and a partridge in a pear tree

The kids all dressed up after church

I was really trying to get a picture of them together and it was not. going. well.

so you take what you can getI actually love these two
my sweet boy playing nativity. he actually cried when we put it away this weekend. i just loved the lighting in the living room that day. too perfect.


All dressed up for our MOPS Christmas playdate! Ellie is sporting her adorable outfit from Miss Jenny....I mean really. :)



First attempt to get a picture with Santa was at school. That didn't happen because Alex got sick and we had to miss. I was super bummed bc it was going to be free and I could take Ellie to join in.
Second attempt. Our neighborhood park. It was Ellie's naptime so she was out but I thought at least we would get a picture of Alex with Santa. Well, this is what I got when Travis came back. Our buddy Evan went too (which was so fun) but then something happened and there was confusion and then neither boy would sit on his lap. So they stood and told Santa what they wanted. Lil stinkers. You can see Alex really telling him! :) I think he asked for "guys".


The boys did have fun and really enjoyed the carolers. They even got to ring the jingle bells. Third attempt. Mommy ends up paying a rip-off mall Santa for a decent picture. We barely made it (I think I questioned myself a hundred times of why I was torturing myself for this silly picture.) Alex did great! I was so proud of him. The Santa was really good and said all the right things to make him comfortable. Ellie even liked him. She kept looking up at him and staring and then she would look at me. All serious, but no crying! I was so impressed. Of course we took a bunch of pictures and the guy couldnt get them both smiling or looking at the camera at the same time so this was it. Travis and I agreed that next year we better make those free Santa opps work!
Alex's school had all the kids make shirts this year. Too cute if you ask me!
all of his school art hanging in the playroom. The first ones are watercolor trees that I made with him one day. Really easy- use blue painters tape to tape off the tree and then let him paint with watery water colors. He loved pulling the tape off after it dried. You could use this same concept with any thing- I saw it done with ABCs like a letter of the week.

I also wanted to post a really great recipe. There are several nice things about these cookies- first on my list is that they are dairy free, egg free, peanut free! Bonus, for those of you that need it, wheat free too! This was my first experience with Dairy Free Chocolate Chips and I really liked them. Taste just as good, for real. I would not lie about chocolate.
Second, they are easy to make and easy for a toddler to help dump ingredients in. And most importantly, they are good! Of course Alex wouldn't eat them, but I did and I liked them. I think Alex is just not into chocolate yet. Crazy I know. It is just nice to know that we have something we can make for the holidays together.

Chocolate Yummies

1Pkg (6oz) semi sweet chocolate pieces (we used dairy free)
1/3 cup butter or margaine (we use smart balance light)
16 large marshmallows
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup flaked or shredded coconut
2 cups rolled oats

Melt chocolate pieces, butter, and marshmallows in double boiler;stir until smooth. Remove from heat. (chocolate-butter-marshmallow mixture may separate but will hold together when the rest of the ingredients are added) ** I stick this all in the microwave for 45 seconds, stir, and then 30 more seconds. **
Stir in vanilla, coconut, and oats. Mix thoroughly. Drop by teaspoonfuls (tablespoonfuls!!!) on waxed paper...or in your mouth! :)
Refrigerate.

School Christmas Program

Its best if you click to watch it on YouTube.


This is video from our buddy Evan S.'s blog but Alex is in there most of the time (in the red sweater vest with a choo choo on it). He is the one wailing for Momma the WHOLE time. Then looked around when it was over like "what?! I missed it? It's over?!" You can see he was coughing a lot too. I think this is him having an "asthma attack". He wouldn't stop coughing all night and his breathing was a little wheezy going to bed. Poor guy.
He doesnt like to talk about it, and understandably so. It broke my heart and made tears well up in my eyes the next day when he said "sorry momma, sorry I cry, no singing" ugh. bless his heart. I wasn't too surprised. Not to make excuses but the kid was exhausted- no nap and up and out passed his bedtime = melt down city. On top of that, and the main reason this went bad, Alex has never liked an audience and he was surely not prepared for the packed sanctuary- no kidding, packed with parents and family from the whole school! It was just too much for such lil ones in my opinion. I would have gone up to console him if my daughter didnt decide to cry the minute the show started and didn't let up and wouldn't go to anyone else for her life. Torn between two crying babies. All in all it did not go well. I do think its a little comical and cute. Kinda classic right?! Like the crying Santa pics? And there is always next year!

He did do a great job showing us his room before the show, eating cookies, and jumping like a wild hooligan with his friends. It was fun for him to have Papa Wes, Nani, and Honey there too! He wasn't smiling because this was post performance.

Here are some shots from his party earlier that day.

Ms. Jenifer, his teacher

admiring his christmas tree that he (and I, mainly I) decorated and then refused to eat because of the green icing. he recently found out about the joy of icing but the thought of it being green was too much.

reindeer food mommy!

More shenanigans

I can't believe I left out my favorite! Seems like Evan's elf has a similar sense of humor! :)

Not sure who's having more fun- me or Alex!?

Meet Mr Elf

Yes, we have a new member of the Team this month and he comes all the way from the North Pole. (You can get one too!) Alex wasn't too sure of him at first and refused to name him. So, I ended up calling him Mr. Elf. Original, right?! Each morning Alex has gotten more and more excited to see him and his shenanigans....just like a lot of your elves! He has gotten into the marshmallows, played with the trash truck, and swung from the chandelier (among others). I am still waiting for the "Mr. Elf is watching and will report to Santa if you are not behaving" to start working. But I am excited about the future of this fun tradition!

Fruitcake

To start the Holiday postings I would like to share Alex's new favorite Christmas song. I forced him to listen to Christmas music the other day in the car and this song came on the radio. He immediately liked it and started singing along. He kept singing it when we got home so I thought I would find it on youtube (to try to be cheap and not buy it on itunes). Well, parent lesson learned, watch this stuff before you put your kid in front of it! I stopped when the half dressed men started rolling fruitcake down their chests. I was laughing as I stopped it and Alex thought it was really funny too. Oops! We ended up downloading the song so that we could play it minus the crazy video. But I had to share- you can't NOT laugh at this! Alex seriously wont stop singing it! He busted out last night at dinner "what you making!?" and he was insistent that I reply "Fruitcake!" Hope this gets you into the spirit! :)

8 Months!

Eliana is 8 months old! Can't believe it!

As much as tried to stop her, she has changed overnight from a lil baby that sits and doesn't do much to a big baby on the move (I am not giving up on the baby title till I officially have to!). All she wants to do is stand and big big like Alex! She has just started to move a little to try to cruise! She is reaching! Just stop lil girl...you are too big for your britches!



She has been practicing getting up and down a lot and so she has gotten pretty good at it. The getting down is too funny! She tries to go real slow and works at bending the knees and often end up in the splits! She still looses her balance some, but less and less. Thank goodness because it was a rough time there where I had to be by her side all day! She is a fast crawler and is into trouble before I know it! She is much more serious than Alex was but she will give you the sweetest closed lip smile. She does like to be tickled and that's the best way to get a big smile or a laugh. She has started to babble this month and there is nothing sweeter than that lil voice! Can't wait to hear more!
She has become extremely attached to me this month. Not wanting to go to anyone else. I kinda feel like she is permanently attached at my hip. As soon as I hold her the crying flips off like a switch. Lil stinker. She is quite dramatic, as I have mentioned. If she is not in the mood, all it takes is Alex to touch her and she squeals! Such a faker. I am on to you missy. ;)

she was looking so grown up in her overalls :(

As much as she wants to be held, she is really good at throwing her weight down to get down to the ground. She doesn't want to be confined or held for too long. Last night I am pretty sure she cried because she really wants to get ON the train table to play.

Still not into food but you want to eat snacks really bad! Mum mums have been pretty good at holding you over.

You are eyeing the good stuff though! Because you wont eat, you are nursing more often. And we have started some bad habits of nursing to sleep. I know its a slippery slope and we are in the process of starting to crack down and sleep train (you are waking 2 times in the night to eat! ugh.). Mommy is really bad at this. I will leave it at that. :) If you watch Desperate Housewives, I am Susan! You are finally on a pretty good schedule of napping at 10 and 2- hallelujah for timing it with Alex's naptime! It was killing me! So, we dropped the early evening nap and push you to make it to an early bedtime.

You still LOVE to be outside! It is where you are happiest and you even fuss if we go near the door and don't go out!

Only problem is that now you want down and want to eat the leaves.

I love you lil sister!! You are just more precious than words!

He is SO 2 1/2

My sweet boy. Alex. Alexander. Well, you are 2 1/2 and wear it well. What can I say?!

You are all boy! Loving ALL sports, kicking balls, cars, trucks, jumping on the bed, jumping off of things....its so not me. But I have grown to love it for you. We are a house that can recite Cars movie and we have listened to the soundtrack in the car probably a million times. It started to keep you happy on the way to school but you now insist that it is on at all times (as you bark what song you want from the back seat).

That brings me to how you are the worlds best back seat driver. Telling me to "watch out" "turn here!" and "this way!". You LOVE to point out cool things as we are driving and I have to admit it has become such a habit I make mental note of trash trucks as I drive when I am alone even. Nothing makes me happier than making you so happy.

I have started a list of all the catch phrases you like to say, oh about a million times a day. And you wont stop saying them unless I or someone else acknowledges you. They aren't as meaningful to outsiders I am sure, but the way that you say them brings a smile to our faces. Actually Daddy and I like to laugh at the end of the day as we talk "Alex" to each other.

1. By self! By self Mommy.
2. No Mommy no. No talking. No talking to me. (You can guess, this is when I am telling him something he doesnt want to hear.)
3. Mines! Thats a mines! (What an angel, right?!)
4. I need it!! (Oh, you need that magazine I was reading. really?)
5. I want a s-a-nck. (This is said in a weird whining way and I don't know why it started but its getting twangier every day. I am pretty sure its on purpose.)
6. Sorry Mommy, 's all I have. (This is him repeating me saying "sorry, thats all I have" but he uses it to tell me "no". Sorry is one of those confusing words.)
7. Mommy! Le-me-show-ou-sum-ing! (Let me show you something)
8. Check it out!
9. What's a that?! (7, 8, and 9 all go together)
10. Whats a that for?! (This is what he says when he doesnt understand a word you are using and it sounds funny to him. The english language is so hard and a two year old will open your eyes!)
11. Ellie, no ma'am!
12. If I say I like something, he will say "Alex likes ___ too!"
13. We are working on asking for things in a nice way and you are getting better at it and saying a nice "peese" at the end. (ie. Cars movie pease dadda. Cars movie.)
14. member mommy? (remember!)
15. If I repeat one of your wonderful ideas (like eating cookies) you will say an enthusiastic "uh huh, yeah!" like if you smile and look oh so cute I will agree!
16. When something is fun or you are having a fun day you have just started saying "big time!" I think this comes from Papa Wes.
17. Look at me Mommy! Look at me! Look at me! Look at me! (and you can imagine it keeps going until I look)


You really crack me up all the time! I cant wait to get my new phone and I think I might start twitter for you like Annie. The best is when we can laugh together and it just makes us laugh harder. You think you are pretty funny too!

You are still in your crib, haha, bc I am mean and I like to keep you "caged". This weekend we will switch you to a toddler bed and over Christmas break we may try potty training. So if you see my hair coming out soon, you know why. Naps are hit or miss. But you are pretty good about reading and quietly resting for about an hour if you don't fall asleep. For some reason you never sleep on school days. It's crazy! You are dying to go to bed by 7!

Dinner is such a battle (as is dressing, diaper changing, getting in the car, ...you get the idea). You are so hard to feed. Not only are you limited because of your allergies but you are so picky. And you are not consistant. One day you like peaches and the next day I could get you to touch them for anything. We have to "trick" you in to eating almost every night. Its a lot of work. We play "Alex wins!" which is where you race daddy to take a bite and you say "Alex wins!" every time. We play tickle game which is where you take a bite and then we will tickle you. Sounds safe huh?! We say "take a bite and I'll ask you a question" alot of times the conversation will keep you sidetracked enough to keep eating. And we often bribe you with "deals". Eat _ bites of this this and this and you can have dessert. He almost always takes "the deal" and quickly at that. One more is Honey created- the sleeping game. We tell him not to eat while we take a lil nap (close our eyes and pretend to sleep) and then he "sneaks" food. When we notice we get pretend mad that he ate our food. He will say "Go sleep Honey! Go sleep!"

fall school picture

You are liking school and for the first time, like ever, you are okay with me leaving you places. You went to the church childcare without a look back for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I think I heard angels singing. ;)


You adore Ellie and despise her at the same time. Pretty classic. One minute you want to hold her and hug her and kiss her, and then you push her over as you walk away. The other night you actually hit her on the head with Baby Jesus (from the fisher price nativity scene). You go to time out most often for not being nice to your sister. I am kinda at my wits end about it. Although I am starting to see that Ellie might be a little dramatic about minor infractions.... it is only beginning. Lord help me. But you will often ask "Where's Ellie?!" and "Ellie come too?! "

We play outside a lot and you adore your buddies on the street- Evan and Brennen. Your favorite thing is to play tackle soccer as I gasp and moan and cringe. I am thankful though that you have buddies to do this with. I have to rip you away as its getting dark outside and you cry on the way home like yall are long lost lovers.

You pretty much play cars all the time. If not that you want to run, play football, kick a ball... seriously, you have to wear a hard hat in this house! And its a miracle he hasn't broken anything. You like Madagascar, Nemo, Bug Movie (Bugs Life), and Veggie Tales. Still love to sing and dance.

luigi and guido, mom

you will play train some too

As much as this time is trying I try to live for the little moments we have. You truly are a sweet sweet boy and you love life! You are a friend to all and you are very caring. You bring joy to our lives everyday and I love you sooooooo much.