Welcome to Ethan Cash Andrade... Liam's cousin, born on Christmas Day 2009. He weighed 8 pounds, 4 ounces and measured 21 inches long. In a few days Liam and Mommy will go on an adventure to Austin to meet little Ethan.
Liam's first Christmas at home was eventful. We spent a lot of time hanging out with friends -- and of course, Santa visited our house. Liam was so excited to see what was in his Christmas stocking, hung on the doorknob of his room. Then when he opened his taxi car wash and tiny car ramps, he really needed nothing else. He opened the rest of his gifts merely as a favor to us... though he was quite happy with the other gifts too.
In church, Liam was the only little child, seeing as most people go to the Christmas Eve service. When the pastor asked the congregation for characteristics of Jesus, Liam shouted out, "He a baby!" Then Liam started mooing, because there were cows in the manger. Luckily he's loved by everyone at church, so it was cute.
On Christmas, Liam weighed about 36 pounds and was about 36 inches tall. Compared to Liam, Baby Ethan is tiny.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Pink School Bus With 5 Engines
Hello Liam,Tonight is Christmas Eve, the first one you might be able to remember. Our friends came over, and we had a nice dinner. Then we went over to church, but there were too many people, so we drove around looking at pretty lights instead. We'll go again in the morning. Right now you are so interested in the story of Baby Jesus and Mary that I wouldn't want to deprive you of your last opportunity to hear the story (until next year).
We volunteered at church for a few days in the week before Christmas. You helped pack boxes for more than 50 families in need. Together with other people from church, we wrapped presents, packed bags of groceries and then helped the families load it all into their cars. Each family received a week's worth of groceries, including a turkey or ham, three presents per person and home made Christmas cookies. They also could 'shop' in a special room full of toys and clothes, so they could give other people gifts too. We had lots of fun, and I think you saw how important it is to help others.
You learned to sing "Away in a Manger" at Sunday School (well, Granny helped you remember the words) and you sang in the Christmas Performance a few weeks ago. There were three songs, and you remembered the words to all three, but you preferred to dance (disco style) to the third Baby Jesus lullaby.
You asked Santa for a pink school bus with five engines on it. Santa emailed us a few days later to let us know that school buses aren't pink. He offered to bring you a yellow school bus, but you already have two. So you modified your request, and Santa contacted some friends of his in Hong Kong. They started working on your very special request, but Santa is worried that you won't get what you want for Christmas: A city bus that bends in the middle. You have also asked Santa for a Car Wash for your tiny cars. Lately, you have been most excited to play with this present, so perhaps Santa knows that this is would you would really like.The thing you are most excited about though, isn't Santa or Christmas. It's that you will have a new cousin very soon. You are so excited to meet the new baby.
For now, though, it's night time, and you will see your present from Santa in the morning. With any luck, you'll also get a new baby cousin for Christmas too!
Merry Christmas Little Bean!
Love,
Mommy
Friday, December 18, 2009
Getting Ready for Santa
We met Santa a few weeks ago at the Community Center. Liam sat on Santa's knee, with only a little reluctance. This was his first encounter, and it went well.
The following day, Granny & Grand Dad, Daddy & Mommy, Joya and Suri all drove to a train station near Mt. Rainier, and we took a train to see Santa's workshop. Liam knew what to expect, and he even showed Suri how to sit quietly, and he encouraged her to not be afraid.
On both occasions, Liam asked Santa for a pink school bus with five engines. Santa thought Liam said Scuba, and wasn't sure what to make of the pinkness factor. We received an email from Santa explaining to Liam that the elves don't make school buses in pink because all school buses are yellow. Liam considered this, and changed his request. Now he wants a toy "bendy bus" that he has seen in downtown Seattle... they are called articulated buses, the kind that bend to go around corners. Let's all hope that Santa and the elves can figure that one out!
Liam has also been practicing "Away in the Manger" for the preschool portion of the Christmas show. For a while he recited the song like poetry -- adding in extra sweets, because "Baby Jesus have a really sweet, sweet head." Frequently the hay is also sweet.
He sang last Sunday, in front of a packed house. He knew the words to the first two songs, and then danced in a shake-your-booty fashion to the third Baby Jesus lullaby. Of course, he's the smallest kid on stage, and hamming it up in his own little way. It's easy to see how he stole the hearts of everyone!
He's learning words to some Christmas songs -- he especially likes The First Noel. He sing/shouts "Noel, noel, noel, no-el," in a high-pitched baby wolf voice through the whole song... and every other Christmas song too. He wanted to know why we don't sing "Jingle Bells" in church, and I explained that we sing hymns in church. "Jingle Bells" is a nice song, but it's not in the hymnal.
The following day, he was singing "Jingle Bells, jingle bells, jingle bells..." and he kept asking if I had a urinal. (He used a child-size urinal at the mall that day, so I assumed the two were unrelated.) It took a while to understand that he wanted to learn the words to "Jingle Bells." If "Jingle Bells" isn't in the 'him'nal, it was in the 'her'nal.
Good grief!
Oh, that's another surprise Christmas bonus. Liam LOVES Charlie Brown Christmas. It's old, and full of sarcasm and their mouths don't match the words, but he watches it over and over. When I was little we got to see it one time a year, if we caught it on live TV. Not, thanks to DVR, Liam watches Snoopy decorate his dog house nearly every day. And he laughs every time. This is his favorite part. He tries to dance like them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUQX2B67KL4&feature=related
The following day, Granny & Grand Dad, Daddy & Mommy, Joya and Suri all drove to a train station near Mt. Rainier, and we took a train to see Santa's workshop. Liam knew what to expect, and he even showed Suri how to sit quietly, and he encouraged her to not be afraid.
On both occasions, Liam asked Santa for a pink school bus with five engines. Santa thought Liam said Scuba, and wasn't sure what to make of the pinkness factor. We received an email from Santa explaining to Liam that the elves don't make school buses in pink because all school buses are yellow. Liam considered this, and changed his request. Now he wants a toy "bendy bus" that he has seen in downtown Seattle... they are called articulated buses, the kind that bend to go around corners. Let's all hope that Santa and the elves can figure that one out!
Liam has also been practicing "Away in the Manger" for the preschool portion of the Christmas show. For a while he recited the song like poetry -- adding in extra sweets, because "Baby Jesus have a really sweet, sweet head." Frequently the hay is also sweet.
He sang last Sunday, in front of a packed house. He knew the words to the first two songs, and then danced in a shake-your-booty fashion to the third Baby Jesus lullaby. Of course, he's the smallest kid on stage, and hamming it up in his own little way. It's easy to see how he stole the hearts of everyone!
He's learning words to some Christmas songs -- he especially likes The First Noel. He sing/shouts "Noel, noel, noel, no-el," in a high-pitched baby wolf voice through the whole song... and every other Christmas song too. He wanted to know why we don't sing "Jingle Bells" in church, and I explained that we sing hymns in church. "Jingle Bells" is a nice song, but it's not in the hymnal.
The following day, he was singing "Jingle Bells, jingle bells, jingle bells..." and he kept asking if I had a urinal. (He used a child-size urinal at the mall that day, so I assumed the two were unrelated.) It took a while to understand that he wanted to learn the words to "Jingle Bells." If "Jingle Bells" isn't in the 'him'nal, it was in the 'her'nal.
Good grief!
Oh, that's another surprise Christmas bonus. Liam LOVES Charlie Brown Christmas. It's old, and full of sarcasm and their mouths don't match the words, but he watches it over and over. When I was little we got to see it one time a year, if we caught it on live TV. Not, thanks to DVR, Liam watches Snoopy decorate his dog house nearly every day. And he laughs every time. This is his favorite part. He tries to dance like them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUQX2B67KL4&feature=related
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