Dada's hat

OK, so this post isn't really about a hat, but I loved this picture of Sorin in Thadeous' toque. He really likes to model our behavior (not always a good thing!), especially when it comes to hats and shoes. Sorin can often be seen scuttling up and down the hall in Thadeous' slippers, and, well, he loves my shoes too. Boys can play dress-up too, right? This weekend Sorin and I also baked muffins, which was a big hit. I measured out all the ingredients and Sorin loved pouring them into the bowl and stirring. It was messy, but fun. And the results were tasty too!


We spent a lot of time with friends this weekend, too. Aunt Nicole, Aunt Juliet, and Uncle Matt all came to play. Isabelle came over and the kids had a great time hiding under Sorin's table. And on Sunday we took a trip to Queens to see Manik, Raveen, Simran, Zoravar, and Sahiba. Sorin loved to bang on Zoravar's drum set (ah, lucky neighbors) and I think Sorin was fascinated by all the activity. We tried for a group picture, but getting the four toddlers to sit still was a challenge--this is the best we could do.

Hooray! Yippee!

Sorin has lots of new words, including "Hooray!" and "Yippee!" (complete with fist pumping). It's very cute, especially when yippee comes out something like "Wiffee!". Another new phrase we're hearing more and more often is "No wanna!". Yes, the terrible twos are approaching:). You may notice that Sorin is in his high chair but at the table. This is only one of his current meal preferences (demands?), some others being a real (as in adult-sized) fork, a big plate (like Mama's), not having his food mixed together, or more often than not just refusing to eat what's on his plate and eatiing off of mine (despite the fact that it's the same!). The joys of toddlerhood.

This weekend we had an outing to the American Museum of Natural History with Auntie Nicole. We took the bus there and saw (insert rapturous sigh) a backhoe on the way. At the museum Sorin really enjoyed the Hall of Biodiversity, even naming some animals. I'm not generally a fan of the museum, but I think it's great for little ones as there isn't a lot that can't be touched. So it was definitely a fun outing. Here is Sorin in the dinosaur hall practicing one of his favorite things--climbing steps!

Boys will be boys

It was Martin Luther King's Birthday on Monday, so we enjoyed a long weekend. Unfortunately the weather was miserable, but we made the most of it. Sorin has discovered that the hallway makes a great playground. He can run around, throw his ball, ride his scooter, push the doll stroller, look out the window--and the list goes on. He usually goes to the door and says, "outside." Then, as he's on his way out, he says, "Bye bye Dada, Bye bye Mama." On Sunday we went to a Birthday party for Ethan, Sorin's friend who just turned two. It was at Gymboree, and it was a lot of fun. Unfortunately Mama forgot the camera! Usually Sorin is very slow to warm up to new people and places (and there were a lot of people!), but this is the first time I've really seen him dive right in and participate, from singing along to playing with the parachute. The day was capped off with a mini Birthday celebration Mama at Angel's. Sorin is a very good diner--as long as things move quickly:).

(A belated) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

It was a very busy and fun-filled holiday. We all flew up to Toronto a few days before Christmas to visit Oma, Opi, and Auntie Ali (A-yee!). Sorin seemed to feel right at home, bringing his shoes to Oma to go outside and playing with all his toys. Uncle Joe and Aunt Lisa gave Sorin a train (choo-choo!) for Christmas, which was a huge hit. Here he is with Opi, building trestles and watching the train go around the track.


And here's Sorin taking time out to make a phone call...


Sorin sort of got into the idea of opening gifts. At first he was very careful, taking every little bit of paper he ripped off to the garbage. But then he'd ask us to start opening and take it from there. Here he is opening another popular gift, a tea set! He now loves to pour Mama and Dada some imaginary tea, stir in a spoonful of sugar, and hand us a cookie. It's so fun to see the make-believe play develop.


While we were in Toronto we celebrated Oma's 60th Birthday a bit early. Somehow we managed to surprise her and a great time was had by all. Here are the boys partying...


After Toronto we headed to Montreal to spend New Year's with our friends Annick, Kevin, and Giselle. They recently returned to Montreal from New York, and we miss them terribly. It was so much fun to see the kids play together, and especially to listen to their "conversations" in the back seat of the car. Sorin got to play in the snow (with a bit of reluctance), and we visited the Biodome. Here are the munchkins, and the first picture is a shot of the bunch of us.