Sam 10 Months, Will 2 Years 10 Months

Will - 2 Years 10 Months

My sweet sweet boy you sure are starting to test everything and getting so smart!  You have loved everything about this Christmas Season and it makes it all the more fun for us!  You have demanded a Christmas related craft every time Sam takes his morning nap and you have drawn so many circles with your markers if I lined them all up it might stretch from here to the moon and back.  You love your little brother and really want him near you all the time.  You love everything about the Polar Express.  Everything you talk about is Polar Express.  We let you watch the movie but you are afraid of it - but are still obsessed.  You have learned the whole song "When Christmas Comes To Town" as seen in the other post.  When I was filming it I was crying it was just so sweet.  You melt my heart little boy.  You love being my helper and help me with Sam.  You want to be the big boy but are still so much a baby.  You run off so independent to your "Little Beans" class and when its over run so hard into my arms.  I am so proud of you!

Sam 10 Months Old

You are into everything!  Not in a naughty way in a super curious adorable way!  When we go to the play cafe's you are excited to play and explore.  You want to be everywhere Will is - digging in the legos, crawling in the tunnels and taking every train and tossing it around.   You are taking two good naps now - 9am and 1:30pm.  It has gotten much harder almost nearly impossible for you to nap on the fly because you are so curious but we have done it here in there in the car when needed (cold mornings when our heat went out and I thought the car would be warmer).  I still dress you in jammies almost everyday.  I love how they keep your feet warm and the fleece wicks off all the breakfast you spilled on yourself.  You are so go with the flow but also want to get out of your stroller now and explore.  When I let you out you squeal in delight.  You are still nursing alot - and not sleeping at night but its ok.  These boys are both eating me out of food too!  Its AMAZING!

Christmas Eve

Brother Love

Fun in the snow - Will loved it so much and Sam didn't smile or cry so we think thats a win!

Up to no good!

Pancake face

Pizza and water AT wholefoods.  Its a big treat to get to eat at the grocery store :)

Circle Mania

Christmas #1 in Chicago

Because we were going to Connecticut for Christmas and we can still fool Will into thinking Santa makes more then one stop we had a Christmas in Chicago with the boys gifts before the big day!  It was fun.  We picked a Sunday morning before we left, put all their gifts under their tree and played it all up like it was Christmas morning.  They had a ball.  Will LOVED his new trains and tracks.  LOVED!  It was the perfect gift.  Sam LOVED Wills trains and tracks - it was the perfect gift.  Its funny how when Will was Sam's age he got all age appropriate toy but Sam loves anything his brother touches.  Its sweet.  They love that train table so much.

Little sweetie at the train table with the new CTA fleet

All the lines having breakfast

Will helping Sam with his new train book

Mr. Polar Express

"When Christmas Comes to Town" - Will Pope 2.5 Years Old

Tis the season to do everything Christmas in Chicago

We kicked off the holiday season with decorating the house before we headed out for Dallas.  The season is far to short in my mind and I like to come home from traveling and be in the holiday spirit.  With now two little guys we knew we were going to have to take a new approach with the tree.  We tossed anything breakable and went for cloth ornaments only.  It was so cute to see both boys so excited - we knew this was going to be the best Christmas yet!!!

Next up was the CTA "Santa's Express."  When we were explaining to Will we were going to ride on a train that was all decorated in Christmas lights with Santa he was convinced he was going on the Polar Express.  Poor guy just didn't want to take no for an answer so in Will's mind we truly rode the Polar Express.  We all bundled up and raced to catch the train.  We jumped on the jam packed train and took in as much as we could.  We only rode the train 2 stops but it was cute.  Kinda a blur.  I think Will had just as much fun riding the normal brown line 2 stops home :).  The funny part was when Jason and I went out for a date night we happened to catch the holiday train too!  

Next up was the trains at the Botanical Gardens - a favorite of all of ours!  We jumped in the car early and took a nice relaxing ride out to the burbs.  

Sam loved watching the snow fall from the ceiling

Will explaining to anyone who would listen how the train was going to come back "Hey guys it will come right back.....SEE IT CAME!!!"

Then one morning I took the boys to Navy Pier for the Christmas Fair.  I can't remember the name.  I had never been and we got free parking with our Childrens museum pass so I thought we would try it out!  There was a train so obvi that was the first thing we did - 4 times straight!!  Sam was actually super into it too!  Looking out the window and standing up on my lap.  I felt so lucky to have two awesome boys to have such fun outings with.  

Mom and son selfie on the train!

And then we met the big guy!  Actually funny story we went to see Santa at shops at 900 but he got sick and after waiting in the line they sent us all home.  LUCKY for us Macy's was right across the street with no line.  Phew!!  He was a nice Santa but looked tired and probably had high blood pressure from all the annoying parents.  We were a low key family.  They kept asking us to try putting everyone on his lap and Jason or I didnt care.  Will just wanted to talk to Santa and Sam sits where ever we put him.  It was sweet.  Will told us "he held Sam's hand so he wouldn't be scared."  Melt me!  Will was a bit scared by the whole thing but was very brave when we got there and asked Santa for the CTA trains.  Santa looked at me like "hope you can find those because I just said he was gonna get them."  It was a big hit for Will and we talked about Santa alot in the coming weeks.

Will 2.75, Sam 10 Months 

Other notable holiday activities was cookie backing.  I hope I read this post next Christmas before I start the cookie backing.  BUY SLICE AND BAKE!!  By the time Will and I made the dough, chilled it, rolled it, cut the cookies out, baked them, cooled them, made frosting, died the frosting and decorated and iced every single one I wanted to roll over take a nap and not wake up for a week.  Also please note we started this whole process at 4:30pm.  Yikes.  But it was a hit.  Will had a ball and the cookies were super good!