Kids Play Chase

John and Mary love to play chase in the den. This video catches the tail end of an episode, after they were already pretty winded. Cute nonetheless.

Chocolate Is the Best

Mary is her mother's daughter in loving chocolate ice cream best. Last night the kids and I sat down for dessert. John will eat only chocolate ice cream, so I scooped his. I eat chocolate almost exclusively, but had bought Wal-Mart's All Natural Blueberry Pomegranate ice cream to try (and it was, by the way, fantastic). I scooped some for myself and a little bowl for Mary. While I was scooping our ice cream, John reached over and fed Mary a spoonful of chocolate before I could stop him. But he did it gently, so I didn't scold him.

I sat down with the blueberry ice cream and fed a spoonful to Mary, which she promptly spit out. Then she began signing vigorously MORE MORE MORE, followed by pointing sharply toward John's ice cream, then MORE MORE MORE again. She wanted chocolate! I couldn't induce her to eat any more blueberry ice cream and, in fact, she wouldn't let me feed her after that, even when I got her chocolate ice cream. She would let only John feed her!

Christmas Day 2009

This was the first year John had much of a clue about Christmas happenings. When he woke up (late, from sleeping in after attending Midnight Mass), we told him there were presents downstairs under the Christmas tree. He scampered down, pausing to kiss the Baby Jesus doll and put him finally in the manger of the nativity scene.

A new fireman's hat (after the last two broke)!

Mary discovering candy canes

Wal-Mart had a pair of real measuring tapes--one big, one miniature--on sale for three dollars! Now John can have his own and won't always be asking for Daddy's measuring tape, which he then loses and Daddy can't find when he needs it.

When John was 12 months old at Christmas, he participated in opening gifts, albeit slowly. Miss Mary didn't care about opening gifts and did not participate--maybe because there was so much activity around her, she could just race from one person to another, seeing what they were doing.

Mary treasured those candy canes.

No sooner would we take one away (because it had shattered and become chokable) that she'd find another one somewhere.

After opening stockings and a few gifts, we paused for breakfast. I served store-bought cinnamon rolls and Amish breakfast casserole (which I highly recommend--be sure to fry the bacon before mixing it in) (and plain toast for John, of course).

For this special occasion, I let the children drink out of their silver cups, which they thought was fantastic. (And I gave Mary one of my silver cups, which reminded me that she doesn't have her own yet.)

Pausing the gift-opening to play

Thanks for the AquaDoodle, Aunt Beezee!

The xylophone was a big hit. Thanks Grandpa!

For dinner I served balsamic vinnaigrette chicken with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese, lentil-and-brocolli quiche (I won't repeat that recipe), and mashed potatoes (and for John--boxed macaroni and cheese, of course). Afterward I served a birthday cake for Jesus. I know that sometimes these mothers' blog posts (mine and others) make the home life look idyllic. We moms should always remember that no home life is idyllic. For example, after I worked hard all day, and specifically after I went to all that effort to bake a birthday cake for Jesus, to give a bold visual cue to my three-year-old that today was about Jesus' birthday, he chanted, "I don't like cake! I don't like cake!" And I shouldn't care that my weird little boy doesn't like cake (I've finally recognized that he really doesn't), but I almost burst into tears because I went to effort just for him and he rejected it. Instead, I sucked it up, reminded him calmly that he wasn't speaking politely, and told him he could say, "I don't prefer cake" and have ice cream instead (which he did).

All in all, it was a successful and enjoyable Christmas Day!

Snow in Boone

On Sunday after Mass we spontaneously decided to take the kids to see snow in Boone, NC. (When we got there, we met a family from Florida that was seeing snow for the first time in their lives, which was so fun.)

We found a greenway that was a good spot for snow play.

The kids had fun but were not entirely sure about sledding.

Worried expressions!

Triumph!

The best "snow gear" I could put together with a half hour's notice

When Mary would fall down, she wouldn't cry out, but would just hold still like this until help arrived.

Enjoying dinner in dry clothing on our drive home

Watching the World Go By

Siblings at the window, commenting on squirrels, birds, and, as always, the goings-on of our very nice neighbors Mr. and Mrs. R----

Climbing New Mountains

Mary has learned how to climb and descend the train table by herself.

Victory!

A trip to Costco always results in fun boxes, like this one which both children have been using as a car.

Mary's First Fudgesicle

Brother John was eating a Fudgesicle and Mary stomped around the kitchen shrieking until Daddy gave her her own Fudgesicle.

Kids in laundry baskets

Sunday in Atlanta

On Sunday, because we were dressed nicely for Mass, I tried once again to stage family photos for Christmas cards, to no avail. These are the "best" . . .

The drive home was a bit rough concerning the children, but we survived it!

Saturday in Atlanta

On Saturday we drove the two-and-a-half hours South to visit Uncle Steve and Aunt Star.

Before leaving town, we toured the Air Force museum which, according to my Air Force colonel father-in-law, is one of the best in the country.

Three generations

The drive home was rough with creeping coming-home-from-Thanksgiving-travels traffic much of the way. The children slept some, but they also cried, shrieked, and complained quite a bit.

Friday in Atlanta

On Friday we had the pleasure of visiting the children's godparents, who hosted a beautiful lunch at their home. Afterward, Chris gave me the gift of dropping me off at one of my favorite Catholic bookstores and keeping the children in the car, so I could shop in peace!

In the evening, the children were entertained by Pop-Pops playing his accordion.