Christmastime

I love Christmas time. I love all the music. I agree with Shelly that all the songs are praise and worship, so beautiful. And this season helps people who often forget about being grateful for our Saviour to remember and rejoice in his birth and life. People are working so hard to figure out how to give to others, their families and those in need. We need to figure out how to push all these great things into the rest of the year. A friend gave us a fake tree and I was so excited. We had a small one - we have always lived in small places - and I love having a bigger one, it helps our house feel so much more Christmasy. The boys loved playing in the box it was stored in and worked hard putting the branches into the tree. We had a family home evening about the meaning of the elements of Christmas decorations - tree, star, nativity sets, etc and then we got out the Little People Nativity and played with that and decorated the Christmas Tree. I wish I could leave it up all year. :)

The boys and I went to a Book Club Christmas party and Santa came to visit. Jacob sat next to Santa - not on his lap, Andrew told me he would be brave and sat right on his lap, but Michael cried while we tried for a picture. :) Hopefully, those pictures will be coming soon - I forgot my camera, so a friend took some for me. It was so fun and all the food made me inspired me to make some Christmas treats. I attempted fudge and it never hardened! I was so sad. But, the kids and I still ate it- with a spoon. I think I need a different pan with a thicker bottom, because my caramels last year never got quite hard enough last year. But when I made them at Lynne's house with her pan they turned out great. SO, I will blame my failures on my pot!

My Grandma bought Andrew a stocking at a dollar store when he was three weeks old. She wanted to make sure he had something for his first Christmas. I wasn't worried, because he wasn't even aware it was Christmas, let alone that he needed a stocking. Well, he still has that same stocking. In my defense, I did back stitch his name on it for him one year. In a similar style, Jacob also received a stocking last minute before his first Christmas. Last year, Michael just borrowed one that was extra. When I pulled out the Christmas decorations this year, I found their stockings. I just couldn't bring myself to hang them up and Michael didn't even have one. So, I finally buckled down, hit the fabric store, did the applique, sewed them up and the boys officially have stockings. Hooray! This is the first year we will be having Christmas in our little house, so maybe that is why it had to be done. I think they turned out cute. I have a thing for initials. :)

Thanksgivinged

Caught red handed, while helping me

He liked the chocolate silk pie

Trying to walk down the stairs standing up

encouraging him to come ( I had to include these two pictures - I like the eyeline. You can tell he is looking at me, so proud of himself. Then I am looking on, so proud of him)

I love the Jacob popping out in the corner

We had our first Thanksgiving all by ourselves. Jeremy and the boys didn't have much time off, so we stayed here. We missed being with our extended families, but the relaxed, no timeline part of it was nice. I decided since it was just us, I would scale down the meal a bit. I made a turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, asparagus and a chocolate silk pie ( I bought an apple pie and pumpkin pie). I meant to do rolls, but forgot about them until too late. Oh, well. Next time. I had to throw out the first egg whites for the pie and try again and then I finally managed soft peaks, but it was fun to try a new recipe. It was a nice day, so the boys played outside and explored the orange tree. Andrew went back for more mashed potatoes and Jacob ate mostly green bean casserole. I planned on posting a picture of the food and a few decorations the boys made for the table and I even took the pictures, but they looked so sad compared to the traditionally huge Thanksgiving feast, that I will let you imagine instead. :)

Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo

Michael was not as excited about how close the giraffes were as I was

his first school bus ride

They made Michael a name tag and let me borrow a shirt, too

crazy long, black tongue

Jacob's preschool took a field trip to the Zoo. But before, they taught them the song, Mama's taking me to the zoo tomorrow. We sang it for a week straight. It's catchy and Jacob is really cute singing it. If I was more blog savvy, I would post a video of him singing it. Oh, well. Take it from me. I will just include plenty of pictures to prove his cuteness. Michael and I came along on the trip. We all had a great time, it is a small zoo, perfect for an hour and a half trip.

Ironically, we also went back to the zoo the next day and Andrew came as well. The foundation that provides Michael's therapy has a zoo pass and one of the therapist thought it would be fun for Michael and we worked it out so all the boys could come. The last time we had been to the Zoo was for Jacob's birthday when he turned three. And then two days in a row, a year and a half later. :)

Jacob fed the giraffes, which happen to be my favorite animal and was not weirded out by the foot long black tongue, which he said was not black, but blue by the way. Sometimes, there is no arguing with him. I was proud of him (not for the being absolutely sure that there was no way he could be wrong part). He was nervous at first and his friend Aaron would not even try to feed them, so he feed them twice. Just FYI - did you know that giraffes have no vocal cords? Aren't you glad you read my blog now?

Mama's taking me to the Zoo tomorrow, zoo tomoorow, zoo tomorrow. Mama's taking me to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow. We can stay all day.

Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. How about you, you, you? You could come, too, too, too. Going to the Zoo.

Look at all the monkeys swinging in the trees, swinging in the trees, swinging in the trees. Look at the monkeys swinging in the trees, swinging in the trees, swinging in the trees. We can stay all day.

It keeps going, but you get the general idea. See how it could possibly get stuck in your head?