christmas celebrations

We started our Christmas weekend with a visit from Eric's friend, Doug. 

He and the boys (including Winston) got on famously, and we all enjoyed a great but quick visit!

On Christmas Eve, the family descended for lunch. We had 18 diners. Macon and Lily sat together at the sub-children's table. Eric thought the extra-low table for two was demoralizing, and Lily agreed and spent her lunch time playing, leaving Macon to (happily) chomp away by himself! 

At the top-dog children's table, cousins Camille, Maggie, and Katie joined Jed.

Thanks for our beautiful cake, Aunt Judy! 

At the grown-up's table, we tucked in for ham, green beans, sweet potatoes, salad, and cranberries. 

Meanwhile, the cousins moved to the living room. When it got very quiet in there, I went to investigate and found them cleaning out the remaining appetizers. 

Macon tried his best to dress a cracker with pimento cheese, but he didn't realize that you have to turn the knife over for the cheese to make contact with the cracker. 

Back at the grown-up table, things got less grown-up once we popped the Christmas crackers. 

present time

Grandma and Aunt Judy (Grandma's sister-in-law)

On Christmas Day, Jed woke us up around 6:30, and we came downstairs to a room full of gifts! 

Jed immediately jumped into the fireman's turn-out gear that Santa brought and that's what he wore all day long (including the pajamas). 

Later in the morning, Macon joined us and discovered that Santa had left him fireman's boots, too! 

Boots are good for running, Mama! 

Jed kindly shared his new fire jacket and helmet while showing off the launch-able helicopter that his Wilson cousins gave him. 

Then Macon got into his gifts, but please note, he keeps a hand on Jed's new digger (courtesy of Uncle Brian, Aunt Dara, and Amara). 

one hand on his own new blocks, one hand on Jed's digger

While Jed opened more of Macon's gifts, Macon loaded blocks into the digger's scoop. 

Eric did not approve of the gift that I got for Macon from us. 

making funny faces with Grandpa

Wrappings!!!

A pull-along horse from Uncle Ken and Aunt Carol was a big hit. 

We knew Macon really liked it when he shared Jed's fire helmet with it. 

A book about animals!! 

Eventually, the boys needed more space and moved into the hall . . . 

. . . and finally into the great outdoors. 

Thanks for the cowboy hat, Ken and Carol! 

helicopter + tree = ladder in the yard

Grandma, Grandpa, Sarah, and the boys

merry christmas!

the children's table

ancestors

descendants 

yum!

On Tuesday, Macon really enjoyed the preschool's Christmas party. He was the last one to leave the table.

And here's a two-photo year-in-review . . . 

January 2012

 December 2012

followed by a little then and now.

Jed and Macon, both age 2 + a few weeks

better than the news

Let's look at pictures of cute kids!

This afternoon, Jed took a little nap. Macon ended it. 

And yesterday, I recorded some of Macon's animal sounds. The pig at the 16-second-mark and the dinosaur a few more seconds on are his best efforts. 

improving

Jed went to school today, and despite seeming pretty tired by the afternoon, he's been operating at nearly 100%. So far, the rest of us are still standing, but I'm assuming one of us will fall soon...

welcome to sick season

Yesterday was a day spent on the sofa. Jed started what seemed like a minor cold on Sunday, however, by Tuesday, he had the throw-ups. He's much better today, but who will fall next? Stay tuned. 

Thanks to our neighbor Greg who popped over on extremely short notice to babysit, Jed was able to stay asleep while I picked up Macon at 1:30. At 4:45, after a 2.5-hour nap, Jed asked, "When are we going to pick up Macon?"