the other 17 books into the bathroom, too.

I choose my battles, and a kid wanting books is something I have no problem going along with. So I carried the little library into the bathroom. Other than Sam throwing #13 into the tub, hoping it would join him, bathtime passed without incident. He clutched #2 and #4 as I dried him and brushed his teeth. I set the entire stack next to him after he got into bed, and he fell asleep with his arm slung over #8.

Sweet dreams, Sam!