Christmas Day!

There are too many pictures to choose from, but here are a few from Christmas morning.

The "stocking shoes" (stockings, in Zacharese) were fun because the kids had poked at them (empty) for a few days. So when Christmas morning came, they were pretty excited to see what surprises were inside. A few days before Christmas, Zachary asked me where Panda's stocking was. So, I quickly found a perfect stocking for Panda and filled it with Panda stickers & such.

Mimi got Allie some very fun fluffy girlie stuff!

Zachary got lots of pjs, which are his very favorite thing in the world. He made several clothing changes throughout the morning.

I love this picture of the kids with Aunt Meredith & Uncle Jason.

Christmas Eve

We had a fun Christmas Eve day. It was so cold (but no snow!), and we decided to go ice skating. We weren't sure if Zachary would be willing to actually try it, but he seemed excited about going. When we got there, he was a little hesitant because of the noise and all the people, but eventually agreed to put the skates on.
After a short while, he decided he was ready to get on the ice. He did SO well! He even said he wanted to let go of our hands a few times. It was really fun to see him enjoy himself!

Little Allie stayed with Mimi & Grandad and had a cute little time running around and watching us.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

At least he's self-aware

I usually stand back & let the kids resolve their disputes...even if it looks a little ugly for a minute. While they both have different conflict-resolution styles, it seems they do have the ability to resolve even the most complex little battles.
As small as Allie is, she can handle herself just fine. And Zachary's tender heart keeps him from bullying her too much...and sometimes giving her the win.
So, the other day, they were really duking it out and Zachary got frustrated. He threw himself down and yelled, "Mommy, I think I need to throw a fit!"
To which I said, "Alright, you know where to go..."
He walked right to our little "time out" spot and proceeded to throw a giant, aggressive hissy-fit. After a few grunts & yells and some strange-looking writhing on the floor, he stood up, took a deep breath, and went back to the play room as if nothing had happened.

Christmas Party

Zachary had his preschool Christmas party last week. He attends school 3 mornings a week and I was SO glad my classes were over so that I could be at his party. His teacher, Ms. Lee-Anna, is wonderful and we are so blessed to have him in her class. The kids made their sweatshirts a few days before the party. The shirts have green hand prints in the shape of a wreath.
At the party, the children decorated a Christmas snowflake, as well as their snack cookies.

Daddy helped him decorate the snowflake.

Allie tagged along as well. Somehow, she was able to con her way into a free snack & juice box.

The children read the Christmas story after their craft time and then they exchanged books as gifts for each other. It was really sweet.

This is his teacher and all his little friends. Zachary says, "Mommy, I love Ms. Lee-Anna." I am so thankful he has such a great teacher!

Theological Questions

Tonight we had a special musical concert at our church. We brought Zachary to the service so he could enjoy the musical instruments & singing. He was really interested in the guitars (regular and electric!).
At the very beginning of the service, there were a few baptisms, which he has never seen. Oh how I loved his questions about it -

"Mommy, why is there a bathtub in the church?"

"Why did the children wear white dresses in the bathtub?"

"How did they get up to the bathtub?"

"I don't think I want to do that [be baptized] when I grow up. Maybe I'll just let Panda do it and I'll sit on the edge and cheer for him."

Christmas Musical

Zachary's preschool Christmas concert was last night. It as so fun to watch Zachary. We haven't figured out how to do the video uploads on this new computer, so poor-quality pictures will have to suffice. Sorry they are terrible. My camera is acting very strange lately. Probably overworked.
Anyway, Zachary is on the top row, in between 2 boys. He picked out his outfit and was so proud & so handsome. I love this kid.

Here he is with his two friends, Steele & Emma ("...not the regular Emma...a different one, Mommy").

Allie & Grammy were cheering for Zach, along with Panda & Kitty. At one point, Zachary leaned over to Steele, pointed at all of us & said, "There's my Mommy, Daddy, baby Allie, Grammy & Grandpa & Panda." It was so sweet!

I thought this interaction was so cute. Little ones...

Funny from Zachary

"If I keep eating this macaroni & cheese, my belly will get so full like Aunt Jen's."

'Tis the season for festive parties

We had our first 2 Christmas parties this weekend. Todd's company sponsored a fun party at a Medieval Times dinner & show. The kids were so cute. (Oh...You may notice that Panda has clothes now. For Christmas, Grammy Claire made him a few really cute capes and Zachary LOVES them for Panda. SO FUN!)

Todd's client, who is also Santa during December, actually got Zach to sit on his lap. We were really surprised Zachary decided to do this. Allie, however, wouldn't even consider it.

She looks super cute, though...doesn't she?

Because we'd heard that the show was super loud, we found some ear plugs for Zachary. He doesn't enjoy loud noise....

...And spent a good 30 minutes like this:

Allie wasn't bothered by the noise, the people or the darkness. She enjoyed the show. More proof that kids are born with unique temperaments.

After some convincing, Zachary finally realized it was ok...and he started clapping & laughing. He REALLY enjoyed the part where the Falcon flew all over the place.

The kids also got to fly some flags, which were a huge hit.

Like Momma

Allie loves to put anyone & everyone's shoes on her feet. She is so funny. She'll change shoes many times in a day and just walk around in them, telling you whose shoes they are. "Daddy shoooosss," "Mommy, shooooossss..." etc... SO cute. I honestly think she can walk in these dress shoes better than I can!

I just can't help myself

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Healthy Coping Skills are Learned

Recent exchange between Zach & Allie:

Allie crying angrily & writhing around on the floor after being redirected.

Zachary: "Allie, it's ok, you don't have to cry."

Allie arching her back & continuing to cry.

Zachary: "Allie, do you want your blankie? That will help you feel better." Zachary goes & gets her blankie.

Allie kicking her feet & continuing to cry until he returns.

Zachary: "Allie, here's your blankie. Put your thumb in your mouth & hold your blankie."

Allie sits up, sucks her thumb & holds her blankie to her cheek. Crying subsides.

Zachary: "Allie, if you take deep breaths it will help you feel better when you're crying."

Allie pops her thumb out of her mouth and starts taking loud exaggerated breaths, her cheeks still pink & blotchy from crying.

Zachary: "There you go. See, now you feel better."

A Trip to Bethlehem

I have been very busy working on my favorite preschool activity at our church. It is called "The Road to Bethlehem" and it is a tactile experience for little children as they conceptualize what Bethlehem was like on the night of Jesus' birth. I LOVE this idea and have enjoyed the many hours of work that goes into an event like this. Here are my sweet little ones enjoying the final product!!
Zachary was a wiseman:

Allie was a shepherd:

Here they are kneading dough at the "Bread of Life" bakery:

Listening to stories at Simeon's fire pit:

Washing baby Jesus, wrapping him in swaddling clothes & laying him in the manger:

Zachary & Emma having fun together:

Playing musical instruments to celebrate Jesus' birth:

The kids really enjoyed the well of living water:

It was a fun morning. Zachary kept asking if we could go back to "The Bethlehem Party" when we finally got home.

The Tree

We ventured out to our favorite Christmas tree farm and enjoyed a cold, but super sunny day that included a really nice hay ride:

Zachary really pushed the cart with our tree on it! I love that he assumes he's grown & capable.

Allie got into the tree decorating big time. She was very specific about where she wanted her ornaments. If I suggested a different limb, she'd say, "no, no!" and nod her cute little head. She'd also say, "Daddy, holp me!" (yes, that's "help me" in Allie talk) when her ornament wouldn't stay in place. She loved it! I have a feeling she'll be "redecorating" the bottom third of the tree many times between now & Christmas.

Zachary enjoyed himself too. Most of his ornaments were all in one section. He & I had such a busy day working on several different projects (pictures coming soon). I really enjoy having him along to help and he loves it. My favorite thing is when he says, "Mommy, thank you for helping me today." He assumes the projects are his and I'm just along to help out. I love it!