January Fun

Silly Dress up fun

Elle and Jayne putting on make-up

Easton and Jayne playing cowboys

Playing in the snow

One cute little snowman

Playing train

Easton didn't have school one day for CBM testing so we decided to have a little "Mommy-Easton" date since Elle and Jayne still had school. We had so much fun! I let him choose somewhere to go for breakfast and he chose Kneaders, which was surprising because McDonalds was one of the choices. We got french toast and a breakfast sandwich and sat at a little table, just me and Easton. We talked about school, his friends, bugs, BYU, Star Wars and all his favorite things. I told him how much I love him and how proud I am of him. I loved being able to talk with him without any distractions of home. After, I let him choose something to do before we had to pick up Jayne from preschool, and he said he wanted to go to the library. We go there a lot but usually I am following Jayne around putting books back on the shelf and he wanted me to help him pick out some books. We drove to the library but it wasn't open yet so I let Easton sit in the front sit while we waited in the parking lot. He loved the heater in the seat and how warm it got. He kept saying his bum was on fire. It was funny! We looked through his books he was returning one more time, he made little jokes and we laughed. He is so cute and silly. The library opened and we picked out some books together. We sat down and read a couple and then it was time to go get Jayne. It was short but I absolutely loved my special time with Easton. We read books and play games at home but it was really nice to go do something, out of the ordinary, just he and I. It is a memory that I will always love!

Jayne's 1st day of Preschool

Jayne started preschool right after the New Year and she was SO excited! It always makes her a little sad when Elle and Easton leave for school with Daddy and we say goodbye. So, she was really excited when she got to have her own backpack and go to school with them. We all went together on her first day. We dropped off Elle and Easton first and then drove to Jayne's school, about 10 minutes away. She kept "talking" about her backpack and had to hold it in her lap the whole time. We pulled up to the school and told her where we were and she started cheering. It was so cute! Don and I both took her by the hand and walked up to the building along with all the other parents walking their kids up. She was so excited that she was giggling! She smiled for a picture and looked so cute with her backpack on that is almost as big as she is. All the aides and her teacher were waiting outside for all the kids to get dropped off. Her teacher came up and said hi to her and then one of the aides came up and said, "Oh, I can tell I am going to be in love. She is so cute!" It immediately set my mind at ease to see how sweet all the teachers are and how endeared they already feel to Jayne. They all seem so warm and kind which is just what Jayne needs and deserves.



As soon as the doors opened and we walked inside though, it all changed. She saw all the other kids holding on to the rings on the rope and the parents saying goodbye and she turned around and tried to walk back out the door. We tried to steer her back toward the other kids and she flopped on the floor on her tummy and then she started to cry. Her cute teacher said she would take her but Don and I decided that we would walk her to her classroom on her first day. I was having a little bit of a hard time just dropping my baby off too so I was happy to walk her down to her class. She was a little nervous until we got to the classroom and then she saw all the toys and activities and walked right in. She didn't even bother to say goodbye. She was busy exploring her new classroom.


(She's in the back, by the block center)

Pick-up time couldn't have come fast enough that first day. I was so excited to see her and hear how her first day went. I wish I could have just watched from the window, but that would've been a little weird.


She came walking out with the other kids and then ran to me and said, "Mama!" There's nothing better than that! She gave me the biggest hug and then ran off to the play ground while I talked with her teacher.

Her teacher said that she had a great first day! They read the "Three Little Kittens" book and painted a mitten. They did music and movement for their large group activity and Jayne played at the kitchen center during her play time. She said that Jayne is still getting used to the routine but that she will get it and that she definitely has a mind of her own. I agreed and said she is strong willed. All the teachers love her though!

Since then, it has just gotten better and better. Jayne is always excited for school. Her teacher and aides love her and are so cute with her. Jayne happily goes in with them. She is learning to follow the routine and is interacting with the other kids during play time. I get a paper every day that tells everything they do and where Jayne plays so I always know what she is learning. They read cute books, play math games, do shape activities and I love that there is a speech therapist that is in the classroom a lot. She brings home the cutest painting and art projects and is happy when I pick her up. She LOVES school and is having such a great experience!

New Years Eve

New Year's Eve was low key but still a lot of fun. We had some family over to play games and have treats. We played UNO, a lot of Rook, watched the countdown on TV and we even let Elle and Easton stay up to see the ball drop this year. They were so excited that they could stay up and were bouncing off the walls all night but as soon as midnight came, Easton looked over at me and said, "Mom, can I go to bed now?" (As if I was making him stay awake. Funny Easton!) I got him to bed and went to go get Elle and found her already in bed almost fast asleep. I guess they both just wanted to make it to midnight and then crashed.


Jayne celebrated New Year's a little early before going to bed. She loved her party blower! (Notice how her pajamas are on backwards? She has a funny habit of taking off her pajamas and messy diaper in the morning in her crib. After a lot of messy surprises, we got some footy pajamas, cut the feet off and now we put them on her backwards so she can't take them off without help. Problem solved! Thanks for the tip Paul and Emily!)



Celebrating New Year's with a little sparkling apple cider



Glenn, Tami and Tyler (Cousin Riley came too but somehow I didn't get a picture of him)


Don and Diane

Happy New Year!

Christmas

Christmas morning came early after getting to bed so late but the kids couldn't wait to see what Santa had brought! We talked Grandma and Grandpa into staying the night so they got to be in on the Christmas morning fun too!





Elle was so excited about her new dining table and some food for her American Girl Doll! Jayne was pretty excited for Elle too!



Easton got the bug maker he asked Santa for. You can make the bugs, fill them with goop and squish them. Every little boy's dream!



Jayne was way more interested in what Elle and Easton got than what Santa had brought her but when she finally decided to come see what was by her stocking, she was SO excited about the new Barbie movie! She loves her dress up chest too and changed dresses throughout the day. She is our little princess!



Jayne was pretty insistent on playing with Elle's new table and food so Elle was sweet and told her to get her baby and they had a little dinner party for their dolls.

After looking through stockings and making some bugs with Easton's new bug maker, we had a quick breakfast and then it was time to get ready for church. It was a nice Christmas program but the kids were really anxious to get home and open the rest of their presents. Grandma and Grandpa stayed the rest of the day with us and Grandma Irene came over too. It was a really nice day!

Some of the highlights...

Elle couldn't wait to give Easton the car she bought him with her own money and Easton was excited to give her the American Girl doll apron. They are so cute to each other!



School kit for Elle


Do you think Easton likes his Cosmo pillow pet?



Jayne's all about babies so she was in heaven when she opened the doll set with a carrier, crib, backpack, bouncy chair, etc. Elle was sweet and got her baby bottles too. She is one good mama!



New dangly earrings for Elle, Star Wars Legos for Easton, and dishes for Jayne



Elle made this adorable calendar for us in school



Don and Diane were so sweet and got Elle the neatest art kits and Easton and Jayne these really cool stomp rockets



Elle made the cutest book for Grandma Irene as if they were reindeer and it talked about things they have done together. It was so sweet, it made Grandma cry! She painted a picture for Grandma and Grandpa Adamson of the three of them as snowmen. They loved it!

(Elle amazes me more and more all the time. She is so giving and thoughtful. She had presents made or bought with her own money, wrapped and under the tree weeks before Christmas. She loves to give!)

My favorite presents were these adorable paintings Elle and Easton both made for us. We love our kids!



After presents, we just relaxed, played games, and played with new Christmas toys.

Playing Creationary, a fun lego building game



Playing with new Electricity kit


We had a great Christmas! I always hate to see it end, but we have a lot to look forward to this coming year!

Christmas Eve and Big News!

Christmas Eve is actually my favorite part of Christmas. Don't get me wrong--I love seeing my kids run out to see what Santa brought and open each present totally excited. But, it always seems like as soon as you open presents, Christmas is over. So, I hold on to each moment Christmas Eve--being with family, having a delicious dinner, kids anticipating the arrival of Santa, singing Christmas carols, reading Grandma's book, and reading in Luke while the kids (and sometimes adults) get to act out the Nativity. It's not about the presents on Christmas Eve, but about being together and celebrating the birth of Jesus, the true meaning of Christmas.

This Christmas Eve we got together with Don's family (that is here in Utah) and had such a nice night. We started off the night with an amazing dinner at Don and Diane's.


The adult table


The kid table (They make dinner look a lot more fun! Oh, to be a kid again.)






Then we headed back to our house for a Christmas program and games. Elle is an amazing organizer and planner and told me a few weeks before Christmas that she had a program all planned for Christmas Eve. So, we let her be in charge and she did a fantastic job! She picked the songs out to sing and wrote down all the words for everyone and had the nativity costumes and props all set out and parts assigned.


The program she made all on her own



She played the piano while we all sang







And Jayne twirled and danced to the music and then kept posing in these funny positions. She is so cute and was making us all laugh and smile. How did we get so lucky?



Then she would clap and cheer at the end of each song



Tami read Diane's book she wrote, "I Believe in Santa Clause"



Then we read out of Luke and acted out the nativity. Elle assigned Mitch to be Joseph but Easton really wanted to be Joseph too so we had two "Josephs" this year. Uncle Glenn got to be a Wise Man. He loved his crown and frankincense. :)



Acting out the Nativity



We put the kids to bed in our room snuggled up in sleeping bags on our floor. (They love all sleeping in the same room together. Don and I love it too but also have to make sure they don't run out and see what Santa brought until we get to be with them.) They kept coming out saying they were too excited for Santa to come to fall asleep, but they finally did. Don and I stayed up late playing games with the adults and finally got to bed about 2am. Luckily, we remembered to set out the cookies and note from the kids to Santa. I think he loved them because there was nothing but crumbs the next morning!



And our big news... Before putting the kids to bed they got to open a little package to our family from Heavenly Father and inside was...


Baby #4's 1st picture! Yep, we are having another baby!



Elle immediately started jumping up and down and was so excited! Easton couldn't understand how the ultrasound was a picture of a baby and looked at me and said, "Seriously? There's a baby in your tummy? Seriously?" We told him yes and then he got really excited too and has been asking me when the baby is coming ever since. (He will hug me and say that he is hugging the baby too.) They both insist it is a boy. Easton wants a brother because Elle and Jayne do a lot of "girly" stuff and Elle says it has to be a boy because we have a pattern in our family--girl, boy, girl, boy. When we told Jayne, she just smiled and cheered. I don't think she understands what is going on but I'm pretty sure she will love the baby when it comes, maybe a little too much. :) We are so excited for this new addition to our family, and a little nervous too. It will be a whole new adventure to take our family of 5 to a family of 6 but there's nothing that brings us more happiness than our kids. We love our little (or big?) family!