Big Snow Day

Last week our area got our first big snow of the year, more than a foot. Fazal got his first chance to wear his snow suit (thanks Anne!) His mom re-lived some memories of childhood by putting his feet into plastic bags before going into his shoes! Remember those days?!

Being the determined non-stop worker that he is, he immediately set out to move snow - just like his dad was - and got really mad at the high snow piles for slowing him down (when he tried to walk through them)...he let us pull him around on the sled for about two minutes, but then he wanted to get back to work.

15 1/2 months old

Doesn't Fazal look like he's growing up?!?! Right now he is 15 1/2 months old, pretty hard to believe.

We are ready to declare his first real word, where he really understands the meaning, the concept, and when to use it correctly, as "hot". That's our boy!! :-) He points to steaming water on the stove and says "hot". He touches his food before he eats it and says "hot". He touches the radiator when the heat is on and says "hot". And what's extra sweet about it is that he waves his hand at the same time, we think because when we were trying to teach him to eat slowly when his food was still hot, we'd wave our hand over it, like you do when you're trying to cool things off. Now he thinks that's a mandatory thing to do when you say the word!

This is what I do when I am not getting my way!!!

He also LOVES trucks, tractors, and cars. The way people say that little boys do, but I never really believed it. It's true. He points to cars going by on the road. He'll find tiny little pictures of cars on something else that has nothing to do with vehicles, and he spins his hands around (like he's behind a steering wheel) and makes a low, groaning, aka. motor, noises!! He reads books about steam shovels and dump trucks. It's all about vehicles these days.

I can't believe we still have so many weeks to go....

Christmas Tree

It's that time of year when Christians celebrate Christmas and in our area, as snow falls and the earth turns white, things look very pretty decorated with lights and wreaths and other symbols of the holiday spirit.

In this photo, Fazal is "helping" decorate his koko's Christmas tree. He loved the lights and all the ornaments being hung on the branches. The unanswered question is whether or not he will leave the lights and ornaments on the tree the next time we go over for a visit!!!

Nursery School

We have started a new adventure in our lives. Fazal is going to nursery school two days a week, where he's learning to make friends, sing songs, paint and draw, share toys, sit at a table and eat neatly, and all kinds of other great things. For his parents it is a test in detachment. After being by our sides 24/7 for 15 months, it is hard not to have him there all the time. But he was ready to learn more, be more active, and meet some little buddies. The first two days were a little hard, but now it is starting to go really well. The teachers couldn't be nicer and really love the kids. Here are two photos taken by his koko on his second day.

How cute are they!!!!