Christmas 2012

Our intrepid blogger continues to play catch-up with pictures from the past year...

What a difference a year makes! Last Christmas, Grace played in her little infant gym on the floor while we decorated the tree. This year, she thought the tree decorating was the best day ever.

"Ball! Ball!"

Each year, I give the kids an ornament that reminds us of the past year. For Grace's ornament, I chose a pinwheel, as she had a polka-dot and pinwheel first birthday party (the pinwheel is actually a present embellishment I found at Hallmark).

Grace was deeply touched by my thoughtful present of bubble wrap.

As I remarked on Facebook, my kids seem to take turns looking good for pictures. Finding one that has both kids looking at the camera is a challenge.

This was the best I could get of the kids on Christmas Eve. We tried again on Christmas Day with even poorer results.

Here, you can see the toll getting two kids ready for Christmas has taken on poor DH...

...and just to prove I was there at Christmas, one of the kids and me.

What awaited the kids come Christmas morning. Grace's present this year was my old doll furniture that DH fixed up and painted white. In one of the big boxes are the chairs that go with the furniture. The little box out in front is the first present that we open Christmas Day - the baby Jesus that goes with the nativity set on the mantle.

Christmas Day breakfast, snowman pancakes. Frosty's scarf was a little burnt this year, but what's Christmas without the smoke detector going off?

Grace was still asleep when BB got up Christmas Day, so he opened his presents and we got breakfast ready. When she woke up, DH took a picture of her before he got her up. She was not amused.

I had placed one of Grace's dolls in the doll bed. She seemed more thrilled about seeing her doll than she was about the new presents.

Christmas Day outfit, minus the bow. She will ask to wear bows, but they only stay in 5 seconds. Don't you just love the socks that look like shoes?

Christmas Day night. These were the pajamas I wore for my second Christmas. I was 22 months when I wore them. Grace just barely fit into the pj's at 15 months. I have tall kids!

 

The Gingerbread house of 2012. Not pictured is the Godzilla DH made out of green fondant to go with the house...

A Bricktastic Birthday

BB turned 6 half a year ago, and I'm just getting around to blogging about it. Better late than never! BB has been into Legos since he was two years old. As Lego bricks typically come in 2-dot interval, picking a theme for BB's 6th birthday was a snap. I really had fun decorating for this party. Actually, I have fun decorating for all parties... :)

This was the present/goody bag table in the kitchen. I wrapped our presents to BB (more Legos, found for a fantastic price at a yard sale) in solid paper to resemble Lego bricks. I thought about making coordinating 3D dots for the tops, but decided against it since they would only be thrown away.
I don't know how well you can tell in the picture, but the bags are supposed to look like Lego minifig heads. They were a snap to make - just buy some solid yellow bags (I got mine at Target), and cut part of the top off and draw on a face. One of the attendees is a girl, so her person received a bow. The party guests each received a mini Lego coloring book that I found online and printed out, some Lego-ish brick crayons that BB and I made from recycled old crayons, some Lego stickers, and Lego candy. I initially was going to buy a real Lego mold for the crayons, but then I saw the silicone mini-brownie sheet for 50% off at Michaels. I decided that a smooth square was close enough to a Lego brick for me. I bought the Lego candy off of Amazon. It really does stack up like Lego bricks, and it taste kinda like bottle cap candy.

When the guests arrived, I had several Lego and birthday-related items on the table by the front door. Each year, I have the birthday guests sign a children's book related to that year's party theme. When BB has children of his own, I will give him the books for his children. This year, instead of a Lego book, I had guests sign "Now We Are Six" by A.A. Milne. As part of the decorations, I put pictures of BB at different ages in solid colored frames around the party decorations.

Guests were invited to guess how many Lego bricks were in the jar and place their guess in the Lego box. The winning guess won a small Lego kit.

I don't know why Blogger is being dumb and not allowing me to rotate my pics, but this is what BB wore both at his party, and on his actual birthday. I got the shirt from a lady on Etsy. I had the option to have BB's name put on the shirt, but I don't like having my children's names on display.

For years, BB has wanted a pinata at his birthday parties. I told him 6 once upon a time, as it sounded so very far away. Of course, he remembered that, so there was no way we were going to get around that this year. The pinata went great, though. I think the fact we only had a few kids helped.

The birthday cake, of course, was Lego too. I got the idea off of Pinterest. The bricks are pound cake and the dots are marshmallows held on by toothpicks. Other than cutting the cakes straight, assembly was a breeze. Icing, however, was not. I kept accidentally getting one color onto another color as I was icing the bricks. I had a hard time getting the right color for the icing as well. Next time, I will spring for the actual food coloring you are supposed to use with icing.

I wasn't a fan of this cake, but BB loved it so that's all that mattered. For the candles, I used some Lego-looking candles I found at Target (in the party section, not real Lego brand). I also cleaned some minifigs up to use on the cake to look like they were putting the candles on the cake.

On the morning of his actual birthday, we followed tradition with birthday donuts. We had to get up early that morning, as we were headed to Atlanta for the rest of BB's birthday present - Legoland Discovery Center in Atlanta!

BB had fun at the center looking at the Lego creations. The Lego version of Atlanta was especially amazing.

Some of the parts of the city moved, such as planes for the airport, and most of the buildings had lights. Each discovery center has a Lego version of it's city.

One of the biggest hit with BB and other kids who were there that day was the quake center. Kids could build a Lego building on the platform and then spin the dials to simulate an earthquake.
I don't know if we will return to the discovery center; as it's a bit pricey for what is offered. But it was a good way to end a very Lego birthday!

How to Build a Sandwich

(by BB)
What you need butter bread knife cheeze
Put the bread and plate. then remove the bread. then shake it. so the bugs will crawl off. (out of your house) then put butter on the bread. (on aech side) then put the cheeze on then put another pice of bread on then put the sandwich on the stove for 1/4 munets then you... HAVE IT! go to www.howtomakethangs.com for more manules

Well, he is funny...

Perhaps someone else out there knows what it is like to wake up one morning in opposite land. You could have sworn you said one thing, but your child acts as though you said the opposite, At my house, we've been in opposite world for years now. But on the bright side, my contrary kid is at least funny...


6/9/11
I'm going to close your door because you don't need to hear what I'm playing. It's too violent.

6/22/11
When Grace is a kid I'm going to ask God for Joshua so we can be twelveplets (he meant triplets).

6/25/11
Mommy! You have tiny spikes all over your legs!

7/18/11
BB: Can I have something else to eat?
Me: Sure, you can have fruit.
BB: No fruit!
Me: How about some cherries?
BB: Oh yeah, I love cherries!

7/21/11
Squedgy: the condition of wearing a wet shirt that is hard to get off.

7/31/11
BB wisdom: If you stick a fork in an outlet you would be electricicuted.
BB fact: Ben (his uncle) gladuated from high school.

8/11/11
Mom, dinosaurs were around when you were a little girl, right?

8/27/11
Mommy, don't bother me. That's a bad habit to get into.

 

8/28/11
(upon seeing a picture of a corded phone) Mom, what's that?

9/28/11
Mom, that's not a Martian it's an alien!

10/5/11I know everything except what I do not know. I am serious.

10/5/11
(regarding schoolwork) I can't think about that. I don't have any brains today.


10/21/11
BB(on a long car ride): What does the P with a line through it mean?
DH: No parking.
BB: Oh, I thought it meant don't pee on the road

10/31/11
Mommy, why do you still have a big tummy? Grace is out.


11/10/11
I'll never eat a possum. I'll only eat spam.

12/8/11
Grace is my favorite sister.

12/10/11
Hey I've been looking for this block for thousand and thousand and thousand of years.
 12/13/11
I changed my mind about wanting a baby brother. I might as well have a baby sister.

12/14/11
Grace is the calmest person in my world. And she's pretty.

12/20/11
Remember the spider that was four feet long and one foot tall that was crawling along the living room and I got scared and died?

12/22/11

I'm gonna get u a long sleeve shirt that says I love mommy on it and that's gonna be the bestest shirt a mommy can wear.

1/23/12

The only thing I want to eat is meat. I'm a meat eater, just like the t-Rex.

1/25/12
Is the candy wax made out of ear wax?

2/4/12
Haven't you gotten tired of telling me what to do yet?

3/29/12
I wish I was wearing long sleeves so I wouldn't have to get a Kleenex.
 5/8/12
Have you gotten your mother's day present yet? It's jewelry.

(tap, tap)

... is this thing on?
I'm still here, still alive.
The online school turned out just fine for BB last year. Thanks to all who prayed about that situation. I'm still dumbfounded at the lack of Christian charity given by the school, but people are flawed. I do wish I didn't live so darn close to the school though. I don't exactly enjoy the sight of it every time I leave my neighborhood.
 
This year, we are continuing to homeschool, as was our plan all along. We are using Sonlight curriculum for first grade. So far it's been very easy for him. BB tested on a 3rd grade level prior to the beginning of the school year. I probably should have him doing 2nd grade work at least. But his maturity level is lacking behind those of his peers, so I hesitate to move him ahead academically when so many things for children are sorted according to grade.
And Grace.

I have treasured this year with her. I can't believe that in 2 short weeks she will be one. I'm not ready for her baby year to be over. Part of the reason why I haven't blogged is that I've been enjoying my year with her. Instead of worrying about documenting things for future blog posts, I just experienced life. I still took pictures, and I still wrote some things down. But the compulsion to capture and share everything with the world at large just wasn't there. Not to say that I won't be sharing some of this past year with all of you... ;)

I will be honest and say that the past two years have been some of the most difficult for me. For all of my excitement over my pregnancy with Grace and her arrival, there was a lot of disappointment as well. Things that I'm still working through, processing. Things that have caused me to feel the need to simply circle my wagons so to speak.
So if anyone is still out there, thanks for sticking around. I'll try to come back again soon and post.

Back to Square One...

It turns out that my apprehension about posting our schooling choice for the school year was for naught. On day 20 of kindergarten, BB was asked to not return to school. He was not expelled, he could have come back, but the school personnel made it clear that one more infraction and he would be expelled. As DH and I do not want a school expulsion on his record, we withdrew him from the school.
With the exception of hitting a student on the playground, the infractions were things that I considered minor, such as failing to put both feet flat on the floor, drawing on his desk, and making engine noises when lining up. To me, while these behaviors were not appropriate for school, they did not merit such disciplinary action. Especially when the student in question is only five years old and has been in school for less than a month. I know that with my students, it was not uncommon for some students to have a period of adjustment to school.
The school's decision to send BB home with essentially the promise of upcoming expulsion came to us out of the blue. Every day when DH or I picked BB up, we would ask his teacher how he had behaved. His teacher did inform us when he hit another student, and BB was punished for that. She also told us about any issues she may have had regarding his schoolwork that day. But she never once gave us the impression that BB's behavior was a big deal, asked us to come in for a conference, or did anything to signal that BB's enrollment might end. All we got were passing comments delivered in a casual manner that did not convey (at least to us) any hint of what we were blindsided with. According to the school handbook, there is a set procedure to follow if a teacher is having trouble with a student, and the teacher did not follow that procedure.
Initially, part of me wanted a meeting with the teacher to come up with a plan that would enable BB to continue going to school. But after some reflection, I do not think that it would have been beneficial. The teacher clearly did not wish to continue interacting with BB and any attempt to get her to do so would not have been good for BB.
The school's take on BB's behavior was that it was repeated instances of defiant behavior. BB is certainly capable of that, as are all children. If that was the case with BB, however (and honestly, I don't think it was), then the school's response is even more puzzling. Removing the student does make things easier for the teacher, but it does nothing to help the student who has been removed. As BB's school is a private, church-run school, I would have made the assumption that the school would be interested in developing a student's character. But clearly that is not the case. BB has yet to ask any questions about why he no longer goes to school, and the only explanation DH and I have given him was that we did not think that the school was the best place for him. If BB does ask any more questions, I am not sure how I will answer honestly yet in a way that does not negatively affect him.
Starting tomorrow we will begin our new school plan for the year. As I had not planned on homeschooling this year, I had not selected any curriculum. When the school surprised us with their decision, I was thrown into a state of panic (also being 1 week postpartum did not help any). So rather than some thoughtful customized curriculum, BB and I will be participating in our state's online academy. Most of BB's schoolwork will be traditional pencil and paper, but some work will be done online. In addition, we have a supervising teacher that we will periodically submit work and assessments to. My motto for this school year is to just survive. Next year will be better, right?

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I've had this post in mind for at least 3 months, and I'm just now getting around to writing it out. Mostly because I've become flat-out lazy about posting, but also because I haven't quite known how to go about it. While I am devoted to homeschooling, DH and I have decided to enroll BB in a local church's half-day kindergarten for the upcoming school year.
The decision wasn't an easy one and it is not one that we are entering into lightly. We only plan for BB to be in school for this one year. Mostly to gain some much-needed socialization skills. I know that many homeschool parents feel that socialization is over-used as an excuse to place children in school. For the most part, I do agree. However, they are also not BB's parent.
Something that I have not mentioned on my blog before is that BB is autistic. You probably wouldn't immediately guess it upon first meeting him, unless you have had experience with such individuals before. BB is high-functioning, and is merely on the spectrum of autism. In other words, he comes across as quirky and precocious. He knows far more academically than most of his peers, yet is a year or more behind when it comes to interpersonal skills. The school has a small class size of 12 students, and the 3 hour school day should move quickly enough to prevent BB from becoming too bored academically or overwhelmed from social interaction.
There is also the fact that Baby Deux is due any day now. I don't quite trust my abilities to maintain a consistent homeschool schedule with an infant in the house (although I know many who have done so). During my postpartum with BB, I really struggled with depression, far beyond typical baby blues. In an attempt to avoid that this time around, I think placing BB's education in the hands of someone else temporarily is wise. I am already feeling conflicted about adding a sibling to BB's life; I do not need to feel as though I am failing him in his education as well.
I am sure that there will be drawbacks to placing BB in a school setting. While he will gain some much-needed interaction skills, he will also learn things I will wish he hadn't. There is no perfect solution. But this solution has what we believe to be the fewest drawbacks. Prayers for BB, his teacher, and his classmates are appreciated. :)

'Podge Post

Some quirks of this pregnancy that didn't occur with BB:

• I can't stand the smell or thought of coffee
• I hate all things mint (thank God for cinnamon toothpaste!)
• I think cheese tastes like block salt (or what I imagine block salt to taste like)
• I gag every time I open the refrigerator or pantry. There's just something about seeing all of that food together...
  
• I find that all men (DH, my dad, etc.) smell repulsive. Thankfully, this doesn't include BB. I can't really describe the smell other than it's offensive. It's not quite BO, and it's only men. Hopefully this will be a short-lived first trimester thing. Has anyone else ever had this problem, or heard of it?

On the homeschool front, we still haven't resumed our normal school routine. Part of this is due to the fact that DH is still using the schoolroom as a workstation for the kid's bath remodel (which is essentially done except for some touch-up paint). But also because I plan on homeschooling during the summer and taking an extended break once the baby comes in August. DH and I had planned on BB attending a once-weekly co-op class next year, but with the baby due August 26, we're not so sure now. The co-op we are interested in has Open House in March, so we'll find out more about it then.

:)

How would YOU eat a doughnut with chocolate frosting and sprinkles?

BB-isms

I think FB has taken much of my blogging fodder, as I had to go to FB to retrieve these bits. Here's a quick look at some of the funny BB sayings and doings the past year:

1/19/10 - (BB gives a loud yawn) - "I guess I'm just not tired today." Five minutes later, he was asleep.

2/19/10 - (a BB mondegreen) "Christmas, Christmas time is here. Time for fun and time for cheer. So bring us lots of TOYS!"

4/12/10 - "Time for a bath," DH informs BB. To which BB replied, "there's no reason to go to bath."

7/19/10 - (BB to me) "I'm going to make a big mess for you to clean up."

8/9/10 - "Daddy, when you were a little boy did you have a little girlfriend named Mommy?"

8/31/10 - (BB to me) "What's that song called?"
"Hush Little Baby."
"I'm not a baby! What. Is. The. Name. Of. That. Song?"

9/7/10 - "BB, use your napkin." "Mmm, I don't think so. I have a shirt. Napkins are for grown-ups."

10/14/10 - (looking through a Dilbert book) "Mommy, I want to do THAT when I grow up!" "You mean sit in a cubicle and type on a computer all day?"
"Yes."
"Well, if you try read hard, I'm sure you'll get your wish."

10/25/10 - (after I had been gone for the weekend) "BB, what do you want for lunch?" "Marshmallows and crackers." Must have been a nice couple of days...

10/26/10 - (during devotions where the story of John the Baptist was being read)
"What would happen if I ate honey, locusts and bugs?" "Well, you'd get more protein than you do now."

11/10/10- I told BB to go talk to DH since I had heard his alarm go off and I thought DH had fallen back asleep. BB freaks out and backs into a corner. Turns out, he thought I had said DH's arm had fallen off.

11/30/10 - "Doo-doo, pee-pee in the potty! Doo-doo, pee-pee in the potty!"

12/01/10 - (as we watch Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture") "I wanna be THAT guy when I grow up!" BB exclaims, point to the guy who fires the canon

My Early Christmas Present

thank you, Lord!

A Favorite Comic

Growing up, "Calvin and Hobbes" was one of my favorite comics. Little did I know that one day I would grow up to have my very own "Calvin" for a son ;)

image found: http://www.gocomics.com/calvinandhobbes/2010/11/14/

Christmas Card Pic 2010

Based on last year's successful picture, we decided to do the same again this year. Only we got the bright idea to just have a picture of BB and his tree. The idea seemed so easy, so simple. Throw a nice shirt on BB, decorate a 3-foot tree and snap a quick pic. Parents everywhere know where this is headed...

This is good, but it could be better. Maybe if I zoom in a bit and snap a few more...

No, BB, put your tongue back in your mouth and smile nicely!

Put your hands down! Smile nicely with your hands in your lap!

Okay, perhaps I spoke too harshly. You can relax a little bit.

Um, not that much...

So what if it's not centered and the star is blurry? Good enough!

Half the Fun is in the Eating

Of all of the fun things we do at Christmastime, one of the most anticipated is the gingerbread house.

The icing must be taste-tested to make sure that it will work to hold the pieces together.

After the pieces are together, the house must be decorated -

on all sides.

The finished masterpiece must be captured on film along with the artist,

and then consumed.

November Recap

I was about to start posting about some Christmas activities when I realized that I haven't posted hardly anything about November. So...

DH had his 29th birthday. We are now the same age for 2.5 months, and then I will leave him for a new decade :(

Someone was just a LITTLE excited about the Key Lime birthday pie!

At the beginning of November, my mother fell and broke her hip along with some other injuries. Thankfully, she is on the mend, although she will not be up to any holiday activities this year. Due to her mishap, I hosted Thanksgiving. This was my first year hosting, and I'm relieved to say that it went better than I expected it too. As my mother is still recuperating, I will be hosting Christmas as well.

BB and I make these adorable little clothespin turkeys for the place settings. I got the idea from the internet, and I cannot remember where :( If you happen to know, please tell me so that I can give proper credit!
Not that the above was that important, but at least I have November covered now :) On to Christmas blogging!

My Very Busy Mini Vacation

During the second weekend of October, DH, BB and I went on a vacation with my parents. The trip started out as just a day trip to see the Georgia Aquarium. However, when I went online to buy tickets, I noticed that the Aquarium had ticket packages for multiple venues. My dad offered to pay for our hotel room, so we settled on the Aquarium/Six Flags package. Just because we didn't already have enough planned, we decided to tag on Stone Mountain Park's Lasershow Spectacular as well.
We left Friday afternoon for Atlanta, and ate at The Varsity once again. We went mid-afternoon, and I'm sad to say that the quality of the food wasn't as good as it usually is at lunch time. But it was still The Varsity :)
Saturday morning, we went to the Aquarium. It. Is. AMAZING.

There are the standard wall tanks,

as well as opportunities to see things from above.

Sharks and stingrays were a big hit with BB,

as were the whales.

The only downside of the trip to the Aquarium was that I twisted my knee crawling out of the penguin exhibit. Fortunately, we had viewed most of the exhibits by then so we didn't miss too much.
We ate a late lunch/early dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, thanks to Miss Debbie's post. None of us had been there before, and it was delicious. Everyone loved what they ordered, and we each had to take our cheesecake slices back to the motel for later. We were stuffed!
Saturday night, we drove over to Stone Mountain Park for the lasershow. Admittance to the Park is $10 per carload. The show is shown onto the mountain's bas-relief, with seating either in the field or on the terraces. We opted to pay a bit more and sit on the terrace, which guaranteed us a seat in addition to a drink and popcorn.

The world's largest bas-relief, featuring the images of Lee, Jackson, and Davis.

waiting for the show to begin

Ooo, Aaahhh, Wow...

Sunday morning found us dragging a bit due to the previous day's adventures. We still made it to Six Flags before the gate opened, however. Thanks to ordering the tickets online, we were able to walk right in.
Unfortunately, BB could only be persuaded to ride 2 rides. The rest of the time was spent meandering through shops, and playing on the kid's playground. But at least BB got to "meet" some of his favorite characters:

Just don't tell him these aren't the real characters, okay?

blogging: the new millennium's alternative to slide shows! ;D