Gifting

Okay, so I had to post pix of Ben having fun with his new toys. All the lovely, moral, responsible parents I know often complain that the holidays have become too commercial, and they aren't buying their kids a bunch of presents because they don't want to send the wrong message. I nod agreeably, but secretly I'm thinking: Presents rock!!! If I was rich I would buy people presents all the time, and I love getting them! It's exciting seeing them under the tree and telling Santa stories and making a big mess with wrapping paper and playing with your new loot in your jammies and finding candy in your stocking, and I have a little boy who is going to get some fun, fun stuff. My parents always gave my sis and I gads of presents, and we didn't grow up to be godless degenerate bankrupt shopaholics. Presents are super fun. They are just one small part of what makes Christmas great, and whereas they do not reduce me to tears like carols and stories and midnight mass, I love them!

Feliz Navidad

December

This will probably be my one post this month, so I'll just toss in a random assortment of photos. Advent is slipping through our fingers so quickly this year. Tomorrow we are going to have "Christmas at home" by waking up and opening our gifts to each other in our pajamas, having pigs in a blanket and mulled cider for breakfast, lazily playing with our new things (i.e., Ben's new toys), and then having Beef Bourguignon for dinner (Ok, I'll be making that, so I won't be quite as lazy as the boys). Thus far Advent has been enjoyable, despite a preponderance of new baby molars: Ben is taking wary steps without support now and then, and we've had a couple of big snows and eaten way too many cookies. The frigid weather has held off until this week (it was 2 degrees when we woke up this morning), and as a result I purchased a pair of mittens for Ben today. As soon as I got them on his chubby paws in the store, he held out his hands to me, beseeching removal.

Here are a selection of recent photos: hanging out with George in the reading chair, probing a mouth full of new teeth with his tongue, developing a 5 o'clock blueberry shadow, and exercising restraint by not destroying the tree.

Yellow

I've been meaning to post a bunch of these for a while and have gotten so busy. We've had a few short-lived but annoying colds, and then Aunt KK and Uncle Sean came for Thanksgiving, and we ate and ate and ate. Ben thought dressing and turkey were just okay--he was partial to the pound cake.

I took these photos in early November when there were still yellow leaves all over our back yard. They're long gone by now, but they kept Ben busy and interested for quite a while.

And yes, he is eating dirt in the last shot.

All Hallows Eve Eve

Here's my Big Ben. He's a furry otter.


Technically, we celebrated Halloween yesterday. In our town on the night before Halloween, they shut down traffic on Main Street for 2 hours so that all the businesses can give out candy. There's a haunted library (Ben just laughed at the guy in the Scream mask) and a DJ (everyone was too busy to dance the electric slide) and hundreds of families in all kinds of costumes. My favorites were a little mouse whose stroller was made into a big piece of cheese and father and son firefighters (as far as I could tell, the father is a real-life fireman). Tonight I'll put a light in our carrot-nosed jack-o-lantern and some candy by the door, but it's supposed to rain, so I'm not expecting many little visitors. I bought waaaay too much candy.

At Windy Hill Farm

Ben's grandma and grandpa visited last week for a whole week, and it was THE BEST! They took Ben out for a walk and to the playground every single morning (where Ben enjoys swinging way more with Grandpa than Mommy). One day we went to Windy Hill Farm to buy our pumpkin. Ben got himself a tiny gourd that's great for carrying around, gnawing on, and smacking people's heads.

Pumpkinfest

Yesterday we took a fall day trip. First, we drove up to the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and fort.






After that, we went to Pumpkinfest in the fantastically quaint town of Damariscotta. The fall weather was ideal--sunny and just chilly enough for coats at the windy coast. The town was packed with visitors, and we milled around with the crowds, checking out the huge carved and painted pumpkins and watching the pumpkin paddle boat race (we left prior to the motorized pumpkin boat regatta).






We spent a lot of time in a bookstore with a wonderfully eclectic children's section and in a busy coffeehouse with delicious pumpkin pie gelato, as both had play areas for Ben with baskets of old toys and other friendly toddlers. We also met a pirate who told us about the Pirate Rendezvous they have in Damariscotta every June: pirates sail in on two sailing ships, sack the town, rob the bank, and create a general uproar. We will definitely be returning for that!

Tables, Bulldogs, and Noses

Here are a few photos of Ben enjoying his new table and chairs from Ya Ya and Paw Paw. I think they might be nicer than the dinner table for the grown-ups!


Here he is playing with his big red bulldog from my all-time favorite Sunday School teacher, RG.



Here is Ben, doing some of his cruising. He walks all over the house now holding onto the walls and furniture and loves climbing the stairs. Note his lovely hazel eyes and clean nostrils (I am proud of keeping them snot-free!).

Briefly Summer

One of the things I love about our neighborhood is how pedestrian-friendly it is. Well, the motorists on Main Street could stand to slow down, but there are sidewalks, crosswalks, and a path and boardwalk winding along with river. Undoubtedly, the highlights are our library and park. I've taken Ben to the park on almost every sunny day this summer because I know we won't be out there as often when the snow arrives. Ben loves to crawl around, watch the big kids, stare at the ducks and seagulls, and try to eat mulch. This past Tuesday, Ben and I met a group of moms with sons his age at the library for infant story time, then walked down to the park for a picnic. We're going to try to make it a regular date while the weather cooperates!

On The Farm

This photo was taken at Smiling Hill Farm where Ben and a friend had a play date today. The other little boy looks so happy and sweet, and Ben has the steely gaze of a barely suppressed fury.


Smiling Hill has the coolest playground! There are all these wonderful wooden structures: a funky tractor, a crazy airplane, a train...and Ben and his buddy are on the firetruck. There's also a duck pond, a picnic area, little animal pens with goats and ponies to feed, and a dairy store with delicious apple pie-flavored ice cream. I shared some with everyone today.

Going Up the Stairs and Stuff

Here's Ben climbing the deck stairs. He can go all the way up our inside stairs now, and those of you who have gone up our steep New England stairs, as well of quite a few of you who have fallen down them, know that's a daunting feat.


Here's the big man getting ready to ride to the playground.


Here he is being indoctrinated about football.


And here he is just being cute. I like this photo.