Follow the bouncing balls

Among the presents the Dudes received from Grandpa and G.C. was a huge package of plastic balls, like the ones you see in the ball pit at Ikea or someplace like that.  On a personal note, we're especially grateful that G.C. volunteered to keep them (fyi, the full package contains 175 balls) at her house.  The important thing, though, is that the Dudes just love them.  Take a look...

Christmas Dinner and Boxing Day

As if the hi-jinks of tearing open presents weren't enough, the fun continued with Christmas Dinner and Boxing Day. Big props to Cousin Robb for providing some wonderful pictures and for being Aidan and Brendan's favorite older cousin to play with. Don't think this gets you off the hook, Robb, for teaching them all about the volume knob on the stereo!

(By the way, included in the slideshow is one picture taken by Brendan.  Can you spot which one?)

Christmas!

Officially, it was the Dudes's second Christmas and Hannukah.  However, I'm not sure they really knew what was going on much beyond the simple joy of tearing wrapping paper off of really big packages or dumping over big tubs of Legos onto the floor.  But then again, isn't that what it's all about? 

Time for a haircut?

Lately, both of the Dudes have been sporting pretty prolific heads of hair, which leaves me in something of a quandary.  On one hand, I'd like to let their hair grow out for a while and get a real haircut for them right around the time they turn two.  (For what it's worth, there's suppose to be some huge superstition about cutting their hair before a child is two.)  But over the past while a few people have started to mistake the Dudes, Brendan especially, for girls.  I don't particularly mind or care -- goodness knows I've made the same mistake more than a few times.  But it wasn't until Brendan and I were playing in the gym at the JCC after swimming one day and someone commented, "Look out, Princess!" as a ball rolled toward him.  That was pretty much the last straw for me.

What do you think?

Decorating the Christmas tree/Hanukkah bush

Breaking from previous years, we decided not to get a full-size tree this year.  I think we are still a little traumatized by the time the cats managed to get the lights off the tree and stretch them across the living room in a straight line.  True story.

More to the point, Aidan and Brendan have reached a stage where everything must be explored and, if possible, climbed.  So a large tree this year seemed like a very bad idea.  Instead, we got a much smaller, table-top tree.  But large or small, our two little elves wanted to be in on the decorating action.

Meeting Santa

They say that it is pretty rare that a toddler is all smiles and laughs the first time he/she meets Santa.  So the attached photo really shouldn't come as much of a surprise.

(I suppose on some level, we should feel bad about broadcasting photos like this, but there is something sort of endearing about it, no?)

Play date with Holden

We first got to know Holden and his parents, Felicia and Lou, from swimming class at the JCC.  (Can I just note how many parents from Glover Park take their little ones for swimming lessons there?  It's kind of nice.  We'll see parents over at the park who look familiar but we just can't place them.  Funny how tough it can be to recognize someone when they're not in their bathing suit...)

[Side note: their last name is Kolodner. Those of you reading this who are on the Maloy side of the family will instantly recognize the name.  We haven't fully checked into it, but we're pretty certain that they're a distant relation.  After all, how many Kolodners are there?  It's not like everyone's last name is Smith or Jones.]

Back to our story...so Holden and Felicia came over for a playdate because Lou (who is a first year law student) had to study.  We had a fun time handing out, talking and laughing, and the boys all had a great time playing together.

Playing catch up

As previously noted, I've fallen way behind in posting pics and other news about us and the Dudes.  So brace yourselves for a long string of photos, posts, and other stuff.

Aidan and Brendan are very typical brothers already: they often grab stuff from one another, provoking tears on the part of the grabee.  Every once in a while, Aidan will bite Brendan.  Stuff like that.  But they also exhibit wonderful sweetness to each other, bringing each other a pacifier, sharing books, etc.  So I just wanted to post this photo because it is a great example of just how loving to each other Aidan and Brendan can be.