Twelve Days of Tantrums... I mean Christmas!

Greetings This Holiday From our Family!!!

We are having our third Christmas together as a family this year 2007. It's tradition to get the tree up as soon as humanly possible- a day or two after Thanksgiving. Riley picked out the tree as well.

He is officially in full '2 Year old' mode... with fits of jealousy, scream fests, crying over spilt milk, WHINING with style & generally trying his mother's patience every chance he gets. Yet, we love him as we haven't sold him to the carnival just yet. Lucky boy.

At last weigh in he was 27 pds, right at average height (50%) and lean (25% weight). That's the best! He talks more and more, much of it hard to understand- but we are getting better with understanding. Common phrases, "me do it!", "I hold it!" (meaning I WANT IT), "no SING mommy" (thanks kid), "I'm hungry!".... Well, you get the picture. Not real deep, but he gets the point across.

Lo & I are working obscene amounts of hours this month, but we make sure there is lots of family time together. We have really loved Ri's discovery of Santa and all things Christmas- carols, elfs, presents, the tree and of course- baby Jesus. I think he figures Jesus is the baby that Santa's delivers to you on Christmas day...but hey, at least he believes! We're working on the details....

So onto the latest pics starting back in September:

Riley rushed out with them to see the sea creatures & suddenly realized it was COLD and deeper than expected... He CLUNG to Tammy's leg all the way in.

















Sleeping boy...















Goofing around at home




















Mmm.. Sp-getti..



















Cool mom & boy





















We are do DARN cute!





















'Do you have Riley in a Can?'




















He smacked his face on concrete at swim school & insisted on putting a sticker on his 'boo boo'...OW! Poor guy.






















Riley is now nearly a year into swim lessons & loves it...


















Teagan and Riley, future water splashing Olympic champions!
















My niece's wonderful boyfriend- Riley loved him!




















Gramma and Riley... He asks about her often & if he sees a gray haired woman, he screams "GRAMMA!"...
















Erik is like a brother to me, we grew up together. Riley looks just like him- all blond and blue eyes!



















Me & Erik... We took sink baths together as infants! We both have plenty of gray & laugh lines now, how things change...
















The boy does like his bath time... He's all pruned by the time we can get him out.



















Ok, this is funny.... We were at a Halloween Carnival & this got alot of laughs from some of the parents...















Family pic on Halloween!


















Me & Ri
















As you can see, the boy is horribly neglected & starved for fun...



















I love this picture. The Tantrum Face is like no other...





















Jammy boy!


















Lo & Ri with his own pumpkin...




















His very first Trick Or Treat house..our neighbors. Even Cosmo got a treat!


















He pined for this Superman outfit for 6 weeks & the instant we put him in it-he cried and made us take it off....Nothing personal Superman, but the boy ain't ready to bend steel.


















Halloween carnival fun! He went as Elmo t-shirt boy with a cape...



















My 'other mother', Mimi. She's a retired nursing professor & the reason I am nurse. Thanks Meem!



















Riley got a small haul from our neighbors... Course Lo & I had to sample it all just to be sure it was safe.... Yeah, that's it...Safe...right....













The proud papa of a baby carved pumpkin!




















The family of pumpkins & Riley too















Uh, excuse me but is that a good idea mister? (I hid the knife..he was just certain he could handle it himself)














This is evidence that I am suffering from surf abuse... the leash got wrapped around my arm. Pretty huh?









This is one of my favorite pics! He worked SO hard to get it on his head...
















Me surfing a little spot in Maui during a professional conference. It was tiny but I was alone & loved it.











Our buddy Dan & Riley reading Nitche....uh maybe not... More like Elmo.












My 20 year high school reunion... This was my 'group'...Not a conformist amongst them! Woo Hoo!












Riley and Teagan wrestling...They squeal and scream and flop all over each other! Then one gets hurt & tattles on the other... gotta love being a kid!




















He was trying to surf the wagon...





















We read anything he finds interesting, that includes toy catalogs! But of course!

















Cosmo has come along ways... Talk about tolerant!





















'OHHHhhhh! Jingle Bells!'...We love this picture even with his mouth WIDE open!




















Riley wanted to pitch in with the house work...cleaning the windows is his specialty.



















His cousin Michelle, who loves him!




















Bubbles!! Aunt Colette is the coolest! Uncle Chris took Ri out to see his model airplane fly around as well...















Calling Doctor Riley stat! Report to the diaper changing station please!




















His first fever and cold of the season was a few weeks ago... I love it when he's all cuddly, but not the vomiting and snot on you... Repeat after me: I love being a parent, I love being a parent...! (ok secretly, I love every gross minute of it..)















Christmas tree lot with Riley's tree!





















Sleepy (and a bit crabby) boy at Thanksgiving...




















Me , Ri and my sister Colette
















Lo & I posing with our newly embroidered hats from the executive officer of the USS Nimitz. He is the husband of a friend who I work with... Lo has "E Presley" on hers..













We were guests on the USS Nimitz. We are on the deck of the carrier with San Diego in the background. We had a blast!











And now for the BONUS PIC.....







Our very own "DOG BRA".. for those dogs with 'large floppy ears' that need that extra 'lift!'... Comes in all different colors. Order now!