Christmas!

We were in Tyler for Christmas. We had such a great time visiting with family and friends, and Zev loved getting visited by Santa. Here is Zev setting out Santa's cookies.

After he went to bed, Santa brought this!

Santa also brought Zev a book, a "Mater" costume, and a "worker guy" costume.

Here he is running in to see what Santa brought him.

I asked him what Santa brought him, and he said "nothing..." I think he didn't understand that these were his presents.

Then the wheels started turning.

Tahl took to his present right away.

Tahl even got to play Godzilla.

Here is Zev opening his stocking. The first thing he got was truck stickers. He passed them out to everyone in the family. He is very particular, so each person has to get two matching stickers, one for each hand.

He got an Elmo t-shirt in his stocking.

Here he is trying out his working guy stuff.

driving trains

Tahl's favorite, eating wrapping, bags, and tiny lego pieces.

Here I am opening my stocking from Ari, best husband ever.

After opening presents at my dad's house we all got dressed and went over to my Aunt Lisa's house for brunch and more family Christmas. Here is Tahl with my cousin Keaton.

Tahl loves to flirt. Here he is with another one of my pretty cousins, Meredith.

Tahl is hanging out with his dad now, trying to eat his egg casserole. Tahl is sure that big people food is the way to go.

Grandma got an Elvis snuggie!

Everyone gave grandpa a gun! Crazy!

Zev got a fireman costume and a fire truck from Grandma and Grandpa which he LOVED. Here he is putting out a fire in the Christmas tree.

After all that, people took the afternoon off. Madi and I watched the last Harry Potter movie which everyone else napped. Then people came over to my parents' house for dinner. Zev was very excited to see Uncle Scott again.

He also hung out with Aunt Li Li.

Somehow Ari was dared to eat this congealed salad. He couldn't stand that they were going to throw it away, so he gave it a try.

I'm pretty sure this was right before he spit it out...

Tahl loved Pop's and Gram's kitchen island. He loved to crawl up and sit here, but then he would get stressed about getting down. It didn't stop him from crawling up over and over though.

When we got home, I set the train from Santa up on the table from Buby and Buster. It fits perfectly, and Zev loves it! His favorite part is the crane. He loves moving it up and down.

We had so much fun with everyone in Tyler. Zev and Tahl loved spending time with our family and staying at Pop's and Gram's house. They feel so special when they are there. Thanks for having us!

The rest of Hanukkah!

We didn't do a great job keeping up with Hanukkah pictures as well this year, but here are a few more. (We actually have more than this, but they sort of start to blend together...)

Here is Zev opening his present from Uncle Oren and Aunt Lindsay on the second night of Hanukkah.

The boys got monster bowling, some great books, and fuzzoodles. For those of you (me included until I opened the box) who don't know what fuzzoodles are, here is a picture.

Zev and I built that one together. The ones he makes on his own still look like a thing with feet.


Opening his boots on the third night...

Holding up his boots! In case you haven't yet had the joy of seeing them, it can't be long. Zev is currently wearing his "rainy boots" every day. He wears them to nap, and when he wakes up in the morning the first thing he does is put them on.

This is a scary picture of me, but it shows Tahl's favorite part of Hanukkah: wrapping paper.

This is the fifth night. We did the fifth and sixth nights all together in Tyler. Pops, Gram, and Madi gave Zev and Tahl bears, which according to Zev, are both named "Dreidel".

On the eight night, I forgot Hanukkah and went to the movies... whoops! Pops and Gram did it with Zevi though. They said he said some stuff he thought sounded like the prayer and then they all said "Hanukkah!" He opened up some matchbox cars from my mom.

Zev LOVED Hanukkah this year. They talked about it at school, and he and I both learned all the songs, our favorites are, of course, "Dreidel, Dreidel," "How Many Candles," and the one where you march around singing about the Maccabees! We already can't wait for next year.

First Night of Hanukkah!

We had a super busy day today.
Right after breakfast we made some crafts. I had to include this one because it is too cute.

All day long, Zev said, "We made Santa face!" He wanted to do it again right away. We used finger paints to make a menorah next. We have made it the last two years, and I wanted to see how the boys' hands grow over time.

Here is Tahl's:

Zev's:

After this we went to a play date where we decorated Christmas cookies, then home for lunch and a nap. After that we went over to my mom's house where she gave Zev an early (by just a few hours) Hanukkah present. He LOVED it. He has been asking for a scarf.

She got it in navy to match his winter coat, and of course, it wasn't quite as cold today and I let him wear his fleece. We will get more pictures later I'm sure. He also wore his scarf and hat to meet Santa at the mall, which I am sad to say you are not allowed to take your own picture of. You have to pay $25 for the package, which being married to Ari, I cannot do in good conscience.

Right before we left to meet Santa, I asked Zev again what he was going to ask him for. He told me, "everything." We have been talking about asking him for "working guy stuff" (a construction worker costume) and a train for a week or two, but apparently that hadn't sunk in. Then Zev told me he would ask him for a book, no many, many books. (I think he got this idea from a book we have been reading about a bear who gets a book from Santa.) Last, he told me he would be asking for a phone. I said, "You already have a phone." Then he said, "A phone that plays music like mommy..." So, he wants an iphone from Santa, or at least an ipod. I told him Santa doesn't make phones, only toys...

When Zev did meet Santa, he asked him for just a book. Santa asked him if he wanted anything else, and then he said a train table. He did great sitting in his lap, and he wasn't shy at all.

Not too long after we got home from meeting Santa, we started Hanukkah which is even more exciting to Zev. There has been quite some build up for Hanukkah this year at school. The school also has a video on YouTube of the Hanukkah songs, which we watch many times a day.

First only Tahl was involved.

Then Zev came over to help, and I distracted Tahl from the candles with the camera.

Time to open a present.

Tahl got to open his first Hanukkah present ever with dad. He is getting books and old toys of Zev's that we took down from the attic and wrapped.

Then as a big surprise, Ari put out the new train table that Buby and Buster got the boys. I think Tahl likes it.

I think Zev likes it too. The only thing missing now is a train, and I think Santa just might bring that...

I'm sure Zev is saying something very nice to his brother...

We are excited to have seven more nights of Hanukkah, and it is almost Christmas! This is a fun (and busy) place to be in December.

Park

On Saturday we went to the park. My mom and Kade met us there. Zev and Kade had fun together. Here they are driving.

They play pretty well together, at least at the park.

Tahl had tons of fun at the park too! Here are two short videos of him giggling on the swings.

This isn't the park, but it is Zev playing our ipad while wearing mom's shoes. He loves to wear my shoes...

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. Expect more pictures soon!