Merry Christmas!

Christmas Cookies!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have LOVED making these Christmas cookies.  My boys have now caught the fever and Brandon was very excited to make them again this year.  Having friends over only makes it so much more fun!

They are an oatmeal based cookie that we paint before baking.  It is so much easier for kids to handle then icing, and far less sugar. 

This first picture is terribly underexposed and I couldn't do a whole lot to save it, but it is such an important picture I couldn't delete it either.  This was Micah's first year of making cookies and he was determined to do it "self".  He tried different methods to roll out the dough and did so very well!!

Rolling away with all his might!

Elliot and Sandra came to join in the fun.

Brandon was pretty determined to roll it out himself too and did very well.

After all the cookies are cut out, we paint them.  The paint is made from egg yolk and food coloring and makes the cookies come out of the oven looking shiny.

Sprinkles are always a big favorite too with all the boys.

Micah knowing very specifically what he wanted next, paint or sprinkles, and the colors they were.

It was a blast!

Blessings

Christmas Tree

The first weekend in December was an extremely exciting one for our boys, especially Brandon who understood what was going on, really for the first time.

Friday evening we set up the Christmas tree.  Brandon was so eager to help Daddy put it up, even though the pieces weighed twice as much as he does. 

Micah was fascinated with the lights!

Saturday morning we decorated it.  Yes, I am one of those moms who has to have ornaments more evenly spaced than not, so it was a teaching moment too.  Brandon started catching on at the end.  There were a few ornament casualties this year, but that's to be expected with two eager boys, excited about Christmas and full of energy.

In the afternoon, after everything was put away, we pulled out a train I had gotten at a garage sale this summer, to put around the bottom of the Christmas tree.  Unfortunately, the engine was fried.  But Bryan has been wanting a train around the Christmas tree for years and has never really put the effort in to making a sturdy base for his model trains.  So this year the boys and I really encouraged him to figure it out.  It was fun watching the three eager faces as it came together and really worked!

Saturday evening was the Christmas parade.  We continued our tradition of going over to Auntie Sally and Uncle Gary's house.  The boys were very worried about missing any of the parade so we were the first ones out of the nice warm house and on to the curb.  Soon after it started raining and the adults all went up to the porch of the neighbor's house to watch.  But Brandon and Micah were adamant about staying on the curb, "Because we might miss the candy being thrown, Mom."  Priorities sometimes, I tell ya!  Thankfully, I had brought along our very large umbrella and blanket and it turned out to be such a fun experience with the boys.

And they slept very well that night!!

Sabbath and Advent blessings to you all.

Surprises and Airplanes

About two weeks ago, after our first day of Christmas shopping together and talking about how things were "surprises", Brandon decided of his own accord he needed to make Daddy a surprise.  The first day he did some cutting and scribbling and gluing, covered it up with some tupperware on the counter and waited for Daddy to find his surprise.  Bryan was a bit bewildered by the whole thing until I told him, once the boys were in bed, that Brandon had done it of his own accord, from start to finish, and was REALLY excited about it.  So he took it to work to "display" it which was what Brandon was really hoping for.  Two days later, Brandon did it again, but this time we decided to hang it by Daddy's bed so he would see it every day (read: instead of cluttering his office with complete scribbles).

That night, Bryan was fiddling with some of the legos while we were watching a movie and low and behold (really not that suprising) he put an airplane together.  Off handedly, he decided it should be Brandon's suprise in return.  The next day Brandon was DELIGHTED to find his surprise...and then devasted a couple hours later when Micah accidentally stepped on it and broke it to pieces.  I told him he could either wait until Daddy got home to fix it or he could try fix it himself.

Something about the whole thing suddenly made his brain "click" and he has been making real airplanes and real boats and drawing pictures that actually look like pictures--houses and dogs, ever since. 

These are two of his airplanes, with passengers, lined up for the fueling station.

I love watching little brains learn and "get it"!!  Such a miracle.

Blessings

Thanksgiving

WOW!  Am I ever behind!  Just realized this week I still hadn't posted pictures from Thanksgiving, and I wouldn't but there are some pretty cute ones to share.

Brandon asked where we were going for Thanksgiving and I told him we were going to Uncle Keith and Aunt Pam's house.  At first he looked really puzzled so I said, "They have Thomas trains too."  His response?  "Oh, now I remember them.  They have Tidmouth Sheds!"  It's all about the trains folks.  ;)

First time Brandon was in front of church singing.  After encouraging him for weeks to participate in the singing and actions, he finally did that evening.  His teacher was astounded and we were so proud of him.

The game that wouldn't end...

A couple weeks ago Steph came and hung out with us for a Sunday afternoon.  The boys just absolutely love it when she comes.  The next Sunday, a week later, Micah came up to me and asked, "Where Stephie?"  She was here one Sunday, why not the next?

Friday blessings to you.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessings from our family.

#3

My body has no idea what "due dates" are with one seven weeks early and another two weeks late.  But for those who want to know, my "official" due date is June 6.

(PS The second picture is proof we are NOT getting an indoor pet. ;))

Blessings

Photo Pile Up

With the intensiveness of morning sickness/nausea, my camera has not seen much use lately, nor has my desire for editing been there.  Anyway, that all to say, here's what was piling up in my camera.

Two-year-old's faces always look pretty battered, especially boys.  He collided heads with his brother and got the "raw" end of that deal.

Such a ham!

"Mom, take a picture of us in these pretty leaves.  Micah stand here."
"Don't want to."
"Yes, you need to stand here NOW!"

Brandon definitely has my love of swings and making them go as crazy as possible.

"Waaaiiiiittt meee!"

What you can't see is the BIG John Deere tractor mowing the lawn on the other side of the fence.

Older brother using the younger or ingenious team work?

Brandon came inside asking me to make a big pile of leaves for him.  I got the rake out for him and told him to do it himself.  ;)

How come you always get the big shovel?
"You can have a turn with the big shovel."
"No don't want to."
Oh the joys of having a two year old.

Blessings on your Tuesday.

Precious Moments: Saturday Fun

BIG walnut trees with lots of leaves + big, strong and tall daddy = LOTS of fun for a certain little boy!

Micah wanted nothing to do with it and stayed close by my side.  Brandon, on the other hand, wanted to do it again and again and again...

Blessings

Things I Never Thought I'd Say as a Mom

"Micah, you have to finish your half eaten cookie before you may have olives."

Really?!

Precious Moments: Helping Others

Every fall our church participates in the Peter Fish (those orange fish banks), where kids are encouraged to collect money to help those who do not have food.  In the past, we have simply put in a bunch of coins on the Saturday before they were due back at church so the boys had something to bring forward.  It bothered me every year we did it because it didn't mean anything and it didn't teach the boys anything except ask dad and mom for money for the fish.

So this year we did it differently.  We have been encouraging the boys to help out extra around the house (aside from their regular chores) and for every time they help out we give them a dollar to put in their fish.  I didn't think it was making much of a difference until today.  I was about ready to start washing some dishes and Brandon came up to me and said, "Mom, can we help you dry so we have money to put in our fish?"  YES!  He was proud of being able to help so he could earn some money to help others--all on a five year old's cognitive level of course, but it's a good beginning.

Blessings

Kiddie Anecdotes

Aside from Saturday's picture taking fest, my camera hasn't made much of an appearance lately.  But that doesn't mean life has stopped.  Here are a few happenings around here:

Brandon:

* For the first time ever, Brandon said his memory verse to someone else, without me around, and got a prize for it.  If you know Brandon, you know he becomes extremely shy and stubborn about doing such things for other people, so we were very proud of him for it.

* Every time Brandon sees the word "Disney" on anything, books, t-shirts, movies, etc, he yells out "Hey Mom, that's from Disneyland!"  I think it made an impact.  ;)

* Thomas has woken up from his LOOONNNG summer sleep, with the coming of the rain.  It's been fascinating watching how Brandon's stories have become more complex.  He no longer wants just one track--he has to have two separate ones because in one of the movies, Hero goes back to his own island.  So now we have the Island of Sodor and "Hero's" Island in our living room.

Micah:

* Micah has started the inevitable, terribly annoying, extremely irritating "Why's".  On the other hand, he's also the one who comes up to me several times a day, grabs my arm and says, "ov u" (love you).  It melts my heart.

* Micah is becoming ever more mechanical.  He spends more time trying to figure out how the cranes work with the Thomas toys, then he does actually participating in the stories.  He has also been trying to figure out how the garage door opens.  He watches very closely every time it goes up or down.

* Micah is our observant one.  Yesterday when we got back from Bible Study I said to the boys that it was time to make cookies.  Brandon said, "Yay, cookies!" and ran off to play.  Micah went to the kitchen, pulled out the baking powder, put it on the counter, opened up the cupboard door and told me to get out the kitchen aid.

* Yesterday at Bible study, I ended up talking to some ladies for a little while after class and was the last one to pick up Micah from the nursery.  When I got there the ladies told me he had slowly watched each of the kids being picked up and then started tearing up because he figured out it was time to go, but I wasn't showing up.

Blessings on your Wednesday.

World Wide Photo Walk

Saturday was my second time participating in Scott Kelbey's World Wide Photo Walk and I thoroughly enjoyed it once again.  According to the website, there were 1339 walks around the world with 31,988 people walking.  Pretty incredible!  The point is to get together with other photographers, learn from each other, take time to stretch your own photographic abilities, and have fun. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the afternoon.

The same type of tree, with various stage color changes.

Go to the kids store and then the wine store for yourself...

The flowers look like they are trying to escape.

I love the contrast between the old world pictures and the new world picture--ipad, music buds, new bus station, but he's wearing an old style hat in new style colors.

Notice anything about the clock?

Even though it was rainy, it was a great afternoon.  I'm looking forward to next October's photo walk!
Blessings