Holiday Season

     I LOVE LOVE the holidays. We are having so much fun baking, buying gifts, wrapping, making Christmas decorations. I am so proud of my children, their compassion to others in unbelievable. We as a family are having an amazing time shopping for children we have never met. My kids don't even whine about not getting the toys!!! I feel like I am doing a good job.

   This season has also brought alot of change. C.J. has begun learning the value of money and has expressed a desire to earn some, so that he may purchase items he wants. He has begun doing 2 chores a day. He has started doing cursive,  I love watching him learn. He LOVES to be helpful, feeding the dogs, stacking firewood, making his bed. So nice. Now that he is writing, it is very amusing to read his sentences. He is going through an emotional growth period. Struggling between his wanting independence and my having to say no. We are working on the fine line of expressing feelings but not being rude about it.

   Ms. Jasey has become SO expressive, "Mom let me tell you a story..." , "Mom one day when I grow up..." she is never quiet always talking. I fear she is growing up so fast. She copies everything I do, even wanting to wear her bathing suit top under her shirt so it can be a bra. She loves to play mail. Where she writes letters to people seals them in envelops adds her "stamps" stickers. Then hands then out next time she sees people. She also, has begun expressing a desire to paint her room her favorite color. I told her to think about her ideas and we will write them down. She is so creative.

  Alex has discover all things that open and close and fit inside of items. He loves to crawl into the bathroom and open and close the door over and over and over again. He also loves to put things  in our shoes like cars, his little balls from the ball popper. He has begun growling, very cute. Unless it's midnight and dark, then it's a little creepy. He can stand up all by himself in the middle of a room. He can confidently walk 4 or 5 steps, but prefers to crawl. He has begun biting. Horrible I know, I'm appalled I have a biter. I try really hard to calmly say,  "Teeth are not for biting" very firmly while placing a finger on his mouth. However, there have been a couple times he has clamped down while nursing and I have yelped loudly while jamming a finger in his mouth to stop him. Upsetting him terribly, but it hurt... really bad!

  I can't wait to write more about our holiday preparations, but I need  another post.