Jack’s Birthday Celebration: Part 2

The celebrations continue for our special little 4 year old. On this day Jack got to go downtown by himself with Grandma and Grandpa for a special day completely devoted to him!

They began their day by visiting the teddy bear room at the Fairmont. Notice the coat that Jack is wearing? It was Tom’s when he was that age.

Then on to the Gingerbread houses.

Followed by a special birthday lunch and  Jack’s very first time going to the movies!

Grandma and Grandpa sure made this day a special one for Jack. The smile on his face says it all, this little guy felt loved!

The First Christmas Program

Tuesday night was Jack’s Christmas program at school. This was his very first program ever.  He and his class sang 3 songs: Christmas Bells (sung to the tune of Jingle Bells), We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and Christmas Star (sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle).

Jack was absolutely precious. And I say that with every proud motherly bone in me. This was the first time ever, as a parent, that I have felt the overwhelming gushing of maternal pride. I could not stop grinning and sighing and clapping.  Not because he sang the loudest, or even because he  sang the words, but because this is one of those parenting moments. I get it now. I get why people videotape their kids performances, and soccer games, and dance recitals. They do it because they want to relive that feeling over and over and over again. I do too. Being a parent is awesome, especially since I get to parent a child as awesome as Jack!

Jack’s Birthday Celebration: Part 1

 

 

Even though the little guy hasn’t officially turned 4, the celebrations have begun! And what child wouldn’t love to celebrate his birthday again and again and again?! As you can see from the pictures, Jack certainly does!

This special day was to go downtown with Nana B and Boppa B. We started at the Macy’s trains, which move when you place your hands on the designated mittens on the windows. Boy, did the boys love those!

 

Then it was on to the carousel for a ride on the horses. Always a hit with these boys!

And finally, to meet up with Daddy for a special birthday lunch for Jack and Dad.

Dad got a new Kindle Fire. Yippee!

A very fun and special day for Jack as he celebrated his birthday with his Nana and Boppa.

Gingerbread Houses

It has become a tradition that each year Jack goes to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to make a gingerbread house. This year, Emmett got to join him! The pictures say it all—candy, frosting, and LOTS and LOTS of fun!

A Sweet Surprise

I always check on the boys before I go to bed and make sure they are all tucked in. A couple of weeks ago, I checked on Jack and found him asleep in his Spiderman costume inside of his Spiderman sheets!  This was not the way he looked when we put him to sleep that night. This boy LOVES Spiderman!

Santa Train

This year we welcomed in the holiday season by riding Santa’s train with Nana B and Boppa B.

The boys take it all in as the train begins to move.

.

Emmett sneaks in some snuggle time.

The boys get a visit from the Big Guy, himself!

A little goofing off!

 

Hot cocoa in the dining car.

Christmas carols on the train.

It’s official, Christmas time is here!

Help Me Pick a Christmas Card!

I have a love/hate relationship with sending Christmas cards. I love to send them, but I hate choosing the design. There are so many awesome cards out there, and I find myself surfing through the websites obsessively trying to find the one that is "just right".

I also hate the price tag on Christmas cards, especially since I am naturally drawn to the expensive ones. So this year, I decided to make my own. I found a great tutorial about making Christmas cards on Picasa using the collage tool. Here is the tutorial--very easy and with pictures! I've sized my cards so that I can use the template at Costco and only pay $14.99. You could size yours in whatever size you'd like, and print them at your favorite location.

I had so much fun doing this, I doubt I'll ever buy a Christmas card from a company again! Only problem is, I don't know which creation I like best.

Will you please help me decide?

Take a look and then cast your vote to the right of this post. Voting closes on Tuesday, because I want to get my cards in the mail!

Thanks for your help!

Option 1: Merry and Bright

Option 2: Celebrate the Season

Option 3: Jingle Bells

Seriously Simple DIY Necklace

                                        

Supplies: beads, 20-gauge wire, jump ring, and necklace

The title of this post says it all. This is a super simple necklace to make. And when I say simple, I mean it took me less than 10 minutes to make and used all materials I already owned. The beauty of this project is that it doesn’t have to be perfectly shaped. Modeled after a bird’s nest, this necklace gains character with every imperfection. That’s what I love about nature—its imperfections create beauty.

I take no credit for the idea. Like most of my crafts, I found it on a blog. This one, actually, was found through Pinterest (a daily obsession of mine). The tutorial for the necklace is found on a blog by the talented Sarah Ortega.

So what do you think?

Grandparents’ Day

Today was Grandparents’ Day at Jack’s preschool. It was a special day where Jack got to bring his grandparents to school and do some special activities with them. The look of pride and excitement on Jack’s face was pure evidence of the importance of this day to him.

Jack with his grandparents.

They made a Thanksgiving turkey out of a pinecone in his classroom.

Then they enjoyed music, chapel time, and brunch in the gym with the rest of the school.

It brings me such joy to watch days like this. I love that my boys have grandparents who are so involved in their everyday lives. Thanks, grandparents, for being such a wonderful presence in Jack and Emmett’s lives!

Writing

In the past few weeks Jack has taken an interest in learning to write. It began as a special activity for Jack and me during Emmett’s naptime. We began with Jack’s name, and have now made it all the way through the alphabet and the numbers 1-10.

We even created a little writing space for Jack in his room (his idea). He brought a chair from his little table in the kitchen and put it with his nightstand. It is the perfect writing desk!

Tom created a writing folder for Jack, complete with lined paper, pencils, and the alphabet. Jack loves to write in his folder, especially before bedtime.

It is such a joy to watch him learn this new skill. To see the pride he experiences when he creates letters, is equally thrilling for me. Now when he comes home with art from preschool or Sunday school, it always has Jack R. scrawled across it in the cutest little penmanship imaginable. I love it!