Getting ready for Christmas!

December was a busy month! We did a lot of baking, wrapping, and hanging out with family & friends.

Annual cookie baking with Grandma, Great-Grandma, and Uncle Jeff. The kids helped Great-Grandma with the sprinkles most of the time. Ben also got to make his own small batch of nut-free fig cookies and was very proud.

 

 Both kids enjoyed rolling and re-rolling and re-rolling their own little ball of dough:

 

Building the Lego Christmas tree. We also added a Lego Christmas scene with Santa this year.

We visited Santa at Bass Pro again this year. Elizabeth decided it was okay to talk to him this year. She listed off each specific Star Wars action figure she wanted. Santa looked bemused and just laughed!

 Decorating our mini-gingerbread village:

We introduced the kids to "A Christmas Story" this year. Both were fascinated. Elizabeth sat on Dave's lap, enraptured.

While we watched, I finished up the ornaments I was making for the annual ornament exchange at Uncle Kenny's (felt animal patterns from Lia Griffith, polymer clay snowman from Then She Made...).

We also made Peanut Blossoms right before Christmas. We left a couple out for Santa on Christmas Eve.

Scenes from November & December

Elizabeth went to her friend's 4th birthday party at a gymnastics place. She watched for a little while before deciding it was okay to try. She enjoyed holding my hand while walking on a big balance beam, swinging with friends in a high 3-person swing, and jumping on the trampolines.

Hanging out with Daddy & Great-Grandma on Thanksgiving 

 

Playing dreidel and lighting the menorah with Opa. Ben got to talk to his classmates again this year about Hanukkah and brought in his dreidel. He was so excited about it that he told his beloved principal and she made a point to sit in with the class while he shared. Elizabeth was a better sport about dreidel this year, although she still wasn't too sure about having to "ante up" her chocolate gelt. 

Elizabeth showing off her pretty jumper from Great-Grandma and her sparkly new shoes:

Summer/Fall photos

The kids' first trip to Frankenmuth. It was a hit!

   

Ben, Elizabeth, Papa & Grammie this summer

Visiting Great-Grandma in Ohio

Running on the sidewalk on a beautiful Fall day

   

Great-Grandma signing Ben's cast this summer

Princess Leia & the skeleton on Halloween

Elizabeth playing the ukulele I won at our conference raffle

   

Ukulele playing is serious business!

   



   

Ben multitasking between the uke & the Chiefs game

   

Family pic at the Missouri Mavericks hockey game

Spring Photos

Elizabeth at Easter

They should make "I Am Made of Awesome" shirts in adult sizes too. We all need the reminder. Ben was spiritually offended when she first tried this on, protesting that she was NOT made of awesome, that God had made her out of bones and blood. I countered that God made her out of those things PLUS a good helping of awesome. He was dubious.

Ben is a member of the Chiefs' Kids' Club, so we were invited to Movie Night at Arrowhead Stadium to see Big Hero 6. There was a good number of families, but it wasn't overcrowded.  On the concourse, they had games and people to meet. Elizabeth got to meet some very sweet Chiefs cheerleaders and hold a pom-pom. They both got to pet a turtle from the KC Zoo. Elizabeth called the Chiefs' horse "a baby cow" or something equally odd and wanted to pet it, but there was a big line, so we settled for a beanbag toss that won her yet another cheap bead necklace.

Ben got his face painted at school one day. They had another lady in on another day who did really fancy designs and he got a baseball on fire.

We headed down to Texas for Memorial Day weekend. The lakes on the property were ridiculously high compared to last year, so we didn't get to go fishing at the regular lake, but found plenty of other fun things to do. There was weeping from both kids when we had to leave. 

Elizabeth decided on an unorthodox pillow position for her nap in the car.

Elizabeth chilling out with Calvin and Dave

Cal and Kelly were replacing the mattresses in part of the cabin, so the kids used the old ones as trampolines all weekend and had a blast. Ben & Elizabeth are going to be so sad to find out that they're not permanent.

Hula-hooping back at home

"Duh, Mommy"

Gems from Elizabeth tonight:

Me: Elizabeth, why do you have dirt in your hair?
Elizabeth: Because I was playing in the dirt. And it got in my hair.

Elizabeth: Can you get this out? (playing with baby bottle and wanted the cap off)
Me: Why?
Elizabeth, matter-of-factly: Because I want you to.

Hard to argue with her sometimes!

Photo Catch-Up

We are woefully behind on updating the blog and will try to be more regular about it. In the meantime, here are some pics from the last few months.

Bike riding on a mild January day.

Throwing tiny snowballs on one of the few snowy days

Giggling as she hunted down her brother in the snowball fight

Ben's baseball birthday cake

Elizabeth & Great-Grandma at the kids' birthday party

Modeling her wings, tutu, and purse from Uncle Jeff. She loves tutus to a ridiculous degree!

Planting tulip bulbs on a warm day. The first tulip popped up this week.

Ben kneading pizza dough. The kids are getting really good at making pizza!

Elizabeth is so excited about the bedding for her new bed!

Vegging out and being goofy

Trying on instantly-beloved hand-me-down jacket, boots & sunglasses. The fuzzy slipper boots are still 5 sizes too big, but she doesn't care!