More Holiday Fun in Texas 2005
Like last year, the holidays were all about nephew Alex! We can't believe how fast he is growing. He loves to talk and play.
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Eating Alex's favorite foods of the holiday season were banana and pumpkin breads. At 20 months, he also enjoys sitting at his table to color and complete puzzles.
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Unwrapping Presents Alex quickly figured out how to unwrap presents and look for more gifts. His favorites were Fisher Price Little People, Lego duplo blocks, and books about cars and trucks. |
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Like many children his age, Alex is a fan of television. He likes anything on Noggin or NickJr. However he is increasingly interested in Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants. His favorite videos are Fisher Price "Little People." He often sits on his rocking chair while watching television programs. |
Reading Books Alex has enjoyed reading books since he was a baby. He particularly enjoys DK photo books and Fisher Price Little People books. Alex likes books with interactive features such as pop-ups. |
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In addition to toys and television, Alex also likes music. He plays with toy instruments, dances to music, and likes to play the piano with this mother and grandmother.
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 It's fun to watch Alex at the piano. At first, he was pounding so hard that he hurt his fingers and would pout. However he is learning to play individual notes rather than banging on the keyboard. Soon he'll be playing duets! |
Alex continues to enjoy using the computer. He's into electronic books and sound-rich learning games. He understands that the keyboard and mouse are important, but prefers to touch the screen. |
The weather in Texas was great - - unusually mild, so we spent time outdoors. Annette and Alex took walks around the block, picked up leaves, and visited the neighborhood pond and water fountain display. We even made up a song about the water display that we probably sang hundreds of times. Water, water in the sky, In the evening, we created a chalk village on the back patio and played with his push cars. We also pointed at airplanes and birds in the sky. |
Alex has also become a little monster. He enjoys running around the house making "grr" sounds and attacking helpless family members. Annette and Alex spent lots of time playing monster. At one point he put on a New Year's Eve mask. It won't be long before he's playing "super hero." |
Practically Perfect Although Alex is practically perfect, he is quickly entering his "terrible twos" and becoming more assertive. He no longer volunteers for naps and is difficult to quiet down when he gets upset or over stimulated. Of course, he loves his mommy and goes to her whenever he's sad or frustrated.
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Although it may appear that Alex was the center of attention during Christmas festivities, there were other activities. Arrion got a noodle cutting and made wonderful Chicken and Noodles with mashed potatoes for New Years.
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At-Home Mom
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After spending three days in the hospital, dad was welcomed home. Although he spent most of his time resting, he participated in a few family activities including unwrapping presents and watching football games. |
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Ben got a poker game for Christmas, so we spent New Year's Eve playing high-stakes (no money was actually involved, but there were lots of fancy chips) Texas Hold'em poker. Everyone got pretty goofy as we pretended to be high-stakes wagers like we see on the celebrity and professional poker television shows. We celebrated the new year with the East coast, so we could all be in bed by midnight. |
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Go to Lamb & Johnson Menu
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Playing Piano
Using Computers
Exploring Outdoors 
Playing Monster
Arrion is preparing to quit her high-power and high-stress job to become a full-time mom. She looks forward to the flexibility and additional time with Alex. 
Welcome Home Dad 
New Year's Eve 
