Merry Belated Christmas!!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!  I know we did!!  Philip's parents came into town and since my parents now live in town, we had a big throw down at our house.  Ethan opened presents on four consecutive days.  It was great!  I'll try to get pictures of Christmas day up soon, but until then you can watch our Christmas videos.

I'd like to take this time to discuss Christmas cards.  This year I sent out Asher's baby announcements that never got sent out this summer with the additional picture shown above.

My question to my readers out there is who do you send Christmas cards to?  With the cost of postage (and cards) going up each year I start to question who should be on my Christmas card list.  Don't get me wrong, I love making a Christmas card and I love sending them out, I just don't know how to edit my list.   Do you send cards to family only?  How about high school or college buddies that you don't talk to often, but still want to keep in touch with?  What about local friends that see you every week or month?  Or do you keep a list of who sent you a card so you can return the favor next year?

I'd love your input on this.  Our list consists of a mixture of these, but I did struggle with our Sunday School class members this year.  I mean, we see them every week, but I still want to wish them a Merry Christmas!  What I don't want to do is spend over $100 on cards and postage each year. 

Help!!

Quitting the Challenge

I don't quit many things, but after I started posting things on here that I would definitely not share with a stranger I figured it was in the best interest of my family to quit the challenge.  Instead I am here today to tell you that I am uploading new pictures on our Shutterfly site and new videos on our YouTube site.  I am especially going to add a lot more pictures to Ethan's tab on the site since he has been quiet the photographer lately!

I know this was kind of a "cheater" post but I hope you enjoy all the new media!

Also, for those of you who were confused about the picture below, the fifth letter on the mantel holds our dog's stockings (Emma and Dante).  I have a feeling that in a few years or so they will get booted from this place of honor.  Either that, or I need to buy some more stocking hangers!

Stockings

Yesterday afternoon (16 days before Christmas) I finally sat down and made Asher's stocking.  Out of the six stockings here I've sewn the first four and although they might not be the prettiest stockings ever they work for us.

In Philip's family each member of the family contributes to each stocking.  We have adopted this practice and I love it!  It is so much fun to buy things for everyone's stocking (including this year my inlaws and brother in law).  Then when it is time to "open" them everyone just dumps their stocking onto the floor and we figure out who bought what.

In my family our stockings were the only things we could open before our parents got out of bed on Christmas morning.  I remember my sister and I running out to the living room to grab the stockings and then returning to one of our beds to open them.  Then the agonizing wait would begin, but at least we had the contents of our stockings to keep us busy until 8am.

Does your family use stockings in their celebration of Christmas?  How do they work in your house?

Yesterday's Doctor's Visit

Asher's 6-month doctor's visit was yesterday and he did great.  Dr. Brice said everything looks fine.  At 6 months Asher weighs almost exactly the same as Ethan did (16 pounds) but the big difference with Asher is that he is 2 inches shorter than his brother was at this age!!

Here is a picture I took awhile ago, but I haven't posted it anywhere yet:

Asher did not appreciate the cup of water I poured on his head, but at least in these pictures you can see his chunky-ness!

Toddlers are easy to amaze

The following conversation was had between myself and my three year old before he took his nap today:

"Mommy can I play with my activities?"  (activities = Nativity set)
"No, I said you can read your train book and then go to bed."
"But, I don't know where my book is!"
"It's in the bathroom."
"HOW did you KNOW that?!"

Solids - the second time around

With Ethan I remember starting solid foods the day that the pediatrician said that we could.  My number one motivation was to spend less money on formula.  Little did I know the amount of dishes and ultimately money and time having a baby on solids can require.

This time around I have delayed starting solids until what seems like the last minute.  Even though I am not anti-spoon, after reading a blog post about baby-led weaning I got really stoked about not having to make purees this go-round.  I want Asher to get the majority from his calories from me for as long as possible anyway, so I am in no hurry to start solids.  Having said that, Asher has gone through periods this last month where after nursing in the evening he is still fussy.  It is at these times when I have offered oatmeal cereal made with formula (or some other liquid).   He does sit at the table with us during dinner and we also have tried to give him solids from our plates.  So far he has had some baked sweet potato, applesauce and a few grains of rice (all good Cajuns should have some rice in their diet).  Most of these foods have been processed and given right back to us, but he has swallowed a few mouthfuls of each.

Unlike this picture the last two nights have gone rather well as far as getting more food into his body then onto his bib.  He still is only eating about one tablespoon of cereal a night, but he seems to be getting better at opening his mouth when a spoon comes up to his mouth and then swallowing what is deposited there.

Today we are going to the pediatrician for Asher's six month check up.  After Ethan heard that Asher was going to have shots he said, "I want some throw-up in my nose."  He means that he does not want a flu shot, but instead wants the flu mist (up his nose).  Kids say the darnedest things.  Also, I couldn't think of it the other day but another funny word Ethan says incorrectly is "Mirr-e-u" for mirror.

Snickerdoodles

I have vivid memories of my family members fighting over my Mawmaw's Snickerdoodles.  I'm not exaggerating here!  After one Christmas where my dad literally hoarded the entire container for hours while he munched away, Mawmaw finally made certain family members their own gallon ziploc bags of the cookies. 

That being said every year when I set out to make them I think, "Do I even like these?" "Are they really as good as I remember?"  After all with such simple ingredients as veg. shortening, sugar, eggs, flour, etc. and with only a cinnamon sugar topping you don't expect anything spectacular.  But then you take the first bite.  mmmm.....the salty crumbly somewhat buttery tasting cookie melts in your mouth.  I have nothing left to say...I am speechless.

Here is an old picture, but it will have to do for now:

Christmas Tree

So Ethan finally let me take a picture of him after we decorated the Christmas tree:

 

This year we went for the "au naturale" look.  Do you know how long it takes to make that silly popcorn/cranberry garland?  Longer than you think! And you may recognize our ornaments from this post.

Today's post

Today while Ethan and Philip went out to run some errands I put lights on the Christmas tree.  Ethan got home and was so shocked!  "Mommy, the tree is blinking!"  Granted, the lights aren't blinking but I knew what he meant.  I also finished up the french onion soup that I started yesterday.  This picture is just for my mom:

If you want to try this soup out it is an America's Test Kitchen recipe and it will take over 2 hours to make (just a heads up).

Yesterday's post

I really meant to post this yesterday, but spent some quality time with my hubby instead (watching My Cousin Vinny).  Yesterday Asher turned 6 months old.  Yay Asher! The cute new thing that he has started to do is stick his tongue out and then smile.  It is so stinkin' cute!  The problem is he does it so quickly that I can't get a picture of it.  Here is a picture of our cute boy:

You can almost hear him thinking, "Get in my mouth!"

If you're wondering why I haven't had any pictures of Ethan in these last few posts it's because he doesn't want me to take his picture!  Even when he finished his puzzle, he only wanted me to take a picture of the puzzle, not of him.

Yesterday was a fun day Philip and Ethan went and bought our Christmas tree and mom came over and we had chicken panini sandwiches and Brussels sprouts for dinner.  If you don't think you like Brussels sprouts go and try that recipe.  It will change your mind, it might even change your life!  It has made me a believer of re-trying things you don't think you like or giving a chance to things you've never tried before. We also had croissant panini sandwiches (with nutella, bananas, marshmallow creme, etc.) for dessert!  They....were....awesome!  But, how could they not be?

A Night of Firsts

Today the boys and I met Betsy and her kids at the Fountain City library for story time.  If you have never gone to the FC story time it is worth the drive!!  There are songs, rhymes, hand puppets, stories from books, and interactive flannel stories. Also there were chairs for the adults to sit on, which is nice for moms that have smaller little ones to entertain during story time. 

Tonight was a night of firsts.  While we were with Betsy today she gave us our Christmas presents and for Ethan it was his first puzzle!!  He needed a little bit of help, but he was so proud when it was done.

Tonight was also Asher's first fire!  He acted similar to his brother the first time he saw a fire in that he just stared at it in amazement.

On the agenda for tomorrow?  Buy a Christmas tree and decorate the house!

Library and MOPS

We had a busy day today including a trip to the library and then tonight the boys and I went to MOPS.  I am doing crafts for the moppets this year which means this afternoon I researched and planned a craft for the kids to do.  I'll take a picture of one of the crafts Ethan did and post it tomorrow.  In the meantime enjoy this picture of Asher when I picked him up from Moppets:

Sweet thumb-sucking boy!!

I'm so glad I met today's post goal (if only by four minutes).

A post (and a picture) a day till Christmas!

I've been slacking on this blog for a while now (I can't believe it's been 3 months since my last post) and I was inspired today to change that.  For the whole month of December, or at least until Christmas, I plan on posting one picture a day.  If you are interested here is the blog that inspired me.  On days when I have time I am also going to go back in time and document something we have done in the last 6 months or so.

First some updates on funny things that Ethan says or has said recently:

• "nockers" for binoculars
• "helmets" for some muff-style headphones that he used in the car
• "Asher wants to be excused." this after Asher stopped nursing one day to stare at his big brother

My picture for the day is of a craft project that Ethan and I started a few days ago after I read this post.

These have been drying for two days but I think since it has been so humid here they will take a few more days to get good and dry.  My goal is to wait until the fruit dries, add some popcorn and cranberries, and then hang them over one our many walkways coming from the kitchen. 

We were in Louisiana for Thanksgiving and today was my first day to sit down and "do" our budget.  This means I look at how much money we had leftover the day Philip gets paid, save it appropriately and pay most of the bills for the new month.  To do this efficiently I had to lay Asher down and chose to place him on the warm sunny changing table we have in the living room.  I guess Asher thought it was warm and snuggly, because this is how I found him 15 minutes later:

Ethan also was suppose to go to bed so while I was finishing up the budget I asked him to go upstairs and wait for me.  He is currently also passed out!!

See you tomorrow!