Christmas Crafts

I've been trying to be a little creative with our Christmas decor this season. I'm always wanting to add new fun things but can't get myself to buy anything for 30 days of use, once a year, when only $40 feeds a child in Africa for A WHOLE YEAR! (Go HERE for more info on how you can feed some kids!) So Jackson and I have enjoyed doing a few Christmas crafts together and they look super cute up in the house!

Coffee Filter Snow Flakes

These snowflakes are now hanging from the ceiling in our entryway. Jack loved using his scissors and seeing how they looked when he unfolded them. He also loves that it is now "snowing" in our house!

Advent Calendar

Chris and I really wanted to create an advent calendar for Jackson to open this year. He completely gets that Christmas is Jesus' birthday. He even told Santa just that the other night during pictures at the mall! He is excited for Christmas time and we want to continue to remind and teach him that it's not about the presents and the tree, but that Jesus our Savior was born for us! Jack and I created this advent calendar together. He colored the bags and used "sprinkles" (glitter). I stuffed each bag with either a special treat or an activity for us to do as a family.

So far Jackson has set up the Nativity, received two pieces of chocolate- one to share, one to eat, cleaned out our toy box and donated toys to other children, and visited Santa. Other activities we have to look forward to this month are; make presents for our baby-sitters, drink hot chocolate, take special treats to the neighbors, go to the dollar store and pick our brother presents....

It has been fun to watch him open each bag and enjoy this Christmas time together.

Just a side note on Jack cleaning out his toy box to give away toys. I think it was much harder on me then him! In fact he was excited to do it. He decided to give away a lot of what I figured he would, but one toy that really surprised me was his Mickey Mouse. Just this little plastic toy. He picked it up and looks at it and says, "I love my Mickey Mouse. I want to give him away!" At first I thought he was confused and didn't understand so I explained to him that if he gives something away he can no longer play with it. To which he replied, "I know, I want to give him away." I think he understands better then I do! It was eye opening and a mixture of sadness and pride watching him. He is getting SO OLD! He gets it!

Turkey by Jackson

Once again, a little late with this post. :) Thanksgiving was supposed to be quiet and small this year. Just my parents and brother along with our family at our home. But it got a little crazier when Chris separated his shoulder at the annual Mission Turkey Bowl. Jackson, Kai and I were there cheering him on when he went up for his fifth interception and came down right on his shoulder. My immediate response was, "GET UP! SHAKE IT OFF!" and then when finding out he was really hurt I thought about all my weekend plans (for Chris) not happening. No putting up the tree, no hanging Christmas lights, and no cleaning out the turkey. I know, I know, POOR CHRIS! After getting x-rays and determining nothing was broken it was time for me to prepare Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately an uncooked turkey makes me gag. Especially one that I'm supposed to clean out and remove stuff from. Luckily for me I have a great little helper when it comes to all things gross, Jackson! He was SO HELPFUL! He cleaned it, stuck his hand in it and pulled out the gross stuff, and the whole time kept asking, "Mom, where is his face?" He was also the first one sitting at the table ready to dig into "the biggest turkey he's ever seen!" Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!

Halloween

So this post is a little late, but I thought I'd share some Halloween costumes and treats!

Here is the chocolate cake I made for Halloween night. I saw it done on the Today Show and it was pretty easy. But, I must have not let it cool all the way because the tree fell over before we got to eat it!

I melted some chocolate bars down put the melted chocolate into a zip lock baggy and just kind of gooped it in a "tree" shape. I put it in the fridge to cool.

I used Milano cookies and black frosting as "grave-stones".

I covered pretzel sticks in white chocolate and added marshmallows to the ends to make "bones".

The finished product: a creepy graveyard!

Jackson's favorite movie for the past year has been The Cat in the Hat. So for Halloween the boys had to be Thing 1 & Thing 2. They LOVED being Things, and making the costumes were super easy!

I just bought red fleece footy pj's. Used sticky-back felt, cut in a circle on the chest and pre-cut sticky-back felt letters/numbers to spell Thing 1 & 2. Red mittens. For the blue hair I simply hot glued blue feather boas onto a beanie. Super fun costumes. I love my little Things.

What Jack Says...

Jackson does a lot of talking, I mean A LOT!!! And, although lately I feel like he has only said, "No" he has also said some pretty funny things. He has definitely been keeping Chris and I on our toes. Always surprising us and never settling for the answer, "I don't know". Here are a few, "What Jack Says". (J: Jackson, L: me, C: Chris)

(notice the marker line on both sides of his mouth)

L: Jack, why did you write on your face? You can't write on your face!

J: Yes I can! I'm drawing a smiley face! (see picture above)

His version of the song "Thou Art Worthy"...

J: Now I worry, Now I worry, Now I worry Oh God!

"Mom, I like to sing. Is that my talent?"

He just let go of his balloon outside

L: Jack, you let go!

J: It's okay, it'll float up to heaven and God will get it for me. He will tie it to his wrist and fly it back down here.

While watching the sun go down

J: Where is heaven?

L: I don't know...

J: It's not far far away. It's too the west.

L: Why is it in the west?

J: Because God and Jesus pull the sun down to the west. And heaven is there. It is light in heaven.

While saying bedtime prayers

J: Thank you for Miley, she's my girlfriend. And Hudson, he's my boyfriend.

While eating salad

J: I don't like the sticks, (the stems) just the leafs.

While watching me put on my make-up

J: These brushes are like paint brushes.

L: Ya, Kinda

J: So you are painting your face?

L: Kinda

J: So, It's okay to paint on our face?

Jackson falls at the park

J: God wasn't watching over me, He let me fall!

While shooing away a fly

J: I can't get this freaking fly!

J: I don't see God. Is the door to heaven closed?

L: Well... I think its a gate.

While driving

J: What's your favorite song Daddy?

C: I don't know

L: What's yours Jack?

J: I'm singing right now!

L: Can you sing louder?

J: This is loud enough

L: Oh

J: If I sing louder I will hurt your ears!

6am on Chris' birthday

J: Happy Birthday Daddy, where's the party? I want cake!

At the Disneyland Gate

J to the gate lady: Are you my mother?

J's Grandma: I didn't steal him. He's my grandson! Why would you say that!?

The Boon Spoon

I LOVE the Boon Spoon! I received one as a gift at Kai's baby shower. Since, I have been including it in each of my baby shower gifts. All you do is load it with baby's food, squirt and feed. This is a great way to travel with food and not have to pack glass jars. This spoon is awesome and fun to use! You can find them at Target along with other Boon products.

Playing School

Jackson and I have been holding our own little "pre-school" together lately. I really wanted him to start pre-school this fall but it just didn't happen. Next year for sure... but for right now I'm playing teacher and he is eating it up! He is such a fun, smart and challenging little boy and he LOVES learning new things. Here is some of the stuff we've worked on lately.

Learning to use scissors...

And writing letters A & J...

So proud of him!!! We've also been learning our directions (N,S,E,W) and telling time.

Mother Nature's Farm

This past weekend my parents invited Chris, the kids and I to join them for an afternoon atMother Nature's Farm. We had a great time. Mother Nature's is a little farm in Gilbert just off of Gilbert Rd and Baseline. We enjoyed a tractor ride, bounce houses, the hay maze, looking at the farm animals and Jackson even decorated a pumpkin. Super affordable at $7 for kids and $3 for adults. You can even get a $3 coupon here. It is open from 9am-9pm now thru Oct 31. Have fun! And watch out for the turkey.... He Bites!

Who are these animals?

The turkey just "kissed" Jack's finger!

Dollar $tore Birthday

Chris turned 28 this month and Jackson was super excited to get him a birthday present. I took him to the Dollar Store with $10 and said, "Pick out whatever you want to give to Daddy." He LOVED getting to walk around, look at everything and pick out some special things. After a ton of consideration he finally settled on...

Party Blowers, Candy, Scooby Doo Washcloth, Plastic Magnify Glass, Back Massager, Dog Toy, and a Green Bouncy Ball. What a fun way to let Jack have fun and be involved without spending much.

Happy Birthday Chris! We love you!!!

Our First Family Vacation

This past weekend we took our first family vacation. A road trip to California and a three-day visit to DISNEYLAND! Jackson has been talking about Disneyland ever since two of his buddies had gone and we were so excited to take him. We loaded up the car Friday morning and headed out at 4:45 am thinking since the sun would still be down the boys would go back to sleep. Kai did, but Jackson was so excited about our "road trip" (we still hadn't told him where we were going) that he talked the whole way... yes, THE WHOLE WAY! 6 hours! We started our trip in Laguna Beach. Jack and Kai loved playing in the sand and going in the water. That night Chris' mom flew in from Seattle. The boys were SO EXCITED to see her and having her there was such a blessing. The next three days were spent in Disneyland and California Adventure doing everything imaginable. We rode every ride and tried to see every show, parade and character. Chris' sister Kelsey and her boyfriend Paul joined us Sunday. By Monday night we were exhausted and ready to head home. Here are a few pictures from the trip and some of my highlights!

Jackson's reaction when he saw Mickey Mouse

Fun with Grandma

Jumping contest with Tigger

Jack got to walk down the street holding Minnie's hand

So tired

Kai didn't know what to think of the parade

Jack was so scared of the cheetah in Tarzan's Treehouse. But we had to go see him every day.

L for Lundberg