Silly Sisters, Amazing Sleepers, and Jacques!

There is a Silly Sister in our midst. She loves her two younger brothers, and loves to play with them both. Her goal: to get as many smiles as possible in the shortest time period possible:

I have many pictures and videos of Ally playing with Max, and the above video is just one representation of how great a big sister she is.

Late this afternoon Ally and I took a walk and went shopping for Beck. It's her birthday tomorrow, so we needed to get a couple small presents for her. Along the way, we walked past D'Norberto's, which is a local, high-end salon. Christmas is a HUGE holiday here in Colombia, and this is what Ally and I walked into there:

I didn't take a picture of the entire building, but as you can see, it's a big, huge, pink, castle. They've also put white tarps down on the ground outside to simulate snow; it's quite impressive! And of course Ally was extremely excited about it, because Grammy passed down her love of Christmas to her.

So, after we went past D'Norberto's, we ran into another place which was impossible to pass: Jacques! And once we went in to peruse the offerings, we just HAD to try something.

So, so good, and we may have to make one more trip there before I leave.

Will has also been making the adjustment to having Max in our family. Considering he's not quite 3 yet, it's been a little more difficult, especially considering he's been Mommy's only boy until this point. But he's learning how to play and deal with Max, and enjoys the occassional playtime with him:

One thing we've come to learn about Max in the short time he's been with us: he's a good sleeper. He's slept well both nights so far, with only one time waking up each night. When we first got him, we noticed he appeared to be a little sick. The first night he coughed quite a bit, and so the next day Beck made a call to her holistic doc back in GR, and she recommended we change formulas and also rub chopped onions on his chest. Yep, you read that right: chopped onions. On his chest.

OK- so, I'm not a big "holistic" guy. I've always debated with Beck about what works and what doesn't in that world, but in this case, her doctor nailed it. Within 2 days, his cough is almost gone, and he's already sleeping better (less interruptions). The funny thing is, I was telling my dad about this tonight, and he said my grandma Schrotenboer did the same thing with him when he had a cold. So: chopped onions on a chest to help with congestion- who woulda thunk it. Not I, but I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer, either. Thanks to Dr. Stacey for helping Max sight unseen, and helping us from 3,000 miles away.

No big plans tomorrow, but I do have a small surprise for Beck on her birthday. Nothing big (she already got her big present :)), but I'll post some pics of it after it happens. We also may have a little party for her here at Hotel Paris, so check back in tomorrow night to see some pics and/or video of her on her birthday. Make sure to email her, hit her up on Facebook, or post a comment in the blog. Happy _6th, Beck! :) You're more amazing now than ever before, and I've gotta believe you're happy you married me after the first time you saw me wearing the coolest outfit EVER. I'm not going to say what it was publicly, but it was sweet. One strap and all. :) Love ya Babe.

Scott, Beck, Ally, Will, and Max