Balls!

• Isaak LOVES balls! Two of a Kind is giving away this Playskool Explore 'N Grow Activity Ball.
• This looks like something Isaak would love to play with.
• Enter for your chance to win.

Automoblox Mini Giveaway

• Feisty, Frugal and Fabulous is giving away a set of the Mini T9/S9/C9 3-Pack (ARV $30.00) Automoblox!
• I love these cars! They are so sleek!

Hallmark $25 Giveaway

• So...I have to be honest I like Hallmark, just some of their stuff in their store is too cutesy for my taste. I have friends that work there, and I love their work! Their stuff is an exception to me not caring for some of the other things in the store. I'm more of a Cost Plus World Market kind of girl, which they took both of those stores out of Omaha.
• I do have a Mother that LOVES Hallmark! She gets ornaments for the boys every year from there. She talks about going there all the time.
• Go Graham Go is giving away two $25 Hallmark gift cards! If you are interested, enter to win!
• I do like Hallmark's classic toy ornaments. *Featured above. Fisher Price is GREAT! Santa did go to the store to buy Isaak their Jack in the Box ornament because the Jack in the Box is one of his favorite toys!
• I just wish that for $15 to $20 they'd put hangers on the ornaments. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. I string thread through the tiny hole, and it always ends up breaking. So...this year I started using twisty ties from the grocery store in the fruit/vegetable section. I felt at first it was sort of a trashy thing to do, but soon changed my mind when the tie blended into the tree so nice! They are perfect because they are green, are the perfect size and have wire inside that make them hold up. Yay...no sewing box out for me!
• I also have the singing snowman for the boys that drive Daddy and me nuts! All was good because there is an off switch, but now Mica knows how to turn it back on. LOL The boys enjoy the snowmen though! They dance and giggle to them often, too often. LOL

Mica Pretending to Be Animals

Mica as a Seal

Mica as a Turtle

Mica as a Wolf

Mica as a Moose

Mica as a Racoon

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 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. 1 c canned pumpkin (*I used 16oz. roasted pumpkin)
2. 1/2 cup white sugar
3. 1/2 cup brown sugar
4. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
5. 1 egg
6. 2 cups all-purpose flour
7. 2 teaspoons baking powder
8. 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
9. 1/2 teaspoon salt
10. 1 teaspoon baking soda
11. 1 teaspoon milk
12. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
13. 1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
14. 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
15. 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.

Building Fine Motor Skills

• 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.

Small Sentences

• I've heard Isaak say as Daddy walked out of the house, "Where Daddy go"?
• He also says, "What's dat (that)"?

Down and Catch

• 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.

Christmas Magic With Scholastic

• Jolly Mom is giving away to two lucky readers Christmas Magic, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and Gotta Catch Santa Claus from Scholastic!
• Mica loves getting Scholastic book orders for preschool. The books are less expensive then buying at other places.
• Mica also can't wait for Christmas decorations to come upstairs, so that he can find the holiday books I have stashed away.

Fresh Smart Kitchen

• Jolly Mom is giving away a Fresh Smart Kitchen.
• It looks like so much fun, so enter to win!