Tap Dancing

As Mark was setting up Gramma's Christmas village, we had all the wooden platform pieces layed out on the floor. Xander climbed up and stood on one of the pieces, and looked at us as if he were on a stage. So I said, "Are you going to tap dance for us, Xander?" He got a big grin, and did his little walk in place/stomp his feet/dancing thing for us. We laughed so hard, and of course we clapped for him, so of course he kept doing it. Then he was tap dancing on the bubble wrap and popping all the bubbles! I can't believe how much he can understand!!

Meeting Santa!!

Every year after the Knightdale Christmas Parade, they have Cookies with Santa at the library. This year was the first year that we were with Xander meeting Santa Claus (last year, he met him at day care). When it was our turn, Zack climbed right up on his lap. I put Xander on Santa's other knee, and Xander just looked up at him. He didn't scream, just wasn't too sure about this man with a big red suit and a long white beard. We were able to get one REALLY good picture (except that Xander's not smiling) before the camera battery died. Don't my boys look handsome!?

Gramma's House and Gingerbread Train

Zack loves trucks and trains, but the one thing he loves the most is Gramma. He loves going to Gramma's house, talking to her on the phone and doing fun stuff with her. Gramma loves Christmas, so to combine all of these, she found a kit for a gingerbread train. This was the first time Zack had made a gingerbread anything. He was so excited, and he did a really good job of not eating all the candy before we put it on the train. We put the cookies together, and when it was time to decorate, he wanted it to look just like the one on the box. It didn't quite look that perfect, but we were pretty pleased with how it turned out, and Zack had lots of fun making it!!

Here's the box before we started.

Carefully putting cookie pieces together to make the train.

Peek-a-boo!!

Look how giddy he is about his gingerbread train!!

Taking a break to put up some snowflakes

He was very particular about decorating and using as much of the candy as possible.

After Xander woke up from his nap, he got to help, too. He put on two gumballs and a little piece of candy on the side. He just wanted to eat it, though.

Zack and Gramma with the finished product-- TADAA!!!

He asked about a million times after we finished it "When are we going to eat it?" He finally got to have a cookie piece right before bedtime. He took little nibbles, and it took him nearly 20 minutes to finish his cookie!

Xander enjoyed his cookie wheel at lunch the next day. There was green icing all over his face and hands, and on the table, where he spread it all over.

Old Friends and New Tasks

On Saturday, Mark and Xander and I (Zack was with Gramma) visited with a few old friends that went to high school with me. I was so excited to meet my friend Susan's new baby girl, Alison Margaret. And Susan was excited to finally meet Xander, too. It's always great to visit with people you haven't seen in a while, and what's funny is that it's like we just saw them yesterday. Even though we've grown up and changed so much, our friendship remains the same. Thanks Heidi and Matt for having the fun get-together (even if we could only stay for a little while)!!

Heidi and Xander--she was trying to clean him up after giving him an oreo.

Susan and Alison

Susan and Xander--meeting for the first time since Xander was in Mommy's belly

Mark decided all on his own to help Zack write a letter to Santa. He got about three things written down, then got frustrated, mostly because Zack was losing interest. Xander also wanted to write/draw/play with stickers.

"Dear Santa, I been really good. Please can I have a race car, helmet, Go Diego Go Dinosaur Resc..."

Zack was asked to put his jeans in his drawer, but he said that all of his shorts were all mixed up. He decided to dump them all out and fold them neatly--all by himself!! Mommy was very proud that he took on such a task alone.

Xander is our little mess maker. It must be amazing to learn so many new things. Xander loves to dump out containers of toys, then move on to the next one. Here he has dumped out the trains and the tool box. The next day, he dumped out an entire tub of legos in the same small space. Now we just have to work on cleaning up when he's done playing!

Daddy and the boys snuggling on the couch`

Remembering Grandad

David Michael Swan

12/28/44-12/1/07

We love you and miss you very much!!

Grandad with 7-week-old Zachary

Looking at the train stickers he got in his Easter basket

Four generations of Swan men: Grandpa Swan, Mike, Xander,

Grandad, Mark, Zack

The Swan Family in September 2008: Grandma and Grandpa Swan, Mom, Mike, Dad, Xander, Christine, Mark, Zack

Monkey and Me

We got a free book recently in a Cheerios box called Monkey and Me. It has a little rhythm to it, kind of sing-songy. It goes "Monkey and me, monkey and me, monkey and me, we went to see, we went to see some...penguins" (and other animals). As I was reading it this morning, Xander was saying "da, da, daaa, da, da, daaa, da, da, daaa," going along with the rhythm in the book. I guess we have another blossoming reader in our family!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The most important thing about Thanksgiving for Zack was making our turkey cookies. Mark started the turkey right at noon, and it only took about 2-1/2 hours to cook. So dinner was actually ready early!!! We had Dad and Cathy, Michael, Kay and Tim, Mo and Jenn, Kevin, Danny, Eileen, Elizabeth, Alannah, Alyssa, Damien and Christopher, Gramma, and the four of us. It was a crowded house, and very loud, but we all had good conversations and a great time visiting. We were thinking about those who couldn't be with their families for Thanksgiving, like Ken and Jessianne. We had to include the famous (or infamous) couch pictures of various groups (families and grandchildren). We had a very great (and disaster-free) Thanksgiving, and we hope that all of you did, too!!

Here's our turkey cookie!!

Xander enjoyed it...a little too much?

The boys were sampling our turkey cookies


Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade



Mommy's little laundry helper




Playing with Grandpa's face





This was Dad's suspicious face when Danny tried to give him a mimosa!!

Xander, Christopher, Damien, Zack (the four youngest grandchildren, not counting the great-granddaughter)

Christopher, Elizabeth, Alyssa, Xander, Alannah, Jenn, Damien, Tim, Zack

Happy Thanksgiving from the Swans!!