Camera found.

So without further ado, here's the play-by-play of Luke's first Christmas. (Sorry for the couple of sideways pictures.)


Waking up.


Getting a belly rub to assist the waking-up process. (Morning ritual.)


After waking up, we drove over to Bethany's parents' house where the whole Sorbello clan gathered for Christmas. First, of course, came the stockings. Luke was quite happy about the situation.


At the toe of the stocking, of course, is a tangerine. "Should I eat the peel?"


"Or should I put it on my head?"


As Sorbello tradition has it, all children in the house receive sugar-cereal for Christmas-morning breakfast. Luke got Fruity Os. (At least they were organic.) He enjoyed them by the handfuls.


Waiting for Shi and Sam to arrive, we found things to do. Like feed each other pens.


Luke with his Poppy and Grammy.


Luke reads his tractor book, still waiting for Shi and Sam. (The hat was knit by Bethany's dad's mom's mom, Grandma Nellie.)




The coveted hat has been transferred. (Still waiting for Shi and Sam.)


Cruising the walls. (Still waiting.)


Playing Gracie's banjo. (Still waiting.)


And they arrived! (Before 9:00, not bad.) Luke's first present of the morning was a perfect combination of his favorite things: balls, a pole, wheels, and noise.


Luke kept himself occupied during the opening of gifts by performing various monkeylike activities. Here, he borrows Sarah's red hat and disappears.


Doesn't he look like Harold in this picture? (If you've never read "Harold and the Purple Crayon," it's time. Google it.)


By a bit after 10AM, Luke was getting awfully tired. So Grammy cuddled for a while with the poor little spoiled guy.


All the Sorbello uncles and aunties...






Auntie Gracie gave Luke an impressive mohawk. (Like it, Chrissie?)


Skateboarding wasn't enough. Now Luke is driving.








Luke ended the evening all tuckered out, and completely fell apart by the end. We hauled him away screaming. But before the grand fall-apart, he reached for Poppy and cuddled in his new rocking chair. Although Luke received "Pat the Puppy" and "Pat the Christmas Bunny" that morning, only the good old "Pat the Bunny" would provide comfort after such a stressful day.

We enjoyed playing with Mr. Alexander throughout Christmas day (and of course loved seeing his parents and grandparents and aunt and uncle, too), and wonder why we have no pictures of the two bambinos sharing toys, pawing each other's faces, eating pine needles, etc. (Alexander had a pretty sophisicated two-fisted pine-needle-eating technique going on.)

Although Winnipeg is thousands of miles away, no distance is too far for Gramma and Auntie Mandie to send Luke some mighty fine presents. Their box was huge. He opened them when he had had a good long Christmas nap, refreshed for their pile of gifts. What he liked best from Canada? Guess.

Answer: BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALL!