More Holiday Fun in Texas 2005

Alex and Annette

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.

 

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.

Banana Bread

Alex eatingAlex smiles

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.

Alex unwrappingAlex unwrap

Alex in rockerWatching Television

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.

Alex Annette ReadingAlex reads

Alex pianoPlaying Piano

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.

 

Alex and grandma at computerIt'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 computerUsing Computers

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.

Alex chalk and carExploring Outdoors

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,
Water, water fly, fly, fly.

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 monsterPlaying Monster

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.

Alex upset

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.

Arrion noodles

At-Home Mom

Alex & ArrionArrion 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.

Mom and dadWelcome Home Dad

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.

 

Arrion and Ben PokerNew Year's Eve

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.

Nancy PokerAnnette and Larry Poker


Created by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson, 1/06.