17 months - Holiday Traditions

17 months and super silly!

What's that over there?

Who me?

Goodness, I keep thinking each month that it really can't get any better than it already is, and then it does! Granted, Cal has been a pretty awful sleeper most of his life, which can sometimes be the pits, he is a super guy during the day. He loves to be goofy, laughing and running around without a care in the world. He sometimes gets impatient when it comes to food, but overall he's so cheery. He's an observer in new groups, but once he's been in a situation or a location a few times, he runs around like he owns the place!

This month he has taken an interest in cleaning, which is great! He watches me in the kitchen and mimics me using the dust buster and wiping down the countertops. He is starting to mimic more short phrases - "Tell me" "oh man" "oh no". His little voice is just so precious. A yucky thing this month is that he had a stomach bug that lasted a couple of days with one night of throwing up 8 times... blech. His vocabulary continues to increase and often times his new vocabulary stems from the books we read, but sometimes it's just from an interest he takes in something new.

Words, oh those words
TV (ugh.. for how little he watches it, he knows the word all too well)
"mote" - Remote (sensing a theme here?)
snow
snowing
Santa
buckle
stuck
bee
truck
help
fox
ready
dark
back
"mahmah" - banana
"moomoo" - smoothie
baboon
"oh man"
"Die" - Dan (his uncle)
Laura
blocks
shirt
bib
stars
pop
orange
bite
cereal
bath
yes
ornament
garland
"Kebin" - Kevin
Bill
Angela
"Sessi" - Lexie (his little buddy)
"Wi - Wi" - Winnie (Lexie's dog)
stop
llama
Nina


Cal's first visit with Santa - Success! He was not afraid of the white bearded man, but he'll save his wish list for next year.

We went into Center City and enjoyed the Macy's Light show, which I think we will make an annual tradition.

Then at the Comcast building in Center City we saw the Holiday Spectacular on their massive LED screen. 

We continued on with the annual tradition of cutting down a Christmas tree with Mike and Kim and Dave and Sheryl (missing Ross and Leah this year :( ) and all the cousins. We found the perfect tree, which we learned was lopsided once we got home, but had a great time decorating it together and Cal surprisingly didn't try to knock it over once we got everything up.

Cal wanted this tree.

Here is our Christmas card! After many outtakes, I was able to get this picture of Cal wearing his homemade Santa suit.

Just like last year, we participated in the Chestnut Hill holiday parade with our friends. I made the banner, and we had a great time braving the cold weather and waving at the onlookers.

Cal and the Phillie Phanatic - according to Matt he will never be a Phillies fan.

Cal and Lexie enjoying the scenery.

The whole crew

One day Cal got a fat lip by slipping and falling on the hardwood floor. He looks like he got into a boxing match, yet he's still smiling!

Cal's favorite thing to do is look at his picture of all his friends. He sits in his chair and says their names and points to each one smiling.

Zoo adventures with Lexie and Angela.

Cal made friends with the lion cubs and they thought he was one of the pack.

Hiking in the Wissahickon with Daddy.

Grandpa Jim and Grandma Roth came to visit and read the grandkids a story.

Matt's friend Kevin and Cal enjoying from french toast.

                                             

Matt's friend Kevin came to visit and threw Cal around.

One of Cal's favorite Christmas presents was from my sweet friend Holly. It's a tent with two tunnels and he truly can't get enough of it.