Finishing up Christmas...

So, as it grew closer to Christmas, my incessant need to bake and sew kicked in. Yes, I think I'm crazy most of the time too, so it doesn't hurt my feelings if you all share that sentiment with me. :) About a week and a half before Christmas, I decided that I should make the kids some outfits for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. I had already purchased some truly adorable outfits for one of the two days at the Holly Day market. Yet, I guess that wasn't enough in my mind. I started staying up late at night working on my projects. The first couple of nights I would crawl into bed at about midnight, thinking that I had lost all sanity for trying to do this amidst a heavy concert season and shopping. By the end of that first week, I was staying up until 3 or 4 a.m. trying to finish up projects. And, while I was exhausted and realized how ridiculous it was, I continued. It was as if I couldn't get enough. So, I continued and made Jake a pair of pajama pants and Bailey a nightgown (which I actually finished on Christmas Eve!!). I also decided to bake cookies and pies and try out a few new recipes for Christmas Eve at my mom's. Oh, and there was the night that I volunteered to be one of Santa's helpers at the Kentucky Horse Park. The three days before Christmas, I averaged about 3 hours of sleep at night. I guess I should not have been so insulted when everyone kept telling me that I looked exhausted on Christmas Eve.

It could have also been the drive to eastern Kentucky on the evening before Christmas Eve that exhausted me. Many of you might recall that the roads turned icy that day and the Interstate was closed in spots throughout central and eastern Kentucky and West Virginia. It typically takes us about 2 hours to get to my mom and dad's. On this day, it took me a little over eight hours. Yes, you read it correctly, EIGHT hours. INSANE! I was by myself with Bailey and Jake and absolutely no form of entertainment for them. I had refused them all but one toy each (which they had grown tired of before we were out of Lexington) because I knew they would get so much for Christmas and didn't want to have to pack it all back. It was the most miserable trip ever. I was a nervous wreck, tired from all of the late nights I had pulled prior to the trip, and Brad was about an hour behind me, leaving me feeling vulnerable and insecure in traveling with our kids alone. At one point, traffic actually stopped on the Interstate. It was simply too slick to move without sliding and we did nothing but sit on the road. Of course, that would be the moment that Bailey would need to go to the restroom. After about 30 minutes of sitting, hoping we could get to the next exit, I got out of the car and let Bailey pee on the side of the road. We slipped and slid until we got back into the car and waited at least another half hour before moving. I was completely frustrated. But, while sitting there, I realized that it could be much worse. I had passed at least 20 car accidents on my way. And yet, I had made it so far - only 30 miles from my parents' house - without any major problems. I could be sitting on the side of the road with injured children or worse. Instead, Brad and I met up on the next exit (Olive Hill), parked in a parking lot since we couldn't re-enter the Interstate, munched on some crackers and waited for the roads to be cleared and re-opened. Our babies slept through most of that time, giving us time to just chill out and wait without any major complaints. All we wanted to do is get home to our families, all of whom were safe and sound, happy and healthy. Despite the horrible trip and frustration, I am so thankful that we were safe and that we weren't among the many accidents that night.

Fortunately, the rest of our holiday wasn't as frustrating as that night. It was actually one of the easiest holidays we've had - not as rushed as usual. I cooked on Christmas Eve at my mom's (she had to work until 1) and we spent our evening visiting at both of my grandparents' and opening gifts with my mom, dad, brothers, Angela, and the boys. The kids had a great time - they got way too much for Christmas and really enjoyed the anticipation of Santa Claus. They went to bed at about 11 and I fell asleep with them, only to have Brad waking me up at midnight to get the Santa stuff out and ready. It was about 3 a.m. when we went to bed. At 7 a.m., they were ready to see what Santa had brought. And let me tell you, it was all worth it. They were so excited about everything... a little overwhelmed at moments, but so excited. Bailey went straight to the swimming puppy that she had made a song and dance of telling us about (which has yet to be really played with). Brad and I had used the puppy when she was being bad by telling her that Santa would not bring it if she was bad. She took a long look at the puppy, pushed her hair out of her sleepy little eyes and said, "I must have been a really good girl." Priceless. :) In their sleepiness, she and Jake walked right past the two Power Wheels Jeeps that they received (thanks to Black Friday sales). When I pointed them out, Jake jumped up in the pink Barbie jeep and Bailey jumped into the blue Hot Wheels jeep. Clearly, they were not awake. lol... We spent Christmas Day with Brad's side of the family. I really enjoyed Christmas at Kathy's this year. It usually feels like we are so rushed to get from point A to point B, but this year, we were able to relax and take our time. It was nice to really get to spend time together. And, we totally racked up. :)

In any case, the holidays were crazy busy and so much fun. We were all spoiled to death - I don't know how we made it home with everything in one trip. Brad apparently missed his calling... or maybe after moving me so many times throughout college, he got lots of practice. :)

It took me almost my entire week off to get caught up, but I don't regret a moment of it. I think that's what I always love about the holidays - the crazy hustle and bustle getting everything ready and then the total crash that is Christmas Day and the few days following. :)

Here are some of my favorites from Christmas. The tan outfits that Bailey and Jake are wearing are the ones that I made. Bailey's blue nightgown is the one I made and Jake's red pajama pants are the ones I made him. :)

Catching up...

I've neglected my writing way too long... it's going to be tough to catch up now... making me only procrastinate even more.

Here's an overview of the last month or so.

December held so many Christmas and holiday celebrations and traditions, I can barely keep track of them all. The kids had a fabulous Christmas program at day care. They did great. Bailey was our little party girl and danced and sang. She was so happy to get to sing her Jingle Bell Rock song. Jake was his typical calm self and stood on stage, staring blankly at the crowd. If I could have read his mind, I would imagine that he was saying something like, "What the heck do they have me doing now... stupid people."

Here are a couple of shots from their program:








At the Philharmonic, we have an annual Family concert for Christmas. It's so much fun - we have Ronald McDonald, tons of Christmas arts & crafts, Santa Claus, and a great holiday concert. Bailey enjoyed it a lot last year and it was great to see that both of the kids are beginning to enjoy it more and more. Jake was restless by the end of the concert, but they both did a really great job. I was a proud momma... not that that's really unusual. :)

Here are some of my favorite pics from that day:






One of my truly favorite things about the holidays is decorating the tree. Jake's truly favorite thing about me decorating the tree is that there are little round balls on the tree. The most fun thing to do with those?? Throw them, of course! And see if they bounce on hardwood floors. You can see where this is going. Yes, almost immediately, Jake took a bulb and threw it on the floor. Fortunately, when he saw it shatter, he realized that it really wasn't meant to be bounced and didn't try it a second time.

Here are some attempted shots of joint pictures in front of the tree. They were dressed to go to Bret & Cilla's Christmas party. :)










More soon!!!

Preparing for Christmas

Well, this is at least the fourth post that I've started in the past month, only to give up because there's just too much for me to write about that I just can't decide what is most important. So... I'm just going to start randomly writing, hoping that I'll catch up on the past month or so with time.

The holidays are always my favorite time of year. They are also the most busy. Between traveling, shopping, concerts, baking, cooking, wrapping, well you already know the drill. It's A LOT! But, I'm enjoying it all. The Christmas music is always blaring in the car and at the office, and sometimes in our bedroom upstairs until Jake gets tired of it, shakes his finger at me, turns off the stereo, and says, "Don't." Too cute! He's also very interested in Santa. Not that he really understands the concept... he just likes the inflatable Santa outside and the Santa in the rocking chair inside. He's slightly intimidated by them, but really likes to point at them, saying, "Santa... ho,ho,ho."

Bailey, on the other hand, totally understands the concept of Santa and is eager to give us a variety of options for Santa to bring her on Christmas morning. She's a little curious about the fact that he is constantly watching. I think it has her a little scared, but is truly helping me in getting her to behave! :) I know... it's sad that I depend on that.

I'm feeling ADD today and I just have to say... I'm SO totally excited about Christmas!!! I can't wait to see the kids' faces on Christmas morning. Mom and I spent time early on the day after Thanksgiving to get some really awesome gifts for them and I just can't wait for them to see. I'll spill the beans after Christmas! :)

The one thing that I'm a little disappointed by is that the kiddos aren't that into Christmas movies. I LOVE Christmas movies... all the classics - Rudolph, Frosty, The Santa Clause... you name it and I love it. I'm sure that with time they will grow to love these classics just like me. I hope so. :)

Making money...

For several months now, Bailey asks me why Brad and I have to go to work. My answer is always the same. I tell her about how we work so that we can have nice things, do fun things (like vacations, shopping, eating out, and going to places like Chuck E. Cheese's or the lake), and have food to eat and a place to live. She has often had various opinions about our jobs. At one point, she told a little boy at the playground that her daddy didn't have a good job and didn't make a lot of money. She proceeded to tell him that I did have a good job and made a lot of money. My, oh my, how misconstrued her perception was! Of course, I did explain to her that daddy does have a good job and that he makes a lot more money than mommy. After a lengthy conversation, I understood that the reason she thought my job was better than Brad's was because I get to spend more time with her and Jake. We thought that was pretty intelligent for a three-year old to understand!

Well, today I got to see Bailey's impression of our jobs firsthand. We were pretending - I was the little girl and Bailey was my mom. She pretended that she was at work and came home to see me and Jake. She hugged us and kissed us as she came in the room. Then, she said, "I have to sit this heavy bag down... it's got all the money I made today at work." She proceeded to act like she was heaving a huge sack of money (Santa style) and pretended to sling it on to the ground. I was trying to hide my laughter when I asked what she did at work to make all that money. Her response, as she moved her hands like she was typing, "I moved my hands as fast as I could on the computer and I made more and more money!"

I guess that's almost accurate! :)

Growing up???

I'm not sure what's going on with my little man, but I think he's decided that he's not a baby anymore. My little baby has now graduated from using his pacifier (at least for now!). No more pacifier... we lost the only one he loved and he has decided that it's just not worth it to get addicted to a different one. So... we're taking full advantage and using this to break him from it. And I should be so thrilled that he's done with it (no more searching the toy boxes, under the couches, in the drawers, under his bed, etc. for the little thing). However, instead of being really excited about it, I'm kind of sad. This means he's growing up and into the terrible twos (which I am now seeing some hints at). It also makes me curious. We forgot his beloved blankie at my mom's a few weeks ago. I'm curious to see if he rejects it because he hasn't seen it in so long. I really hope not. I love to see his little face light up when he sees the blanket on his bed! We shall see...

A few favorites

Where is the video camera when I need it? The battery is almost always dead when I actually think to grab it... and grab it soon, I must. :) The kids are doing and saying some of the cutest things most recently.

Here are a couple of my favorites... and if I can catch it on video and figure out how to get it on my computer and here, I will most certainly do so.

Jake's form of dancing is now not only a little bounce with his knees bent, but a little hop. He's figured out how to pull both feet off the ground at the same time and land. The focus it takes for him to do this is probably what makes it so adorable... he stares down at his feet as if his eyes can tell them what to do. His facial expressions and eyes seem to work in telling everyone else what to do... why not try his feet?!

Bailey is learning to sing Christmas carols. And despite the fact that her voice is not the best in the world, she is actually quite good at remembering the words! For the past few days, we have been singing Jingle Bells and You Better Watch Out (just think Will Ferrell in Elf). Much to her father's chagrin, we have enjoyed belting out the Christmas songs that I LOVE so much and have even broken out the Christmas cd a couple of times (mostly when Brad's not around). :) Jake is actually trying to sing a little too, but he usually just yells "San" (for Santa, I'm quite sure) and does his little hoppy dance.

One of the other things that Jake has been doing that is cute (and somewhat annoying) is yelling at the tv. His older sister thinks that every time a commercial with any toy, and I do mean any toy, comes on tv that she has to yell and tell us that she wants it. So, imagine. I'm in the shower and Bailey comes busting in the bathroom screaming like the world has ended. My thoughts race to Jake and what he could have possibly jumped off of... as soon as I soak the floor by swinging the door open, I hear, "I want that... I want that... I want that..." and then she fumbles her way through the description of whichever toy it is she's seen. Now that Jake has seen this happen at least 50 times a day, he jumps up and down when a commercial (any commmercial) comes on tv and yells some gargled, what I would call "Jake language" while he points at the tv. Cute... absolutely... tiring... 9 times out of ten.

One more and I'm off to bed... my mom sent me a forward yesterday where they polled children about what love is. I'm sure you might have seen the forward... it's been around for a while and I've read it a few times before getting it yesterday. As I re-read it though, there were some really great responses. So, that got me and my mom thinking and wondering what Bailey would say. So, I asked Bailey, "What is love?" And she looked at me so sweet, smiled and said, "A kiss." She turned and just kept working on her computer game. I thought it was so simple and sweet... too bad that everything in this world isn't that easy. It would be a much better place for sure!

Where did fall go??

My kids love playing outside... especially my little man. He thinks that every morning we should get up, put shoes on, and exit the back door (all after eating breakfast, of course). However, that doesn't seem to be a possibility any more. In late October, we went outside to play on the swingset, all bundled up because it was already feeling a little wintry outside. I had planned to write a blog back then about how quickly it went from the mid-70s to the low 40s and upper 30s. Despite the cool temps, I still get a daily request (or a dozen) to go outside. Here are a few pictures of my babies bundled up on their swingset from that October day.

Everybody's Wigglin'!

Thanks to our good friend Rebecca, we were able to go to the Wiggles concert tonight! The kids had an absolute blast... they were both more excited than I expected them to be. Jake's little face lit up so much when they came out to Toot Toot Chugga Chugga Big Red Car. :) He was smiling from ear to ear and clapping his hands. He kept pointing at them and then looking at me, as if to say, "Are they really here?!" Bailey was equally impressed. She thought it was fabulous, especially when they came out into the crowd. She was hoping they'd come over to us... even Jake tried to wave them down. I think Rebecca and I enjoyed it as much as the kids did! We took a ton of pictures, but only a few of mine were focused... some only had a portion of the kids' faces. It's hard to take pics close up, especially with one on our lap! :)

Here are a few of the pictures from the night... the other child in the photos is Rebecca's little boy and one of Jake's very best friends, Joseph.

Halloween

I will never forget the Halloween that I celebrated the first year that I was with Brad. Colt was just a little boy, I guess he was only 8 years old (yes, time flies). Brad helped me and mom get Colt all dressed up as some scary monster thing and Brad painted his face. It was cute... his face and the fact that Brad painted it. And, Brad shared one of his memories from his childhood with us on that day... he told me about a time he could remember his dad painting his face for Halloween when he was a little boy. And, his eyes were shining as he remembered it. I guess that's when I knew that Halloween would have to be special for our family.

Well, we didn't paint the kids' faces (they are a little young for that) and we didn't do anything majorly different than most people. We carved pumpkins - Brad is a total pro at using the carving kits to make creative pumpkins. We trick-or-treated in our neighborhood, identified the candy that we would steal from the kids and eat once they were asleep, and enjoyed watching them learn about a holiday of bumming candy from your neighbors. But, it was special nonetheless. I am sure there will be many years of overly extravagant painted faces, scary scenes in the yard, and pranks that we wish our kids wouldn't play a part in. For now, we are satisfied with our two little ones being hopped up on sugar and crashing shortly after that! :)

The kids really enjoyed the act of trick-or-treating. Jake was a little hesitant at first. He wasn't really sure what we were doing... but he shortly figured out that he was getting candy by walking up to people's front doors and was not interested in being contained to a stroller while his sister got all the treats. So, he made his little way, all on his own, to many homes in our neighborhood, charming all the older women with his sweet little smile and grunty "Dank ew (thank you)." Bailey is still wondering when we can go again, because it really is fun to go and get tons of free candy from your neighbors. She often asks if we can go to their house again for more candy. :)

Here are a few of our favorite pics of our little butterfly and monkey.

Apologetically...

Sorry it's been a while since my last blog... I have now been contacted by at least three concerned friends, checking in to make sure that I'm OK. I guess that's a sign that I definitely need to catch up on my blogs! I can't believe that it's been a few weeks! Needless to say, it's been busy and I guess that's why I haven't taken the time to write. Good thing about this is that I started this blog to record all the precious things about my kids - the funny things they do and say - so that I can remember it when I'm older. Sadly, if you all weren't pressuring me to continue writing, I probably wouldn't. So... make sure you remind me when it's been a while! :)

And I'm even more sorry that now that you have me on here, you might get more blogs than you ever wanted. :)