My mom bought all her grandkids puppets for Christmas. We brought them to our Christmas Day party and they put on quite the performance!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T0wkbKdouc
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
The Eve before Christmas Eve!
Man, time just ticks along! I have been busy trying to plan ahead and bake for the crazy days before us. Tomorrow our company arrives, which includes my aunt and uncle and their two (adult) children. Two more will come later. The beds are made, our bedroom door is finally fixed (thanks Luke!), our bathroom fans are working again! (anyone who has been in our house since we bought it knows that the main bath fan sounded like a small plane!) It took Greg two trips to Vernon to find the special replacement parts and get them installed, twice as it didn't work the first time! All the presents are wrapped and ready, except mine of course...Greg likes to do those things at the last possible moment. We've also spent lots of time with the kids playing games and lego, and keeping them from fighting! To make things even busier, Shea has decided on his own that he wants to use the potty. He will go pee as soon as you stick him on in the morning or after his nap etc. He even poops, so I haven't changed a pooper in 3 days! We've spent a few sessions sitting in the bathroom reading! I was not ready to go cold turkey with him yet, so we're letting him do what he wants for now and I'll pull out the undies in the New Year. Maybe it's a good thing that I haven't steam cleaned the carpets yet as I had intended to?! The crib will also have to go, and he'll be into the car bed. I really can't believe that he's at this point already! Wasn't he just born?
The weather is unfortunately not too great as it is cold with just a tad of crusty ol' snow. I'm hoping for more snow in time for sledding on boxing day.
So we've been busy and really are excited for everything to start. Tomorrow night we'll have the whole gang over at our house for appetizers and jammin'. The "whole gang" involves us (5), mom and dad (2), Luke's gang (6), Anna's gang (4), Nanny, Jane & Valancy (3), Lisa, Paul, Shawna, Landon (4), Manley, Brenda and Rachel (3). That makes 27. We're adding a few more to that list and will spend our Christmas dinner at a church so we can all fit at tables!
If I don't write again for awhile, you know that I'm busy with the family...
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!
Friday, December 18, 2009
Getting creative
I love getting to be creative, though these days it happens in short bursts here and there...nothing too large and crazy.
I had knit dishcloths before (like over 10 years ago), so with friends, we have taken up knitting again and gather for fun to gab and knit. I started with another dishcloth!
And now I've moved onto a scarf!
I really want to learn how to do mitts and toques next!
And right now I'm making Skor Bars for the teachers...here is the "wrap"...
I had knit dishcloths before (like over 10 years ago), so with friends, we have taken up knitting again and gather for fun to gab and knit. I started with another dishcloth!
And now I've moved onto a scarf!
I really want to learn how to do mitts and toques next!
And right now I'm making Skor Bars for the teachers...here is the "wrap"...
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Ella-bean
(click on the image to see it larger...and you'll want to, she's so cute!)
Here she is...the little lady of the Engel clan...looking so good, isn't she?? Hard to believe she was just in surgery a short time ago!
Well into December
We are at the height of the Christmas craziness...cookie decorating party over here, Christmas concert over there, present buying and making, costume preparing, rehearsals, skating, shoveling, baking, etc.
Tonight all three of my boys are in the church Christmas concert. It isn't a huge production as each class just takes their turn doing a song or poem. I was busy making a last minute crown for my wiseman. The silver spray paint from the robot costume came in handy! The sight of Shea in a floor length robe is priceless! I'm hoping he'll actually sing and do the actions, as we've been practicing!
On Friday night, Greg's parents took all three kids so we could run to Vernon and get some Christmas shopping done. We are pretty much done shopping for the kids, and I even got them wrapped before they got home the next morning! Just a few loose ends to finish up with. I haven't even started getting ready with baking and preparing the house for our extra guests. Oh well, we'll get there eventually.
What is your favorite part of the Christmas "work"?...I definitely love decorating (both the house and the cookies!)
Later....
Tonight all three of my boys are in the church Christmas concert. It isn't a huge production as each class just takes their turn doing a song or poem. I was busy making a last minute crown for my wiseman. The silver spray paint from the robot costume came in handy! The sight of Shea in a floor length robe is priceless! I'm hoping he'll actually sing and do the actions, as we've been practicing!
On Friday night, Greg's parents took all three kids so we could run to Vernon and get some Christmas shopping done. We are pretty much done shopping for the kids, and I even got them wrapped before they got home the next morning! Just a few loose ends to finish up with. I haven't even started getting ready with baking and preparing the house for our extra guests. Oh well, we'll get there eventually.
What is your favorite part of the Christmas "work"?...I definitely love decorating (both the house and the cookies!)
Later....
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Looking like Christmas!
I included this last photo because Shea is hugging or cradling the little baby Jesus!!
And this last picture was all fuzzy cuz he leaned forward to say, "It's singing to the beebee!" in his highest voice.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace!
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Christmas Cheer!
I sure love having little photobooth shots of Shea and I over the last two years. How fun it is to look back on these silly little moments.
Today we took a big leap into the Christmas season. I let the kids open up their new Nativity play stable. Especially Shea finds it fascinating, and he talks about the baby Jesus with his sweet little falsetto voice! Greg and Liam went and found us a tree, and it is about 8 ft. high and super FAT! It seems to be growing behind me as the branches lower down even more! It is so pretty, and the smell. Mmmm. I will take some pictures for you.
I found out this week that I will be hosting my aunt, uncle and two cousins for a week over the holidays. I wasn't expecting it, so I have some baking and big meal planning to do. Thankfully they are really easy-going and fun, so we should have some good times. I'm just hoping my kids can deal ok with the over-stimulation! We did move Riley and all his lego into his own room, which will come in handy over the next few weeks for sure.
Last night I went out with some girlfriends and enjoyed a good giggle til I cried, so that was a wonderful break from the usual ho hum of housework!!
Cheers friends!
Today we took a big leap into the Christmas season. I let the kids open up their new Nativity play stable. Especially Shea finds it fascinating, and he talks about the baby Jesus with his sweet little falsetto voice! Greg and Liam went and found us a tree, and it is about 8 ft. high and super FAT! It seems to be growing behind me as the branches lower down even more! It is so pretty, and the smell. Mmmm. I will take some pictures for you.
I found out this week that I will be hosting my aunt, uncle and two cousins for a week over the holidays. I wasn't expecting it, so I have some baking and big meal planning to do. Thankfully they are really easy-going and fun, so we should have some good times. I'm just hoping my kids can deal ok with the over-stimulation! We did move Riley and all his lego into his own room, which will come in handy over the next few weeks for sure.
Last night I went out with some girlfriends and enjoyed a good giggle til I cried, so that was a wonderful break from the usual ho hum of housework!!
Cheers friends!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
toys...good and not so good ones.
I was busy asking my Facebook peeps today what their kids favorite toys are. At this stage in the game, we have quite an inventory of toys and books. I've been trying to eliminate the junk and have kept the good stuff that should last their childhood. However, Christmas is upon us, and you can't just give them socks and undies. You also can't give them only books and clothes. They have to get at least one good toy....so I'll tell you what theirs are so far, as long as you tell me what yours are.
Deal.
Ok.
The must-haves, in our home.
1. LEGO
Hands down, the best toy ever invented. Period. It is timeless. It is good for boys and girls. Worth every penny and then some. If treated kindly, will last forever. We have saved up quite a bit over time. It was our priority last year, and we even had the Lego advent calendar to boot. DUPLO as well, is loved around here. I am not a big supporter of Mega Blocks, though their duplo-sized stuff has been great and comes in Diego and CARS theme sets.
2. Craft supplies
Liam will vouch for this one. He is one crafty guy. It isn't so much the coloring books that he makes use of, but plain paper, bits of fancy paper or foils, felts, glue, tape (his favorite), pipe cleaners, stickers, feathers, stamps, etc. I have a roll cart with 5 drawers full of stuff to create with. Big time useful investment.
Playdoh also falls into this category. We have a drawer dedicated to all the rollers, cutters and playdoh gadgets.
For toddlers, Color Wonder books with pens have been awesome, as it doesn't write on anything but the special papers (ie. no ink in nostrils). Paint with water books are awesome for toddlers as well, as the real paint can make an awful mess on everything.
3. GAMES
We are just really entering this realm, as usually I pull my hair out while game pieces and paper money is flying around the room. I am sure that we will eventually have a family-games night, so we are starting the classics of Monopoly, Clue, and Battleship. Shea is starting to put together 24 piece puzzles and loves them.
4. CARS & TRAINS
This is a boy thing for sure. They never tire from new Hot Wheels or tracks. We never did invest in the whole Thomas train track set, though our boys are magnets to them at our friends houses. Shea has borrowed a few trains from his cousin that he plays with daily.
5. SNOW TOYS
We intend to buy each boy a new snow toy this year as we are hoping to do a pile of sledding over the holidays. If you don't have the classic saucer, crazy carpet and inflatable tube...those are some good things to have around (as long as you have the snow to go with it of course!).
6. Wii
All three of our boys have played on the Wii and love it. They have played games with their friends, older cousins and grandparents and with us. It is fun fun fun. Somehow it seems more interactive and social than the old-school video games. You seriously need to watch Shea run a race with Riley on Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games!
7. Sport Toys
If you have the space, a net, a few mini sticks and balls will keep the kids busy in the basement when they need to burn some steam. Bikes, skateboards and scooters are not so great at Christmas time, but get used all summer long.
8. Gift Cards
Riley got a $5 gift card for Tim Hortons from his SS teachers, and he was SO thrilled. He bought us all a box of timbits and had gift money left to spare. I may just have to sneak a few into his stocking...maybe McD's, iTunes, Zellers?
9. INSTRUMENTS and music
I found some super cheap toy electric guitars (like $5 each at Superstore) and though they don't play their crazy tune anymore, they use them and dance around like rock stars with them all the time. We also have an electric piano, wooden drum, real baby guitar, shakers etc. Kids love music. They do not grow tired of noise, hence they love their instruments. Books that come with a CD have been fun for Shea.
10. DRESS UP clothes
I keep a box of old halloween costumes or funky vests, capes, masks, hats etc. in the bottom of Rileys' closet. Without fail, if we have company over, you will see a few Darth Vadars or ninja's in the house, playing spies. They use these outfits over and over. I suggest you stock up on these items after Halloween when they are 70%off, or at the thrift store.
Things I thought would be great...but aren't so much...(in our house, anyway)
Tinkertoys. We had these as a kid, and got a large set last year, but the pieces do not stay together well and just frustrate them.
Fisher Price Little People. This was my favorite as a child, and we have a whole tub of Fisher Price including a house and barn, but it requires so much imagination on their part and just doesn't thrill them. I did buy the Fisher Price nativity set in hopes that since they already know the story, they will act it out with the little people.
Transformers. Maybe my boys are a little too young or something, but they don't really play with them at all, and are pretty frustrated as they try to move the parts that will pop off if twisted wrong. I will keep them around in hopes that they will grow into them.
Rescue Heroes. Again, like the Little People, I think it requires too much imagination for them to act out stories with them. They are almost like the boy version of Barbies or something, but "playing house" is not a natural thing for my boys and unless I'm initiating some sort of story for them to go along with, they don't play with these for more than 2 minutes. The playmobile people are more flexible and come with more things that come on and off, so they much prefer those.
The kids are sometimes bombarded with crazy commercials, which make them think they want something they haven't even tried or seen. For example, our boys saw Battle Strikers on T.V. and desperately want them. We're trying to avoid it, but if any of you have them, please give me your opinion.
Anyway...happy shopping! but most of all, good luck with finding special things that will LAST and making memories that will count. I want to make sure that my older two are involved in buying a present for their brothers so they can experience the gift of GIVING as well.
Countdown!
Deal.
Ok.
The must-haves, in our home.
1. LEGO
Hands down, the best toy ever invented. Period. It is timeless. It is good for boys and girls. Worth every penny and then some. If treated kindly, will last forever. We have saved up quite a bit over time. It was our priority last year, and we even had the Lego advent calendar to boot. DUPLO as well, is loved around here. I am not a big supporter of Mega Blocks, though their duplo-sized stuff has been great and comes in Diego and CARS theme sets.
2. Craft supplies
Liam will vouch for this one. He is one crafty guy. It isn't so much the coloring books that he makes use of, but plain paper, bits of fancy paper or foils, felts, glue, tape (his favorite), pipe cleaners, stickers, feathers, stamps, etc. I have a roll cart with 5 drawers full of stuff to create with. Big time useful investment.
Playdoh also falls into this category. We have a drawer dedicated to all the rollers, cutters and playdoh gadgets.
For toddlers, Color Wonder books with pens have been awesome, as it doesn't write on anything but the special papers (ie. no ink in nostrils). Paint with water books are awesome for toddlers as well, as the real paint can make an awful mess on everything.
3. GAMES
We are just really entering this realm, as usually I pull my hair out while game pieces and paper money is flying around the room. I am sure that we will eventually have a family-games night, so we are starting the classics of Monopoly, Clue, and Battleship. Shea is starting to put together 24 piece puzzles and loves them.
4. CARS & TRAINS
This is a boy thing for sure. They never tire from new Hot Wheels or tracks. We never did invest in the whole Thomas train track set, though our boys are magnets to them at our friends houses. Shea has borrowed a few trains from his cousin that he plays with daily.
5. SNOW TOYS
We intend to buy each boy a new snow toy this year as we are hoping to do a pile of sledding over the holidays. If you don't have the classic saucer, crazy carpet and inflatable tube...those are some good things to have around (as long as you have the snow to go with it of course!).
6. Wii
All three of our boys have played on the Wii and love it. They have played games with their friends, older cousins and grandparents and with us. It is fun fun fun. Somehow it seems more interactive and social than the old-school video games. You seriously need to watch Shea run a race with Riley on Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games!
7. Sport Toys
If you have the space, a net, a few mini sticks and balls will keep the kids busy in the basement when they need to burn some steam. Bikes, skateboards and scooters are not so great at Christmas time, but get used all summer long.
8. Gift Cards
Riley got a $5 gift card for Tim Hortons from his SS teachers, and he was SO thrilled. He bought us all a box of timbits and had gift money left to spare. I may just have to sneak a few into his stocking...maybe McD's, iTunes, Zellers?
9. INSTRUMENTS and music
I found some super cheap toy electric guitars (like $5 each at Superstore) and though they don't play their crazy tune anymore, they use them and dance around like rock stars with them all the time. We also have an electric piano, wooden drum, real baby guitar, shakers etc. Kids love music. They do not grow tired of noise, hence they love their instruments. Books that come with a CD have been fun for Shea.
10. DRESS UP clothes
I keep a box of old halloween costumes or funky vests, capes, masks, hats etc. in the bottom of Rileys' closet. Without fail, if we have company over, you will see a few Darth Vadars or ninja's in the house, playing spies. They use these outfits over and over. I suggest you stock up on these items after Halloween when they are 70%off, or at the thrift store.
Things I thought would be great...but aren't so much...(in our house, anyway)
Tinkertoys. We had these as a kid, and got a large set last year, but the pieces do not stay together well and just frustrate them.
Fisher Price Little People. This was my favorite as a child, and we have a whole tub of Fisher Price including a house and barn, but it requires so much imagination on their part and just doesn't thrill them. I did buy the Fisher Price nativity set in hopes that since they already know the story, they will act it out with the little people.
Transformers. Maybe my boys are a little too young or something, but they don't really play with them at all, and are pretty frustrated as they try to move the parts that will pop off if twisted wrong. I will keep them around in hopes that they will grow into them.
Rescue Heroes. Again, like the Little People, I think it requires too much imagination for them to act out stories with them. They are almost like the boy version of Barbies or something, but "playing house" is not a natural thing for my boys and unless I'm initiating some sort of story for them to go along with, they don't play with these for more than 2 minutes. The playmobile people are more flexible and come with more things that come on and off, so they much prefer those.
The kids are sometimes bombarded with crazy commercials, which make them think they want something they haven't even tried or seen. For example, our boys saw Battle Strikers on T.V. and desperately want them. We're trying to avoid it, but if any of you have them, please give me your opinion.
Anyway...happy shopping! but most of all, good luck with finding special things that will LAST and making memories that will count. I want to make sure that my older two are involved in buying a present for their brothers so they can experience the gift of GIVING as well.
Countdown!
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Older
...and still no gray hair. For real! I'm lucky I guess. Though one friend said to me, "It's not fair, you don't really have any wrinkles!" to which I replied, "No, I'm just saggy in other areas." Win some. Lose some.
Yes, so I'm 33. How did I "get" 33?? I have no idea. I don't feel any older really. I'm sure I say that every year.
Feeling thankful for many things, especially over the fact that Ella is at home and she looks great. Thanks for thinking of her and praying for her health. She avoided the second surgery which I will continue to believe was a God thing, as it continues to baffle the doctors.
So onward, Christmas!! I can't wait!
Yes, so I'm 33. How did I "get" 33?? I have no idea. I don't feel any older really. I'm sure I say that every year.
Feeling thankful for many things, especially over the fact that Ella is at home and she looks great. Thanks for thinking of her and praying for her health. She avoided the second surgery which I will continue to believe was a God thing, as it continues to baffle the doctors.
So onward, Christmas!! I can't wait!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)