Some Advice...

A word to the wise: Don't take your kid to the Children's Museum in the middle of Christmas break.
My mom and I were so excited to take Adam here - we didn't really consider the million other moms and grandmas who would be looking for a place to set their crazy children free mid-week during Christmas vacation. Adam had a blast, don't get me wrong. He loved running around and exploring all the different things. The adults, however, were pretty overwhelmed by the enormous number of psycho kids running around. (Not MY kid - my kid is never psycho, right?) Being extremely pregnant, I was actually really proud of myself getting out of there without killing anyone. I will say, though, that I loved watching Adam as he thoroughly enjoyed himself and made lots of new discoveries.

There were two clear highlights for him. One was the turtles. He started off tentatively...

but then got to be good friends with this turtle.

His other favorite was the water exhibit, of course. He was pretty soaked from the waist up by the time we moved to a new area.
I think these two are discussing strategy in this shot.

Aside from those two highlights, he also liked the room that had all kinds of real-life venues set up.
He carefully selected his items in the grocery store.

Then, he obediently paid his fare on the bus.

It was a fun time, but next time I think we'll go on a school day!

Even MORE Snow!

My parents had gotten even more snow up in the cities than they had in Albert Lea, so we made sure to take advantage of it.
Adam couldn't even climb up the snowbanks, but once someone lifted him up, he was good to go.

I wanted to take a picture to show how deep the snow was - and then Grace got in on the action.

King of the mountain! Does he dare?

Of course he does.

Adam got to have a little ride too. He and Daddy also had fun playing floor hockey in the garage.

Time in the Cities Brings Fun with Friends

I had a very special outing while we were up in the Cities for Christmas. I got to go have dinner with some dear friends from high school, some of whom I haven't seen in ages! It was so fun to catch up with these girls. I love that we can still laugh so hard, even though we rarely get to see each other. Thank you friends for a fabulous time!We also got to see Stacey and Hunter. It was so good to catch up with Stacey and Hunter and Adam had a blast chasing each other around. We continue to lament the fact that we can't live closer to each other.

This is how we spent quite a bit of our time. The dinosaur would come out and then the boys would run away. They always came back for more, though!

Havin' fun. It was tough to get a good picture of both of them since they were moving so fast!

By this time, they were both pretty ready for a nap. I guess the dog bed seemed as good a place as any. They both smelled fantastic after this, by the way.

I managed to get one last shot of them on the stairs. Adam was actually trying to get me to come upstairs with him to go to bed, but we had to say goodbye to our friends first.

We missed seeing most of our other friends. It was difficult this year, with me being pregnant (large, sore, and tired). If we didn't get to see you - we miss you!

Fun, fun, fun in Burnsville

After our week in Albert Lea, it was time to move on to Burnsville to visit with Grandpa and Grandma L. More fun was in store for Adam!

Working on the nativity calendar with Grandma Ann.

One of his favorite presents from Grandpa and Grandma L. was his Elmo tent. He especially loved running around in it and tipping it over.

We see you, Adam!

Aunt Jess was also a fan of the tent.

He finally got to ride on the horse that Grandma picked out at a garage sale!

Christmas in Albert Lea: The Grand Finale

Adam attended many Christmas parties over the course of our trip - I think he'd be happy if he never had to wear his "Christmas outfit" again. I'm pretty sure this party was his favorite, though. Peg put on a wonderful open house Christmas party while we were there, and it was so fun to be able to see so many people that we haven't seen in a long time.

The house pre-party looking all beautiful and Christmas-y.

Casey made two kinds of punch, one with alcohol and one without. I was very proud of the name tags I gave them ("Merry" Christmas and Noel - cohol, respectively).

After a short period of deliberation, Phil made his choice.

A no-brainer, I guess.

The party in full swing.

Adam pretty much just ran around and let everyone love him and tell him how fabulous he was. He was SO excited, though, towards the end when some more kids showed up. He ran right over to the door to greet them. They played together upstairs for a while, and I think it was the best night of Adam's life. Check out his face!

Again, the face says it all. Best. Night. Ever.

Once more dressed in his Christmas outfit, we headed to church on Christmas Eve. When we came home, it was time to open presents, since we would be off to Henderson in the morning for the Swenson family gathering.

Adam and I making the obligatory digger sounds.

The next morning, it was off to Henderson where we had great times with the Swenson fam. We hadn't seen them in a couple of years, since the giant snow storm last year kept us from attending. Next stop: Burnsville!

New and Exciting

Adam had lots of new and exciting experiences in MN over Christmas. Here are just a few highlights...

He loved discovering the piano with Uncle Matt. They played many duets together.
Then he got his own turn.

He played very nicely, just like Uncle Matt.

Then he really got into it.

He even developed his own revolutionary way to play.

We had only gotten a light dusting of snow in VA before we left, so Adam was thrilled to find FEET of snow at Grandma and Grandpa's house. He figured out how to put his boots on by himself, and was always trying to escape to play in the snow.

Playing outside with Dad and Grandpa.

Grandma got him the perfect sled and he was pulled all over the place. Here they are ready to go collect the mail.

He loved dragging his hand through the snow.

Then, he was off to feed the chickens with Grandpa and Grandma. Much to Abby's disappointment, her leash doesn't reach all the way to the chicken coop.

The Best Laid Plans...

Once we got to the MN, our first stop was Grandpa and Grandma Swenson's house. Adam loved playing with Abby, the dog that is just his size, and taking baths in Grandma's giant bath tub.

He also got his very own custom made booster seat for eating his meal. The unabridged version, of course! Only a former English teacher would have a dictionary that big. It was perfect for Adam.

Peg and I were so excited about this plan: decorating cookies with Adam. What could go wrong??? Peg made the cookies while Adam napped (she even made fun shapes that Adam would like, ie: a dinosaur), and got all the frosting and sprinkles ready.

When the big moment came, however, all Adam wanted to do was eat the frosting.

We tried showing him what to do and how yummy the cookies were after you put the frosting on, but he wasn't buying it.

And, cookie decorating officially ended when I told him he couldn't eat any more frosting.

Nothing like a two-year-old to keep you humble and remind you that life doesn't always work out the way you planned it.

Happy 2011!

Ok, I know I'm a little late, but happy 2011 from the Swensons. 2010 was a good one for us with our successful move to Virginia, a new church home, and many new friends. We trust that 2011 will not disappoint as we continue to watch Adam grow into such a fun little boy and welcome our baby girl in February.

I've got a bunch of pictures to share with you from all of our Christmas celebrations. So, prepare yourselves for a bunch of short little posts in an attempt to bring you up to speed.

It all started on December 18th, before we left for Minnesota. We had our own Christmas at home, and Santa made a special early trip to Adam's house.
He still is a rookie at opening presents, but once he sees what's inside, he is on board. He got some new crayons with coloring books, and a set of magnetic letters for the fridge.

He was most excited about Mr. Potato Head.

Clapping for Mr. Potato Head.

We looked in his stocking, and he couldn't wait to try out his new Elmo toothbrush. Literally - couldn't wait.

Pooser digging in to her stocking.