Asia update

My goodness she is everywhere.  We've gotten in the habit of making sure we close all the bedroom and bathroom doors upstairs but now that she's learned to go up and down the stairs we're having a hard time keeping her out of people's rooms and bathroom downstairs.  The other day I walked downstairs to find her.  She was coming out of the girls' room saying, "Mmmmmm...."  She had gotten into their room and opened and was eating a Reese's Peanut Buttercup and she LOVES to get into the toothpaste and eat that.  

I love this stage because she is so fun and loves to laugh and play but it is also so hard because I am constantly needing to be on my toes making sure she doesn't get into anything she shouldn't or get hurt.

She is also so very aware of what's going on, wants to be part of the big kids, and understands things we ask her.  She can nod her head yes and says "nooooooo" (even though she doesn't know what it means).  when she hears the word "go" she runs to get her hat or jacket and walks up to us and says, "go".  And she's learned to say "MAMA"!!!  She loves to give hugs and kisses and runs to the door when someone says goodbye so she can wave and blow kisses.  She giggles when she hears dad coming up the stairs after work and runs to get him.  For some reason she loves ice.  She will get a cup and walk to the fridge and "ask" for ice then just walks around eating it.  So funny!

She loves to hit herself or us on the head.  Then proceeds to say, "Oooooohhhhh" with a cute little innocent look on her face.  The other day I was bending down talking to her and she pointed to my nose (where there is a not-to-be-missed blemish) and said "ooooohhhhhh" and then touched her nose.  She can also point to her nose when we ask where her nose is.

Although she really is our saving angel and most of the time she is laughing and smiling and playing she has learned how to throw a tantrum when she doesn't get what she wants or we won't let her feed herself.  Ben was trying to give her a bite of an ice cream dessert and she wanted to do it herself (she wasn't in her high chair) so she started whining - totally fake - and walked away and slumped to the ground.  Ben went over and put some in her mouth and she immediately stopped, got up, and walked over to him for more.  Seriously, why do they have to learn these things so young?

Christmas day

The rest of the day was spent just hanging out and playing with some new games.  Evan came home from school a few weeks ago saying he had learned how to play checkers and liked it.  How in the world had my kids not played checkers before now?  So, they got checkers for Christmas along with some other fun games.  Two of the cheapest and best investments made this year were the games Blink and Spot It.  We've been playing it constantly for six days.

Sara got a new kid's cookbook and I made this cute  reversible apron to go with it that I think I just might steal back or make one for myself.

We wanted to spend this Christmas DOING something good and meaningful.  

That afternoon/evening we made some Teddy Bear breads.  While I made the dough and let it rise Ben took the kids to visit some of our older friends from our old neighborhood.  One couple doesn't have family around and all their grandkids are out of state so she had a bucket of popcorn sitting and waiting just in case we showed up.  It was a good thing we did.  Another lady is in a rest home and doesn't get many visitors.  It was only 3ish in the afternoon and when they left she had them turn out the lights for her.  She was going to take a nap.  I'm glad they were able to get visitors and that Ben had the last minute thought to visit them.  I hope our kids realize how much good they are doing when they do such a simple thing as visiting and talking to these older people who are just lonely.  I'm sure it brightened their Christmas.

 We then delivered the breads to two fire stations for the firefighters who have to work on Christmas.  The kids enjoyed making the teddy bears and the firefighters were very gracious to bring the kids in to show them their cool toys (aka fire engines).

One fire station gave the kids some cool pencils that change colors when they get hot.

Then it was dinner and a movie in our PJ's at home.  It was fun and nice and relaxing.

Merry Christmas!!

We love the movie and cook Christmas Oranges so we started a new tradition this year.  Ben and I put up some oranges on the tree.  The kids thought it was so cool when they saw them in the morning.  Hopefully it will help them to be grateful for what they have and what they get.

I love the excitement on their faces as they get out of bed and realize it's Christmas and race up the stairs.  

We also started the tradition of letting the kids open their stockings first thing when they wake up.  They raced up the stairs, grabbed their stockings off the piano and rummaged through them.  

Then cinnamon rolls and their oranges off the tree.  

They started rummaging through the presents before we were finished eating.  We usually stop them from looking at the tree until we are ready to sit down and open them because that's what I did growing up.  That wasn't Ben's tradition but he let me do it.  This year we did it differently and it was fun to see the excitement on their faces.

Since we read through the story in Luke 2 on Christmas Eve, we read from the Book of Mormon in  3 Nephi about the sign of Christ's birth to the Nephites and Lamanites in the Americas.

(she loves her Africa earrings Mom and Dad)

I just love these pictures.  Their faces show their excitement.  

(This was the cutest.  After Kamri opened her gift from Evan she jumped up and gave him the BIGGEST hug.  I don't even remember what it was but obviously she liked it.)

Nothing better than a box full of Ninja Turtles

And the most excitement over a present was shown when they opened up our 2011 blog book.  I hate that it takes me so long to get to it and by the time we get it some of the things are 2 years old and I want to get it done sooner but they love opening it as a gift on Christmas.  I don't know if I should always just wait and do it or if they would be just as excited about it earlier.

Asia wasn't up when the rest of us were.  We finished all the presents long before she got up so she has all the attention for the whole two minutes it took to open hers.

She couldn't wait so she had to open one while we changed her diaper.  Ok, she really didn't know what was going on but she was NOT happy so we let her open one first thing.

And of course, she loved ripping the paper.

We couldn't leave Asia out of our family pictures in front of the tree.

It was good morning!!