Santa Clause has come to town!

Santa has made it to town and while I'm on vacation this week we decided to take Max for a little visit. There was no line and it was really great because Max signed to Santa what he wanted, a car, a dinosaur and a book, and Santa even signed back a little. Max was so excited he was all smiles! When the helper moved the velvet rope Max couldn't seem to run fast enough to a waiting Santa with open arms. The picture doesn't even begin to show how excited Max was.

Christmas Helper

The tree has been trimmed and the stockings hung with care. And the best part was that this was the first year that Max helped. Mind you helping included Max putting on about 6 ornaments and taking off half as many. But he put on more ornaments than daddy since he was napping so it was nice to have a helper. Max is really starting to understand more about the magic of Christmas and that is making tis year even more fun!

 

2011 Christmas Card

The official unveiling of our Christmas Card will help open the Christmas season. Have I mentioned I LOVE  this time of year!!!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

He's Back

Our Elf on a Shelf Angus is back for the season. We found him on the kitchen table and we are trying our best not to touch him. If your not familiar with this little guy he is spent specially from Santa's workshop to watch over our house. He flies away every night back to the North Pole and tells Santa if you are being naughty or nice. And when you wake up in the morning you have to search out your elf (Angus in our case) and see where he ended up. So far we found him on the kitchen table, in the Christmas tree and in the bathroom. But you have to be careful not to touch him because it will take his magic away.

Stuffed and Dressed!

Thanksgiving has come and gone and now on to Christmas! I'm not going to lie I feel a little bad for Thanksgiving. It's a fun time of food and togetherness. But sometimes it gets overshadowed by the fun costumes and candy of Halloween and the greatness that is Christmas. But Thanksgiving was good and lumped in with Black Friday was also absolutely good. My sister and her family came from Texas and everyone but my brother Jake and his wife made it. And to top it off only one person got shot! My nephews (20 and 17) were playing with what they thought were toy guns and one shot the other in the back with a BB, oops. Poor guy had to sit around with a bag of frozen corn on his back for the better part of the afternoon. But now we keep on trucking to Christmas. So here we are 28 days and counting for the most wonderful time of the year!!!

 I think that Max shows best how everyone felt after a long afternoon of stuffing our faces!

Oh Sunny Day!

Today was a beautiful mid November day. It was an awesome 68 degrees and Max and I just had to get out in it. I had no plans so I decided to start driving. We headed to the park where apparently I was not the only person taking advantage of the fantastic weather so I drove up the street a few blocks to a hidden park that most people forget about and it was deserted. We had the entire place to ourselves! Max's walking and climbing is getting so good. However when it was time to go Max wasn't quite ready and sat his happy but on the side walk. Ugh! Ultimately I had to pick him up and cart him to the car. After that was a run through the car wash and home for some tasty homemade toscana soup, delicious and a great end to the day. This is basically the recipe I used, but I have to admit I tweeked it here and there. Also on a bleh note. Max had a genetics appointment today and we came out know exactly what we know now and nothing else. I hated that I couldn't make it to the appointment, especially since Jeff and Max had to wait 40 minutes and they were both getting cranky. But we have no answers and we don't know what the future holds. I understand that his doctors, all of them, cant tell us what they don't know but I feel like we are shooting blind. I guess we just have to hope that what we are doing is helping and maybe Max will start really talking and catch up with his peers. It just feels like they are leaving them in their dust and it's hard to watch. But here is to being thankful for the beautiful day we had and we can worry about the future later.

 Max kept trying to give me the wood from the playground, silly kid.

 I was so proud! He climbed and went down the slide himself!!!

Pee Pee Pre-Season Has Begun

This post is most definitely premature but I'm just to excited to hold it in. Max went pee pee on the potty!!! Max signed that he wanted to go potty and even though I thought it was weird I took him to the bathroom any way.  walked out of the room for a second and I hear pee hitting the floor!!! I was gross but fantastic. Apparently at school they take him twice a day but he has never actually gone, but now, yup, we have PEE! I went a little nuts the next day and we are backing off again. I'm just trying to take cues from Max. We are just starting but if I learned anything with the big boy bed switch it is to let Max move at his own pace.

My boy is so proud of himself!

 Love that tushy!

Guess who is expecting!

If you guessed me then you are definitely wrong. Some of you may or may not remember my slight obsession with the Duggars. If you don't know who they are then you have been living under a rock. But they are the couple on TLC that have 19 children, wait make that 20!!! Yup, they are expecting their 20 child in April. I'm a little embarrassed to admit when I read the story I literally screamed out while here at work and scared the bejezus out of my girlfriend Christie, oops. I know it's dumb and weird but I think it is interesting. And I'm a little shocked they are having another. So my congratulations go out to Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar!

First Christmas Craft of the Season

I saw this really awesome post on pinterest about how to make an ornament wreath. Also I just couldn't wait to get my hands on a Christmas craft. Seeing as how I have been wanting to make one for just about FOR-EVER I got my butt in gear!!! The other great part is it only cost me $8 to make it.

 Cant wait to hang this on the door come December 1st!

A Monday Morning Quicky

My incredible talented girlfriend Christie took some quick photos for us to use for our Christmas card this year. Max was starting to get sick so we made it even faster. I wont show you the one that is on the christmas card until later but here are a few others for now.

 I had to throw this in. I was getting on to Max and trying to tell him he could have a sucker but he needed to sit still and take a picture.