...and so did Zachary, when we threw out the rule book for a day and let him jump all over the furniture. Definitely not the best parenting, but man, he sure had fun. We switched him to his "big boy bed" and new room. He did super with the adjustment, although still refuses to sleep under anything but his baby blanket. Don't worry, that gigantic TV is gone, too.
For Thanksgiving, 6 little families joined us and pitched in with yummy food and afternoon company. We played some t-ball with the kids, ate from our 7, maybe 8, pies, and enjoyed the sunshine that evaded us last year. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a hard day for sharing with Mr. Z, so mostly I was stressed out.
The next day we shot up to the mountains for camping. I'm all for cold camping every once and a while. I do not, however, really love it when it rains...and rains...and rains... It was muddy and cold, but at least we were able to enjoy mugs of hot cocoa. Our car was the only wimpy one that couldn't survive the gnarly, muddy roads. Next time, we buy 4WD so we can have a cool mud shot like everyone else. (Actually, next time we're going to camp at the beach where it is warm.)
Oh, hello belly. This is at 25 weeks. I'm 27 weeks now (yay for 3rd trimester!), and just got asked by a gas station attendant if I was having a Christmas baby. Ouch.
Making up for our cold camping was a warm couple of days paddle boarding. Kalipaki is not our favorite beach, but it is perfect for paddle boarding, which is just about the only water sport I can do these days. I'm guessing I'll have to throw that one out soon, too, considering that when I start to lose my balance and jump into the water, it's getting a little tricky to get back on the board. I'm a little jealous that Brady has learned how to ride waves on the paddle board, which I will not venture to try until after baby girl arrives. Don't worry, I am very cautious, I stay away from other boarders, and I only go where I know I can hack it without falling unexpectedly.
Kalipaki's other perks include it being a great beach for the kiddos, and only 25 minutes from our house.
Olivia is such a little ham for the camera.
We went to the Lights on Rice Street parade this year. This Christmas has been the most exciting so far with a child, because it seems like Zac "gets it" about everything--Santa, snowmen, lights, the tree, etc. He is so excited, and he knows that presents come soon. I haven't really introduced the concept of Santa knowing if you are bad/good--maybe next year. I remember really believing that Santa was keeping track. That's got to be more effective than time-outs, right?
Zac loved decorating the tree. Notice how he put all the jingle bell balls in the same section. When he woke up the next morning and noticed we repositioned them, he was not very happy.
Oh, and I made something pretty with my hands! Minus the ribbons, candles, and berries, this is all fresh and real.
We're enjoying our decor while we can. Our landlord comes the 23rd for 11 days, so we'll be out of here and staying at a friend's house while they are on the mainland.
We get told all the time that we "couldn't possibly live here" because our son has such a fair complexion. I don't know--he looks a tiny bit more tan than the white on the Santa hat!
A random shot from last night's Christmas party. He was excited all week to sit on Santa's lap, and this year there are NO TEARS! Sure, he still looks a little wary and he's definitely not leaning into Santa's beard, but he couldn't stop talking about it the rest of the night.
