December, Abridged

I've really been slacking on the blog.  I blame the start of the school year because, well, that's how it is when you're a teacher.  I've been neglecting it so much so that I don't remember enough to even write very much.  So here is December in a nutshell.  Looking back, it was a pretty amazing December.  I love getting to relive the magic of the Christmas season through the eyes of my boys.  This is such a fun age, and I hope I remember it fondly forever.  Because years from now I will miss the days when the bottom half of our Christmas tree was either empty or in complete disarray (due to Owen and Logan taking off the ornaments and playing with them like they are toys until they are broken; 24 ornaments on the one day I counted).

Random Christmas quotes from Owen:
-While listening to Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer: "I think this song is sad because I love my grandma."
-"When Santa watches us when it's not Christmas, does he watch us like on a TV?"

Christmas pictures with Santa- Logan was too scared to sit by himself

Cuddly reading time with Dad in matching pjs

We were looking at our Christmas DVDs and thinking about which one to watch later that evening, when Logan saw the Home Alone DVD and did this.

Christmas lights at Deacon Dave's

I love "our Iron Horse Trail" (as Owen calls it) in the winter- cold, crisp, and sunny

Just a normal, everyday walk for my goofy Owen.  He picked out the outfit himself and decided to bring along his new trumpet, a gift from Robin & Matt.

Giant mudslides on the bike path near our house, the result of rains so heavy that- gasp- they had to close our schools for a day.  You can see the mud wrapped around the tree and spilling into the gutter.  There is an enormous hillside above, outside the frame, and I think that one of these days the whole thing is going to slide right down.

I don't remember why Logan was wearing sunglasses in the house, but he looks like a cool dude.

Christmas card art by Owen: Santa with little snowballs and one giant snowball

Christmas card art by Owen: a snowman with snow falling down

Christmas card art by Owen: a deer in a forest with clouds.  "Not a reindeer, just a deer."

Christmas Morning

Last Christmas I tried this idea I read about, recording Christmas morning in a series of photos and putting them into a YouTube slideshow.  While I doubt this would be of any interest to anyone but myself and my immediate family, it is still fun to look back at last year's video, so I did it again this year.

P.S.  Owen picked the crappy, uh, I mean lovely music.

First Haircut

My dad recently told us the story of his first haircut: He was at the beach when a woman came up to my grandpa and told him what a fine looking little girl he had.  My dad's longish curly hair and lack of boyish swimsuit (just a diaper I think?) led the woman to the wrong conclusion.  First thing my grandpa did when they got home was grab the scissors and cut my dad's hair.

Well I wasn't concerned about anyone mistaking Logan for a girl or anything, but it was obvious that Logan's hair was getting pretty long.  At 20 months old, he had never had a haircut.  His hair was such a part of HIM, however, and I couldn't bring myself to cut it.  He had the cutest little ringlets that would form, especially right after his bath, and people would always comment that he looked so blonde compared to Jeremy and me.  Logan's hair was just a little wild and crazy, kind of like Logan.  And most of all, I was afraid that it would transform him into looking like a little boy, and not like my baby anymore.

I knew it was time for his first haircut when his hair started getting in his eyes and he would awkwardly try to blink it away.  Or when he said, "Hair! Messy!" and tried to sweep it off his face.  Yes, it was time. *sigh*

I took Logan to a kids' hair salon because I was so nervous about how it would turn out.  He loved getting to sit in the special chair that looked like a bike, and he was the perfect client.  And while I do miss his long, curly hair, I am in love with his short hair.  Now I can see his bright, smiley face because it's not hidden behind a mop of hair.  I know I'm partial, but damn, what a cutie-patootie!

BEFORE

AFTER

Ho ho ho!

Finally, something that was NOT a Pinterest fail- our Christmas card photo.