Firehouse Santa.

So since Ayden has been born, I never got into the whole Santa thing. Mainly because I didn't want to fight the crowds of annoyed parents and squirmy children waiting to get 2 seconds on Santa's lap, with a picture that never turns out because the child is overstimulated, uncomfortable in their dressed up clothes, and scared. Not to mention you paid a day's work of pay for the picture that never turns out. This year I got lucky, so lucky. One of Ayden's nursery school classmate's father (you following me?) works for the Edgewater firestation. They decided to put together a breakfast with Santa. Come to find out they had even posted an ad in the newspaper, but it only seemed to attract the kids from Ayden's school. So at 9 this morning, Ayden and I headed over to the station, where we were fed pancakes, sausage, coffee, and juice and ate alongside of Santa and some of the firemen. I couldn't have asked for anything better! Ayden was thrilled. I don't know which was more exciting-Santa, the firetruck, the firehat, or the sausage. Ha. These shots capture our great morning.

"Ho Ho Ho" is what Ayden said the entire ride over.


Yummy sausage.


Enjoying a candy cane.


Ayden gets up close and personal with Santa as Santa ties his shoe.


Give a big smile!


Ayden and Lilly, one of his classmates.

Two, going on big boy.

For Ayden, life is now:
In 3T clothes, size 8 1/2 shoes.
He knows his ABCs.
He is almost potty-trained.
Can sing, on key, twinkle twinkle.
Knows the basic colors.
Can pick out numbers 1-5.
Only wants to play instruments.
Or some form of ball.
Doesn't have all of his teeth.
Crawls into my bed in the morning and rubs my back.
Still nurses in the morning and at bedtime.
Insists on holding hands for prayers before meals.
Talks to his dad every day on the phone.
Loves to eat yogurt.
Plays in the bath until the water is nearly ice.

And in a blink of an eye, he is a big boy. And knows it.