Ikea Exhaustion

We had a great day at Ikea (and we may buy the couch on line if the measurements are right). But it was a long day and the check out lines were slow-moving. Good job hanging in there, Dexy!

Ikea Misadventure

The only glitch during our Ikea adventure was when Dexter fell in love with a particular couch and didn't want to leave until we bought it. He ran to it, crying, and said, "But it's so pretty and so comfy."

When we explained that we would have to order it and we weren't going to take it home today, Dexter panicked. "What if someone else buys it?!" Daddy tried comforting him but he was bereft. As we led him away from the couch, sobbing, the saleslady said he could really help her sell some couches and he was welcome to hang out with her for a while.

Ikea Adventure

We had a fun family day at Ikea during our Christmas break. Dex rocked himself into the aisle in an interesting rocking chair,

followed our shopping cart down the escalator (and almost knocked over a stranger in the process),

and pretend-flushed a pretend toilet.

My Bologna Bored with Building

While My Bologna got bored with the lego building fairly quickly, it seems that Dex and Daddy will never tire of it.

Installing Stones Around the Sun

Ben was excited to install the new glow-in-the-dark solar system in Dexter's room. Dexter was excited to pull out all his new tools from Grandma and Grampy to "help" with the installation. My Bologna was very curious about what was going on.

White Christmas Cleaner-Upper

Dexy did help Daddy actually shovel the front walkway. I guess the snow factory was just in the back yard...

Snow Factory

We got a little snow on Christmas so Daddy and Dex did some snow moving - Daddy would shovel the snow off the walkway...

and Dex would scoop it up, dump it on the lawn chair, and push it through the slots.

When I asked Dexter why he was doing that, I was informed that it was a snow factory.

Unbuilding Christmas Build-Up

Dexy spent some time on the day after Christmas putting away his advent calendar.

He looked at every little book as he put each back. We'll use it again next year.

Box Blocks Iterations

The morning after Christmas, Ben and I woke up to a whole new box blocks/railroad scene. It is the best gift Santa could have brought - not only did Dexter ask specifically for it but also it is completely silent and Dexter loves playing with it all by himself!

The Builders

Ben and Dex spent much of Christmas Day building.  Dexy loved his magnet car...

and Ben loved Dexy's lego car.

The Sifter

Santa must have really enjoyed those cookies that Dex made - he left Dexter a brand new sifter with a crank! With the right tools for the job, Dex won't have to use a spoon to push the flour through a sieve anymore.

Little Sheepherder

Dex handed out all the presents for unwrapping. He was able to read all the labels, even the one that was to "Hot Cowgirl" from "Prickly Cowboy". Not only did he read it but he knew it was for Mommy from Daddy (he's the one who calls Daddy's face "prickly"). When he came across another one for Mommy from Daddy and Dex, he said, "For Hot Cowgirl from Prickly Cowboy and...(thinking) and...(thinking)...Little Sheepherder!" It was so adorable that he gave himself an appropriately themed nickname.

Christmas Marathon

Dex, much like both his parents when they were children, was systematic about unwrapping his gifts - diligently reading the label,

thoroughly examining each gift,







and insisting on playing with some of them before moving on to unwrap the next. This process was periodically interrupted by a game of Mousetrap. Needless to say, the unwrapping of gifts took all day long. It was a joy to watch him.

Cinnamon Rolls and OJ with Guitar Ice Cubes

After stockings (and another game of Mousetrap), we had fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon rolls and OJ for brunch. We used the guitar shaped ice cube molds that Steph's family gave us and each had a guitar ice cube in our OJ (in guitar glasses!).

Dex chomped his ice cube up then asked for Daddy's so he could chomp that one up too.

My Bologna Gets Into Gift Opening

Santa even left some gifts for My Bologna!

He really got into the unwrapping this year.

Thanks to all our friends and family who remembered him this year - he is enjoying all the new treats, bones, and toys.

Stockings

After getting coffee for Mommy and Daddy (my child is so patient!), we started Christmas morning with the stockings. Dex really loved his quacking duck whistle - he immediately renamed it a "du-istle". It makes a nice accompaniment to his "duck-iano", the instrument he invented by humming melodies in quacking sounds.

Mouth full of pop rocks!

Dexy was very interested in the pin art that he found in his stocking. After making an impression of his hand, he grabbed a matchbox car to imprint.

Santa knew Dex loves the Charlie Brown music so he also left Dex a Vince Guaraldi CD.

Santa Comes Through!

Ben and I woke up to Dex exclaiming, "Santa brought new sleds!" After we got up and pointed out that Santa had eaten all his cookies and left a note, Dex noticed that Santa had set up in the living room the new automatic train and box blocks that he had asked for. "I didn't know Santa's elves could make cardboard!" Dex observed. Yup, "box blocks" are empty cardboard boxes with reindeer duct tape.

The automatic train has lights and real train sounds (even a whistle) and smoke comes out of its funnel - exactly what Dexter was hoping for.

Milk and Cookies and Carrots

Dexter diligently picked out some cookies for Santa and filled a bowl with carrots for the reindeer (never taking his eyes off the Mousetrap game!).

Santa left Dex a nice note (and a bunch of gifts) in return.

The Magic Book and Father Christmas

Each Christmas Eve, Daddy reads "T'was the Night Before Christmas" to Dex and during the reading the doorbell rings and we discover that Father Christmas has delivered a family gift. This year, Dex was very curious as to how that "magic book" could make Father Christmas come. It remains a mystery.

Dex's curiosity was usurped by the sheer thrill of playing the Mousetrap game. Father Christmas must have known how much Dex would enjoy building the mousetrap and watching the contraption function. Carefully turning the crank, unaware of what is about to happen.

Sheer joy! His whole body was filled with excitement the first time he saw the contraption work.

Then he was all about understanding (and explaining) the kinetics of the contraption. He had it all figured out except for the last bit - he asked Daddy, "How does the diver make the net go down?" Daddy explained that the force of the diver hitting the tub made enough movement to jostle the net from its perch.

Away In a Manger. Way, Way, Away

Grandma and Gunker brought up the manger that they had when Ben was growing up when they visited in November. Dex was fascinated and has been moving the people and animals (and baby Jesus) almost daily. He acts out scenes in the manger. Often, the baby Jesus ends up in the loft with all the animals and the people climb the ladder to try to reach him.

Grandma and Grampy sent Dex an advent calendar with little books telling the story of Christ's birth. Between the manger and the advent calendar, Dexter has become very interested in the story of Jesus' birth...and curious about the relationship between Jesus and Santa at Christmastime. "Mom, what does Santa have to do with celebrating Jesus' birth?" Good question.

Urban Planning

Dex had some clear ideas about how the gingerbread village should be. Luckily, he had Daddy to help execute his vision.

My Bologna, Cookie Fiend

On Monday morning, while I was at work and Ben and Dex were at the grocery store, My Bologna apparently got a taste for sugar cookies. When the boys got home, they discovered a plate on the kitchen floor and sugar cookie crumbs all over the house.  My Bologna only took the plate with the cookies covered in sugar crystals but he ate damn near all of those two dozen (a handful had fallen off the plate onto the counter and were spared)! Dex found crumbs on both couches, on the floor in the play room, on the floor in the living room, and even in his Leap Pad case. Luckily, dozens of the more labor-intensive cookie cutter cookies were unscathed so our Christmas deliveries can go forward as planned.

Cookie Factory

Dexy and I were back at it Sunday morning making dozens of sugar cookies for our annual Christmas deliveries to our neighbors.

James Curley's Christmas Party

Dex was excited to go to James Curley's annual Christmas party this weekend. He was thrilled to be the only child allowed at a grown up party!  He minded his manners (lots of "pleases" and "thank you's") and was very social. Anne Curley is a mosaic artist and Dexy loved seeking out all her art in the house - his favorite was the mosaic she created on the risers of the stairs. The middle-aged ladies fell in love with him and when he asked them if they wanted to join him "looking for more art" they were very impressed.  No matter where I went, I heard someone talking about the little boy showing everyone Anne's art. When Ben and I noticed Dexter at the food table with his chin resting on the chip bowl and his fingers playing with the chips, we knew it was time to call it a night. On the way home, we drove down Michigan Avenue and looked at the Christmas lights then Dex promptly fell asleep when we hit the expressway.

Santa's Cookie-Decorating Elves

After the baking came the decorating.

Dexter helped but was not as enthusiastic as he was about the baking (decorating was not as messy as the baking either!).

Santa's Cookie-Baking Elves

Dexter got really into the Christmas cookie baking spirit this year. He diligently helped with every aspect and relished showing Daddy his skills. First, cover the surface evenly with flour.

Next, gently roll out the dough. Be careful not to push down too hard. When you get to the edges, lift up the rolling pin.

Try to get the cookie cutters as close to each other as possible without overlapping. Be sure to push down on all parts of the cookie cutter.

Carefully place the cookies on the cookie sheet and decorate with chocolate chips. Then Mommy can put them in the oven.







We spent a few hours baking the gingerbread cookies as a family. We made gingerbread people big and small to populate our gingerbread village and some greenery (trees and holly leaves) for landscaping. The village also has one reindeer, a star, and a silver bell (for on top of the school).