Marble Maze

One of Grant's Christmas presents was a giant marble maze. Jason and I have put together a this contraption together a few times now. We have both said that it crazy how bad the directions are to put it together. I think you should a honorary engineering degree if you can get it together. On this day instruction were tossed aside, Grant and I kept putting pieces together until we ended with this. Don't look to close, you'll see structures that are not straight, they're more like the leaning tower of Pisa. BUT it did it's job and provided about an hour of fun, until Grant lost his balance and fell into it. While rebuilding efforts were made, I couldn't get it figured out again. Grant found something else to play with leaving the maze behind.

Christmas 2011 - Pajamas

It started with Grant, buying him a pair of pajamas for his first Christmas and has continued on since then. This year it nearly didn't happen, December 22nd and I still hadn't purchased any seasonal pajamas. The Christmas season  was flying by, unexpected medical bills (thank you insurance company for denying the appeals), extra shifts at work for both Jason and me, while out on shopping trips priorities were made to find those perfect gifts for family and friends, and I let the pajamas fall to the bottom. I wasn't worried about this tradiation happening, if it did great, if not the day would go by with probably only me noticing that there were no special Christmas pajamas. Then it came to just a couple days before Christmas and I went to finish up some last minute shopping and found a deal, the Christmas pajama tradition continues. I am a fan of tradition, especially one that includes family. I hold onto those memories of doing something time and time again. While I was willing to let go of it, I was glad it came together in the end.

Christmas 2011 - Presents

Since I had to work on Christmas Eve and we had plans to spend Christmas Day at Jason's parents home, we decide Friday we would open our gifts with the kids. I love the excitement that Grant and Norah shared, wonerding what they would find hidden under the Christmas wrapping.

This is the look of excitement of getting something you really want!!
Who knew - a microwave?!?!

Mason may not love eating baby food
 but he thinks Christmas paper is the best!

Norah loved her Minnie Mouse!

Yup, Mason still liked the paper best of all!

Grant had fun with the glasses straw.

Playing with all those new fun toys!!!

Christmas 2011 - Cookies

Grant loves to help me bake. He jumps up on the chair next to the mixer and helps facilitate all that goes in the bowl. It’s his perch, he doesn’t like when Norah tries to come and help, he pushes her to the side. Or will stand with a board base to make it extra hard to try and gain footing on his spot.

The only time of year I make sugar cookies is Christmastime. Sugar cookies, something I have yet to perfect. This year I made a step in the right direction, I found a new recipe that I love with an unexpected ingredient – sour cream. Who knew?

Grant helped me roll out the dough and cut stars out. I tried to keep thing simple so my little helper could do as much as possible, meaning only one shape to cut and only one color frosting for the cookies. Grant looked over the bottle of food coloring, quickly eliminating green and red, guess he’s seen enough of it through the Christmas season. Then he decided upon blue. Blue stars it is!

Jason and Norah joined in for the decorating, sprinkles where sprinkled….maybe poured onto the top of the frosting, Sprinkles also found there way everywhere else around the kitchen, leaving a big mess. Totally worth it in the end, the cookies turned out delicious.

Christmas 2011 - Making Paper Garland

I keep seeing paper garland on etsy and pinterest thinking they are so cute. My tree was beckoning for an extra touch. While popcorn garland sounds classic, I could just see Grant and Norah eating it right off the tree. I went down to my crafting corner in the laundry room and dug up some Christmas paper and some paper punches and came up with a pattern. Grant loved helping punch out the paper. Then we glued the squared and stars together. The last step was sewing together all those squares.

  I love how it turned out, it was so easy and fun to make.

Christmas 2011 - Deck the Tree

While this year with three little ones under foot and the need to reduce clutter beckoning, I keep the Christmas decorating to a minimum. Instead of decking the halls, we just stuck to the tree.

I love how Grant clustered all the ornaments in the same spot, one that he could easily reach.

Norah enjoyed being goofy while we decorated. I believe she was going to do a somersault in this picture, while means assuming this position then falling over to the side.

Mason kept an eye on all the decorating action.

Grant admiring his work.

Our tree!

Christmas 2011 - Ornaments

Each year Jason and I pick out a Christmas ornament that reflects something from our year. This year I had trouble picking out just one fun ornament so I found one for everyone.


Jason discovered Sushi this year, and he loves his rolls.

I have a kayak that I love. My hope for this year is that we are able to find some more time to get on the water.

ok laugh at this picture, it's ok. i must have become distracted by a little one at my feet or getting into ,ischief because this is the best picture of my kayak, oh well...

Grant has always been our peanut. Peanut Pie, Peanut Butter. Peanut Butter Pie. Snuggly Peanut. While we have several variations he will always be our Peanut.

Norah has several names we call her. Jason starting calling her, his Sweetie Pie back in the NICU and it has always stuck. This year Grant has taken to calling Norah Sweetie Pie as well. It's so cute in therapy to her Grant encouraging her. "You can do it Sweetie Pie." It melts my heart everytime. And blueberries are her favorite berry.

Mason's birth year. I look at several first baby's Christmas ornaments but none of them were "it." In my wondering I found a beautiful glass ball ornament in the perfect color for a baby boy - blue.

Christmas 2011 - Lights

We always wait a day after we get our Christmas tree to let it open up. So in the afternoon Jason took Grant and Norah out shopping for awhile so Mason and I could get a nap in. Mason has not been a very good sleeping since mid November. Well Mason had no interest in taking a nap so we took on my favorite task of decorating a Christmas tree - stringing the lights. Mason was an excellent helper, he loved the lights. Grant and Norah were very excited to return home to the sparkling tree.