Merry Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas.  Leah was completely enchanted by the idea of Santa Claus coming to our home, and Adam was typical Adam- just happy to be.  We spent Christmas Eve shopping, wrapping, and decorating Christmas cookies.  We had a great nativity with lots of extra shepards and wise men and for some reason I didn't get a single picture of any of it.  Leah was the angel and Adam was in charge of lighting (read: standing on a chair and flicking the lights on and off at his discretion).  Jason was Joseph, Michelle was Mary, and I narrated and played the piano. 

It warmed my heart to hear Leah's prayer that night- "Thank you that it's Jesus' birthday."  The cookies were laid out, the reindeer food spread, and the stockings hung.  Then it was off to bed for the kids, off to work for the adults.

When Leah woke up in the morning around 8:00, she laid in her temporary bed in our room and sang, "I love thee Lord Jesus"over and over again.  Eventually she climbed into our bed and we snuggled together for another 45 minutes before she finally mentioned Christmas.  "I wonder if Santa Claus came," she mused.  "I think I'm ready to line up on the stairs and find out."  It wasn't quite the early morning excitement or greed I had anticipated (thankfully) but we roused the aunties and lined up on the stairs.

Adam was not yet fully awake.

But as soon as he saw his new train set from Santa, he was happy as could be. 

Leah was thrilled to get a scooter ("My best present" she has told my many times since) and eventually Jason and I got around to opening presents for ourselves, too.  The meaning of Christmas has shifted so much as we have become parents- the getting is great, but it is the giving and the sparkle in our kids eyes that bring the real magic of the holiday.

It was a wonderful Christmas.  Being in our home has been great, and having family here to share the holidays with has been so very nice.  I also got to spend a fair bit of time on the phone with my family, and we even got to visit with my brother in Afghanistan. 

Had we sent out a Christmas card, it would have looked like the picture at the top of this post.  And it would have said how thankful we are for our blessings, our health and our family and friends.  This has been a wonderful year, and we are excited to take on all the adventures that 2011 will bring!

The Art Institute

The Art Institute of Chicago was so amazing, it deserves it's own post.  How I wish we could have spent an entire day there, but, coincidentally, we were there on a free day, which only lasted a few hours.  It turned out that that was okay- by 6:00 at night, the last thing the kids wanted to hear was "Don't touch that!  Sit down!  Be quiet!"  It was definitely a do-again, but perhaps next time we will do it without the kids.

I tried to get a picture of everyone next to their favorite original painting.  And I only forgot to turn the flash off once (which resulted in a stern talking-to by the museum guard).

 Nighthawks by Edward Hopper

 Haystacks by Claude Monet

In the contemporary exhibition, I heard Leah quote Ian Falconer's Olivia, "I could do that in about five minutes."

The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso

Farmer J and his wife... just kidding...  

American Gothic by Grant Wood

Jason's family has a tradition of taking pictures with a straight face.  I think you can see here why we haven't carried that tradition on... yikes!

A Sunday afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat
Okay, so I had more than one favorite, but they were all so amazing.  To be surrounded by such masterpieces- it was a fantastic end to the day, even if by the end everyone else looked like this:

Totally worth it!

Chicago... Again!

We took Jason's visiting family to see Chicago last week, and I l realized two important things- that the sticker shock never fades and the sights never cease to amaze.  This time around, we stayed in a hotel right downtown which was awesome.  We had a perfect view of some of the most beautiful buildings in Chicago. 

We hit up all the essentials- Giordano's, Navy Pier, Lake Michigan, Portillo's, the Magnificent Mile, Millennium Park, and The Art Institute- in one long day, and had a fantastic time. 

I was determined to not hear, "I'm freezing!" from the kids once, and thanks to some serious bundling, I succeeded!  Most of the time they were in the stroller, they were asleep- a sure sign of comfort, I'd say.

In hopes...

that St. Nicholas soon will be here.

Yule Slide!

We went to the children's museum to check out the infamous yule slide, and it didn't disappoint!

It may not look like we were going that fast, but it felt like we were flying.  I only wish we could have gone down a dozen more times.

This was the first and probably the last time I'll go to the museum on a Saturday.  I enjoy the quiet weekday afternoons too much- even if it means taking the kids by myself.

It was fun having Jason with us this time around, though.  It was especially nice to have someone else push the double stroller up and down the four flights of ramps to get to the best exhibits.  And he seemed more interested in taking pictures than I ever am while we're there.

I'm usually too busy keeping one eye on each kid, but this time we got to divide and conquer.  I am always amazed at how entranced the kids are by the exhibits- dinosaurs, pretend kitchens, a carousel and little slides!  What could be more fun?

A Silent Afternoon

In one week from today, the first of Jason's family will arrive and the craziness of the holidays will officially commence.  With any luck, we'll have a trip to Indianapolis, a trip to Chicago, a great Christmas at home, a long-anticipated trip back to Utah (this time with Jason!) and a birthday for Miss Leah before the New Year hits.  I have a to-do list a mile long, but the kids are asleep and none of the must-do's sound very appealing right now ("scrub down Adam's high chair"... no thanks), so I'm going to blog instead.

I am done with Christmas shopping and am trying to focus more on the meaning of Christmas in our home.  Last week we went caroling to a nursing home and the local veterans hospital.  Among the many grandmas and grandpas we sang to, one man was blind.  We gathered around his bed with a few other families from our ward and sang several Christmas carols.  Leah requested that we sing "I Am A Child of God"- her favorite song and such a touching one as we heard the man ask if Santa would bring him a new pair of eyes.  Several times since Leah has said, "I feel so bad for that blind grandpa.  I just feel so sorry for him."  She is very compassionate and it is hard to explain to her why people have different struggles and challenges in life. 

Jason and I spent Saturday morning volunteering to help less fortunate families "shop" for Christmas presents for their children from the piles of toys that had been donated from our church.  As I listened to our assigned lady talk about her difficult divorce, her inability to find a job, her failing health, and her two young children, I was again grateful for the many blessings that we have.  It seems much less important whether Leah gets the Polly Pockets and the Zhu Zhu pet (much to my chagrin), and more significant that we are blessed to be able to give her both.  Yes, we have our own struggles, but I am very thankful that a warm house, a family that loves each other, and the ability to provide a little Christmas to our family are not things that we have to worry about. 

I'm excited for Christmas.  I don't know that I'm doing enough of the crafts and advents and treat-sharing, but we are talking a lot about the nativity and Jesus' birth and the gift of our Savior.  And if Leah's childhood is anything like mine, those memories will stick far longer than any squeaky little toy hamster might.  I love to hear the words of the Christmas story- I can hear my dad's voice reading the words from the scriptures and my mom playing the accompanying hymns on the piano- and I hope that my children will recognize the significance of our Savior's birth in the midst of all the gift-giving and getting. 

Of course, I'm excited for the Santa part of it too- we continue to share stories from our childhoods every single day, and I just love filling Leah's head up with visions of sugar plums and expectations of Santa Claus.  Her requests are few, and she is a very good little girl.  I am confident that this year, Santa will not disappoint.

They Should Put That On The BOX!

One tradition that my kids will miss out on Grandma's house this year is making gingerbread houses.  So I bought a kit and declared yesterday afternoon that it was time to make the houses!  Well, I should have read the instructions first, because it called for FOUR HOURS of drying time.  Really, they should put that in bold letters on the outside of the box so I can take it into consideration before I even bring the kit home.  My kids don't have an attention span of four minutes, so I got the first layer of frosting goop set up and set the project aside for the day. 

 I cheerily finished assembling the houses last night, 

and today we finally got to decorate the houses.  Leah was pretty into it- carefully applying the frosting and selecting which candies should adorn each and every inch of the tiny little house.

Adam just ate as much candy as he could before I caught on and dismissed him from the activity.  

And in the end, we ended up with some very nice little houses.

Lesson learned: open the box and read the instructions before mentioning anything to anyone!

One Decade Older

Jason turned the big 3-0 this past weekend, and we spent the whole weekend celebrating.  On Friday night, I fufilled two of his greatest Indiana wishes by taking him to a particular store and restaurant that neither of us will ever admit to until the day we die.  Ever.  So don't ask. 

 On Saturday he had a late night with the guys and Sunday was the grand finale- cake and presents.  Jason already knew what most of his presents were thanks to Black Friday deals that we couldn't pass up, but I still dragged out the suspense of the gift giving with a game of "Morales Family Showdown: The Birthday Edition"! 

He had to earn each gift by completing a series of Jason-related trivia questions, a physical challenge (including running around the backyard in the snow) and then solving a clue that led him to a hidden present.  I know, apparently I have a lot of time on my hands. 

Why yes, that is my 30-year-old husband spinning around on a unicorn.

Actually, the whole game only took me about 10 minutes to set up and we still had a great time.  Leah was quite helpful with reading the trivia questions, Adam handed over the clues, and Jason loved it all.  If there is anything that boy loves more than a good deal, it's a surprise.  Thankfully, for this birthday, he got both. 

Patiently waiting for a slice of birthday cake.

This has been a good year and a good decade.  We are excited to see what the thirties have in store for our family.  Happy Birthday, Jason!

He thinks he's funny

Adam has developed such a sense of humor.  While he was playing with a box of rice and spoons, he kept sticking his finger through the hole of a measuring spoon and saying, "Uck!  Uck!"  Then I'd say, "Oh!  Is your finger stuck?"  and take it off.  And he'd smile and put it back on and we'd start the whole thing over again... and again... and again.  Ah, the simple pleasures of a one-year-old. 

But my absolute favorite is the fact that Adam needs me to watch him fall asleep.  The fact in itself is not so funny, and can occasionally be quite inconvenient, like when we are late from the symphony, but the things he does to get me to come back into his room are quite comical.  He will start cooing, then speaking, then shouting, "Ma! Ma! mamamamamamamaMAAMAA! MA!  MA!  MA!"  I can tell from the noises on the monitor that he is jumping up and down, tossing his stuffed monkey and crab over the side of his crib, and pulling back the nearby window curtains to entertain himself.  But as soon as I walk into his room to tuck him back in, he literally dives back onto the mattress (occasionally with arms spread wide), snuggles right down, and falls asleep within seconds.  He never wants me to pick him back up, he just wants to know I'm there.  So sweet.

We're starting a little boys playdate this week with a few friends, and I am anxious to see how Adam does with other kids his age.  Nursery is right around the corner, so he'll figure it out soon enough.  He doesn't generally snatch toys away from other kids, but if you try to take his toy, look out.  He will shriek and howl and stamp his feet until the other kid, clearly terrified, lets go.  It should be lots of fun!

First Snow

We woke up on Saturday to the first major snow of the season.  Leah was convinced it was Christmas day.  Although the snow canceled our plans to head to Indy for a day at the museum, we still had a great time together at home.

It's horrible, I know, but sometimes we just can't resist torturing our kids.  At least he wasn't sick, just grumpy.

 Of course, Leah has been there before, too, more than once.  This year, though, she was more than happy to stay in the snow until her mittens were soggy and her fingers frozen.  Why don't they make tiny gloves?

Jason and Leah made a perfect snowman in our front yard.  It's hard to believe winter is officially here (in case the passing of Thanksgiving and the crazy Christmas prep weren't reminder enough!)

Sunday Best

Leah is loving her newest fancy dress.

I am going to dress Adam in this outfit every day for the rest of his life... or at least until it doesn't fit anymore.  What a stud!

 Quite possibly my new favorite picture.

 I asked Leah to take a picture of Jason and I.  Oh well.  You get what you get, right?

Despite their total craziness, I love Sundays for the fact that we all get dressed up and look pretty sharp!

Love for Leah

Always in a dress- Leah loves fancy dresses most of all.  She put on her new birthday dress first thing this morning, and was so disappointed when I told her she had to change out of it to go to the store.  When I asked her what she was going to wear she replied, "A not fancy dress".  That is so sad to her.

One of my most favorite little things about Leah is her ability to remember everything.  Although this doesn't always work in my favor ("MOM!  Remember, no feet on the chairs at the dinner table!"- my very favorite bad habit), it's usually quite helpful.  I can tell her something that we need from the store a day or two in advance, and she will remember it!  Whether it's glue sticks, hair gel for Daddy, or paper plates, she always remembers and tells me at just the right time. So helpful!  It's like having my own little voice reminder app!

She also loves to listen to music.  She rarely asks if she can watch TV, but almost always wants to have music on.  When she's not twirling around and shaking her hips, she curls up on the couch and presses the speaker right up to her ear so she can memorize the lyrics.  Lately we've been enjoying the Nutcracker Suite and The Chipmunks Christmas, although she always asks me why Dave yells at Alvin so much.  It's a good opportunity to teach her about the importance of quickly obeying Mom!