Speech, speech, speech!

Some new things Sammy is saying:
okay!
please?okay! (all one word, approving his own requests)
hooray!
woo hoo!
armadillo (comes out as "ah-co-co", but it is too funny!)
what did you do? (ah-do-do?)
I did it!
oh my!
oh no!

He really does exclaim these things--everything he says has a tone of extreme importance.

Sammy has a book that asks a question on each page, and the answer is always "Me, I do!" Now I read him the questions and he knows to respond to the next page with "I do!" The little man really loves his books right now, especially those with babies in them. He'll stand at the bookshelf saying "Ah baby? Ah baby?" until you find him the baby books.

Anne also said some hilarious things recently:

First, she was talking about Daddy coming home from North Dakota. I said he would be home when she was in bed. She told me, "I will come to your room, and Daddy will open his eyes, and he will say, 'Who is that kid?' and I will say, 'I'm Annie!'"

The second quote needs some backstory: Anne sometimes watches "Olivia" on TV. The character Olivia will stop once during the show and share one of her "Rules of Life". One rule is "Rule of Life number 45: Whatever the problem, costumes are always a good answer."

We got haircuts on Tuesday and Anne did not want her hair cut. She was talking the whole way to the salon about how she did NOT want a haircut. All of a sudden she says: "Rule of Life number 45: Whatever the problem, haircuts are always a bad answer."

How's that for complex thinking skills, huh?!?! Super Genius strikes again.

January....blech....

Man, oh man, I hate winter. So cold. So bleak. So boring.

Sam has returned to the great North Dakota for 3 weeks this time. He has been gone for 1 week now, so we are 33% complete. It has been harder this time--last trip we had Christmas to look forward to and prepare for and keep us busy. Here's what we have been doing to keep ourselves busy:

Puzzles are one of the preferred toys around here. Sam Roman received several great puzzles for Christmas, so we have been doing them quite often.
Talking to Daddy! Sam Roman sees any phone and says "Al-oh? Hi, Dada!" He really was talking to Sam in this photo.
Taking lots of baths. By 7:00, I am tired! It is too early for bed, but half an hour in the tub helps kill that last hour of the night. Anne and Sam Roman have about a million tub toys, but they prefer their simple nesting cups.
This is the mischief face. This boy is about to be up to no good!
All wrapped up a snuggly...this photo reminds me a lot of Uncle Will!

Christmas Extravaganza

Here are the Christmas photos, as promised.

A few days before Christmas, Anne got a special invitation to make cookies at Oma's house. She was psyched to roll out the sugar cookies and unwrap the Kisses for the peanut blossoms.
Anne received a "new" desk for Opa's office. She likes to sit in there and work with Opa. It is a "new" desk because it is a thrift store find, an old wooden school desk. Oma made a little saddlebag for Anne's markers so she can happily color away.
The siblings (minus Uncle Travis). The traditional Christmas Eve couch photo. Left to right we have Sam Roman, Sam, Corrie, Anne, Will, Todd, and Erin.
The Westphalls (click to make the picture large, then look at how Anne and I are making the same face...scary)
Anne was very excited to help pass out the presents. She was excited for everyone's present-opening, as well as her own.
Sam Roman was more of a careful observer. Or he was distracted by the plate of cookies on the coffee table....(look carefully...he's got a peanut blossom in his fist)
Anne in her dressed-up glory. She had a cute matching headband, but it didn't stay on her head past church.
With my kiddos in their new pajamas. Oma made them both 2 pairs of flannel pajama pants and they are SO cute! The adults were jealous.
My parents hosted the Christmas Day festivities this year, so we didn't have to travel far :) Sambo had a cute outfit (hand-me-down, in perfect condition) so we had to preserve it for posterity.
Opa taught him to say "moose" and point at his shirt, but I think this is a reindeer. Opinions, readers?
Erin and Todd got in lots of snuggle time with Anne and Sam.
The whole clan. We are a tall group! Please excuse Anne's Christmas hyperactivity. She's definitely an extrovert.

Flashback

I was going through the archives from past Januaries and found this:

http://westphall.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-videos.html

Here's Anne, 2 years ago, doing almost exactly the same stuff that Sammy is doing now. It is too fun to compare them and track what they are doing. Take a quick watch...it won't take more than 90 seconds, I promise!