Free Standing

Dear Gage,

We have really been working with you to stand on your own. You have been walking along the couch and chair and cabinets and anything you can pull yourself up on for several months now, but you haven't really stood unassisted. Until today! You were able to stand by yourself for several seconds today and even had a run at a minute! You'll be walking before we know it! You are such a big boy!

I love you,
Mommy

Walgreens Pharmacy Christmas Party

Dear Gage,

Last night, you were my date to the pharmacy Christmas party. You were a little shy at first, but you soon warmed up to everyone and smiled and played. Baby Charlie and Dylan were also there, so you had some other kids to play with. You all are at different ages and different levels (Charlie - nearly 7 months and Dylan - 21 months), so it was a lot of fun to watch you interact with them. Before the night was over, I was able to snap a couple of photos of all three of you together. Such cuties!!

The Three Muskateers

Charlie, Gage and Dylan

I love you,
Mommy

Visit(s) with Santa

Dear Gage,

A couple of Saturdays ago, we took you up to the mall to visit with Santa. I think I was more excited for you to meet him than you were. In fact, I know that is the case. When I handed you to Santa to sit on his lap, you were anything but excited. Needless to say, you didn't get to tell Santa what you wanted for Christmas.

This past week, while we were in the mall, we decided to give you another opportunity to tell Santa your little heart's desires. This time went much better than last! Thank goodness. I don't think Santa could have handled another round of sad Gage. I know it was a little frightening to be thrown into the lap of a white haired stranger, but thank you for being a trooper. You made Mommy very happy!

I love you,
Mommy

Christmas goodies

Dear Gage,

Each Christmas season, your Dada and I make lots of Christmas goodies to give out to our friends and family. It's our special way of celebrating with everyone. It can be a lot of work, but we really enjoy preparing all the sweet treats. This year we made the usual, but added a few new sweets. We made buckeyes, Oreo bark, Peppermint bark, Snow Clusters, Ritz sandwiches, chocolate covered pretzels, shortbread cookies, bourbon balls and the newest thing - Oreo balls. I made two different varieties, regular and golden. The treats were a big hit and everybody loved them.

On Saturday morning, we made our traditional sugar cookies with Madeline and Jett. You were able to help with these by cutting out cute little Christmas shapes. We made angels, trees, stars, stockings, snowmen and candy canes. All the goodies turned out really well and there was fun to be had by all!

Helping Dada cut out the sugar cookies

The finished cookies, decorated by Jett and Madeline

All the yummy Christmas goodies

I love you,
Mommy

Madeline's Christmas Program

Dear Gage,

Your very talented sister Madeline performed in her school's Christmas program on Tuesday. The band played a selection of songs and Madeline even got to play Rudolph, the Red Nosed Reindeer as part of a clarinet trio. She played so well! We are very proud of her. After the band's performance, the choirs performed. The seventh grade group went first, followed by the eighth graders. It was a very fun night and you really enjoyed all the music. It definitely put us all in the Christmas spirit!

Clarinet Trio

8th Grade Choir


I love you,
Mommy

Santa Baby

Dear Gage,

I got you some Christmas Jammies last week and was going to wait until Christmas for you to wear them, but I couldn't resist. They're so cute, and you look super cute wearing them.

Baby Santa riding his horsey

Precious gift under the tree

Thank you for the present Santa!

I love you,

Mommy

Boyce Christmas Parade

Dear Gage,

Yesterday we went down to Boyce and watched their 3rd annual Christmas Parade. Why the Boyce parade? Well, it's only 2 miles down from our house and your big sister Maddie was marching with the Allen County marching band! The weather forecast was calling for a 40% chance of rain so we kept our fingers crossed that it would wait until the parade was over. The clouds looked gloomy and the wind was a little strong, but we got lucky and the rain stayed away.

You went with Dada, Granny and Pa and I rode with Dowwoe, Jett and Kady. The parade started off with some police cars and fire trucks, followed by the Patriots band. They played the song from the Grinch as they marched by. Madeline was by far the star of the band! We are very proud of her. We saw several tractors and ATVs. There were floats with angels and singers and elves and clowns. We saw Santa and Mrs. Claus. There were old time cars and trucks and antique roadsters. I saw one of my fellow Walgreens pharmacists Jamey Wimsatt and his wife Stephanie in their classic car. I embarrassed the family and committed a parade faux pas by chasing down their car and stopping them to chit chat.

There was candy and music and lots of fun. Jett told us before we got to the parade that he didn't like parades. We told him to give it a chance, and once the candy started to get tossed, he changed his mind. He loves parades and so do you!

Ready for the parade to start

Maddie playing the clarinet

Jamey and Stephanie Wimsatt

Minature horse

Minature horse pulling a sleigh

You and Pa fighting over some candy. Pa won. You don't eat candy yet :)

I love you very much,
Mommy

Rubber Ducky II

Dear Gage,

I know you're probably going to really hate that I did this when you are older, but I made a video of you playing in the tub with your rubber ducky. You were saying "duck," so I had to get it on film. You really love bathtime and you love playing with the ducks. Sometimes, even when it is not bathtime, you go into the bathroom and stand by the tub. You like taking a bath and that makes it a lot easier on Dada and me!

I love you,
Mommy

Happy Birthday, Madeline!

Dear Gage,

Today your big sissy Madeline turned 14 years old! It's hard to believe. Needless to say, your Dada is a little beside himself. Next year she'll be going to high school, and in just four and a half years she'll be off to college. She has grown into a beautiful, intelligent, and wonderful young lady. We are very proud of her and all her accomplishments. She's been very active in band and extracurricular activities, such as academic team, science olympiads and piano, just to name a few. She loves you very much and you love her too! I love to watch you both play together. You have so much fun with her, and she knows just what to do to make you smile.

We were wanting to have a big party for her this weekend, but she was playing in a parade with the Allen County band in Scottsville today and will be playing in another Christmas parade tomorrow in Boyce. We were able to throw together an impromptu shindig last night, but it wasn't the spectacle I had wanted to have. We were able to prepare her requested meal: bbq ribs, roasted brussel spouts and chocolate chip cookies. I threw in some mashed cauliflower (which you loved, by the way), wheat rolls, and cake pops to round out the meal. By cake pops, I should say cake balls. I didn't have enough sticks, but we made do with what we had. They might not have looked the way I wanted them to, but they tasted yummy, just the same.

After dessert, Maddie opened her presents. Dada had taken her to the mall and she had picked out some clothes, so there were no surprises from us. Sarah K got her some pins for her hair and we spent a good amount of time putting each other's hair up in various up-do's. Your Dada even got in on the action. All I can say is that he shouldn't pursue a career in doing hair.

We had a wonderful evening celebrating her birthday and continued the fun this morning with a birthday breakfast. We didn't go to the parade today, but are very excited about watching her march with the band in the parade tomorrow. Happy birthday Maddie! We love you very much!

Beautiful birthday girl!

Yummy cake balls!

Dada and his babies

Dada doing Mommy's hair

The finished product. Not quite like the picture.

Sarah K fixing Maddie's hair

I love you very much,
Mommy