Christmas 2019

Well that was a long blog hiatus! I took an unintentional break from my blog and tried to just enjoy the Christmas month. And to be honest, once my kids were off from school I was basically a human ping-pong ball, trying to take care of them and get ready for Christmas. Nothing else fit in to my schedule.

On Christmas Eve we attended church. Somebody was being a little grump! And yes, he is wearing slippers. Somehow we could only find one shoe once we got to church.

Afterwards we did the traditional drive around town looking for dinner. (My brother's birthday is Christmas Eve, and I have many memories of looking for dinner and settling on Chinese food because it was the only thing open.) Thank goodness In-N-Out was still open after church this year!

At home we settled on the floor by the tree and watched a beautiful video rendition of Jesus' birth.

 Christmas morning!!!

 We had the kids open their stockings one at a time.

 Youngest to oldest.

 Action shot, of course.

 Santa always brings some fun stocking stuffers!

Oh my goodness, so many presents! That big red Santa bag in the front contained a bunch of new board games/card games for the kids. We've been playing them all week.

 Pausing to enjoy her new Squashmallow pillow.

 Andrew got some zoo animals, so everyone had to play.

 Praise Jesus for hockey!

 My parents stopped by later in the morning while the kids opened presents from them.

 My Dad, the photographer.

I discovered something new about Ryan this year. We let the kids do a secret-santa gift exchange (he picked Andrew's name). Ryan was SO into it. He was the first to pick out his present. And every time we went to the store he wanted to spend his money on gifts for other people. I think Ryan really enjoys giving gifts. He was excited for me to open this big box from all of them (a new entryway light!)

Ryan got a cool inflatable chair for his room.

Lucas is holding his new "stress man" that he is supposed to squeeze when he gets angry.

Jenna is in love with her very first Polly Pockets!

The kids' big gifts this year were outdoor toys. Jenna got an adorable bike, complete with a basket and streamers.

 Ryan got his first skateboard.

 Lucas also got a new bike because his old one was way too small.

 And Andrew got a scooter! Although I must say, he has been complaining a lot about it not being fast enough. He tries to keep up with his big siblings but he just can't.

 Out front we tried out our new rides.

 Adam had to show off his skills. Not bad for an old guy!

 Grandma Jan came by that afternoon to open up her new outdoor electric BBQ.

 Then we all went to my sister's house.

My sister got me an Instant Pot! What do I do with it!!?

 A rare quiet moment, reflecting on his Christmas.

 Our Christmas night ended with a joyful noise of the tambourine. Merry Christmas to all!

Shades of His Brothers

Andrew's behavior lately is, well, shades of his brothers. He is by far the busiest toddler we have had!

He reminds me a LOT of Ryan and Lucas when they were toddlers.

Nothing holds his attention for very long...unless of course it's naughty. He can spend 30 solid minutes peeling stickers and placing them all around the house.

 He enjoys pulling floss out of its container, as well as rolling out rolls of toilet paper.

And the climbing! He can scale the kitchen cabinets and be sitting next to the knife block in a matter of seconds. Leave him alone in a room and he will empty all the drawers, bookshelves, or art supplies in a matter of minutes.

One of our current nicknames for him is "little disaster". Andrew seriously reminds me so much of Ryan and Lucas at this age. I literally cannot keep up with the messes he makes. I leave the room for a minute and come back to all the napkins thrown on the floor and an Andrew on the dining room table scribbling with markers. I use the bathroom and when I come out he has put glue in his hair and then dumped all the toothbrushes in the sink.

Shades of his brothers, I tell you. He jumps from one messy activity to the next, destroying things in his path. I had a break from this type of behavior for a while with Jenna, because she has always been more calm and focused. But my boys.....whew! They're definitely keeping me busy.

A Love of Reading

I have always loved reading and I have always wanted the same for my children. Unfortunately, some of my kids (the boys) have not yet developed a love for reading. Quite a few people have told me that it's just "a boy thing" to not enjoy reading. They have a harder time sitting still and paying attention than most girls I know. While I think there may be some truth to this, I am bound and determined to do everything I can to foster a love of reading in my boys. It may never be their favorite thing, but if I can help them discover the joy that comes from reading a really good book, then I think I will have succeeded. 

I recently read the book "The Read-Aloud Family" by Sarah Mackenzie. Yes, I read a book about reading books. It was so good and full of excellent points. The book basically helped to remind me why reading aloud to your kids is SO important. It helps them become more likely to pick up a book and read it for themselves. It bonds you as a family. It expands their vocabulary. It helps to develop inside-jokes and memories within your family. It helps them to become better writers. It increases academic success, inspires compassion, and even develops an inner strength for handling conflicts. All from reading books!

Now, Jenna loves reading and she is quite patient when being read to. She sits quietly and asks very thoughtful questions. She will let me read to her at any point during the day. My boys, on the other hand, just don't enjoy reading on their own. (Unless you count Dog Man??) When I met recently with their teachers for school conferences, I was once again told how bright and intelligent they are when it comes to math, but that their reading and comprehension skills could use some work. When I asked how much time the students spend reading their books during the day, she answered "10 minutes". I was saddened by this answer. I think reading is such a powerful tool for a child to develop. (And if I'm being honest, I think reading with your kids is often more valuable than homework worksheets).

So I have decided it is my job to cultivate that desire to read in my boys. While they don't yet love reading alone, they do enjoy being read aloud to. So we started a new routine a couple months ago, and so far so good! I have started compiling a list of books I want to read to my boys. Every night either I or Adam spend about 20 minutes reading a chapter book to them. Last month Adam read the 3 Musketeers and the Count of Monte Cristo, and just yesterday I finished reading the book "Frindle". (I thought it was a little boring but my boys both said they liked it). This week Adam will begin reading The Swiss Family Robinson to them, and I plan on reading Matilda once they're done. Books make me happy, and I have quite a growing list of books I want to introduce to them!

I have realized I have to be very intentional about the books I choose for my boys to read. If it doesn't grab their attention right away, they will get bored very quickly. My boys love books that are goofy and silly, but they also enjoy adventure, mystery, and characters that they can relate to. Magic Tree House books used to be a favorite, but I found them to become repetitive and predictable. I have been compiling a list of books I want to read to my kids, and I am including both modern and classic stories. On my list of books I want to read specifically to my boys: Farmer Boy, James and the Giant Peach, Boxcar Children, Mr. Popper's Penguins, The Trumpet Swan, Nate the Great, Tales of Olga Da Polga, Indian in the Cupboard, The BFG.

What do your kids like to read? Do you have any specific recommendations for books that appeal to rowdy boys?

Thanksgiving 2019

Thanksgiving 2019 was a great one! Adam's brother and family arrived late Wednesday night and settled in with us for a couple days.

In preparation for Thanksgiving I brined our turkey. It was all going well until I tried to pour the brine liquid into the bag over the turkey. I got about half the liquid in when the corner of the bag dipped down and tons of brine liquid went all over me, the floor, inside my drawers, the countertop, under the sink......it was a sad mess. I recovered from the trauma and sanitized the kitchen, and come Thanksgiving day we had a nicely brined turkey ready to BBQ.

 Aren't they a couple of cute 12 year olds?

 My Mom with Ryan.

My parents and my sister's family came over to enjoy the feast. The only person we were missing was Grandma Jan.

 Turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, cranberry sauce, green beans, stuffing, sweet potatoes.....am I missing anything?

Somehow we fit all 21 people in our house. It was especially nice to see Samantha and Josh because I don't get to see my adult niece and nephew much these days.

 We can't wait to meet our new niece sometime this month!

 These two girls are always together.

Dessert time! We had 3 kinds of pie as well as some Fall cookies. Everything was so delicious and I now have a new appreciation for my Mom's favorite pie, Pecan Pie.

 The kids ended the night by making a gingerbread turkey.

What a nice Thanksgiving we had. So much to be thankful for as we approach the end of 2019.