He loves the vacuum so much...

12.27.05
that I bought him a cordless stick vac on clearance
at Target...He ADORES it, runs it until the battery dies
and then cries for more.
I figured, why get him a toy vacuum, when he
can help me keep the kitchen floor clean...?



He does love the popper too...

I like the off the shoulder look...

12.27.05
Zach got some 18 month jammies for Christmas
and I guess they're a little big still.
This is how he was when I went in to get him up.

Vacuuming

12.27.05
Many children are afraid of vacuums and cry
when they are turned on.
My child, LOVES the vacuum, and cries
when it's turned off.
Here he is helping me vacuum, using the popper
he got for Christmas.
The boy's got skills.

Picas-Kristen

12.27.05
Here's how Kristen's painting looks in Z's room.

Christmas eve, part 3 (the one where daddy puts together Zach's santa gift)

12.24.05
I had mentioned to Chris earlier in the week that
maybe he should go ahead and assemble the wagon before Christmas
eve...but he said, "No way! It has to be done on Christmas eve."
So, at 10:00 PM, he began.
At 10:30, he said, "SHOOT! I should really read ALL of the
instructions before I start assembling..."

But despite a couple bumps in the road,
the wagon was fully assembled by 11:00 PM.
Not bad!

Christmas eve, part 2

12.24.05
Christmas eve at Uncle Don and Aunt Barb's...
Zachary got a kazoo from Grams...and he LOVED it!!!!

He and daddy played Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in a duet

It was the hit of the evening

but the blocks were a close second!

Christmas eve, part 1

12.24.05
Brunch at Granma & Granpa H's...
Looks like we had Stride Rite souffle



He LOVES this top

Opening the gift from Auntie K & Uncle A...

Wow! They made these beautiful blocks...

and Zachary was appropriately impressed!





Aren't they gorgeous??

Yeah, Kristen worked on them for 17 hours straight

Started them on the 22nd

of December...

Contemplating his new helicopter

All these wonderful new things, and
Zach, in true kid fashion,
only wants to play with the dog brush.
Silly boy.

Christmas part 2 (at Granma & Granpa H's)

12.25.05
Going for his favorite train ornament...

Relaxing with old Barkley

His very own flashlight that makes Zebra noises
(just what every kid needs, right?)

I'm not sure what's up with this face...but it cracks me up!

This is the painting Auntie K made for Z's bedroom, and
Uncle A made the frame. It's far more beautiful
than this picture...

Christmas...the aftermath.

12.25.05
But it was good...

Christmas pics (FINALLY!)

12.25.05
Santa brought Z a new wagon

"Hey, what's this??"

"I can pull it..."

"...and ride in it..."

Not fully understanding the whole
"open presents"concept quite yet...

...but starting to get the hang of it...



Oh yea, two hands!!

And it was a marvelous bead snake...he can string the beads himself!

Ahhh...now I know how this present thing works...

All in all, it was a great Christmas morning!
(and it was just beginning...)

Things Zachary loves

• blocks
• legos
• things with buttons (like remotes, timers, tv's, DVD players...)
• chimes
• tops
• Baby Einstein videos
• the vacuum (but it's a Dyson--I love it too!)
• animals
• books
• bathtime
• his thumb (the right one)
• his ratty old blanket
• ceiling fans
• touching the ceiling (thanks Uncle A!)
  

Technical issue, part two

I know you are all anxious to see Christmas pics, and I'll get them up in the next day or so....Chris is fixing some additional tech issues with the old PC, so as soon as they're squared away, I'll update like crazy.

Keep checking back!

Next, Everest??

12.20.05
I believe all good parents should let their toddlers
play on ladders.













Hey Daddy, need any help?