When did he get so old?

Ty was incredibly sweet today on my birthday and several of his comments left me wondering when he got so mature. An example from this morning before we headed downstairs:

Jeff: Are you going to open presents when we go downstairs?
Me: I don't know. Maybe I should wait until later in the day.
Ty: Mommy it's your birthday so it's your choice. You can do whatever you'd like.

Oh, how technology has changed our world

Conversation with Ty in the car yesterday afternoon:

Tyler: Mommy, do you know the way to Fairy Tale Land?
Me: Um, no, I'm not really sure how to get there. Do you?
Tyler: No, but I bet the GPS does.

Megan's baptism

We were blessed last Sunday with the opportunity to celebrate Megan and her cousin Lily's baptisms. It was a beautiful ceremony followed by a nice reception with our families. Thanks to Granny and Grandpa for hosting the reception and for making our little girl look like a princess.

For more photos, click on the photo below.

Christmas 2009

We had a great Christmas week, opening presents at our house on Dec. 20th and then a few days later driving 13 hours through the night (easier with the kids) to Palatine, IL, arriving at 3am on Dec. 24th. Our 3.5 days in Palatine included 2 Christmas celebrations, our nephew Drew's birthday party, Megan and our niece Lily's baptism, and some indoor sports in Libertyville. Then we drove back (12 hours)and arrived home at 5:30am on the 29th. It was a whirlwind, but we had a great time. For LOTS of photos (thanks to the Shripka's for many of them), click on the collage above.

When preschoolers perform

A couple of weeks ago, Megan and Tyler had their holiday show, complete with performances of 4 original songs and a surprise visit from Santa. Below is the night captured on video. If you only have the time (or desire) to watch one of them, I suggest "Using Rudolph's Light". Ty has improved since his first show (at 15 months) during which he stood like a statue and stared at everyone without opening his mouth. However, I think the greatest entertainment value comes from his classmates to the right of him. If you want to see some photos of the event, click here.

2009 Holiday Show: S-A-N-T-A from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: Using Rudolph's Light from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: I have a little Dreidel from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

2009 Holiday Show: Play the drums, It's Christmastime from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

Tyler talking to Santa from Teri Schmidt on Vimeo.

The whole world is white!

Those were Ty's words when he looked out the window yesterday morning. And he was right--everything was covered by about 4 inches of snow...but that was only the beginning. By the end of the day, we measured 20 inches on our deck. Just like 2 weeks ago, we had a great time sledding, building snow forts, and having snowball fights. For more pictures, click on the top photo.

I'm in trouble

Conversation between Tyler and me tonight after I incorrectly said that a) the figure in the red robe in the Little People Nativity Set was one of the kings and b)the figure with the staff was in fact Joseph:

Tyler: That's not a king, it has long hair and doesn't have a crown.
Me: Yes it is. Not all kings look the same. Plus, he has a gift for Jesus.
Tyler: No, it's not a king. And that's not Joseph; it's just a shepherd.
And on and on for a few more rounds...

Me: Ty, you're just like Daddy; you always think you're right.
Tyler: I'm awesome.