- We went out to eat tonight with all the adults in the family.
- Our niece Kailey watched all 4 boys. Our nephew Ethan helped.
- It was a pretty fun time.
- Grandpa Spiehs, Mica and I went to the Hot Shops for their winter art show today. Isaak stayed with Grandma Spiehs.
- Mica saw a man that looked like Santa. He looked up at him, his eyes got wide and the man had a chuckle. Mica said, "Did you see that Mommy? That man looked like Santa Claus"! It was pretty cute.
- Mica also spotted a red necklace. He pointed and said, "Grandpa I like that red necklace...it's red like your name is Red". Grandpa Spiehs goes by "Red".
- We had our niece Kailey watch the boys last night. I guess they were really good!
- We had Travis' work Christmas party. It was early because one of his co-workers is due to have a baby early January.
- Mica woke up this morning and said, "Hey where did that babysitter go?"
- I said, "You mean your cousin, Kailey? She does have a name you know".
- I have a delima, Grandma and Grandpa Spiehs like the one with Isaak right side up. My work people loved the one with Isaak upside down.
- I'm kind of torn. My initial idea was to write on the back about how Mica asks too many questions and says big words that he can't understand. Isaak loves to go upside down and to throw balls. The upside down thing ties into the picture of him upside down. But...Isaak is much more cute in the one with him right side up. The upside down one is more creative, out of the box.
- I don't know which one to pick. Any thoughts on this?
- This is the first draft of our Christmas postcards. I have to think of what to say on the back.
- Isaak's the king of being a copycat. Here he is blowing to cool his food down. Notice how his mouth is no where near his food.
- He's copying me.
- Daddy took the boys to Hobbytown USA today after he picked Mica up at preschool. He warned Mica that they were just going in to look and not buy.
- I got home from work, and Mica kept on talking about how he wanted me to go to the Town store to show me the trains. When we told Mica, "No" that we would not go, he told me that we would go there by creating a magic trick. I guess they have a really cool train set up. Of course needy boy needs that train set on his Christmas list.
- Daddy said going to Hobbytown USA was better then going to any other toy store.
- Jolly Mom is giving away a Curious George prize pack consisting of Curious George A Very Monkey Christmas DVD, Curious George Christmas Countdown book, CD soundtrack and a Curious George Live ticket voucher!
- This was one of the first show's Mica got into. Our nephew Elijah LOVES Curious George!
- Enter Jolly Mom to win!
- I made these cookies with our last pumpkin. I make cookies, and take them to our work's.
- Making cookies is fun, but I don't want to eat them all. They go fast at both of our work's.
- 1 c canned pumpkin (*I used 16oz. roasted pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Cream cheese frosting
- Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in.
- Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
- Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350ºF (175 ºC) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.
- Spread on cream cheese frosting. I use a baby rubber spoon to spread the frosting. This works really well.
- Mica's always been a little behind in the fine motor skill department.
- I'm pleased to say that Daddy taught Mica to button and unbutton his pj's.
- He also catches a ball without hesitating now.
- I taught him how to put on his tennis shoes. He had his sandals down pat, but when we switched over for the season he's had a harder time getting his shoes on.
- We're working on learning how to tie his shoes. This might take awhile.
- I've heard Isaak say as Daddy walked out of the house, "Where Daddy go"?
- He also says, "What's dat (that)"?
- Isaak's newest word is, "Down".
- He wants up on my lap, and soon I hear this little voice saying, "Down".
- After he's done eating he say, "Done" and "Want Down".
- Isaak loves to throw a ball at you, and he's says, "Catch". It's pretty cute.
- Our Christmas traditions start early on.
- Usually we go to Daddies side of the family to celebrate Christmas on Thanksgiving. Grandma Apel had to work this year, Daddy worked the Friday after Thanksgiving and he's used up a lot of vacation time, so we couldn't go this year.
- My sister's Angela, Terra (Aunts to the boys) and Mom (Grandma Spiehs) all get together to decorate cookies shortly after Thanksgiving. This year my sister Terra's mother-in-law will be joining us. If Grandma Apel and Aunt Laura lived closer, I'd invite them to join us as well.
- Daddy sets up the tree, and I do most of the decorating.
- Christmas Eve is usually a bigger part of the holiday than Christmas day. We spend it with my inner family. We go to an evening church service, have a big family dinner, get in our PJ's and unwrap lots of presents.
- As our boys get older, Christmas morning will get more magical. Mica's really into Polar Express, and can't wait until Santa comes!
- We also go to a bigger family get together will all of my aunts, cousins and Grandparents. This is sometimes held on Christmas day, or the Saturday after. We play family Bingo. I'm excited this year because Mica can join in. I treasure this time because my Grandparents are getting older. My Grandma has Alzheimer's disease, and the only time I see her truly get excited is when she see's the little kids. She forgets who belongs to who, what their names are and thinks they are girls. But...she loves them. I miss the days of her joining in on family games.
- Share your Christmas traditions with Go Graham Go and Jolly Mom. They are giving 3 extra entries to win their holiday prizes when you share your traditions.