We don't have too much to report this week (and anyway, most of our faithful readers will be seeing us within the next week or so). Dan spent longer than usual hours at work this week (hopefully to good effect!), which meant that Andrew got to spend more time than usual with his mother--a mixed blessing for both, I'm sure. In the build-up to Christmas, everything else seems kind of "blah"; Dan and I both spent a lot of time this week trying to tie up loose ends before we head home for the holidays (extra hours at the writing center [although most of those early in the week were left open, thus the extra hours Dan had at work], more experiments, last-minute Christmas shopping, one more revision of dissertation chapters, etc.). All of which kept us quite busy, but none of which makes for interesting blog reading!

Andrew continues to devise new ways to tear apart the house. The other day, I made the mistake of putting a box of magazines in a spot of particularly easy access (especially now that Andrew has climbed on things). You can see some of the resultant chaos below. The only good thing to come out of it (besides Andrew's entertainment), was that I discovered a Time magazine issue that had arrived while I was home in Utah this summer, with a particularly interesting article on the effect siblings have on us. Apparently, scientists are beginning to think that our siblings--more than even peers, parents, or genes--influence the way that we develop. (That explains so much!).





Andrew is also becoming more and more adept at escaping our makeshift blockades. After Christmas we may have to think about investing in some expanding doorway gates. Here, you see him making good his escape.



We've been having a hard time deciding on what kinds of toys Andrew likes best. We've narrowed it down to things with moving parts (or that move)--balls, doors, books, etc. Sometimes this issue is obscured when Andrew is around other kids, because then he tends to want whatever it is that they have. Both of these interests were highly in evidence last night, at Dan's advisor's Christmas party. Andrew and Selma (Dan's advisor's three-year-old daughter) competed with each other to see who could open the top of the silo and move the corral doors on Selma's Fisher Price farm. (Note to my mother: do NOT buy this for Andrew. We already got one on sale at Target a few weeks ago, although we're waiting until after we put away the Christmas nativity to unveil it). Since Selma is bigger and more mobile than Andrew, she usually won (despite her mother's attempts to encourage her to "share.") That didn't prevent Andrew from trying, or smiling in delight every time he opened the doors (which emitted an alternating "neigh" or "moo"). He repeated this over and over until Selma pushed him out of the way, or he might still be there.

Unfortunately, I don't have much to comment on the party, as Andrew and I left early (the difficulties of an early bedtime!). Dan, however, stayed and reports that the gifts that we brought to the white elephant exchange (or Yankee Swap as it is alternately known) were highly coveted gifts. The biggest letdown of the present exchange was also the largest present--a mini fridge that one of Dan's labmates hauled out of his basement. Incidentally, we were also the unofficial winners of the "ugly Christmas sweater" contest, courtesy of Goodwill. (Although this was the ostensible theme of the evening, only a handful of party-goers actually wore ugly sweaters). Unfortunately, we don't have pictures for the blog. Dan maintains that his sweater was simply too ugly to photograph (which means that he wouldn't let me take his picture). However, so you can try and visualize this yourself, I'll describe the sweaters. Mine was black with sparkly green and red holly leaves and bells. Dan wore a blue sweater-vest (also a woman's sweater) with sequined stars, Santa, and reindeer. While wearing said sweater, he looked "either gay or not straight." Enough said. (Except that Dan did say that if he only had leiderhosen the look would have been perfect!) The frightening thing is that one of Dan's labmates prevailed on him to give the sweater to her (reluctantly, I'm sure) because she wanted to wear it. On her, it looked like a glammed-up Walmart employee vest. (I think he gave it away so I couldn't take his picture in it). Andrew's sweater was a lovely red pooh sweater with sparkly threads and snow-flake buttons (I'm pretty sure it was also a girl's sweater). All in all, we looked fabulously horrible.

So, after not having much to say initially, it turns out that we have at least something to say. As we're going to be out of town for the holidays, I don't know when we will next be able to update the blog, but we'd like to wish all our readers a happy holiday! (If we don't extend those wishes in person).