Friday, December 30, 2011

Thank you!

Our family members should receive handmade thank you cards from this little boy!  He used his new rubber stamps and signed each one!  He also dictated to me a personal message for y'all!  Please forgive his signatures- he is certainly much more capable than what you'll see but we spent so much time thinking about and then creating the cards, he was a little low on focus!  Coming soon to a mailbox near you...



Thursday, December 29, 2011

Bath Fun

The bath just became so much more fun.  James begs for more time in the bath, which is a nice change.

He loves these bath toys so much that today he played with them outside of the tub, on the living room carpet!

I had to avoid the nude pics... 



Thank you Grandma Rose!

WJDN?

Enjoying a bowl of ice cream with Aunt Betty's ice cream cone spoon!



Lego Advent Calendar 2011

This was one of the best Christmas ideas!  James loved opening the calendar day and then assembling the set "all by himself"!

Days 1 through 24----



















WJDN?



We are cuddling on the couch!

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

WJDN?

Watching Lego YouTube videos on my iPad while I make dinner! I don't feel too guilty about the high tech babysitter because we are chatting about every video!



-Blogging while living life!

Monday, December 26, 2011

Christmas Day at M-O-M's 2011

We left for Grandma and Grandpa's house after breakfast. We wanted to get there early to open presents first and then cook up a storm. The women of the familia were going to be cooking up a storm!

I brought cookies!


I appreciated that someone other than me (or Jim) had a talk with James about patience and generosity.  Other people will open presents and not all of the presents would be for James!  Thanks ChaCha!



Jim tries out the pool table in the new basement.


Whoa!  Are all those presents for James?!  No :)


Yule log on a big ass TV.


One of the first presents James opens is from Tia Kiki and Tio Berto in Japan.  They sent the Harry Potter Wii game!!!!!!!!!!  James was so excited!  So excited that as soon as we got home on Monday that was the FIRST thing he wanted to do- play the game!  He was pretty patient, waiting for the chance to get to the Wii so how could I say no?  It was fun :)



Grandma gets Tequila!  It was to go along with the bar blender that she asked for.  Margaritas for everyone!


Uncle Rich accessorizes.


Uncle Rich gives Jim an Ipad!  Uh... a fake one.


Wow!  A Lego Star Wars watch!  We opened this when we got to our house too.  James loves it.  He really loves the Darth Vader figure- he didn't have that one yet :)


I prepped James about receiving clothing.  He was polite and didn't throw them to the side.  Of course they don't generate the same level of excitement but he did well for a five year old!



Grandpa Larry gets a wooden Vikings head.  We bought this for him at the Renaissance festival in September.


A Harry Potter castle!!!  WOW!


Tia Kiki sent Larry a Japanese gong.  James loved it!  We decided the gong signals the start of happy hour :)



Wow!  A tooth fairy pillow from ChaCha!  And she made it.  Extra special!


James was all over Uncle Rich.  Those are his grubby little hands behind him as Rich tried to pose with his new Vikings head gear.


ChaCha, is that a real dog?  Yes.  It's my pup.


I tried on my new Wonder Woman apron for tamale making!  It's awesome!  Thanks Ana!


Three cucumber margaritas for the chicas.  It's a must when you're about to spend a goodly amount of time in the kitchen!


Corn husks are prepped.


Ana starts with the masa.


We had four fillings.  Rosie ties off the tamales after they've been filled.


In her spare time (ha!) M-O-M roasts peppers and chiles for salsa and guacamole.




Filled and ready to be steamed!  We ended up with about 6 dozen.



My Mom borrowed this tamale steamer from a friend.  It was so tall that Ana had to use a step stool to reach in!


Apps.  Salsas, guacamole, and crab tostadas.



So pretty!


While we were cooking the boys played pool and downstairs.  Well, Jim had to spend a good amount of time putting together this castle.


Ahhhhh.  Dinner!


I cut into the tamales so you can see the fillings- these are pork with red chile and chicken with tomatillo/cilantro sauce.  Yums.



After dinner James asked if we could have a campfire and roast marshmallows.  He is refused nothing around that house and actually the weather was great for it.  Too bad the only marshmallow in the house fell into the fire!  Haha.


At bedtime James escaped Grandma and ran around the house sans pants!  He moved so quickly and was so amused!

What a great day!