Tradition

One of my favorite traditions that Mark and I have done in some shape or form since we were dating is decorate our Christmas tree (the first year he got to help decorate my tree!) Now, we get to do it with our kids too. I love the moments of putting ornaments on the tree (every year it is fun to go through them- I have ones from being a kid and now we have homemade ones from our kids too). Our tree gets prettier year by year! Addelyn was much more into helping this year which made it more fun. Of course, Jace watched intently. Next year will be a whole different story!

There isn't a year that hasn't included listening to Amy Grant Christmas music. Seriously, that is a major part of the tradition! Alli Rogers - Silent Stars has also made the playlist now too!

A glass of wine

Dad doing the hard work, of course. I take the pictures and drink the glass of wine and keep things in order! (Just kidding, kind of.) Ahh I love the tradition of decorating the tree. Now if only I didn't have to do the part that includes taking it down, grrr!

just hanging with tinkerbell

*I'm catching up on my blogging tonight, can you tell?! I just love to watch my kids together. Addelyn BEGS to feed Jace a bottle. One day I finally just pumped one so she could! She was overjoyed! And then, see them hanging together on the blanket. Jace watching her draw. Addelyn wearing her "tink" outfit, as always. Love it.

just so tired....

EVERYONE is tired these days around our house, even Mary and Joseph. Don't worry, the shepherd watched his flock by night (see the far left, one guy was left standing!)

dads and daughters

http://www.fromdatestodiapers.com/50-rules-for-dads-of-daughters


I LOVE this. Such a cool post.

animal lovers

Jace loves Ma (my mom's cat)

Abbie, one of my kids' favorite dogs (Mark's parent's neighbor's dog)



Our friends just got dog #2. I will admit, this dog is stinking cute. But he is still a dog and I really will not be swayed. I like animals- somewhat- when they are outside on the farm. I grew up with big ole dogs, rottweilers and a mastiff- but they were outside and I could run around and play with them and then go inside. Does that sound heartless? Probably.

So for some reason, I have two kids who love animals. Addelyn has loved animals since day one and come to find out, Jace does too. My mom has a cat and Jace gets so excited to have the cat near him. He met Abbie in the pictures above (Mark's parent's neighbors' dog- Addelyn has loved Abbie forever) and Jace also loves her. And then there is Kacey and now Percy, our friend's dogs. He loves them too, along with his sister. He will grab at them and smile and laugh.

Tonight's bedtime conversation goes a bit like this....
(remember, this girl is also trying to stall going to sleep.)

"Daddy, I need to tell ya something.
I have been wanting to tell you.
Really really wanting to tell you.
I really, really, really love.....
animals.
Can we get a dog like Dave and Jess?
Pleeeease?"

carrots anybody?

This big boy has been trying all sorts of new foods in the last two months or so. Carrots, squash, green beans, peas, mangos, apples, pears, peaches, bananas, prunes (yeah those were for necessary reasons), and sweet potatoes. YUM! So far, he likes it all. Although we had some gagging over the peas and green beans. Mark, veggie lover himself, claims it is because they are nasty veggies but I am pretty sure it was the textures. I'm pretty pumped, I got a big food processor for Christmas so now I can make bigger batches of baby food at once.

Alvin?

Tonight Addelyn and I were reading from her new Jesus Storybook Bible, which is awesome by the way. Such a cool way to read the Bible story to kids.
We were reading about how God first made Adam and Eve. Addelyn interrupted me and said, "No, Mom, I think you mean Alvin and Eve."

Yes, we just saw the Chipmunks movie yesterday! Guess she has Alvin and the Chipmunks on the brain.

disney on ice

If you ever consider taking your kids to a "show"- Disney on Ice is great! Thanks to Nonnie Kathy for taking us (Matt, Trae, Addelyn, and I). We loved it, especially Addelyn! Above is Rapunzel- who came out at the end. Addelyn waited the entire show to see her.


Thanks to Nonnie for also buying the blue Tinkerbell snow cones! These caused blue teeth, blue tongues, and blue poop! Gotta love it!


Tinkerbell was her other favorite!

She got up and moved and danced - was intently watching the whole show!


My sweet girl that dislikes pictures!!!
What a fun night!

full house

Hahahaha I keep laughing as I think of this moment.

We have been watching some reruns of my old favorite, Full House, lately. Addelyn LOVES this show. I like it much better than the Disney "people" shows and she is really wanting to watch "people shows" these days. We watch the ones where the kids are younger- before D.J. starts dating!

The other night we were playing a game on the living room floor and Mark got home and walked in the room. She looked up at him and said, "Hey, Danny Tanner!"

I died laughing, not kidding you.

the latest

I need to write things down immediately when Addelyn says them or I find myself later, racking my brain to remember!

Driving the other night, a house had two lighted up deer outside. "Oh look, Rudolph and his girlfriend..." in the most matter of fact voice.

Mark was giving Jace a bath and Addelyn walked in to see him. "Jacers, why are you wearing your balls like that?"

More to come when I REMEMBER, dang!!!

baking

This little girl LOVES to be in the kitchen with me, helping. She does a great job. The main issue we are working on is NOT sticking our fingers in the batter and licking and then going back for more! Ahhh the germaphobe in me tries so hard not to freak out. So with promises of a lick at the end- I usually can keep her fingers out of the goods *unless I turn my back too long!
Hopefully this week we can bake some yummy Christmas goodies. Addelyn asked last night when we were going to bake cookies for our neighbors. Fun times, enjoy your Christmas week!

why i do this

Reminder, why do I blog? So I have a scrapbook for my kids and our family to later look back on and enjoy!
So, for the post that no one cares about, my kid's stats these days. They had well-visit checkups this past week- 6 months and 4 years.

Jacers at 6 months:
Weight- 18 lbs, 9 oz
Height- 25 1/2 inches
Head- 17 1/2 inches
He is in the 10th percentile for height and 79th for weight. Short and chubby still!

Addelyn at 4 years:
Height- 3 feet, 3 inches
Weight- 32 lbs
She is in the 25th percentile for weight and the 40th for height.

I know percentiles really don't "matter" but I think it is kinda fun to find them out.
Pics of A's birthday, J's six month shots, and more to come!

face to face

At our church, I was involved in starting a ministry this past year called Face to Face. The mission of the ministry is to have a team of people available for those people who are interested in having conversations about getting connected, taking steps in their faith, and more. Addelyn has heard me talking about this a lot in the past months.
The other day on the way home from church, she was talking about her imaginary husband, her imaginary family (the four kids), her friends, and more. She said, "Oh Mom, did you hear? I am doing Back to Back this Sunday!"
I laughed a little and said, "Oh do you mean Face to Face?"
She laughed back too and said, (without missing a beat) "Mom, we actually started a new one, we call it Side to Side!"

turkey bowl

This year was Mark's third year (not in a row) of playing in the annual Turkey Bowl, which is a football game organized by a group of guys in Cedar Falls. I have actually never gone to watch but this year, despite the cold, I bundled the kiddos up and we headed out to cheer on their daddy. It was a fun time- lots of great people that we love to be around- both players and fans! I told Mark, the only problem is...every year, younger guys join the team but he keeps getting older! He still kept up this year though. Maybe thirties is your prime for the Turkey Bowl, right?!

sweet girls

Aren't these two girls just the sweetest little friends? Addelyn loves to play with Avery. During this play time together, they danced, laughed, and got married. They were so funny to watch and listen to. Many of our friends have boys in Addelyn's age range, so it is fun for these two girls to get together. Gotta love our girls.

Happy birthday Addelyn!

Happy Birthday to my sweetest girl, Addelyn Nicole!
At age four:
She is funny, strong willed, kind (most days), loves to draw, dress up, dance, play with friends, loves babies, loves her brother and "helps" with him, makes us laugh daily, is creative, pushes the limits, is intense and knows what she wants/doesn't want, loves Dora/Rapunzel/Tinkerbell, is quick witted, and loving!
We never knew how much we'd love this sweet little girl. Four years ago, back when the winter storm hit and we were in the hospital and I pushed that baby girl for hours.... we had no idea what we were in for! And somehow the love grows every day!

a trick?

I'd like to think my daughter is just the sweetest little almost four year old I know.
"Mom, I'd like to brush your hair today before my quiet time."
So after books, when I usually go out to leave her to her quiet time (or possibly nap, which pretty much never happens anymore) instead I laid on her bed and let her brush my hair.
Ahhhh, I love it. Getting my hair brushed is on my "top-ten-things-I-love-that-no-one-ever-does-for-me-and-it-would-be-weird-to-ask-list."
I passed out. She had the run of the house because she knew exactly what I was doing. Sleeping. On her bed. During her quiet time.
This little girl knows me pretty well and what makes this sleep-deprived mom fall asleep. Do you think it was a trick? Or just a sweet little girl, innocently brushing her mom's hair? Today, this momma just doesn't care. I got my hair brushed and a fifteen minute power nap. Thanks, Addelyn!

baby food time

Yep, making a mess in the kitchen. Gotta make a mess to make baby food- at least I do. I used to have such a hard time with messing up my kitchen. Sounds weird I know. Ahh how I have changed. I still like a clean kitchen, not going to lie. But I have realized that to have some good food on the table and the reality of kids- my kitchen is not going to ever stay clean for long. Especially my floors. So I'm over it. (I still go to bed with my dishes done most days, that is just one thing I hate waking up to- dirty, crusty dishes!) But for those of you who know my "analness" is that a word?- you would have to smile if you saw my kitchen floor right now. The food on the floor could probably make a small meal. I'll clean that another day. Some days, just for that reason- I'd take a dog.

Notice my small food processor. Black Fridays deals plus some old gift cards I've had in my wallet allowed me to buy a larger one (orginally $235 and I spent $30- yes I am proud of this deal), which is under the tree from Addelyn, Mark, and Jace. Mark showed Addelyn and told her to keep it a secret because it was my Christmas present. She ran and told me right away, "Mom, we got you a blender for Christmas!" This will be great, it will make the baby food making so much quicker!

When I had Addelyn, it was my friend Jess that convinced me how easy and great it is to make your own baby food. Steam foods, puree, ice cube trays, and freeze. Do a lot at once and you are set for months. It is very easy! Some nights I just do whatever veggie I make for our family and make extra for him to eat and some to freeze. Jacers has just gotten started on his foods this past month. He has tried apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, carrots, and green beans. So far, he has liked it all! Tonight he was constipated though, poor baby so I need to make some higher fiber foods- peaches, pears, plums, etc! Next on the list.....

marshmellow trick

Addelyn and her Dad are really working on her skills. Impressive huh???

a baby SISTER?!?!

Okay, I am not going to lie. I had fun thinking about some of you who would freak out when you read that title. There isn't a baby sister on the way, sorry to mislead anyone!

Yesterday I think I may have seen the first sign of sibling rivalry, at least the first sign that Addelyn was able to vocalize. Ever since Jace has been born, she has loved, loved, LOVED him. She has given him lots of attention and hasn't seemed too jealous of him. She has her moments of behaviors that I would attribute to having a sibling who is receiving the attention she is used to having but really there hasn't been any issues.

When my friend Katie called yesterday, I answered the phone and at the exact same time, saw Addelyn smack Jace on the head. I responded in a loud voice and she immediately broke into tears. Yes, my friend got to hear me in my finest moment. I'd like to assume she didn't think I ever raised my voice so I really surprised her but probably not. ha

I then sat down with Addelyn (and her tears) and talked to her about why she hit her brother.
"I just wish he didn't have to come!"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I wish he would have never been born! I wanted a baby sister, can we get a sister instead?"

This one blew me away. Not necessarily her thoughts which I believe are normal for a child her age but to hear her actually verbalize. I told her we'd have to wait and see on that sister but that she should just appreciate what a sweet little brother she has. And what a great big sister she is!