December with Simon

Playing with Daddy.

Playing with Mommy.

Simon loves sharing his food and drinks. Even with his toys.

Pock-ets?

Pockets!!

Friendly encounter with Santa. Simon loves the little blue truck he received.

Throwing his first snowball.

Meeting his first black ice.

Laughing at his first meeting with black ice while holding his blue truck from Santa.

Letting Simon do all the work for us!

(Actually, it was in impromptu visit to Daddy outside [thus being wrapped in Momma's vest], in which Simon decided he really wanted to shovel, too.)

Cardinals like to land in the trees outside our front windows.

Simon plucked the Christmas bird from the tree and kissed him...

... and Daddy gave the cardinal a kiss, too.

Here is the spread on Christmas Eve. Mmmmmm!

Simon loved the Christmas ham!
He threw the potatoes and corn pudding, however, onto his splat mat.





Opening some gifts on Christmas Eve.

Bubble Bath and a Rubber Duckie!

Let's put those presents to good use!

Simon, do you like bubble baths?

More presents! Pajamas and a garbage truck.

Where did he get that crooked grin?

Talking to Shaye-Shaye on Christmas morning.

Simon loves to talk on the phone and give long-distance kisses.

Simon likes to say "Oooh" when he opens his presents...

Ooooh...? Oooooooooooooooh!

Oooooooooooh!

Oooh! Oooooh! Ooooooooh!

Simon, Gifts, and Christmas

(Listen for the "Oooh" at the end.)

This toy is both thought-provoking....

... and FUN!

Simon refused to go sledding without his black Porsche (right hand) and tractor (left hand).
He held onto them the whole time.

Coming in from the cold, thus the red cheeks.

Monkeys and Towers...does it get any funner than that?

Simon is orchestrating the construction of his new tower.

Maniacal Laughter

Tower Toppling Toddlers are Too Much Fun!

Ava, This One's For You!

Simon is a great helper. He loves to load and unload the dishwaser, and he loves to vacuum.

In this sitting, every time the camera was pointed at Simon he would stop what he was doing, smile, and say "Cheese!"

Every now and then Simon juts out his lower jaw. It reminds Momma of cousin Matty.


Helping Daddy unpack Christmas decorations.


"See!" To Simon's amusement, Daddy put Simon's monkey puppet inside a monkey sweater on the back of Simon's beloved red car.





Simon loves hugging and snuggling his monkey.

Mommy tickling Simon.

"Look, Mommy! Monkey's on top of the tree!!"

Daddy is so much fun.

Simon recently discovered television. His first favorite show was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, conveniently on during breakfast and lunch. At the end of the show the characters celebrate their problem solving success by dancing to the Hot Dog song. Simon loves to dance to the Hot Dog Song; he will even kick to get out of his highchair just to go dance and say good-bye to Mickey at the end of the show.