Gabriel Update

First of all, you may notice that very few of these pictures actually involve Gabriel looking at the camera.  Most of the time he's too busy to stop and take a picture.  Always on the go.

We took a trip to Atlanta after Christmas and he had a great time visiting family and friends and playing with cousins.  I really did enjoy Christmas with Gabriel this year.  He got really into the whole holiday and was looking forward to things and making memories.  He still brings up things that we did or places that we went.  He got sad when we took down the decorations. And, like all children I guess, he got obsessed with getting presents.  I don't feel like we went overboard with getting him things but I think the combination of his birthday in November and then Christmas made him want more gifts to open.

Christmas at Gammer and Pop Pop's house.  Wearing his new
Darth Vader towel while he plays with a new helicopter.

Cupcakes at Hannah Kate's birthday party

New pretend food from Uncle Matt and Aunt Stephanie!  This kid still loves to cook.  While we were outside a bit ago he was making me a cake out of snow (and then licking it himself)

We went to the Georgia Aquarium while we were in Atlanta too.  I didn't get a picture of him with them, but he loved the penguins the best.  He got a little plastic one while we were there and just this evening he took it out in the snow to play.

Looking at jellyfish

Cousins!

We had a big snow storm here last week and for the first time Gabriel loved playing in the snow.  He liked walking around in the yard and pretending.  We were on a search for Frosty the Snowman and we many times went into his "cave" (a clearing in the trees seen below) to hide from the Abominable Snow Monster.  It was fun to see him all bundled up and enjoying playing.  He did sled a little bit but didn't seem like he cared about it much.

We still have our Christmas tree on our deck (weird but true).  When it started snowing Gabriel asked several times if we could bring the tree in the house and have Christmas again since it's snowing.  I guess snow = Christmas.

Other random Gabriel things: he's starting to enjoy chapter books, which I really think is neat.  Taylor is reading him "The Lion, The Witch, And the Wardrobe."  I've been reading him A.A. Milne's "Winne-the-Pooh." (he got into Winnie the Pooh at his cousin's birthday party.  He didn't seem interested before that).  I like that he wants to sit and listen and asks us to read more.

He still really likes his Pixar movies and toys with his new recent favorite being Inside Out (thank you Uncle Aaron and Aunt Tiffany).  He's trying to express emotions more since watching it.  We hear a lot of "That makes me so mad!" and "I'm sad" now that he's seen that.  He also likes watching Daniel Tiger, Sid the Science Kid, and parts of Fantasia and Fantasia 2000.

And since I've brought up Daniel Tiger, Gabriel's new favorite song is from that show and goes like this, "If you have to go potty stop and go right away.  Flush and wash and be on your way."  I will never get that song out of my head.  We have started potty training again and it thankfully seems to be going much better than last time.  He gets excited about going.  Usually when he goes bolting to the bathroom he says "stop and go right away!" as he's running off.  I am cautiously optimistic that things will go better this time.  He is at least initiating going himself and isn't throwing fits about it so that's a big change for the better.  I'm trying to stay calm about it and not push him.

So that is Gabriel right now.  Always on the move.  Working hard at pretending.  Throwing lots of tantrums.  Not listening well.  Frequently saying something funny or acting goofy.  He keeps us on our toes :)