30 months

Happy Boxing Day! George is 30 months old today!

Posting Christmas cards

Diving into a gingerbread muffin at Waitrose

On the first Sunday in December, we volunteered with our church at the Otley Victorian Christmas Fayre

 

Dinner at the Christkindlmarkt's Alp Chalet

Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, Schnitzel

George was a good sport about trying everything

Catching the train for the Settle-Carlisle line

Ribblehead viaduct

Birthday dinner at Pizza Express--George loved his margarita pizza

Ringing in 32 with pizza and tiramisu

Cannons at Carlisle Castle

It was very chilly up there, about -5C/23F

George has been pointing out "Baby Jesus" in every Nativity he sees

On the way home, we went on a Santa Steam Special at Foxfield Railway near Stoke

Watching Santa come down the train carriage

George has been being so good in church lately--he sits next to us in the pew with his hands in his lap

We can't really keep the wrapped presents under the tree all month long, because both George and Biscuit will mess with them, so instead we used the space for a train track. Last week, Richard set up a little village and got the train going on it

Checking out the tree after our church's annual candlelight carol service

Last Friday, we went on another Santa train--this one was at York's farming museum, where they have a short heritage line, the Derwent Valley Light Railway

 Spying Santa on the platform

I loved these Newfoundland dogs at the museum--so calm and sweet!

George fell asleep on the walk up to Starbucks and stayed asleep the whole time we were there--I even managed to get the ergo back on with him still sleeping for the walk home!

On Christmas Eve, we went to the children's crib service at church

George actually wanted to go up to the front with the other kids this time, and he sat so nicely with his hands in his lap!

 

Biscuit under the tree

This month George has been all about Christmas--reading Christmas books, wearing his Christmas jumpers and Santa hat, eating mince pies (he loves them!) and watching Christmas episodes of Peppa Pig, Postman Pat, etc. He loves "Mickey's Christmas Carol", which he calls "Cratchit", and asks me to read it to him several times a day ("Cratchit again!"). We showed him the movie version and he was thrilled! We also showed him The Snowman and he liked it, and talked about the snowman flying. He's been singing Jingle Bells and Frosty the Snowman, and singing bits of modern classics, like E17's "Stay Now" and Wham's "Last Christmas"--he sings along to the refrain part, "Special!"

We've been easing him into the idea of potty training for a few months now, with books and casual, no pressure visits to his potty. This month he's become more interested in it and he's used the potty several times now, including at nursery. We'd planned to start potty training after we get home from our trip in January, so we haven't put him in underwear yet--but he has a good selection of Thomas and Peppa Pig underwear ready to use next month!

Firsts this month
First Santa Special steam train ride
First advent calendar
First potty successes at home and at nursery
First time participating in children's activities at church on his own
First time watching The Snowman