Snow Fun!

Christmas weekend gave us a huge opportunity to have Rowan really experience the snow for the first time.  He was so amazed by the white stuff and all you could do with it.  He wasn't the only first timer-Remi had never seen the snow either and had a blast.  Rowan HATED his snow boots.  They were too big, too small, and too everything else he could think of to get us to take them off!  When he finally understood that he couldn't play in the snow without them, he gave in.  I had to laugh when we got everything on him- visions of Ralphie's younger brother in "A Christmas Story" came to mind!  Hilarious!  Rowan's favorite thing was sledding (in the yard and in the street)-thanks Terri and Kristine!  

There were plenty of tears when Josh said it was time to come in.  A chance to play in a warm bath helped!  It was during this particular bath that Rowan announced that he could swim in the tub!  Maybe that means we'll be brave enough to return to swimming lessons this summer!

A White Christmas!

Christmas Eve Gigi came up to stay with us.  She and Josh both traveled through the snow after work- it was definitely going to be a white Christmas!  Just as we had each year since Rowan had been born, Josh read T'was the Night Before Christmas and we left munchies for Santa on the fireplace.  (This was tricky this year with Remi!)  This year the cookies were NOT homemade and Mommy forgot the carrots for the reindeer, but Santa was still pleased with what she had to snack on!

 

Josh was not pleased when Rowan woke up ready to go at around 5:30.  I wish I would've had the camera ready to capture Rowan's face as he came downstairs to this Christmas morning!  He crawled through the tunnel first (another great IKEA find) then tried out the easel (yes, IKEA again-$15)!!  We were so truly blessed this year-opening presents felt like it took forever.  Could've been because Rowan opens so carefully and had to read each of the 5 books Santa brought him before moving on to the next gift.  

 

Aside from the tunnel and easel, other favorites were his huge metal Tonka Dump Truck, his soccer ball, his Brown Bear Floor Puzzle, and his train set (I feel like a broken record-IKEA :)

  

 

So outside we had the biggest snow that we'd seen in several years.  We were completely snowed in.  After getting stuck in the snow, then causing Josh to get stuck in the snow when he went down the street to help dig him out, Jared joined us later that morning and the gift opening continued!  One of my favorite pictures- our little David Beckham!  We will definitely pull this out again when he's playing for the World Cup!  He truly impresses us with his ball-kicking skills.

The rest of the day consisted of nothing but eating, playing, and napping.  It was perfect and I just can't believe after all the work and planning that it's over! 

I've Been a Good Boy!

On Sunday afternoon I combed Rowan's hair and put a nice cardigan on him and we headed out on our latest adventure down to Crown Center.  Rowan LOVED it!  He and Josh played for an hour and a half around the shopping center while I held our spot in line to see Santa (yes, an hour and a half)!  I will say it was worth it once we got inside.  We still had to wait but Rowan was able to play in the Santa's Crayola Christmas Land.  He had a blast on the slides and tunnels-but I couldn't get any good pictures because he was always in motion!!  I could've saved the time I'd spent combing his hair- he played so hard that his hair that was once combed straight and to the side in the front was now curled up everywhere!  Oh well! 

                                         

                                         

We were finally able to get him over to the side and get his shoes back on him so we could meet the big guy.  I was surprised to see how authentic he looked.  I thought for sure Rowan would either 1). cry (images of last year danced through my head) or 2). not say a word (he usually gets pretty shy around strangers).  To our surprise he did neither!  I sat him on Santa's lap and he greeted Rowan by name.  The elf tried her hardest to get a good picture- she snapped this one just as he was beginning to smile.  I wish we would've noticed his jeans had turned into capris BEFORE the picture!  When Santa asked Rowan what he wanted for Christmas, he very confidently replied "A jeep!"  Then corrected himself and said "A jeep and cars!"  Santa said that was easy enough and that he could probably do that, to which Rowan replied "Okay. Thank you!"  It was hilarious!  As we walked over to the side to purchase the picture, Rowan told us "I like Santa.  He a nice guy!"  Priceless.  Well worth the wait-next time I will hopefully remember the video camera!   

Afterwards I was sad to see that Fritz's was closed.  Before heading to McDonald's to get Rowan some dinner, we checked out the fountains (Rowan was mesmerized by them), then drove through the Plaza.  Rowan thought the lights were so "neat" and especially loved seeing the horses pull the carriages.  We drove around to find a few more carriages as Rowan begged for more horses.  He was not happy when we left the Plaza- he was not finished looking at the horses!  I told him we'd try really hard to get back down there to see them again.  It was another successful adventure!