Our Little Family Christmas

I like celebrating Christmas at some point each year with just my little family, in our little house. I love big family christmases, but there is something so cozy and special about being just us.

So, this morning, we woke up and pretended it was Christmas morning at our house. We sat around in our jammies, opened presents, ate a big yummy breakfast made by Daddy. We played with our new things and then went for a walk and delivered Christmas treats to some neighbors and friends. It was lovely. If there had been a few inches of fresh snow on the ground, this day couldn't have been more perfect.

I think the biggest contributing factor was that for the first time in recent history we had Nick all to ourselves. No running off to a jobsite for a few hours; no feverish working on estimates and drawings; no helping someone out with a home project. Just us all day. ahh.

After pumping out some Christmas cards during Sydney's nap (Sorry, everyone for the tardy cards, but I somehow ended up with a bunch of Valentines Day cards I designed last year and never ordered on the first go. grr.), we had some yummy soup and bread and just now we finished our nearly perfect day with Peppermint ice cream.

On days like today, I feel ridiculously blessed to have this little family as my very own.

Holiday Fun

We've had such fun, festive times lately... I think one of my New Year's Resolutions will be to come up with fun little holiday-type activities to do all the time with friends. Must we cram all of the winter fun into December?
A little gingerbread house making with a few friends. It is clear I am not going to win any gingerbread house construction prizes. But, the kids had a great time. Below is sweet, sweet Ellory, who hasn't learned how to be naughty yet, just precious.
It's 10 a.m. and I'm already deranged on sugar!

Cutie buddy Joey, baby Adrian and Carli who looks pretty even in sweats (she always promises she'll be a "hot mess" and then never delivers.) We had the honor of hosting my friend Kassia's baby shower a few weekends ago. So fun! These little tea lights out of baby food jars were the favor. I had way too much fun with the glue gun.

We went over to our cousins' house for a cupcake decorating party. yummy.

sweet, silly Grace

Eliot, the moving camera target, and a tower of wonderful cupcakes.

Now, if we could just find something sweet to eat around here...

December 10 on 10

6 am: the tree

7 a.m.: a little bit of knitting

8 a.m.: a happy little guy wakes up

9 a.m.: Sydney getting her first haircut

10 a.m.: voila! pretty hair!

11 a.m.: Michael's & Joann's goodies

12 p.m.: driving home in the cold

1 p.m.: Elias and his new favorite toy, the Kitchen Aid

2 p.m.: peppermint tea and my favorite cookie ever

3 p.m.: chubby little sleeping hands

4 p.m.: one of my favorite ornaments

(I realize it's the 11th and that I can't count today. Oh well)

chasing the christmas parade

There is a Christmas parade here in Colfax every year and every year we manage to stay uninformed about the day it will take place until the night of the parade and one of us looks out the window, sees the parade about to start and yells, "It's the Christmas parade!" and we all go screaming around, getting bundled up and finally out the door.

Well, this year I figured out the great scheduling mystery: it is the first Thursday of December. I plan on remembering that for next year. And, with two kiddos and Nick noting the parade at 6:04 (it starts at 6:00 2 blocks from our house), we nearly missed the parade altogether. We were nearly running down the street, with our kids in our arms, frantically trying to catch up the the short parade before it was over. (Sydney LOVES parades and has been asking for one since she overheard me talking to my mom about she and my grandpa going to a Veterans Day parade.)

I kept being slowed down by my giggles at how incredibly ridiculous we must look. And, Elias thought I was funny, so him giggling made me giggle even more. Good news: we caught up just before the parade took off from the Baptist Church. Sydney got candy and apples and was able to see Mr. and Mrs. Claus on the last fire truck. And, we were then in perfect position for the fireworks. (We may live in a small town, but they go all out on stuff like the Christmas parade.)

We then giggled our way home, scouting the ground for stray candy, and had our chicken dinner that was just finishing up as we huffed in the door.

Next year we plan to leisurely get dressed and walk like normal people to the parade and regain a bit of our dignity.

Thanksgiving Trip

Sydney with Aunt Sue (who Sydney called Kassy, for reasons unknown, but with great enthusiasm) and Uncle Gordon and Nick's cousins' troup of kids. Boy are they cute. I really wish they lived closer because my kids were smitten.

Elias kindly took a 3-hour nap before, during and after Thanskgiving dinner. How thoughtful of him to let his mama eat a holiday meal with two hands!

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I don't even know where to begin with my thankfuls for this year. Our little family has been so blessed and I love being a full time mommy to my two precious kiddos. Calrton Bulders is doing well, despite the economy. I have made soul friends here on the Palouse. I have a marvelous network of mommies whom I cherish. My kids are healthy and happy. I have found a place to get my hair cut 2 minutes from home (I had to stick in something silly, but important to a mom.) Oh, I could go on for a long time (if there wasn't a squirming little man in my lap and a little girl calling for me), but suffice it to say I am so very grateful this year.

first meal

After weeks of him closely watching all of the food go from plates to mouths at the dinner table, we gave Elias rice cereal for the first time last night. By the second bite, he was opening up and swishing that cereal down. I think he just may be a baby genius in the eating area. (His 18 lbs, 6 oz girth is a testament to that.) We were all so happy and proud of him and Sydney kept cheering, "Good job, buddy!" after most bites. It was kind of our evening entertainment.

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Despite my happiness that he is learning new things and doing so well, him starting to eat food that I don't directly provide makes me kind of sad. Motherhood is so weird that way. I want him to grow and be independent, but those quiet moments of nursing throughout the day are some of my most treasured times as a mama and I hate to see them fade away. For now I will focus on being so proud of my big boy eater.

Reading and Riding Together

There isn't much that makes this English teacher/mama happier
than seeing her kiddos reading together.

Sydney was too busy brushing up on her German for a photo shoot of

Elias' first time "riding big" in the stroller.