Isaac was captivated by the candles...

or perhaps more by the clanking sound two metal menorahs make when banged together. He only managed to knock lit candles over once. Kinsa still holds the family record for holiday fire disasters--by setting one side of herself on fire. Stinky.

Isaac was a little more into gifts than at his birthday. But only a little.

The doughnuts were more his style. Here he says, "Ima, the ones last night were much better than these."

Remember our beautifully decorated livingroom...well, there have been a few changes. Oh, and that smudge in the middle? Apparently Isaac got ahold of the camera sometime during Hanukkah.

Uncle Ben (not the rice guy) celebrated the last night of Hanukkah with us. He was set to fly out to see his family in Colorado. If you recall, Denver had just been blasted by a snow storm. Not only was Ben's flight the last to be cancelled, Ben was next in line behind the last people who managed to get tickets to Denver before Christmas. Isaac adores Uncle Ben and enjoyed showing him all of the new toys he got.

Isaac discovers Cadbury chocolate fingers.

Fortunately, he loves brushing his teeth. He actually has three toothbrushes, because he carries the brush around with him and it takes Ima several days to relocate one sometimes.

Another of Isaac's favorites--bathtime with Aba. Aba showers first, then fills up the tub for playtime. Here is Isaac waiting for Aba to finish his shower and let Isaac in on the fun.

Wendy and Isaac drove home to Marietta for the week between Christmas and New Years so Craig could finish his thesis. Between the two of them, they managed to contract strep throat and the flu. Isaac was relatively unphased and enjoyed the attentions of his family while Wendy lay in bed. (Ah...looks like one of the fastidious Ankroms cleaned the camera lens.)

Isaac plays with Grandma's necklace.

Isaac eating--what else would he be up to?

Isaac's favorite pastime at Grandma's: bird and squirrel watching. The windows in the sunroom are right at his level.

Helping Uncle Troy with some homework.

Although Isaac took his first steps on 12/8, it wasn't until the week at Grandma's that he tried again. He discovered that he could stand up out of this little chair on  his own--which gave him the confidence to try a few steps. By the end of the week he had done a dozen steps at one time.

Grandma and Grandpa bought Isaac his own armchair--perfect sized for snuggling up with Ima to read a good book. But Isaac's favorite Christmas gift by far was the little Mercedes from his Grandpa Steele.

Almost made it...

Snuggle time with Grandma and the birds.

When Wendy got home from her parents, we found this photo on the camera. It must have been taken when Wendy was asleep. No wonder Grandpa's back hurt all week. He is getting a little old to play horsey!