Free Bananas

One-half of the "Mama" cheering squad.

Thankful for my loyal supporters during my first 8K 

even though Alekzander was just along for the ride ... 

and the free bananas.

Original Art

Such an intense artist.

 Oops! "Messy!"

 Messier... but it was no accident this time.

Even messier... but quite an effective way to prep your hands for "han-pins".

The masterpiece.

A Tablespoon of Patience and Cheese

Let two two-year olds help prepare their dinner.

Good idea or bad idea?!

Buy-in wasn't great with my little guy, but it was fun...

as long as you go into it knowing that in addition to the food, 

a little tablespoon of patience and a large heaping of love 

are necessary ingredients.

Without guidance, Alekzander would have eaten all of the ingredients 

prior to baking the boys' special croissant wrap-ups.

Handful by handful!

He was just doing a little quality control

to make sure we were using the finest foods.

{crescent rolls, pepperoni, turkey, sliced mushrooms, shredded carrots, diced green pepper, 

and three types of cheese + Prego spaghetti sauce}

Oliver was quite the little chef, though he enjoyed the process more than the product.

The two of them make a perfect {and adorable} little team!

High Five Again

 Soaking this up :: Medicine for the soul

Love this little guy's infectious laughter.

Earmuffs

I spy Andrew working on finishing the stairs.

And a silly naked boy eating lunch in his fur hat.

Alekzander didn't like the sound of the sander,  

so instead of putting yogurt covered hands on his ears as earmuffs,

I convinced him to put on a hat to muffle the sound.

Love how he can still rock this hat from last year.

No matter that he's wearing it indoors...

it's still awesome!

Books on Stairs

 

We enjoy the timeless classics in our house.

Like The Telephone Book.

And Curious George.

And Green Eggs and Ham.

On the stairs.

Or in our chairs.

We can read anywhere.

The nerdy side of me loves that Alekzander loves to read.

Sometimes he uses books as a means to stay up later

or snuggle longer... but I am okay with that too.

The boy has an opinion about what to read and when. 

"No Hug, Hug!"

And specific favorites.

He loves Curious George Takes the Train

and Curious George and the Dump Truck.

And Todd Parr's Feelings book.

Trucks {of any type} remain a favorite topic.

By sight, he can pick out the bindings of:

Good Night Moon

Snuggle Puppy

Curious George

Go Dog, Go

Trucks

That's Not My Truck

Peedie (and all his friends)

Noah's Ark

Goldilocks and the Three Bears (Pop Up)

Spooky

and many more.

He will even "read" some of the books with us.

We have a genius on our hands.

Or at the very least, a little dude that will be well-rounded

in academics, sports, and engaging personality!

First Night Celebration

First Night Celebration.

Watching Ronald McDonald's 2012 Countdown.

  {Bechtler Museum of Modern Art}
  

{Wells Fargo Atrium on South Tryon Street}

 

 Monkey See.

Monkey Do.

 Monkey Share.

Monkey Fast.

This year flew by in a flash.

We are so thankful for the memories

we made with all of our family and friends.

We can't wait to see what 2012 brings us.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/12/22/2869418/giant-ornaments-an-ice-rink-and.html#storylink=cpy