Saturday Night Fun!

Greensboro is home to the US Figure Skating Championship this next week. We know very little about ice skating, but do know this is a big deal. We thought this would be something Anna would enjoy and learned that practices were open to the public and free. The second part was all it took to get us there. We arrived as the Novice Pairs were practicing. Both our children were enthralled as you can tell from the pictures above. The music was upbeat and both sat entertained. Our next form of entertainment came when the Zamboni resurfaced the ice and then the arrival of good friends. Anna and Grayson sat for only a short bit and then worked on their own ice skating skills. Not only was the event free, but was ideal for two excited little girls to move around and have fun together. Aiden eventually escaped the stroller and made his way around as well. A fun evening was had by all.

Laundry Queen...

Often Kevin will refer to me as the Laundry Queen. I just might be giving up my reign to our three-year-old daughter. Although, we have a laundry room, my usual procedure with laundry is to take it into the den to one particular chair and fold it. I then sort it into piles by person. Thus, I can be with the children while I am folding laundry and also the piles usually get put up much quicker as they are visible. Anna has been helping me fold laundry for a while. Over the past several weeks she has really mastered folding washcloths. She has worked diligently to learn to fold them. This morning I took the laundry out of the dryer, but was in the middle of setting-up some morning activities or "school" as Anna refers to it for us to do together. Anna said she would fold the laundry. She called me in when she was done. This is what I found....

Three piles (and an accumulated stack of dryer sheets)

Aiden's pile (changing pad covers, onesies, etc) and a pile of towels/washcloths for the bathroom. I did happen to see her folding the large bath towel. She stretched it out on the den floor and then proceeded to fold it.

Anna's pile...PJs and washcloths. I will note that all these things are much easier for her to fold over a stack of clothes.

But still...a girl after my own heart!

Cookie Monster

Yesterday morning, Anna and Aiden were playing with the doll house in Anna's room. Since they were playing so nicely, I headed to put a few things away in our bedroom. After a short bit (only minutes), I called to Anna as her bedroom seemed a bit quiet for two little ones. My assumption was right, Aiden was no longer with Anna. I quickly looked around as there was no noise coming from any of the other rooms. When I headed into the kitchen this is what I found...

Box open. Plastic bag pulled out and open. Hand in the bag. Mouth full and Wheat Thin drool all down the PJs. Oh the foods this one has tasted WAY before his older sister ever did. Thank goodness they were the reduced fat ones. ;) Maybe this is why we have such a picky eater on our hands. The love of carbohydrates has started early. A word he learned early on was "waf waf," which is for waffle. Every morning this is the first thing Aiden says when he enters the kitchen. All breads, crackers and yes, even Wheat Thins are also known as "waf waf."

Later in the afternoon, this is where I found the little man. He had climbed up to the table and was stirring up a pretend treat in his cups and then feeding himself. I guess since the Wheat Thins were put away, he had to settle for his imagination. He did this for a good long while. Maybe he is ready to begin using a spoon to feed himself real food!

Oh those fingers....

One day this week both Anna and Aiden were ready for their naps before normal. Both of them headed to their rooms on their own. Anna of course is able to get in her bed by herself, but as I was putting away laundry I put Aiden in his crib to rest until I could get my hands free to close the blinds, turn on the sound machine, etc. When I walked past their rooms with more laundry this is what I saw....

What you probably can't see is that with their other hand they are gently pulling and rubbing on their sheets. Both of them. However, opposite hands. So funny to me and so soothing to them.

White Christmas!

There are too many Christmas Day pictures to sort through quickly, but here are pictures from our day today. We had a blast in the snow, but Aiden rarely showed any expression-good or bad. However, he didn't want to come inside and seemed content in the snow. His biggest smile came when he fell off the sled and his "boot shoe," as Anna refers to it, fell off. Anna on the other hand smiled the entire time. This year she was even able to carry her own sled back up the hill. She made snow angels and a huge snowman.

Merry Christmas!

Or as we like to say in our house, "Happy Birthday Jesus." All day there were reminders of Jesus and his birth. When Anna woke this morning she shared with me that she had slept for a long time and rattled off a few details for the morning and getting ready. Her last words were..."then we can get ready for Jesus' birthday cake, deal?!" Any time Anna was asked what she received today, she would respond..."I got ____ for Jesus' birthday." We started our morning unwrapping the very last ornament under our Jesse Tree and ended it singing "O Holy Night" in front of our lit Christmas tree. It was a celebration indeed! Happy Birthday Jesus!

Here is our Christmas card photo for this year.

And here is a picture from last night after the Christmas Eve service.

Merry Christmas!

One last gift...

We are once again doing a Jesse Tree with Anna. It has surely been the highlight of each evening in our house for our sweet girl. Every night as Anna takes one of the ornaments from under the tree to unwrap, she sits with eyes glowing and says to both Kevin and myself..."you're going to be excited" as she bounces with joy. Each night those words are uttered and each night she is just as excited as the night before. We have been unwrapping His love for us each night as we have been reminded of God's faithfulness throughout time in the coming of a Savior. As I headed to bed tonight I couldn't help but notice only one ornament remained. Only one gift to be opened. It would be easy to forget this gift tomorrow with all the big packages under our "big tree" as Anna calls it, but this small package under our "little tree" is the most important gift of all. It is why we celebrate. Tomorrow's ornament is the baby Jesus. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 It is why we are getting excited in our house. We can't wait to celebrate Jesus' birth. Oh how easy it is to forget. Merry Christmas.

Where is Aiden?

I can't find him anywhere.

Is that an arm and head I see peeking through?

Oh, there you are!

And all smiles too!