More Christmas Recap

I really wasn't kidding when I said that Christmas was all about the trucks. After spending the morning with his toys at home we packed up and went over to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Ryan kept everyone waiting for dinner due to a late (and long) nap but once we arrived he was in a great mood again.

He ate his Christmas spaghetti with brand new truck utensils...

Even Mommy got in on the act.  Notice that while Ryan plays with a new dump truck, Lisa has unwrapped new baking tins that will make cakes in the shape of cars and trucks.  Are we gearing up for his second birthday already?

After dinner and presents there was plenty of time to snack on a tasty new truck :)

When it was finally time to settle down for a bit a read a story, it was, of course, about trucks.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this new toy is actually a school bus. At this point, they are all trucks to the boy. And, yes, the number on the side was a pleasant coincidence.



I hope that the holidays were just as enjoyable and memorable for you and your families and they were for ours.  Have a safe and a happy new year.  We wish you nothing but the best for 2009 - enjoy the simple things in life....

...like a candy cane right before bedtime....

...or the happiness of a little boy and his toy trucks.

Best wishes for 2009.

The Hess Truck

I hope you all had a great, long holiday weekend. We definitely enjoyed ours. Ryan got to spend time with all of his grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

The best way to summarize his Christmas - trucks. Lots and lots of trucks. They are, by far, his favorite thing. None was more fascinating to him that the Hess truck. This year's model is pretty impressive, even to the adults. We could barely tear Ryan away from his Christmas morning and when we went to his grandparents' house that afternoon, he got a second one that he enjoyed just as much.

All decked out in his Christmas pajamas (a Parmentier tradition) he was ready to let the fun begin....


Always read the instructions first.... :)


Lights, horns, engine noise and a front end loader - what else could a kid ask for....

Ryan vs. the Christmas Tree

This is our first Christmas in our house and the first with a truly mobile child. So, we weren't quite sure what were going to be in for when we put up the tree.

Lisa and I decorated it after Ryan went to bed the other night. Here you will see the original tree, uniformly covered with ornaments...



The next morning, Ryan awoke and thought we had set up a new toy for him. Trucks were, of course, the first targets. But from there on, it became a game of "how high and far can Ryan reach?"

By the end of the day, the tree had surrendered, knowing it had met its match. Here is the tree, in its modified version. Maybe in a couple years, decorating only the top 2/3 will be in style.

Funny Faces

As Ryan continues to grow, his face gets more expressive. These are a few recent favorites....

Happy Holidays

I completely forgot that I hadn't posted this picture yet. Ryan is a little "bashful" around strangers these days and Santa was no exception. I've tried to convince people that he is simply screaming with delight but I don't think anyone has bought that yet.

In any event, from our family, to all of you and yours, best wishes for a happy safe and healthy holidays season and new year.

Christmas Parade - a little late

A week ago Saturday, we went over to Old Town Manassas for the annual Christmas parade. Grandpa P came with us - and actually held Ryan for most of the parade. I couldn't believe that the parade itself lasted over 2 hours. More amazing is that Ryan made it all the way to Santa at the end.

It started off as a very tired day....Ryan even found a new use for Sleepy Blanket - a scarf.

Grandpa pointed out all of the trucks and motorcycles and other exhibitors in the parade. Ryan has his waving perfected now too.



This was his first taste of candy cane. Looks like he's been eating them forever. The jester/elf hat came courtesy of one of the banks...


Clapping and dancing to one of the bands...


Overall, his first parade was a big success...

Greetings from the Big D

I am sorry that the blog has been quiet this week. I am down in Dallas for a bit. Finished up some work stuff today and tomorrow I kick off a weekend of Cowboys fun - my 30th birthday present was a trip to a Cowboys game and I am finally cashing it in. I'll be at the game against the Giants sunday night. I stopped by the construction site for the new stadium today. It is AMAZING. I'll post those pictures when I get home. Til then - GO Cowboys.

16 months

The little guy turned 16 months old today. In preparation for the big event he was so excited that he decided not to take a nap on saturday. As a result, he considered settling in with the Tonka truck this morning.



Realizing that would not be too comfortable, he turned his attention to Igor and a fun game of tug-of-war with the stuffed pomeranian.





Iggy really is a great sport about putting up with Ryan. I think its the hope of free food falling his way that keeps him motivated...



Yesterday afternoon I got to meet Ryan's playgroup friends and their parents for the first time. Seeing a whole bunch of kids Ryan's age in the same place was pretty interesting. They are all a great bunch of kids. Thanks to Mary and Mike (Ginny's parents) for hosting everyone. It was a great time.

Thanksgiving Fun

Thanksgiving is my mom's favorite holiday of the year, and it shows. She hosted dinner for 18, dessert for 20 in addition to the other half dozen or so people that wandered in and out of the house.

She even moved the dining room table into the living room to accommodate a full sit down dinner. Check out the table setting...



Ryan spent his time pushing the Fly Boat up and down the hard wood floors and discussing the intricacies of toy trucks...





Just like all of the adults, though, Ryan slumped onto the couch and enjoyed a good food coma after packing in the turkey and stuffing...

Go Rutgers

Our cousin Ray is quite possibly the biggest Rutgers fan ever. It was so nice of him and Phyllis to bring Ryan is own collection of RU gear.

I suppose I'll let this one go since they never play Penn in anything. Keith is still on the hook for all of that Harvard junk though :)

Here he is checking out the fit on the jersey....


Ryan explained the amazing skills of the Wonder Pets to Ray...


Peek - a - boo...


Showing off the new hat with mommy...

Back from New Jersey

Since we have now spent a full year back on the east coast, we had quite a bit to be thankful for this year. So we went up north to spend a few days at my parents' house. Great food (Thanksgiving turkey and sushi the next day), great family and friends and some relaxation.

My mom and dad were gracious enough to increase Ryan's collection of faux Cowboys' apparel. While this shirt is from the gap, the color scheme and number screams Tony Romo.



Here we have bed head at its finest...