Winter updates--Thanksgiving in Orlando, skiing

First, updates on James:
He just started picking food with his hands (Jan 2014).  He just didn't care before.  His favorite food is still breastmilk, although he's been eating 3 meals per day for a few months now.  He refused baby 'cheerios', the kind that melts in baby's mouth--wouldn't touch them and wouldn't put them in his mouth, and when I did, he'd gag.
Tonight he used the mesh for food correctly (silicone mesh that you stuff with juicy food and the baby chews on it and gets the juices and a little bit of the puree out), with pineapple in it.

Over the last couple of weeks, James is more interested in standing and even (slowly and wobbly) walking along sofa, the outside edge of the exersaucer, etc.  We are keeping the exersaucer and the walker around just for the toys, not for the seat. 

It's also been a few weeks (month or two) that he's been more social where he points his little finger at people he likes as if saying 'hi 'or 'bye', along with his little signature smirk with a closed mouth and a flirty look in his eyes.

December 25-January 3:  ski vacation!
We stayed with Adnan and Azra at their house in Denver.  We got to meet their boys, see Denver and its amazing surroundings (The Red Rock, etc.), and skied at Keystone and Eldora.
Nikolas was in ski school for 3 days and every day moved to the next level up (ended up on green at the end and went on the chair lift too).  Sonja and Michael skied for 2 days and loved it too.  Sonja was described by the instructor as 'wild' as she preferred to go straight down and only turn at the end to get back in the line for a little escalator lift.  All three loved it, especially Nikolas (mommy's boy!)  His instructors couldn't believe that it was his first time skiing.
When they weren't skiing, the kids were with daddy while mommy was on the slopes.  And they were beautiful...! (the kids too.)  Thanks, dad!

James decided that he was interested in going up and down the stairs in the house, and this was a bit of a challenge--keeping our eyes on his all the time.  The rest of the kids had fun playing with new toys with Adnan's kids (nerf...), walking to the playground by the frozen lake, making snow forts in the backyard, etc.  I enjoyed seeing my friends, seeing my cousin Sabina, and skiing!  Robb got to see his (our) old friend from Stanford, Mark, with Patty and their baby boy.  Overall, it was a wonderful trip!  We've never flown with 3 gigantic suitcases and a couple of carry-on before either....