2010

As this year comes to a close and all my friends are posting about reflecting and what the new year brings, I sit back and think about all that has changed this year. Every year I have one goal, This year it was to be happier and healthier. I feel I achieved this in so many ways. I don't feel I have ever had one year that has held so much personal growth.

To reflect on some of the many things that highlighted this past year. I see so much growth in my kids.

C.J. has totally developed a more grown up personality. He tried basketball this year for the first time, his motor skills and social skills are way more defined. He started preschool and I really noticed his responsibility level grow, as his ability to adapt to new situations. His speech has really improved. he can now zip up his jackets and buckle his seat belt. i could go on and on.

Jasey is almost two, she has way more hair and is talking up a storm. her personality is also changing and developing every day. Her likes and dislikes are more pronounced. Her fine motor skills are developing and she has taken a love to coloring. You can see her test her free will, the closer she gets to two. I can see a huge difference in her problem solving skills.

I wonder what this next year will hold for us. I know I will spend probably every year trying to make it more meaningful then the last. Trying to be a better person, parent and wife.

Christmas Day!

Real Life Santa!

On Christmas eve, we were sitting in the living room. When what should we hear, but sleigh bells. They got closer and closer. Suddenly we heard a Ho Hoing... C.J. ran to the door and threw it open, what to our wondering eyes should appear? Santa! He came by early to say hello, to give the kids a gift and warn them to fall asleep fast so he could come back with more presents!

Christmas with us!

EXPLANATION: Many of our pictures show a blue blanket hanging in the background. It is be cause that entry way leads to the playroom. Which we were redoing and in the middle of redoing it I trashed all the curtains to three very big windows. Before I could buy new curtains, our dogs tore up the kitchen floor and we needed to redo that first, however, I didn't want every one to be able to look into my house. Thus, the blanket.


Mommy opening her present.

daddy opening his beloved Zombie DVD!

C.J. gave daddy the present he picked out all by himself at preschool.

Jasey looking fabulous in her minnie mouse robe

Mommy and Jasey in front of tree.

C.J. digging his new sweat suit from his Great Aunt and Uncle

This season Jasey's hair was finally braid-able!!

Christmas!

We are very fortunate to have a ton of family that lives near by. Every holiday season we have several get-togethers. every year it's amazing to see how my children have grown from the year before. I love watching them play with their cousins. I am very proud to say, they did a great job, saying thank-you and sharing their new toys. I have 532 pictures that I just upload to the computer from Christmas! I have even more things to talk about. I almost don't know where to start.

First we started with an extended family get-together. It is always done about a week prior to Christmas. All of my mom's brothers and sisters and their kids get together. My mom is the oldest of five, and I am the oldest of the first cousins. So the cousins that my kids play with that are their age are really their 2nd cousins. They are able to know their great-grandparents and all their great aunts and uncles. While I have a ton of pictures, I'm hesitant to post any until I get permission from the people in the photos.

Santa

Every year we take the kids to get pictures with Santa. Last year Jasey cried and screamed, this year she did so much better. Still no smile, but at least she wasn't screaming.

We take them to a local bank where you get a picture with Santa in return for bringing in non-perishable foods for a local food pantry.

Here are the adorable pictures, which are pictures of pictures.

Christmas Party and Program!

This year C.J. had a cute little Christmas party at preschool. They started off with several songs that the kids sang for their parents. There is something so heart moving about watching your baby stand in front of people and sing. C.J. sang loudly and off cue, I can probably say he is tone deaf. Yet, those songs were the most beautiful songs I've heard. After the kids were done singing we had treats and then they participated in a book exchange. Where each child had brought a wrapped book and then they all sat in a circle. The books were passed around as music was played when the music stopped the child who had the books took the top one and so forth until every child had a book.

I truly love these times when I get to meet my son's friends and meet their parents.

Their snack tables were set up all festive.

They even had a fire place in their play house area.

Merry Christmas!!

From our house to yours. May God's love and blessings be with you all. Today holds the promises of many more to come. As we look outside at the beautiful blue sky and I take I take a deep breath of sharp cold air. I'm thankful to be alive. I'm thankful for my family and for God's love and forgiveness.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you, "declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Sick!

It's part of childhood, it happens every year. Oh, how I dread it. The flu season. I am a picky mom when it comes to my kids being clean and their faces snot free. I cringe when I see the first sick kid, you know the one. The one darling little person who coughs and doesn't cover it and then with a graceful swift movement wipes snot on the arm of his shirt. Then smiles and continues playing. I know being sick ultimately is developing their immune systems, but have you ever wondered how something so tiny can expel things so great?

The amount of puke, diarrhea and snot that can come out of such cute tiny little bodies is disturbing and slightly impressive. While, I know I can't prevent my kids from ever getting sick I can lower their chances. I make sure they exercise, eat well, drink lots of fluids, wash hands, get enough rest.

During the cold season I do more precautionary things, maybe even obsessively. I wash pillow cases, door knobs, light switches, toys, I spray sanitizer. These things make me feel productive, useful. Yet, they still get sick.

Two sick kids= one tired mommy.

Making things

We always love doing holiday orientated crafts. This year we made snowflake ornaments, and for the first time a gingerbread house. I cheated I bought the kit. I must say my kids had ten times more fun knocking the thing down and devouring the candy, then building. I wish I could have gotten that picture, but sadly my camera's batteries died.


The kit.

Step one

The finished product!

December

I do believe as I get older my life it gets busier. This year I believe will be one of the best Christmas's yet. My kids are at that age where they know what is going on. I love teaching them new things, and giving them new experiences.

I have stated before, that I want to teach my kids to love. Let me clarify, I want them to learn to genuinely love others. To love everyone, not just people they know. To love their world and community. I really do believe if everyone could live a life of love, we could abolish so many problems. I don't want my children to ever turn a blind eye to the suffering of another.

Plato says we should be kind "because everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle" One kindness generates others, and from this virtuous contagion we all benefit in a way that helps us face up to our personal struggles.

Personally I know helping others makes me grateful for the life I have. It opens my eyes to what REAL suffering is. This year I have tried to make it a point to teach my children to give and care for others. I'm not going to go into them because this isn't about tallying your good deeds. However, I was made known of a very small charity that helps developmentally delayed people who are living their life in foster care ages 0-adult. These are people who have been forgotten, who through no fault of their own are pushed aside because they don't fit in societies "normal". Many won't get a single present. These are people who live here, in our town, in our community. Here is the information below.

Melissa English
Special Kids/Special Families
menglish@skscolorado.org
(719) 447-8983 Ext. 10

There are many other ways to help those around you, without going through an organization or spending a lot if any money. Friendship is one of the best gifts you can give and it doesn't cost a thing.

I love my kids!
They make my life better!

December

Filling out Christmas Cards.

Wrapping presents.

December

Baking Christmas Cookies.

December

Putting up Christmas Decorations.

Baking bread

Above is a picture of my bread 'rising', yes I made home made bread. I mixed the ingredients, I kneaded it, with help from my little ones. It was a lot of work, but kinda fun, I really like trying new things.

My idea was to try and teach my kids thankfulness. I think I am the only one really thankful for store bought bread after this.


I learned a few things,

1) How thankful I am for store bought bread.
2) Homemade does taste much better.
3) It truly is a workout, great if you feel like punching someone.

My kids really enjoyed the kneading and punching part of baking bread.