We are SO excited to have Uncle Darren here from Norway for the holidays!!!
Author: Jodi
Gift Exchange…
Roman was super excited (as always) to have Addie come and play this morning…we hung out at home and then went to the library to make Christmas ornaments. They both helped pick out gifts for each other…so sweet…so we had a little gift exchange when we got back home.
Gingerbread House Decorating with Xander…
I was SO excited to get to spend some special one-on-one time with Xander this morning at preschool helping him decorate his gingerbread house. He’s such a creative, exploratory little guy…it was fun to watch him work on his masterpiece.
Making Brownies with Roman…
While the boys were in school, Roman helped me make brownies to share with the carolers from our mom’s group who are coming tonight to bless us with joyful song.
Holiday Stress Relief with Jonas…
Jonas had so much fun helping me make a batch of Oreo Peppermint Bark. His favorite part, of course, was bashing the candy canes into little tiny pieces with a hammer (the best kind of holiday stress relief).
Stockings with MeMe and PaPa…
MeMe and PaPa stopped by to spread some holiday cheer with stockings for the boys…
Breakfast with Santa…
The boys loved Breakfast with Santa! It’s really so well done with tickets to see Santa and crafts and games to keep little hands and feet busy while they’re waiting. Among the favorites were the Christmas card making, the gift tag stamping, and the glittery pipe cleaner ornament beading. It was great fun to help the boys out with their Christmas crafts, eat a yummy (second) breakfast, say hello to friends, and see Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Hanging Christmas Lights…
Once we got back home from our Thanksgiving trip to Grandma and Grandpa’s in Virginia and got settled back in, we busted out the Christmas decorations. Here are a few of the crew helping out with the lights…
Camp Beans…
Petra LOVED spending Thanksgiving at Camp Beans with her very favorite, Jeanne, and new friend, Riley!!!
Thanksgiving…
We spent Thanksgiving in Virginia this year at Grandma and Grandpa’s house with Grandma and Grandpa, The Seyfrieds, The Longs, and The Paccassis. We enjoyed catching up with family and friends, playing in the woods, eating good food together, working on craft projects, going to mass (although Jonas and I missed it for a trip to the clinic for pink eye), and joining in the annual turkey games.
Click on the “Thanksgiving 2014” page to the right for more pictures.
Playground Fun…
Tom discovered the AWESOMEST playground yesterday when he was out driving, and we took the boys today. They had a total blast!!!
Math Night…
Tom took Jonas to Math Night at NES tonight…they enjoyed learning about symmetry by drawing boomerangs and making paper snowflakes, building tetrahedrons and pyramids, etc.
Snow Painting…
Xander and I enjoyed some one on one time this afternoon while Daddy took Jonas and Roman to gymnastics. We both thought it was the perfect opportunity to take the snow out of the freezer that he’d been saving from earlier this week to paint it. He was so focused working on his beautiful masterpiece, took a long warm bath afterwards to soak off all of the paint splatters, and was delighted to see how his snow painting melted and all of the colors swirled together.
ArtQuest at the Frist…
Xander, Roman, and I went downtown to the Frist this morning to check out ArtQuest, an interactive exhibit for kids. The admission was free with canned goods donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank. They had a blast (and amazingly enough it was not super crowded which was a big plus)! They loved painting with watercolors, doing touch screen art, building with magnetic blocks, drawing on windows with dry erase markers, sketching on an easel, making crayon rubbings, and printmaking.
First Snow…
We had our first snow this morning…what a delight! The boys couldn’t wait to get out there with their spoons and eat some…haha.
Xander’s Field Trip…
I was so excited to get to go with Xander on his preschool field trip to Daniel’s Cabin. He and one of his best friends, Shea, rode with me. Aside from the fact that it was FREEZING and Xander was cold, hungry, tired, and whiny…it was an interesting outing. The kids got to play and experiment with all sorts of old-fashioned toys, hear about life on the frontier, spin wool between their fingers, and make the best smelling little “bed bug bags” with dried lavender, rosemary, and roses. Here’s a sweet picture of Xander and Shea in front of a beautiful fall tree outside of the cabin.
Francis the Frog…
Jonas was over the moon excited to bring Francis the Frog home with him from Sunday school this week. Here are a few pictures of Francis’ adventures with Jonas…
Jonas Lately…
Jonas is: loving gymnastics; starting to step more into his big brother role by helping out more often and playing more kindly with his little brothers; and enjoying all of the fall festivities (apple day, pumpkin farm, pumpkin carving, pumpkin day, fun run, trick or treating, field trip, etc.).
Happy Birthday, Jonas!!!
It’s hard to believe that my firstborn son is 6 years old today!!! (I’m beginning to sense that speeding up of time thing people always tell me about, but it still goes plenty slow too…haha). Jonas is excited about sharing with his class the red velvet cupcakes he helped me make, is looking forward to going to the toy store with MeMe and PaPa this afternoon when he gets off the bus, is all about opening presents with us after dinner and going out for ice cream, and can’t wait for his small birthday party at our house on Saturday when he can play with his closest buddies…a friend from preschool, a few friends from his kindergarten class, and a few of his best neighborhood friends. Happy birthday, Jonas!!! We love you.
