Family Christmas 2014

Today we celebrated Christmas at home with our little family!  It was such a sweet, cozy day.

 

Isaac raced in our room right when he woke up and yelled, "Merry Christmas!"  Then he ran downstairs to find Dave.  Dave kept him busy for a little bit reading books while I was getting ready, but Isaac finally came back upstairs and said, "Mom!  It has been so long!  We need you to come downstairs so we can start Christmas!" 

 

My mother-in-law made caramel pecan rolls when she was here last month, and we froze some so we could eat them today.  They were so good!  And, a friend surprised us this week with two huge bags of breakfast burritos that we also ate.

 

The kids opened their stockings first.  Isaac's favorite stocking stuffer was a subscription to "National Geographic Little Kids" magazine.  His first issue already arrived, so we put that in his stocking.  Both of my kids are so exuberant when they open gifts--so fun!  When Isaac pulled the first thing out of his stocking, he jumped up in the air and yelled, "This is the best Christmas ever!" 

This isn't the best picture of Emma, but she had just opened a box of rings in her stocking.  She put one on each finger and was so excited!

Opening presents!  Emma opened a bag of dress-up clothes!  Isn't she the sweetest little princess? 

This is a present Emma made us at school.  Her teacher painted her feet and had her walk all over the brown paper to make adorable wrapping paper.

 

The gift itself was this precious canvas made with Emma's handprints!

I am the donkey meek and mild who carried Mary great with child

I am the camel who followed the star with three wise kings from a land afar

I am the cow who offered my hay so the Savior would have a warm place to lay

I am the lamb who heard angels sing about where to find the newborn King. 

 

Both Emma and Isaac's birth families sent packages of gifts!  Here is Emma opening one of her new books from them.  I love how hard she concentrated opening each gift.

This year both Isaac and Emma had "big gifts" from us!  Dave and I were so excited about these presnts!

Ready...set...OPEN!

Halfway through opening, Dave and I realized they were each opening the wrong gift.  Switch!

(No, we didn't get around to gift tags this year.)  :)

Isaac's gift was a Schleich castle, and he had so much fun setting it up with Dave.  Papa and Nana gave Isaac an archer, a soldier, and two medieval kings on horses to accompany the castle.  We also gave him some new dinosaur figurines, which he insists are dragons for the castle.  Isaac's one request today was that he could have an entire day to play with his new toys, and he has done just that.  At one point, Dave was laying right next to Isaac playing with the castle, too.  :)

 

 

Emma's big gift was a Fisher Price Sweet Streets city that I found at a consignment sale for just $30 this summer.  There are so many buildings and little accessories to this city.  It took Emma a long time to pull them all out of the box, and she was so excited about each one.  Her favorite building (so far) is the movie theater, which lights up and plays a song when you press the button on the ticket booth.

 

We also FaceTimed with Papa and Nana in Colorado today so that they could see Isaac and Emma open the gifts they sent.  One of their gifts to Emma was a floating tea set for bathtime.  When Emma opened her tea set, they asked her what the present was.  "Mine! she said.  Papa asked again, "No, Emma, what is your present?"  "It's mine!"  :)

 

                 I love these sweet ornaments that Isaac & Emma made for us at school.  And, my mantle is currently displaying all the Christmas crafts the kids have brought home from school.  I have missed making crafts & projects with my kids while I've been on bedrest, so I'm happy to have these this Christmas.

 

Last night, we decorated gingerbread houses.  I was trying to think of Christmas-themed activities we could do as a family while I'm on bedrest, and gingerbread houses worked out perfectly!  Dave bought two kits at Trader Joes, which made set-up easy.  The kids had so much fun with them! 

Emma was so focused in attaching each piece of candy to the frosting Dave piped onto her gingerbread house.

Emma wanted Dave to put a lot of frosting in front of her house, and then she set fruit squares on top of the frosting.  She said it was all the presents.  :)

Isaac was so sure his house had to have snow in the front. He suggested powdered sugar, which we were all out of, so he used flour. This boy LOVES snow!

 

Isaac and Emma attend a Lutheran school where there is a lot of emphasis in daily chapel on the Holy Trinity.  Isaac said that the three little candies on the last fruit square on top of the house are for the Holy Spirit--in his words, "God, Jesus, and Heaven."  ;)

 

 Oh, I love these three.  And, I have loved making memories with them at home this Christmas season.

Favorite Toys for Preschool Boys

I’ve been supplying family members with gift ideas for my kids the past few days, which has made me think about which toys my kids really use.  I mean really, really use…the ones they camp out with on the floor and play with for at least 30 minutes, if not much longer.  Before buying a toy, I spend time researching, reading reviews, and asking friends lots of questions about toys for a few reasons:  I don't want extra toys around our house that are played with rarely or never, and I also want our kids actually playing with toys and using their imaginations. 

I could almost tear up at the fact that my Isaac is nearly out of the preschool phase!  Here are the toys he has loved and used again and again as a 3, 4, and recent 5 year old.

Imaginext Gorilla Mountain

As you will see on this list, Isaac really loves animals.  A friend gifted this Imaginext Jungle to us when her son outgrew it.  Like many toys in our house, I keep this one in the closet and bring it out every few weeks.  We usually set this up on the hearth, and Isaac will play with this for at least an hour at a time.  While Isaac was initially attracted to the gorilla's light-up eyes and the fun jungle sounds, he now loves spreading all the animals out and making up stories of what the animals and the two jungle explorers are doing.  (This is out of stock on Amazon, but there are several used Gorilla Mountains on eBay.) 

Sometimes, the jungle animals also explore our household decor.  :)
 

Automoblox

We borrowed Automoblox from a friend for Isaac to play with on a road trip to Minnesota, and he loved them so much that we bought them for his third birthday.  Isaac disassembles and reassembles the cars over and over trying to make the longest car and then the shortest car and then the car with the most windshields, etc.  These aren't cheap, but I think they're worth the price considering Isaac still plays with them; Emma also plays with them now, too.  They're also great for building hand-eye coordination since it takes a lot of focus to put the wheels on the car.  (Link on Amazon here)

 

Playmobil My Take Along Pet Clinic

I about choked when I looked this up on Amazon and saw it retails for $149!  I bought this at a consignment sale at a great price (I'm thinking $15).  I wasn't familiar with Playmobil when I purchased this--I just knew it had lots of tiny parts (Isaac loves, loves, loves tiny things) and involved animals, so I was pretty sure it was going to be a win.  And, yes, it was and still is.  Isaac usually plays with this in the afternoons while Emma naps and he has quiet time in his room.  While I was so sick this summer in my first trimester, he played with it nearly every afternoon while I slept.  I can't say enough how much he loves all the tiny animals and the tiny vet instruments.  I also love it because all the tiny parts fit inside which makes clean-up and storage easy.  I definitely wouldn't pay $149 for this--but, if you find any of the Playmobil Take Along toys for less, grab them!  (Link on Amazon here)

 

Little Tykes Car Mountain 

I laugh just about every time kids play with this toy at our house, because I found it in our neighbor's trash and hauled it home.  Hands down, this is every kid's favorite toy at our house.  Whether a child has been to our house one time or a hundred, they walk in the door and immediately ask where the racetrack is.  This is a retired toy, but there are several on eBay.  I'd say this is something that would be worth $75-100 considering the hours spent on this.  There are five different tracks where cars can race, and the "loop-de-loop" is always a hit.  When friends are over, three of them will hover around the mountain and race their cars down the tracks over and over and see which car flies the farthest at the end.  (The other two tracks go different directions.)  Definite winner!  And, you can store all your child's Hot Wheels and MatchBox cars underneath the lift-off mountaintop.  (Search Little Tykes Car Mountain or Little Tykes Adventure Mountain on eBay--here's one I found.

 

Melissa and Doug Magnetic Dress-Up Joey

Again, this is a toy Isaac received several years ago and still plays with consistently.  Isaac loves dressing and redressing Joey in each costume--his favorite is the superhero costume because there's a miniature eye mask for Joey's eyes.  Now that he's older, Isaac thinks it's funny to mix-up the costumes and have him wear pirate pants and a knight top.  There are several girl verions of this, too, but they are all focused on ballerinas or fairies where the only variant is the color of tutus/ballerina costumes.  I think this is the best of the Melissa and Doug Magnetic Dolls because of the complete differences in each costume.  Definitely worth $9!  (Link on Amazon here)

 

 

Animal Figurines

There are hundreds of animal figurines from mini-dinosaurs that you can buy at the Dollar Tree to beautifully painted Schleich figurines.  I've found that Isaac will play with all of them!  The first animal figurine Isaac had was a Schleich Holstein cow, which I found at a toy store that was going out of business.  I had never seen Schleich animals before and knew Isaac would enjoy how realistic they are.  Since the store was going out of business, they didn't have much selection left--so Isaac got a cow!  Ha!  But, he played with it far more than I ever could have imagined.  Since then, his collection of animal figurines has expanded to include many horses, several dinosaurs, and also a Schleich golden retriever.  Isaac plays with his animals in the bathtub, outside on the playset, in playdough, in the car--anywhere.  (As I write this, he's laying beside me playing with two of his dinosaurs.)  Just the other day, Isaac was laying on his stomach in the family room and playing with some of his animals.  I teared up and said to Dave, "I just don't want to forget this sweet phase where Isaac lays on his stomach and plays animals for hours." 

Here are a few links to some of Isaac's favorite animal figurines: 

Breyer horse and foal 

Melissa and Doug stable and horses

 

Schleich dinosaur set

Lego Mix and Match Men

Two years ago when we were at the Lego store, my mom bought Isaac three Lego mini-figures that Isaac can mix and match.  Each mini-figure has a top, a bottom, a head, and an accessory (an axe or a hat).  I couldn't find an exact match to what Isaac has online, but there are a ton of Lego mini-figures on Amazon.  Legos are usually always a hit with boys, but up until now these have been the only Legos Isaac enjoys.  Lego mini-figures are great for long car rides or quiet time.  (Link on Amazon here)

Playdough

I've saved my very favorite for last--homemade playdough.  I quickly discovered that homemade playdough beats store-bought playdough--less crumbly and much cheaper.  Plus, I make mine dye-free or use natural dye, which is important to me.  Both Isaac and Emma love to sit at the kitchen table and play with playdough; Isaac sometimes lasts 2 hours.  Usually, Isaac plays with his dinosaurs in his playdough, but he also likes using traditional playdough toys (rolling pins and cutters) or sea animals. 

Here is my favorite playdough recipe--I store this in a Tupperware container, and it lasts at least a year.

2 cups of plain flour

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup salt

1 Tbsp oil (coconut, vegetable, canola)

1/2 Tbsp scented oil (optional)

2 cups water

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately.  Mix together in medium saucepan.  Cook slowly on medium-high and stir until the playdough thickens.  Dump onto wax paper and carefully knead until cool.

Enjoy!

November in Pictures

We finally carved our pumpkin after Halloween!  The kids still loved their "tiger" pumpkin,

 Emma had her first visit to the ER!

We found Emma asleep like this one night.

Emma started school with Isaac. Isaac kept saying, "Emma, it's your first day of school! You get to have recess with me." 

 We got a dusting of snow one night!  Isaac was galloping around the backyard (in the dark) and singing, "snow, snow, snow snow snow, it's so good to have you!"

All ready for church in a new dress from Papa & Nana  (an early Christmas gift) 

the best part of bedrest 

Our dear friends, Kenny & Carla, are home from Africa on furlough.  We were so happy they were in Texas and spent an evening with us.  Our time together was wonderful & too short. Isaac and Emma had a blast playing with their 3 boys (pic above).

Isaac and his friend, Landrie, at the park after BSF one Wednesday.  So thankful for friends who pick up my kids each Wednesday for BSF.

My little Pilgrims at their Thanksgiving program & feast--so glad Daddy and both grandmas were able to attend.

Celebrating my dad's birthday!  My kids love their Pop, cake, and their matching pajamas!

These two aren't always full of giggles and kisses for each other, but I love moments like this! 

Thanksgiving 2014

For many months, we had been looking forward to Thanksgiving in Steamboat with Papa and Nana.  Obviously, our plans changed once I was put on bedrest.  My wonderful in-laws didn’t let it phase them at all.  They immediately said they’d be happy to have Thanksgiving at our house instead.  I (secretly) wondered how great of a Thanksgiving this would really be, because we had all really been excited about spending it in Steamboat.  But, this Thanksgiving truly ended up being wonderful!  It meant so much to me that everyone showed my family so much love during this season of bedrest and cheerfully accepted having Thanksgiving at our house (well, besides Isaac—he said I could stay home by myself and everyone else could go to Colorado). 

 

My mother-in-law arrived the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.   Susie was able to attend Isaac and Emma’s Thanksgiving Feast at school.  She also cooked for us, took care of Isaac and Emma, and spoiled us with the best backrubs.  My father-in-law arrived the night before Thanksgiving.

~all ready for church~

Emma really wanted to wear this dress because it was "like Nana's!" 

Emma had already seen Susie ready for church and wanted to match the colors of Nana's outfit. 

 

Thanksgiving Day!

Dave woke up at 5:30am on Thanksgiving morning to make cheddar pear and French apple pies.  Emma woke up almost as early and got some extra snuggle time with Daddy after the pies were done.

Dave and his dad took the kids to the park on the morning of Thanksgiving while Susie and Mike were working in the kitchen.  Dave said that the park was full of dads &  kids that morning--all so the moms and grandmas could work in the kitchen!

playing at the park on Thanksgiving morning

 

 

While everyone was either at the park or working in the kitchen, I was sitting in my recliner, knitting, and enjoying a decaf Peppermint Mocha that Mike brought me. As I felt our baby moving and wriggling inside me, my heart nearly burst. To have a precious son, daughter, and husband whom I love so much, family & friends that have taken such good care of us while I'm on bedrest, and a little one in my womb is overwhelming....thank You, Jesus!

 

 

Yes, this was what Isaac chose to eat on Thanksgiving.  He was so excited to have a bone all to himself!  (And, he ate it all.)

 

 

the wishbone!

 

My parents stopped by on Thanksgiving night to have pie with us.  While everyone else had pie, I enjoyed more mashed potatoes and gravy.  Sweets have not been my thing during this pregnancy, but the mashed potatoes and gravy were amazing. 

 

When Dave put our kids to bed on Thanksgiving night, he asked them what they were thankful for.  Isaac said God, Daddy, Mommy, Emma, and our whole family.  Emma's answers were God (because she always wants to be like Isaac), Mommy, and Michael!  These kids love their family.

 

Dave showed me a lot of love by putting up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving.  Decorating for Christmas isn’t quite Dave’s favorite thing in the world, plus I’m sure it didn’t help that I was giving him suggestions from my recliner as to how the deco mesh should be arranged on the tree.  But, we survived, and our kids were absolutely ecstatic to put ornaments on the tree.  From my recliner where I spend a lot of time each day, I see a portion of the tree that is clustered with ornaments.   This is where Isaac predominantly decorated, and each time I look at it I think about how excited Isaac was to hang each ornament...in his bunched-up, 5 year old way. 

 

 

 

It's finished!  (Dave was very relieved!)

 

Uncle Nate--known to Emma as "my Nate"--stopped by for a visit!  Look how happy Emma is!

On Saturday morning, David, Michael, Papa, Nana, and the kids headed downtown to a Polar Express Pajama Party at the IMAX Theatre at the FW Museum of Science and Industry.  

Papa and Nana flew home on Sunday morning, and I wasn't the only one crying as we all said goodbye.  We can't wait to see them again soon.

 

 

We love you!