Rick in Cozumel

We understand of course that most of you are not really interested in yesterdays' post as there where no pictures of Little Rick there! Therefor herewith a whole post dedicated to Rick in Cozumel.

My two handsome men enjoying the pool together.

Rick thinks he can go it alone but has not mastered sitting 100% so risks in this pose landing face forward in the pool. He does not mind as he seems to like drinking the pool water but it makes us nervous of course!

Rick has also mastered being comfortable on a sun lounger. By now he is to mobile to just lie on one of his own and hence he tends to claim the larger portion of one of ours with enthusiasm and lots of drawl and toys.

Rick still loves his boat. He does wiggle his legs a little but does not grasp the concept of steering and is not interested - he prefers to chew on the handlebar instead. If it would be up to him we think he could stay in the pool for pretty long stretches at a time.

A family pic. Not too flattering but happy.

And Rick does just like everyone else get rather tired from spending time in the water.

Diving in Cozumel

As you can see there is plenty of fish around. Here a school of French & White Grunts.

Some beautiful Coral as well - Variable Boring Sponge (the yellow tubes), Boulder Brain Coral (the beige stuff), Sea Rod (the blue/grey pipe work) and a large sea Fan with 2 tiny nudibranches near its stem. 

There where also quite a few Turtles around - This one was around 50 cm / 20".

Somehow we never quite look like any divers in the movies. There is no way of looking good behind goggles and with a regulator in your mouth.

Mr Lobster, hiding in some more pretty coral. He would provide a decent meal for Two.

Mr Crab opted for some less outspoken 'decor' in his surroundings.

And last but not least one of my favorites - the smooth trunk fish. Sooooo pretty & elegant and all the right colors.

Christmas

Christmas is of course a big deal in the US. We have had over a month and a half of advertising, Christmas songs, Santa's and Holiday get-together-events we have been through. Some of it was fun but the shopping madness and figuring out how the gifting works was a nightmare. i.e. What or how much do you give the care takers at Rick's day care and whom all there do you need to give something, what do you do if you receive a present from a colleague you hardly know and how do yo manage to do any shopping in December if you need to buy something which is not for Christmas?!?

Rick of course is oblivious to it all. We tried to make a Picture to use as a Holiday greeting. Rick did not want to pose - he preferred to giggle. The ball in Rick's hands says 'Greetings Y'All'. (No Worries - all Safe. We managed to avoid him trying to eat it and hence consuming any sparkles and other chemical material this thing was made off.)

We also did the obligatory 'take-your-kid-to-the-mall-for-a-picture-with-Santa-thing'. This was the Sunday after Thanksgiving (nov 29th). With the biggest sales event of the year (Black Friday) being Friday after Thanksgiving and starting that day at 4am there where hardly any shoppers left by Sunday - so no queue - even at the most popular mall in Houston (the Galleria). As Rick is American we went for it. The quality of the picture is poor and the costs were horrendous, but we did our duty and have avoided potentially a 1st youth trauma.

There was also a Christmas event at School. Rick's group had a book exchange (they are not even 6 months old?!?! - very educational) and Santa was there too. The Staff made some nice things again, including the Christmas tree decoration below. Rick was not interested in Santa but busy flirting with one of his teachers...

And then there is all the pressure to fit in in the neighborhood. It is Christmas lights galore in all residential areas. So although way to late (only 10 days ago) we finally gave in and dressed up our house too. My colleagues spend 100 - 150 USD for someone to come and put up the lights for them. That excludes the decoration. Safe to say people spend hundreds of dollars to do up their house. I did it the Dutch way and shopped for the cheapest stuff and hung it all up myself (now Eelco complains as he did the hard work he says). Does not look that bad does it?!?

Merry Christmas Y'All!!

Mooie Rick

Just after showering with dad this morning

And the last date for the year and before the Holidays with girlfriend Mees

Some Happiness for the Holidays

Herewith on behalf of the whole family some Happiness brought to you by Rick for the Holidays.

As you can see Rick these days is trying to grab everything he sees and/or can reach; Including the Camera.

Rick at Home

As you all seem to think we are busy 24 x 7 dragging Rick from one thing to the next, here some evidence that Rick also spends quite some time relaxing at home...

Rick and his new best buddy Mr Penguin (Who is now permanently wet and somewhat 'slimy', just like a real one!) - btw this was 2 weeks ago.

Rick doing a little beauty sleep

And another one - although this one will render him a very red cheek

But to be honest - Rick is a party Animal and says 'slapen is voor mietjes!'....so this was 10pm tonight after we had tried to put him down 4 times but had to get him up as he was chatting, smiling, getting himself tangled up in blankets and toys and made it clear it was really not bed time yet. Don't worry, once Rick does go down for the night he tends to sleep through most nights and lets us 'sleep in' till 8-ish at least in the weekends.

Lights in the Heights

Last Saturday we had the best neighborhood Christmas festival in Houston. It is called Lights in the Heights and it is in our own Neighborhood!. By now the festival is pretty famous in all of Houston. It was the 22nd time it was organized and it is NOT sponsored by the city but entirely by the neighborhood. Our neighborhood is one of the oldest and most historic in Houston and apparently one of the earliest in the US to be linked together via a community email list.

Lights in the Heights is effectively a street festival with extensive christmas lighting (Kees, I think you would volunteer for the Jury of the best 'lit house'!) and there are drinks, live music and carriage rides or a small parade. Musicians perform on porches and in front yards or on the festival stage. So of course we had to go!

Ricky was only mildly impressed and spend most of the event asleep in his stroller. Mind you, as usual he never complained and just closed his eyes when he was done checking out the lights and listening to 6 year olds arguing who should be wearing the group banner in the parade -;)