New Year's Eve

NYE is always a night to stay home, relax, and enjoy each other's company. We usually make a special meal, open a bottle of wine, and watch the NYE shows on TV. We're always glad to be in our safe, warm home and not at Times Square! (Seriously, what do those people do for a bathroom?!)

We decided to make Beer Cheese Fondue, thinking that James would enjoy dunking carrots, crackers, and bread in the cheese. Yes, he did! But he wouldn't eat it. SIGH. He did dunk bread cubes for me every time I asked, and I was glad for his help as I cooked the CI Corn Chowder.



James made this "2010" hat at daycare. I'm sure he had some help.


For dessert we (Jim and myself) had Chocolate Lava cakes. James was already in bed and I wasn't sure if he would eat them. Also, the recipe makes two!


It's a great night to think of how full and wonderful 2009 was!

We're starting 2010 with a nice breakfast and trip to the Children's Museum!

After Christmas

We've had to tell James that Christmas is over. James insists, "Santa is coming later, not today." Well, okay.



This picture came home with James from daycare. I don't know why they took the picture, but its cute!


We sent James to daycare today because it was a special Show and Tell Day and also he had Spanish class scheduled. I've been home for Winter Break and I feel guilty sending James to daycare, but I know he gets a lot out of it. He enjoys the activities, the play time with friends, and he learns a lot. I've been enjoying my days off by meeting up with friends, baking, and reading. Ahhhh.... relaxation.



James showing his Hockey claw. He also calls it his "Hockey Mitten".




I took pictures of pictures so they're a bit fuzzy. I just can't imagine what went down for Show and Tell. What did James say? Was he proud? Talkative? Shy? I'll have to ask.

I also would have liked to see the Dance Party they had today!

He's been extremely talkative lately. My family has noticed a change, even since Thanksgiving, and his daycare teachers have told me lately that he is nonstop chatter. Its not a bad thing! He keeps us on our toes :)

And notice he's getting a "Good job James!" on the potty training area of his daycare sheet. He must be using the potty well there too! He did a great job right before bed tonight. Yay James!

Spanglish

James had Spanish class and he hasn't really shared what he learned today but I know he enjoys the class. It reminded me of the funny thing he said the other day when he and his Dada were wrestling/tickling each other on the floor.

James yelled to me, "Ayudame! Ayudame!"
Translation: Help me! Help me!

I think he learned THAT from Dora. But he has surprised me with the colors (recently a new one- cafe) and another word that I can't recall right now. I just really enjoy knowing that this sweet little boy is learning!

I'm just a proud Mama!

I tried a recipe today that I had bookmarked, I knew I wanted to try it and it was a perfect day to do it. I have a fear of working with yeast but I think it turned out well! These are called Cinnamon Pan Dulce, or Mexican Sweet Bread. I have fond memories of eating these with my Grandma and family.

Potty (TMI warning)

James is doing so much better with his potty training! He has successfully peed in the potty every day for the last few days! He loves getting his stickers! The funny thing is that James now asks for "privacy" (piiiiacy) and so I leave him alone on the potty. I do peek at him through the crack in the door and I have watched him concentrate and then pee. He has a brief moment of surprise when the stream starts but then he pushes his little penis down. Most of it is getting into the potty and I've noticed his diapers/pull-ups are less full.

Today he asked to go to the potty immediately after arriving home from daycare. He sat on the potty in privacy but I don't think he went. I was just glad that he is deviating from his very strict routine of just going potty right before bedtime. I haven't wanted to force him on the potty, but really he doesn't want to go any other time but at bedtime. I'm hoping to encourage him to go to the potty several times a night now.

Dada and James

This isn't really my story to tell but I'm the blogger, so here it is.

Jim told me that he and James were sitting on the couch downstairs, watching Star Wars. Jim told me that he looked at James to find him just grinning happily at him, he wasn't watching the movie but watching Jim. James asked his Dada, "Happy?" And Jim of course replied, "Yes! Are you happy?" They were both happy :)

It was just one of those moments for Jim that he realized how much James means to him (us). He is a wonderful little boy. Its those moments that make you feel so lucky and happy! And it is obvious that James adores his Dada!!

And yup, watching Star Wars movies is great fun in this house!

Christmas Day

We drove over the river and definitely through the snow to get to Grandma Rosie and Grandpa Larry's house for Christmas Day. We had so much snow coming down but luckily the drive wasn't too bad.

James immediately saw the presents and it was so hard to keep him calm and out of them! Grandma Rosie let James (and the rest of us) open our stockings. Wow! Lots of good stuff!


The shopping cart was next. James discovered that it was all for him and Grandma gave him some presents to load up.


He loved loading and unloading. Stacking. Piling. Sorting.




I thought those were all of his presents. Nope. There were more. Lots more!

We had our Christmas toast, James too!


James admires the presents and Christmas tree.


Grandma recruited James to help hand out the presents.


This present is for ChaCha!


Wow! Presents from Tia Kiki and Tio Gilbert in Japan! He received lots of goodies like chopsticks!








Wow! A recorder! Thanks Tia Kiki!


Grandma Rosie received the Ultimate Brag Book from James.


Throwing tissue paper and wrappings is fun!


Whoa! A MN Wild claw!


Rowwwwr!


Grandpa Larry is a Harley Dude.


Silly Tio Rich and Tia ChaCha!


Family portrait. We need to take more of these!


Ana made her own mistletoe barrette!


Grandma Rosie reviews the year with James. What a great year!


Japanese loot!






Thanks to all of our familia for the best Christmas ever!

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Christmas Eve Eve and Eve

Christmas isn't all about food but it does give me a great excuse to make the things that I've always wanted to make!

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for the office potluck. I figured the Red Velvet was kind of Christmas-y. I was going to put Christmas sprinkles on top but I didn't want to mess with the pretty frosting swirls. One cupcake is missing because I had to taste test!




I also made Peppermint Marshmallows for some teacher friends. I put them in little cellophane bags, tied them with Christmas ribbon, and made gift tags with a rubber stamp. Just a little something for the wonderful people that I work with!


On Christmas Eve Eve day Jim helped me make my Christmas cookies. Here is the work station for the sugar cookies.


One of the cookie trays for our familia:


We put out Christmas cookies for Santa on that same Christmas Eve Eve because we would have two Christmases with our families and we wanted to make sure James knew that Santa was coming tomorrow!


Jim pretends to "swipe" the cookies. "There's no swiping on Christmas, Dada!" (from Dora's Christmas Carol)


So pleased!


The cookies and milk for Santa.


Excited!


The next morning the cookies were magically gone!


And looking up at the stockings, they were full! Santa came!


Jim had a very big, wonderful surprise for us! We are going to Hawaii in August!!! We won the rights to a week at his company's beach house. Wow! What a surprise! James is one lucky boy to have gone to California twice and now Hawaii- all before he is FOUR. So lucky :)


The stockings just HAD TO have a Christmas orange! I didn't know I would be creating a monster with these oranges. James became obsessed with them, eating around 6 or 7 of them that day and now he insists on carrying 1-2 of them around with him at all times. Argh.




I received a Hawaii book too. I need to study up on the things to do!


Wow, a giant Hershey's kiss! That's a lot of chocolate!


We received quite a bit of snow for our Christmas week. We joined Jim outside to "help" shovel and clear the driveway. James found this large snow hill to be the most fun. He slid down the hill like it was a slide!


We spent Christmas Eve at Grandma Laura's house. Uncle Joe, Grandpa Roger, and Linda were there too. I prepped James in the car about the presents but also that we would share the presents (i.e. they aren't all for him!)

James hands Grandpa Roger a gift. What a nice elf!








Let me help you, Uncle Joe!


Wow! What a big present! Just what he asked for :)


Cool! An air hockey table from Santa! (Mama and Dada)




Grandma Laura had some very nice Christmas decorations. My favorites have always been the fancy Christmas trees made from costume jewelry.








Grandpa Roger and Linda gave James this air rifle. Fun!


Grandpa Roger wanted me to take this picture of the dessert Linda brought. Its a chocolate cake, mousse, and Heath bar trifle!


I regret that I didn't take more posed pictures of the family. I need to get better at doing this!

It was a wonderful Christmas at Grandma's!