Social weekend

Next weekend I'm at my pulpit, so we had to get all our socializing in the past few days, instead. On Friday, Jeffrey and Courtney came over for Shabbat dinner:

What goofy grins.

I'm up high!

Ignore our conversation in the background, we're trying to decide what to order from the Thai restaurant.

The next day:

Dancing. Or prancing, either or. This was at the toy store in the mall. For the first time in his short little life, Xander actually wanted a material object. He saw it and he lit up, and while Jonathan and I browsed, he pushed that toy back and forth and back and forth. It was 50% off, so we bought it for him. But then when we tried to put him back in the stroller, he had a fit! He wouldn't sit quietly until Jonathan walked right next to the stroller, holding it in his hand, showing Xander that no, we weren't leaving his precious toy behind but were taking it with us. The kid knows what he wants, that's for sure.

Then there was today:

After a Dewey's pizza excursion with Rachel and Evan and their year-old son Liam, we went back to our house to play. The picture came out funny - still not quite sure what happened - but here Liam and Xander are "racing" up the stairs. Imagine lots of giggling throughout.

Also, I think there may be some misunderstandings when I said Xander was communicating with us. He doesn't actually speak any words, he uses sign language. So when he wants more food, or something else on his plate, or to sing another song, he'll put his two index fingers together for "more." When he's done eating and wants to get down from the chair, or is bored with an activity and wants to move on, he signs "all done" by raising both hands and waving them side to side. "Food" when he's hungry is touching his fingers to his thumb, and bringing them to his mouth. We use "gentle," too, when he pets the cats. Or, to be more specific, when he half-lies down on top of the cats, or pats their sides. It's really hard to get a video of him doing any of that because the motion is only a split-second. If you want to see, you'll just have to come visit. :)