MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Here's a couple pictures of Journey after setting up our Christmas Tree-needless to say she is very excited about the whole season! I bear no false hopes of getting Christmas cards out again this year so MERRY CHRISTMAS to all who read this blog!! (P.S.-we still love to receive cards from others!) I hope each and everyone of you is well and takes the time to count your blessings this holiday season. I certainly will!!!!!!!!

WAIT A MINUTE!!

I try not to dwell on the passing of time but WAIT A MINUTE how is it December already????? No way!! Can I expect time to pass exponentially faster with each child we have or is it just an age thing? (SIGH) I AM HAPPY to report we had a nice Thanksgiving. Included are photos taken at Jeff's Grandma and Grandpa's over the break. We've definitely enjoyed some mild/beautiful weather (up until the last week)!

Definitely the "Stair Master", but possibly a future electrician?

Wright has mastered stairs. He's been able to go up them since seven months or so and week before last he has mastered his way down. For such a wild little guy, he is amazingly careful on the steps. I do love our set-up too though-carpet and a couple landings to reduce the hardness and distance of any downward rolls! I love how Wright goes down the steps. He has the backward scoot down, but can't initiate that way so at the first step of every landing he goes down head first then turns sideways to get his whole body on the step and then goes down backwards after that. I saw him try to scoot backwards once to get down that first step but he was faced the wrong way so he scooted backward away from the step! It's so fun to watch him maneuver! He will often lay flat on his belly to look and reach under furniture and I don't know why but the sight cracks me up-I don't remember Journey doing that!

Wright has always been fascinated with lights. It is now officially his first consistent sign-(raises hand toward light and open and closes hand-and now he often snaps his fingers with it???). He will often look up in a room at a light (either on or off) and I will say "light". He will then raise his arm and open and close his hand. We will then play turning the light on and off which gets lots of hand raising and squeezing!! ALL THE WHILE WITH A HUGE SMILE ON HIS FACE!!!!!!!!!!!

Another milestone that we're happy to have him hit as you can see from picture-Wright will now willfully spit foreign objects out of his mouth on his own or at request pretty regularly-GREAT since EVERYTHING GOES IN THERE!! Although not everything comes back out whole-like the ladybug yesterday--EWW!

A "Pooky" Story

Like many 3-4 year olds, Journey pronounces words a little differently than the rest of us and is figuring out the rules of language. A few things that have made me laugh: A couple months ago (not having developed "s" blends yet), Journey said she was going to tell me a "poooooooky" story (using a very scary voice). She told me all about a "poooooooky" forest with a "poooooooky ghost", etc. etc. I tried very hard to be scared, but it was difficult not to smile with everything being so "POOKY." Also lately, Journey thinks all bodily fluids/functions are an instant joke so the other day she's trying to be funny and says something like "I'll put an ear wack on it." I laughed pretty good at that one and then tried to explain that its not a "wack/wacks" singular/plural thing but "wax". . .she's still using "ear wack" at the moment! Here are some pictures of the silly girl and her brother a couple mornings ago-back flips off the couch are a current favorite!

Tinkerbell and the RockStar

We had a very nice Halloween! I took the kids to a get together in the early afternoon and Journey LOVED the scary, dark tunnel part of the fun. She went through it at least 20 times I think. Wright stayed with Grandma Jackie as Jeff and I took Journey trick-or-treating later. It was cool out, but a very nice autumn night-we've gotten lucky these last couple years with great trick-or-treating weather. Journey, once again, loved the whole experience of trick-or-treating. She went merrily along her way as we went door to door and her bucket didn't get too heavy until the last few houses. We're all still enjoying the goodies!!!!!!!!!

Pancakes, Pretend, and Parties-Turning 4

We had Journey's birthday party a couple weeks ago. LOTS of family at our house for Italian food and yummy cake. As Journey opened up EACH and EVERY one of her gifts she said the EXACT same thing "JUST WHAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED!" Fun. As Journey turns from 3 to 4, I'll note some of the past year. Give the girl a pancake anytime and she'll like you-put some chocolate chips in them and she'll LOVE YOU FOREVER! Journey loves to play pretend as I've mentioned before and many times she is a puppy (lately she wants to be a weiner dog named Butterfly-yes that specific). Journey also likes to pretend to be Strawberry Shortcake (and I'm Orange Blossom) and have me over for "parties" and serve food. She loved helping decorate her star-shaped Tinkerbell cupcakes for her REAL PARTY! Journey's third year of life was definitely more challenging for me as a mom than the first two in handling behavior. Her fourth year is starting much the same way. I am not a patient person and this is usually the root of some "knock down drag outs" as she is about as easy to corral as a crazed cat sometimes!! Like when it is bedtime or time to go somewhere and we want her to get ready and she gets that look in her eye, giggles, and then runs away VERY FAST yelling "Mommy, Daddy catch me!" And Wright is watching it all and learning every trick-UGH! Journey can be very sweet to her little brother too and that is FUN to watch. He loves his big sister too!! I foresee much wrestling soon! Here's to another WONDERFUL year with our JOURNEY!!!!

Ah-Memories!

We took Journey and Wright with us rollerskating a few weeks ago-went with some of my family. (NO PICS) Jeff's not that great at skating, Journey is still a little on the young side, and Wright is just a tag along, but it brought back some very nice memories for ME. Mom used to take us the the Moberly roller rink some on Sunday afternoons. I don't know how many times, but enough that I remember it well and I can skate around the rink now without falling down even though I haven't skated in MANY YEARS (only forwards though, can't do backwards). I really like skating and I think I'll definitely take the kids more as they get older. There weren't alot of people there when we were and it made me wonder why? I guess it's obvious-Maybe they don't like going around feeling utterly and completely awkward with a bunch of strangers trying to look like they are really comfortable (must bring back memories of junior high). Or maybe it's the ultimate lesson in humility that a new skater (or even an experienced one) gets with the inevitable fall on that part of your body that you would have sworn moments ago had way more padding! Oh well-I'll take that risk to enjoy "zooming" across the floor a few times! HAPPY SKATING!!!!!!

Chasing Wright (The Fast and Curious)

Here are just a few of the places we've been finding Wright lately!! What are we going to do when he can ACTUALLY WALK?????

Dinner Theatre

Here are a couple pics of the performance I enjoyed watching while finishing my supper tonight. Journey is ALL ABOUT PRETEND right now. Whenever she is pretending to sing she always has me introduce her-so I try to make it pretty good like, "and now the amazing, wonderful, super spectacular, awesomely fantastic. . .JOURNEY!" She then sings very loud, very random words for a few minutes then wants to be introduced again. Several times throughout most days, she will announce to me, "Mom, I'm a dog named Sparkle/Princess/Flower/Rainbow" (name depends on the day). She will then only talk to me in ruffs and bow wows and if I call her "Journey" by accident she reminds me of her name. Whenever Journey plays pretend and she wants me to play she always lets me know what I "should say". I told her she could write books or plays when she grows up!

Questions, Questions Everywhere and some Answers

I've noticed Journey asking alot of questions lately! Just in the tub the other night was "Are aliens for real life?" and then "Does the sky ever stop?" I asked "Stop what?" to which she replied "Does it ever stop changing weather?" I'm definitely getting some insight to some of the things she is thinking in a day and I try to answer the best I can. She is definitely asking for more word meanings now too-yesterday she wanted to know what "destroy" meant. We've also noticed Journey listening closely to conversations and if we pause too long in what we are saying-she will finish the sentence for us! We were traveling last weekend and if you've ever traveled with Jeff and I, you may know we can get irritated with each other on a trip. (I'm told we're not the only ones who do this) We happened to be having one of those moments and as we became quiet-I looked over at Journey who was listening and she said matter of factly, "Sometimes things are frustrating." Good summation of the situation-which we quickly eased out of. Hopefully she can apply that easy-going summation to some of her own situations too!