more insight from Will:
"the fastest cars cant always be the fastest.
sometimes the slowest cars are the fastest.
but sometimes the slowest cars are the slowest."

insight from Will: "you always need to laugh when you think you are ready to laugh"

Will had his very first ski lesson on Sunday. It lasted 1 hour and his teacher's name was Ally. He made us all proud by going down the hills, falling, getting up, skiing the rest of the way, riding the conveyer lift and trying again, and again, and again. In the meantime, Max played in the snow and sat by the fire with Dad, eating oranges. By the end Will was able to travel double digit feet on his own (and not one complaint about being cold, even when eating snow). We won't lie, he was tired and hungry and happy to get the skis off, but his legend has grown in his own head and already he can't wait to get back out there.

Will's 4th birthday in Seattle at the Ravena Community Center.

Will and Max pay their respects to Franco (and George)

Max in Pittsburgh: Big Ben impersonation; hangin' out in the Adirondack chair; jelly face; Oscar Peterson impersonation

Will in Pittsburgh: 4th Birthday Party; with his Buzz Lightyear; concentration with tongue, preparing for the duck races by the S-Bridge

Max's favorite words: bee ba (basketball), Me Ma (Mickey Mouse), fooba (football), a-oow (tackle), touchdown, cercha (commercial), eye dee da! (I did it!), air da ba? (where's the ball?), wada (water), airpay (airplane), ool ah (school bus), he Wa! (hey Will), nana (banana), appow (apple)

Christmas in Pittsburgh: riding the Terrible Tractor with Grandad; throwing rocks in the creek with Grandma Grace; building a puzzle with Nana; story time with Papa; rocket launching with Grandpa; with Grandma, organizing refreshments and discussing from where the reindeer might approach the house for carrots.

Dad sent an email to Santa asking that he make an early stop in Seattle (December 16) so that Will and Max could have a Seattle Christmas. He obliged, and Will offered him some goodies: cookies, milk, and a healthy banana to sustain him on his journey's (too much junk food is bad for you and will give you no energy)