Christmas Traditions

• 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.

Cool Toy Giveaway

• My Organized Chaos is giving away one great toy from Mastermind Toys.
• The winner gets their choice of a Wobble Deck Electronic Memory Game or the Magic Mirror Laptop.
• I think if I win, I'm picking the Laptop for Isaak. He loves to run up and hit my keyboard.

Marshmallow Shooter

• Two of a Kind is giving away one Marshmallow Shooter from Marshmallow Fun Company.
• These things look like something fun for a dad and son to play, brother's or cousin's too!
• Enter Two of a Kind to win one Marshmallow Shooter. I pick Executive Blaster as my favorite!

$100 Gift Certificate to Borders

• Two of a Kind is giving away two $100 gift cards to Borders.
• Borders must be in the giving mood this year!
• Enter Two of a Kind to have a chance to win!

Night Out With My High School Friends

• It was a pretty good night. I was a little worried about taking the boys over to my high school friend, Rae's Dad's house. He has a big house with lots of expensive things in it! Not to mention steps that I knew Isaak would be drawn to.
• But...the boys were pretty good! Much better then the last few nights!
• We gave Isaak Motrin before we left because he does have a tooth about to pop through.
• We got to see Madison, Rae's new baby. Isaak kept pointing and saying, "Baby". She was asleep the majority of the time.
• My other high school friends, Mark and Jen were there too. Sarah and Debbie couldn't make it.

Frustrated

• The boys have been trying our patience the last few days!
• Mica has been telling us he's full after he eats only his fruit for all his meals. I was thinking at first that he just isn't growing. Then all the sudden he says he has to go poop, and he comes back hungry. Today I made him go to the bathroom before he started eating even though he said he didn't have to go.
• With Isaak I've been laying him down for a nap. He's been throwing out his pillow, blanket and glow worm. I hear a giant thud sound when the glow worm hits the ground. I go to check if it's Isaak that fell, and there he is standing up in his crib, his stuff is on the ground, he has an evil smile on his face like he's thinking "Ha Ha I got you to come in here" and his room smells like poop. I change his poopy diaper, and he tries kicking me the whole time.
• At lunch time today Mica and Isaak kept pushing their sleeves back down after I just got done pushing them up. Both of them ran their sleeves through their food. Isaak's been chewing his food then he lets all his food fall out of his mouth. I handed him his milk that he wanted after he said he was done, and he threw it across the table. I picked him up and put him in bed.
• They are so trying our patience!

Another Maukilo $50 Gift Card Giveaway

• Go Graham Go is giving away a $50 gift card to oneto Maukilo toy company.
• Crocodile Creek is one of my favorite brands they carry. They have such cute lunch boxes, puzzle's in cute cases (Target carries the puzzles too) and fun backpacks for kids.

Meeting of the Young Minds

• Isaak was jealous of Mommy holding Kensley (cousin Brad's daughter). He gets jealous when I hold Mica. Such a little punk! LOL
• When they were on the floor together, and did fine.
• In the wipe box is all kinds of toy cars. Isaak put his hand in there, and his hand got stuck.

Thanksgiving

• Grandma Spiehs, Great Grandma Kent, and Great Aunts sitting around the table after our Thanksgiving meal.
• The food was great per usual!
• My Grandma just couldn't wait to get home. Once she eats she thinks it is time to go home. It didn't help that cousin Stacy came in with her coat on because she was going home.
• Great Grandma and Grandpa Kent love watching the kids play!

Tree is Up

• Daddy was so nice and put the tree up today.
• Mica drove us batty because he was bouncing off the walls. He was so excited to go to Great Aunt Marsha's and excited for Christmas to come since the tree went up.
• The tree stands alone. There is nothing on it. I'm not sure what to do with it...Isaak thinks everything is a ball and I can just see him picking ornaments off the tree and pitching them across the room.
• I have to admit that I favor beautiful traditional glass ornaments. I'm not into cutesy plastic ones.
• I do have a few Hallmark Christmas things like the singing, dancing snowmen for the kids to enjoy.