The boys and I went to the Patterson Park Community Center Indoor Pool this morning. Jonas and Xander went down the water slide for two hours straight, while Roman and I played in the water together. They’re all becoming such great little swimmers. We picked up some lunch afterwards followed by a peppermint shake and headed home to cozy up by the fire.
Here’s my little dolphin, Xander, swimming his heart out…
The boys and I loved checking out the Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center today. Aunt Jean bought them a membership for Christmas…thanks, Aunt Jean!!! I know they’ll have a blast in the climbing rooms in the fall/winter and at the pool/splash pad in the spring/summer. Here’s Xander scaling the climbing wall, and Roman monkeying around on the ropes.
I enjoyed my post-Christmas dinner/movie outing with Mom, Darren, Kerry, Julie, and Jeanne. We went to see The Darkest Hour (a film about Winston Churchill) and ate a yummy dinner afterwards.
On Christmas Eve, we: made Christmas cookies in the morning, spent the afternoon at MeMe and PaPa’s (where we enjoyed eating Peppermint Ice Cream Cake among other delicious things, playing Naughty Santa, watching the little ones, and just hanging out), went to Christmas Eve mass, sprinkled reindeer food on the grass for Santa’s reindeer, and set out cookies and eggnog for Santa.
On Christmas Day, we: opened presents and stockings from Santa, ate a pancake breakfast, opened presents from us, spent the afternoon at Maw and Pop’s (where we enjoyed eating Coconut Cake along with other yumminess, skyping with Rueben and Kaia and Marina in Norway, opening presents, and sharing funny stories), and hung out in the evening at home by the fire.
I’m so grateful for my family. Here’s my favorite Christmas picture this year…Dylan and Jeanne.
The boys enjoyed making and decorating sugar cookies this morning…
I loved being able to be a part of the boys’ winter parties on the last day of school before winter break. Xander’s class hunted for candy canes, painted ornaments, and played reindeer antler ring toss. Jonas’ class listened to Mrs. Blackburn’s special Christmas stories, made a ribbon/cinnamon stick ornament, and exchanged books with their secret pals. Roman’s class decorated Santa hats, enjoyed a game of holiday bingo, and played musical stuffed animal presents. They loved joining in the holiday sing-a-long in the gym…their favorite part was seeing the Gingerbread Man.
Tom and his good friend, Dave, have been working really hard to get a wood burning stove set up in our living room and running for us by Christmas!!! They finished this week, and it has been such a blessing. Tom enjoyed taking Jonas out to cut some firewood.
I subbed in an Early Childhood classroom last week and was so TOTALLY inspired by her sensory table filled with Cinnamon Vanilla Rice that I had to rush home and make some for the boys. I never thought much about integrating the sense of smell into play, but it makes it all so much more fun.
They have played with it like it’s going out of style…from the time they get home from school until it’s time for dinner, after breakfast until it’s time to go to school, etc.
Here’s Roman “dabbing” behind the “snow castle” he and Xander built.
I was so excited when Kerry invited me to help out with Evening in December, Daystar Ministry’s annual fundraising event. It was a beautiful, sparkly night at the Loveless Cafe with music by Michael Tait, Cindy Morgan, Sandra McCracken, The Isaacs, and Alison Krauss. My favorite part, by far, was getting to hang out with my big brother.
We spent Thanksgiving in Virginia this year. Here we are with Grandma and Grandpa, the Northern Seyfrieds (Tim, Mary, Lindsey, and Audrey), the Longs (Rich, Sherri, Kaitlyn, and Andrew), the Paccassis (Dave, Tree, John, Lily, Peter, Sam, Gianna, Philip, Sam, and Gabe), and five priest friends from Ghana (Father Felix, Father Eric, Father Patrick, Father John, and Father Eric).
Jonas’ artwork is hanging in the Assistant Principal’s office!!!
Tom was the assistant coach for Jonas’ soccer team this season. It was a good run. Here is Jonas being honored by Coach Tom and Coach Tom (yes, two Coach Toms) before his final game. His award…”Most Fearless”.
Happy 9th Birthday, Jonas!!!
Jonas had a BLAST on his birthday weekend. He invited two of his best friends, Ethan and Pranav, over for a sleepover. They had so much fun playing games, laughing over dinner and birthday cake, cozying up and watching a movie, going to bed with many giggles, waking up to a pancake breakfast, running around on the playground, and jumping at a trampoline park together.
I can’t believe my firstborn son is nine years old. Unbelievable.
Happy Halloween from the Seyfrieds!!!
Jonas: a Ninja
Xander: Ash the Pokemon Trainer
Roman: Steve from Minecraft
Tom: an alien
Jodi: Katniss Everdeen from the the Hunger Games
I loved being able to go on Roman’s kindergarten field trip with him to Walden Pumpkin Farm. He visited with the animals, learned about the life cycle of a pumpkin, picked out a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch, and went on a hayride.
We had a wonderful Fall Break!!!
On Wednesday, I took the boys to the Patterson Park Community Center indoor pool. It was the first time that Jonas and Xander were tall enough to ride the big, twisty slide…so they were super pumped. Roman was bummed out that he couldn’t ride it but found a friend from school to play with and got to spend some special time in the water with Mommy.
Grandma and Grandpa came in on Wednesday night to spend Fall Break with us. We always love their visits…Petra too, she does laps around the house as soon as they walk in the door.
On Thursday, Grandpa and Tom went golfing, while Grandma and I took the boys to the zoo. First, we stopped to see the monkeys who were spunky and swinging from the branches. Then, Grandma rode the zoo’s zip line ride, Soar, with Jonas and Xander…she’s so cool. The boys were even tall enough to ride it with each other, which was really exciting for them and a little bit scary for me. We rode the carousel several times, and Grandma got to cross two things off of her bucket list (riding on an elephant and riding on an ostrich). Afterwards, the boys ran around on the playground and we snapped some pictures with the pumpkins.
On Friday, we relaxed at home (the boys love playing board games with Grandpa), and then went to Walden Pumpkin Farm. The boys visited with the animals, ran through the mazes, and played in the activity center.
I enjoyed being able to go to each of the boys’ fall parties. They had so much fun wrapping their friends up as toilet paper mummies, making scarecrow and pumpkin crafts, and eating yummy fall-inspired food. What a great way to ring in Fall Break!!!
The boys were SO excited to run in the Fun Run. Thank you so much to everyone who sponsored them!!! They had a blast running and helping raise money for their school.
I loved being able to go with Xander on his field trip to the Traveller’s Rest plantation. He experienced a one-room school house, toured the plantation home, played with old time toys (Jacob’s ladder, cup and ball, whizgig, hoop and stick, etc.), wrote with a quill pen, and learned a folk dance.
