Christmas!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, We did! We had the traditional Christmas eve, read the Christmas story, opened jamas and played the chimes, (hence Danielle with her hands over her ears!)We had our first Christmas morning at home, it was nice chatting with my family over the internet while the kids opened presents. Claire is in love with all of her new toys, especially the dress up dress Nana got her. It's nice to have stuff to keep the kids busy with! We spent the day at Chris' parents house, it was fun to hang out with Marshall and Tiffany and their family since we don't see them very often now. We had a wonderful turkey dinner and got snowed in Christmas night so we spent the night which gave us more excuse to spend time with family. Were finally recovering and my house is somewhat back in order. Now here come birthdays!
Happy New Year Everyone

Can you tell the difference?

I took these with my new camera that arrived yesterday. I haven't been able to put it down since. This is so fun, and I'm having a feeling this is going to be a new hobby of mine!

Cradle to grave

My father created a prototype for a label that would go on our foods to show the environmental impacts of each food. I think it's a great idea and it really shows you just how much energy it takes to get something like a piece of steak from the cow to the plate. Take a look at it and if you like it, tell your friends. I think this should be something we NEED to be seeing when we go to pour ourselves a bowl of cereal.

Corn-based giftcards

So I got a new gift card in the mail from Target. On the back it says it's made from a corn based material that is completely bio-degradable! If I can find these in the stores I will be getting these from now on!
I think it's the same material they've been using to replace the plastic for plastic plates and cups. Hope to see these things in the store.

6 month well baby

Jake had his check-up today. He's doing pretty well. 17lbs 7 oz and 271/2 inches long. he's 80% for height and 50% for weight. He's really evened out weight wise. He had his shots and did really well. Slept most of the day. He's had a HORRIBLE case of eczema that has now moved to his back. The poor kids just wants to itch when he gets his diaper off, it's so sad. I feel bad knowing that at least one of our kids will get my horribly dry skin.
He's so even tempered compared to Claire which is a huge change for Chris and I and some days we wonder if there's something wrong with the kid! Now we're realizing just how special and unique each baby is. It's fun to see him grow, eating solids which when I mean solids, I mean real food, he doesn't care too much for baby food, but loves any kind of big kid food you put in front of him. He'll dissolve a graham cracker in a minute flat! He's also starting to push himself up with his arms and move from a sitting position to crawling position. He really wants to move, and I'm kind of dreading the day because of all the tiny little doll parts all over our house from Claire and the choking hazard they present. I don't know how I'm going to keep him out of it.
Claire went and sat on Santa's lap last week. She was quite cordial with the guy and told him exactly what she wanted with no prompting from me. I wish I had my camera with me. After we were done, Santa got up for his lunch break and went to Subway in our mall, Claire wanted to follow him in there. I thought it was a little weird watching Santa eat a sub sandwich but that's just me.

Another potty break-through, Claire went on the big toilet today for the first time. We were at the doctors and there was no other choice so after two attempts she went on the big potty. Yeah for Claire. Oh and we're done with nap-time I guess. She's been Non-napping for a little over a week and she seems to be okay most of the time. It makes for a LONG day, but it's nice to have her in bed earlier, since Jake goes to bed early we've actually had both the kids in bed by like 8pm a few times. Heaven!

I guess that's about all going on right now. We're in full holiday mode around here. Last night Claire helped me make cookies that I made Chris give out to neighbors in the middle of our snow storm (thanks honey!). Isn't he great. Chris finishes finals tomorrow. I think I'm more excited than him. One more semester.

Yeah!

Claire is potty trained!

Can I get a alleluia!

It's definitely one of those moments where you ask yourself, is this really happening?
I was getting so frustrated with it and thinking I was never going to entice this girl to stick with it, turns out I just needed to threaten her with losing dolls, toys, etc. for her to really comprehend we were doing this, and not just so she could get toys.(Thank you Hilary) We've been doing a potty chart which has worked pretty well for her. Although, when she really wants her toys and doesn't have enough stickers yet she'll sit on the potty trying to make herself go. Hopefully that will pass cause she gets pretty frustrated when she can't!
I know we've only been doing this for about five days and we still have a lot to work on but she's finally caught on to the whole concept and is staying dry pretty much all day every day. She even goes without being asked. During her nap today, she was yelling I did a poop and I was worried she might have had an accident. I came in and she had gone poop on the potty.

We made it just shy of 3 years, she's so old!

Today when she was taking a bath she wanted Jake in there with her so I got him in and and she gave him a hug, "Jakey, your my best friend" okay that's enough to melt a mom's heart. I hope it lasts.






I told Chris what she said, and his reply "isn't that a little sad? her best friend is a baby" Okay maybe so, but I hope they are always good friends.

Progress

Have you ever felt stuck in a rut? Like no matter what you do you are still in the same place dealing with the same things?
I'm not used to the stability. I'm right brained, very random, going in a million different directions at once. I've always been this way and now that I have a family they need me everyday, all day. They need consistency. I know this is important and I want to give them this, but it's hard to keep my head from wandering.

Anyways,
So things like this I really want to work on, just being better at life. Being happy NO MATTER WHAT! Enjoying my kids everyday, in every moment. Doing all of this not only to help my family, but to progress personally. I'm the personal progress leader in my Ward. I have come to realize that personal progress is for EVERYONE. My dad told me once the hardest thing in life is enduring to the end. I agree and have to add that it's not only treading water, but swimming forward.

I have so many goals. So many things I want to work toward. I don't know if it's just the need in me to want to please everyone, but I want to be perfect.

So one thing I want to work on is just being more honest with who I am. Allowing others to see faults and not caring what they think. Because this is the only way I will really see what I need to work on. Hilary and I have talked about how people use their blogs to show just how perfect they are. They should be called Brags and I have to admit I'm quite guilty.

So there's some transparency for you.

I have to say that no progress happens unless you are disciplined - something pretty hard for me. So I've been saying a LOT of prayers lately. The Lord has given me some tender mercies.

So I challenge anyone who's reading to be a bit more transparent. Take a risk and GROW.

Tub

So Jake will be 6 months here in a few days. So I thought I'd post this cute picture of him chillin in the tub, he LOVES the tub. It completely relaxes him and he falls asleep afterward. He's really starting to enjoy his toys and loves to bang things. I don't remember Claire ever really doing that, so I wonder if it's a boy thing. I don't know if I posted this before, but I wanted to have it written down that whenever someone sees him for the first time, the first thing they comment on are his big blues eyes. I do love his eyes. Every day being a mother of two seems to get easier and easier.

Merry Christmas to me

Guess what I just ordered..




I'm doing a happy dance!

the elf dance

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