Sunday, December 26, 2010

Some Videos :)



--Kenna finding out about baby--



--Zachey doing his favorite thing...playing with shoes--


--Kids enjoying Christmas presents--

Daddy's Trip to Seattle

Two weeks ago Josh went to Seattle for 5 days for Chuck's wedding. Chuck and Josh were best friends in college, and we were really happy that he found the right girl :) Sounds like he had a blast playing games, hitting some of his favorite Seattle hangouts, and just hanging out with the guys! He stayed at Bryan and Rika's house in Bellevue, and despite having the flu while he was there, had a great time!

Meanwhile - I played the role of single parent and luckily Gona and Baca could help me out! I was traveling the whole week and definitely went past daycare hours a few times! The kids did great, and we had fun just the three of us!

Weeknights, the kids were in bed by 8, and so was mommy! That weekend we hit the mall to return a shirt and it ended up taking us three hours :) It was partially because it was so crowded and because we really had no agenda. We returned my shirt, then walked the whole length of mall (little Zachey's legs were tired!) and we ended up at the play area.



I didn't get too many pictures of the kids playing, but there is a slide, book area and lots of these silly soft things to climb on - probably like every mall. That wore them out and they were starving, so after a quick lunch we went down to the santa area.

Kenna BEGGED to go on this train..and for $1 a ride....seemed like a fun way to end the trip.



It went around like a zillion times...I was falling asleep waiting! Guess it was worth the buck! The kids were totally pooped, and both fell asleep in the car on the way home. I spent the rest of the day finishing my holiday baking and wrapping.

That night we headed to Gona and Baca's in the afternoon to play in all the new snow! Zachey and Kenna had a minor meltdown in the foyer as we were attempting to get snowpants on...but once outside loved the snow! It was only like 15 degrees...so we didn't stay out long, but did catch the sun as it was setting!




Kenna thought  Baca's snow angels were "really cool!" and even Zachey got down to walk around for a little while! We had a great weekend, but were glad when Daddy got home....I think I am still tired!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

While Daddy's Away...

Josh is in Seattle attending Chuck's wedding, and has been so since Wednesday. Luckily Gona and Baca helped out Wednesday night as I got home pretty late from work! I managed to make preschool work Thursday in between work!

Friday Kenna and I had the best mommy day! We ran errands mailing presents, getting oil changed, went to the library, shopping, the bank and ended the day with a matinee - Tangled. What a CUTE movie! Highly recommend it to any parent, especially those of a 4-7 year old girl :) I like it because she was at least 18; and she was tough....yay! Although the common disney theme of suppressive parent was still there...I throughly enjoyed it!

We ended the evening at Andersen's. They had a big get together for all of the high school friends from Nevada High. There was Jason, Leticia and Grant; Me and the kids (we crashed as Josh was gone); Nate, Andrea, Kevin and Katie; Cyndi; and Andersens. It was quite chaotic at times, but fun to watch all the kids interact! I felt bad that Zachey had sibling experience and poor Grant didn't...if he wanted something he went up and took it. I am sure Grant will learn to fight back soon! We found that separating the two really worked best!

Today we are off to Bass Pro Shop to see Santa again and experience the North Pole workshop. It sounds silly but this store is ginormous. Think REI on steroids and geared towards the outdoorsman. It has an indoor aquarium, bowling alley, and you get a number to see santa, rather than having to stand in line! While we wait we can make ornaments and have goodies...should be fun!!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Baby Thanksgiving Announcement

Here is how my Grandma Watson shared our Baby news at Thanksgiving in Idaho through the eyes of my Uncle Rand:


Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!  We hope you had a wonderful day.  We missed each of you being here, but realize that the weather did not cooperate and that it just doesn't work out some times.  Thanks to Grandma though to provide a little entertainment of which I would like to share with you now.  We had all sat down to the table to eat, then, after James said a blessing on the food, Grandma said she had an announcement to make, "I'm going to be a Grandma!".

What? I wonder, this doesn't make sense.  I know Caroline's not pregnant, and I'm pretty sure neither is Diana.  I don't think Rick is seeing anyone, and Deena just had her 60th birthday.  So....... then I remember the big announcement at the 4th of July dinner, when Laura announced her marriage to Chad....... Is Laura and Chad going to have a baby?!!!!!!?

Then she said Brandi & Josh are expecting.   Oooohhhhhh.  You meant Great Grandma.

She had us going there for awhile.  It was pretty funny how we were all looking around at each other like, it's not us.  We are excited for Brandi & Josh and hope all goes well.  After we came back home from eating at Rhett & Diana's, we watched Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, a classic Thanksgiving movie, and thought of Chelsey experiencing some of that for her trip home, starting out in a car, then a train, then a bus?!  Hope it was memorable!

We love you and hope to see you soon,
Rand

Happy Holidays

Some cute pix of the kids from Thanksgiving at Gonas


Sunday, December 12, 2010

Gentry Christmas - and so it begins!

With Josh going out of town this week and Shelly's crazy work schedule we had a little get together with Gentry's yesterday. Just lunch and playing before nap - and a present exchange with the kids. We got Nolan a guitar and baby some clothes. Kenna and Zachey got a sticker maker and a farm set. Way cute!


--Damon playing with the kids--


--waiting patiently to open first present of the season!--


--aren't nolan's glasses adorable? Wish I got a pick of Shelly's tummy as she is very pregnant, only a few weeks left!--

Christmas Pageant

I continue to be soooo impressed with the Montessori School that we enrolled McKenna in! This Friday they had their Christmas Pageant. And to get 3-6 year olds to stand and sing/perform for 20 minutes was purely amazing in my eyes!

Kenna was super excited because she got to stand next to Chloe! Chloe goes MWF, and we go T/TH...so for them to be at school together was a rare treat!


--the stage--


--there were probably about 30 kids in this performance-- 


--kenna standing next to Chloe in her santa dress and hat--


--singing the working elves song--


--this is Cambel, her first friend that she has made completely on her own...he is ALL we hear about and it was nice to meet her parents!--

Kenna of course did a great job following the choreography and knew all the songs. I think her time in Kindermusik and dance came in handy! My favorite songs were the Reindeer Boogie and the encore which was Zip-a-dee-doo-dah :)

Moments of Joy

Recently Zachary has become OBSESSED with books. If he sees one he has to sit down and look at it page by page. He will read 20 at night with you if you let him. He doesn't so much care what you say, but more wants to identify things on pages: "Zachey, where is the ball, elephant, girl...." etc. Kenna has taken an interest in "reading" to him, asking him where things are, or reciting the story as she remembers it. It is the cutest, and sweetest thing I have ever seen :)

I caught them on camera the other morning reading a Bert and Ernie book.



It's nice to have these moments where they aren't fighting over a toy, hitting/kicking each other or whining! Kind of makes it all worth it :) Our moment of Zen.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

BAKING!

The kids helped when they could, and this weekend was definitely a baking extravaganza! Josh is going to be gone next week, so wanted to knock out all my baking now to give as gifts!


--I made these individual peppermint cupcakes in a jar for work and Kenna's preschool teachers--


--new this year, cookie dough truffles...Josh is a fan --


--delish! chocolate candy cane kiss cookies, making 3 dozen for kenna's preschool party--


--almond cherry cups--


--oreo truffles, so easy and yummy!--


--this one is just cute, not so much yummy...makes a nice addition to cookie tin--


--my first attempt at candy...yum! Apple cider caramels...they are awesome!--


--kenna enjoyed licking the beaters--


--and of course Zachey had to do everything his sister does!--

Here comes Santa

This last weekend we also went to see Santa at the Ankeny fire house! This is the first year we have gone and it was really fun! Every year local businesses decorate trees to give to families who other wise couldn't afford them. They also give out cookies, hot chocolate, popcorn and goodie bags for the kids. There was a brass band playing Christmas carols and Santa and Mrs. Clause made their appearance!



--some of the pretty trees--


--Kenna waiting in line to see Santa-- 



--one of the trees had a working toy train inside it! The kids were checking it out--


--typical one year old response to Santa...get me outta here!--

Kenna asked Santa for Belle slippers, Belle movie and perfume. She is kind of on a Beauty and the Beast kick :) They sent the kids away with peanuts, apples and candy. Zachey became obsessed with the popcorn as a distraction in the Santa line and cried hysterically when we tried to take it away. So his lunch consisted of popcorn, milk and turkey :)

Disney on Ice

Last weekend we went to Disney on Ice. Last year McKenna was just mesmerized as it was a disney princess themed event. This year was a little different. Mickey, Donald, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto and Daisy were going on an adventure through 4 stories. Lion King, Lilo and Stitch, the Little Mermaid and Peter Pan. Kenna knew all the stories except Lilo and Stitch, but both her and Chloe really seemed to get into it! The little kids stayed home with gonas and bacas and we had a great time!


--since tinkerbell was in this performance, kenna wanted to dress up as a fairy--


--the girls looked so cute!--


--we paid $10 for cotton candy!! But kenna got to pick one treat, and it came with this cray Stitch hat--


--Lion King--


--sebastian jumping into the audience, we had great seats!--


--I loved the little mermaid costumes and choreography the best--






--there was a clever skit where Peter and his "shadow" mimicked each other exactly!--


--off they flew to neverland!--



This has become a yearly tradition! The girls this year actually made comments about costumes and actresses, really intellectual conversation for 4 year olds :)

Friday, December 03, 2010

Cows

Kennas was helping me make steak stir fry last night. I went down to our freezer and pulled out some ribeye and tossed it in the microwave to defrost. We chopped veggies and she turned her nose up at half of them. Then the microwave beeped and I took the steak out to remove the fat. I told her not to touch because she would get it on her fingers. She asked what the runny red stuff was. I told her that it was blood and she didn't want to get it on her. She sat in thought for a minute..."Blood? What is steak?" she asks. I told her that steak comes from cows. Again, long silence. "Mommy! Does that mean someone killed-did a cow??!!!" I had to explain that a lot of the food we ate came from animals. She burst into tears and sobbed uncontrollably. "Mommy, cows are so nice and pretty!" she said in between wails. I told her it was okay, then tried to distract her with a tv show to calm her down. "Mommy, we shouldn't eat animals, just cheese sandwiches and fruit."

What a sweet little vegetarian I have! It about broke my heart!!!