Holiday Cards and Crushes

As the Christmas cards came in this December, Ryan and Lucie were excited to add them to the wall of photos by their highchairs. I started doing this last year as something fun for R & L to look at during meals. (And I'm embarrassed to admit, it's also a cover-up for the food stains on our walls - yuck.) Ryan and Lucie became so attached to some of our 2006 cards, that they stayed up well into last year. Owen's card, a particular favorite, was so well loved that it didn't come down until his 2007 one arrived.

Now that Lucie and Ryan are talking, the cards are a great dinner time conversation starter (not that you need much of one with 2 year olds). They love to yell out, "Count babies, mommy!" And we'll count and name all the cards with babies. Then it's "Count boys, mommy!" And we'll count and name all the boys. Next, "Count girls, mommy!" or "Count doggies!" Often it even goes as far as "Count oceans!" or "Count leaves!" or Ryan's favorite, "Count Sybille!"

Ryan has come to adore our Stroller Strides instructor, Sybille. He gushes every time we see her at class. When she gave us a holiday card, it became one of his prize possessions. Unlike the other cards, it moves around a lot as he finds a new spot for it with each meal. Sometimes he even puts it on Lucie's high chair if it means it's easier for him to see. When I told Sybille about my son's crush on her, she gave him a big hug and carried him into the play yard. I loved the smile on his face that night as he told Chris the whole story. Chris and I joke that we're learning Ryan's "type" - blond, Swiss and able to effortlessly sprint up a hill pushing a stroller. Now that's some very good taste for a 2 year old!