What's Up, Chuck?

All these many new toys to play with, and still, we're reaching for the old ones?

We've got nothing better to do than harass Chuck?

And tape our mouths shut?

Even Prince Charles seems bored with it all.

I love the guilty feet in the background there.

Well, the tape actually WAS a Christmas present, now that I think of it.

That's right- Evan asks for things like tape refills, crayons, paper, glue for Christmas- he has to keep his teaching supplies in stock.  He wants to be a teacher when he grows up but wasn't sure if boys could be teachers, he told me.  I told him of course they could, and not only do people teach grade school, but they teach grown-ups, as well... we need all kinds of teachers.  And Uncle Ryan is going to be a teacher.  (To all of this information he let out a contented sigh of relief, and went on to add chalk to his wish list.)          

Don't worry, Chuck.  They'll be back in school next week.  Well, two of them...

Jack, Last January

DANG, he's grown a lot in one year.

Right now, he's chasing his sister and two of her friends around the house in his diaper, trying to steal their jewelry-box full of make-up.

He thinks he's as old as they are and keeps leaning into their faces, "here I am!" And then they all scream and scatter.

He tells people in stores, "My name is Jack Don-na." I had no idea he was even aware of his last name.

He knows his way around town. He will point down certain roads and ask for the soccer field or park or Chuck E Cheese. The other kids can't understand how he knows where we are, because he has a better sense of direction than they do... and another certain unnamed person in our home.

He has become an absolute DELIGHT. I never thought I would be able to honestly say that about him because he had such a rough year from 1-2. Two was like this magical turning point.

He has a happy outlook most of the time now, he gets over his fits much quicker, especially if you remind him to have a happy heart. He is talking and TALKING and talking. I warm over his voice every day all day because it's so CUTE right now, the sentences he says, the inflection he uses, and how he pronounces things.

I LOVE age two. I think this might be my favorite age and the reason I'm pregnant again... (well, that and spending time with Abigail at the beach.)

I've heard of "the terrible two's" but I have yet to experience them!! Two has been my children's most charming age- all three of them. Evan was hard (an understatement) at age three, and Jack from 1 up until 2. But 2-3 is the most enchanting time.

I mean, that really is the best word for it. Enchanting. Rewarding. Smiles and giggles and humor and- like I said- the things they say and the way they say them!

Jack has a particularly cute way of using his cheeks and holding his words in his cheeks like a cartoon duckling.

And like Madalyn, he has such ENTHUSIASM for life.

He L-O-V-E-D Christmas lights this year. We drove around one night and everyone squealed but no one as loud as he did. "LOOK OUT MY WINDOW, GUYS! OOOH, WOW, LOOK!!!!"

He even got excited over brake lights.

There is absolutely no joy in the world like experiencing things through the eyes of your children. It's like you get to live life over again. Only everything is brighter, softer, richer, fuller. And to think God feels this way about me.

January, a year ago

It only took me a year to get to these.

Rolling Stones fan?

Right now she's napping.  She doesn't usually nap anymore but she had bags under her eyes from too many sleepovers with Evan.

I feel bad for her because last night Evan had a fever and I had to cancel three of her friends coming over today... then the fever left after one dose of Tylenol and Evan got an invitation to Beloved's for the afternoon, so now she's here alone.  How backwards is that? 

NO FAIR!  But-  Her friends will come tomorrow.  And she had a good morning with me, and was promised a tea party upon waking this afternoon.  In her princess tea set.  With REAL tea.  And cookies.  And crackers and cheese.  And dress-up clothes... (can you tell she was milking my guilt for all it was worth?)

 

This morning we played Barbie's and hospital.  I was the patient and lay half awake (literally- this is a great game because I can catch a nap while we play it,) while she poked and prodded me and moved my sheets and lay pillows over my head.  At one point I had a thermometer sticking out of my mouth and another out of my armpit.  And I'm pretty sure my teeth were examined with Barbie's plastic camera.  She's very thorough.  And bossy.

This is her typical drama face when she knows she has a crowd... she inhales deeply like this and bulges her eyes...

Then she exhales and suppresses a pleased smile.

She may be a girly girl, but she likes her sticks now and then, too.

It's now occurring to me just HOW many pictures I have where she's waving a stick at my head.

What is that about?  A not-so-subliminal message to stop taking pictures?  No, she ASKS to have pictures done and whines when it's over.  I think this is her way of flirting and showing off.  We will have to polish that a little over the years.

This is one of my favorites I came across... angelic, I think, and this is such a sincere expression of hers.

I swear I don't put lipstick on her (at least not for pictures, only for dress-up,) but her lips just photograph like this- they are so RED and shiny.  Natural make-up.  I'm so jealous.

And at last she loses the stick.  Tosses it into the pond, and we call it a wrap. 

Twas the Day Before Christmas...

Not too shabby a decorating job, eh?  It's amazing what a difference a year makes with their decorating skills and attention span.

Evan and Madalyn worked so hard to finish every last cookie with care.       

They didn't even ask to eat one till there were only 5 left to decorate... and we decorated 6 plates of these suckers.  Tollhouse makes the BEST prepared gingerbread dough, by the way.  I will never make it the long way again because it couldn't possibly taste as good as these.  It was that good.  And so is the powdered-sugar sugar cookie icing we use every year, that we do make by hand... MMMM.  Powdered sugar, milk, almond extract, and just a pinch of cornstarch.

Jack did a really great job decorating a Christmas tree cookie.  Green icing, green sprinkles, and red hots... it really looked good!  But after making and eating that one, he moved on to the sink...

And there he remained for the rest of the evening.  Dish boy. 

(Evan carefully icing a tree.)

(Madalyn's symmetrical red hot trimmings.)

Charlie made sure to position himself directly under their chairs for scraps... he was glittering red and green when the night was done.

This is our tree.  Don't comment about the bare spots... this is another story for another day...

Then they played in the shower and Jack started a loud and lively round of "Jingle Bells" with the others (his current favorite Christmas song) and then they cuddled up on the couch to watch The Grinch, the cartoon version.  The Jim Carey version scares them a little.  (Don't blame 'em.)

They sit like this all by themselves.  Jack climbed right into Evan's lap and Evan was/ is always a willing recipient.  What a brother.

Last night I wrapped their gifts from us.  Didn't want to do that too far in advance, lest they be tempted to peek- or OPEN them, (if we're talking about Jack.)  Today we cook and bake.  And cook and bake some more... squash casserole, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole... sugar cookies, peanut butter cookies... mom brings the ham and salad and something chocolate tomorrow afternoon... we'll spend the first part of Christmas as a family and eat cinnamon rolls... I really wanted to try PW's cinnamon rolls but I decided I had to be realistic about all of the cooking and cut myself off somewhere... there's always another weekend for those babies.

Tonight we're gonna try a new cheese soup recipe in bread bowls.  A friend of a friend said they do that every Christmas Eve and I liked that idea.  Then we're going to read the Christmas story in the Bible (we've been reading kid versions of this all season and talking a lot about it, but I want to read the "real thing,") and some other books and THEN, we're going to have a long talk about taking care of our things, and how not to run into the living room before mommy and daddy come get them...  HA!

We hope you all have a wonderful, wonderful Christmas...  

and abundant JOY in Him!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours-