RC Car

Basketball

Papa: Sarah, do you like basketball? (Pointing to Stephen's new basketball toy)

Sarah: No!

Papa: Do you want to play basketball?

Sarah: Mm, yes! I love basketball!

(See the basketball toy video)

In Kitchen

Farting

Stephen, at dinner table: (Makes farting noises with his mouth, points at Papa)

Papa: Is this an accusation?

Stephen: (Smiles, nods and moves eyebrows to say "yes")

Circus Tent

Uncle Bo gave the kids a fun little circus tent that they love playing in.

The scene: Both kids are playing inside the tend with cousin Eddie. The door flaps are closed so the adults can't see what is going on.

(Suddenly, Eddie's face appears in the door opening.)

Sarah's voice (from inside): Hey, where are you going?

(Eddie's face then suddenly jerks back inside the tent.)

Kids And Ball

Around The Island

Papa and Stephen were chasing each other around the kitchen. Stephen suddenly changed direction around the island, apparently showing that he knew that doing so would get him closer to Papa.

Socks & Boots

Sarah does not like to have her winter boots put on without carefully pulling up her socks first. She gets mad if you try to just put on her boots without giving her a chance to pull her sock all the way up.

Sarah also gets mad if she gets her arm into her winter jacket without first getting a good hold on her sweater or shirt sleeve so that she can pull it out fully of the end of the jacket sleeve. She apparently hates the feeling of her inner sleeve getting bunched up inside her jacket sleeve.


Aunt Wendy in particular finds both of these facts hilarious in a girl so young.

The Doll

Grandma very lovingly selected a baby doll for Sarah for Christmas. (An American Girl one that I think was probably way expensive). For whatever reason, Sarah completely ignored the doll. (I think because it reminded her of another doll that her Nana had previously given her and that makes some creepy "crying" noises that scared the bejeesus out of her).

Anyways the new doll found a new caretaker: Stephen. He picked it up and has been carrying it around, helping it to sleep in his arms, etc. He even went to sleep holding it and made sure it was covered up.

Basketball

Everyone Agrees, Stephen Seems A Natural Basketball Player

Opening Presents

Grandma

Grandma has been biting her lip a lot this visit as Sarah says silly things and then Grandma tries not to laugh.

Do You Hear

The story goes that when Uncle Bo was little, at a Christmas church service the congregation sang "Do You Hear What I Hear", and at the end of one of the repetitions of that line Bo (who was very little at the time) called out "Yes!" or the baby-noise equivalent.

(Grandma and Grandpa love telling this story at Christmastime).

Lemon

Stephen, at dinner table: Ahh ahh ahh!

Papa: Stephen, what do you want?

Stephen: (Pinches fingers together as if squeezing a lemon)

Papa: You want lemon?

Stephen: (Nods and moves eyebrows to signify "yes")

Papa: Wow, Stephen just invented a new hand sign for lemon!

Schroeder On Mistletoe

When I saw you coming, I took it down. Then I threw it in the trash burner, and I burned it, and I stood there watching it burn to make sure it was destroyed, and it was! I destroyed it completely!
- Schroeder to Lucy as to why he has no mistletoe hanging near his piano
http://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/2012/12/24

Windshield

So after spending a fun and relaxing evening hanging out with Uncle Bo and Aunt Wendy, we go outside and notice that there is a big crack all along the bottom of our windshield by the wipers.

Uncle Bo: Yeah, that's common, that's from the defroster.

At Uncle Bo's

Double Horsey

Boots On

I Want Grandma

Sarah wants Grandma to take her to the bathroom, to help her brush her teeth, to read a story to her at night. Not Mama or Papa. Grandma.

Sarah: I want Gdanma do it!

But when Aunt Anne came over, Sarah wanted Aunt Anne to take her.

Papa, to Aunt Anne: She could go by herself, but it's a bonding thing.

Eddie

Scowl

Stephen today showed a new response to a question that he did understand / did not like:

Tilt his head to the left and furrow his brow.

Kitty

Stephen: Nehnnnn! (Kitty Over There)

Making A Wreath

Not Jesus

Grandma (showing Sarah a Nativity scene): Sarah, this one is Jesus. (points to baby Jesus figurine)

Sarah: No, that's not Jesus! THIS one is Jesus. (points to bearded wise man figurine) ...And he fights with Nana!

(I didn't realize what she was talking about until days later...)

Washer

Were-Rabbit

We all sat down with Grandma and Grandpa to watch Wallace & Gromit, the Curse of the Were-Rabbit. Everybody enjoyed it, even Stephen, who at times pointed to the screen and laughed in his own laugh-inducing way. He was back to playing before it was over though, and Sarah too.

Candle

Snow Pics

Stever

Eating By Myself (Good Job!)

Helping With The Chores

I'm Done Throwing The Newspaper Around,
So Now It's Time To Relax

Gimme That Phone! Right Now!

Me? Oh, Nothin'

Getting On Hobart

A Much-Needed Haircut

Playing In Snow

My Friends

Sarah, excited before church: My friends? I want to go see my friends!

Sarah, excited after church: Let's go see my friends!

We walk over to where Angela, Allison and Abby are sitting. Sarah suddenly becomes bashful and can't bring herself to talk to them.

Baaaa

At church with Grandma and Grandpa, the Christmas pageant was told from the perspective of the animals. The kids were making animal noises, when from one of the back pews, Stephen chimed in: Baaaa! Baaaaa!

Grandpa likes telling this story, and it is related to a similar one about Uncle Bo.