Day 926 | Let It Be Christmas

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Today. It finally feels like Christmas today. 

The decorated Christmas tree helped. The garland going up our stairs helped. Putting out my grandpa's santas helped. But the real kicker, I decided, was the snow.  

We had a beautiful, picturesque snow today. It was warm enough to spend the whole morning frolicking in it and the belly laughs coming from the boys lit up my heart as much as it lit up their faces.  

Maybe I've been watching too many cheesy Christmas movies, but I just love this time of year. One of my favorite Christmas songs sums it up perfectly. It's a country song (no surprise), but give it a chance.

Let it be Christmas, by Alan Jackson

Let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let every heart sing
Let every bell ring
The story of hope and joy and peace
And let it be Christmas everywhere
Let heavenly music fill the air
Let anger and fear and hate disappear
Let there be love that lasts through the year
And let it be Christmas, Christmas everywhere

Let it be Christmas everywhere
With the gold and the silver, the green and the red
Christmas everywhere
In the smiles of all children asleep in their beds
In the eyes of young babies
Their first fallen snow
The elderly's memories that never grow old
Let it be Christmas everywhere

Day 924 | Dear Santa, 2016

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After much thought and deliberation, the boys have settled on their *final* santa lists. Hopefully we'll be able to deliver these lists in person tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Without further ado:

Chase

Dear Santa,

First, no matter where we are on Christmas Eve, you can eat as many cookies as you want. I would like to ask for the Batman and Superman House that is connected together and also a surprise.

That is all I'm asking for. Thank you. Merry Christmas!

p.s. I have been very good.

Robbe

Dear Santa, 

I would like a big fire truck for Christmas, That is all I want. I have been a very nice boy this year.

Thank you and Ho Ho Ho!

Day 923 | Independence

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The boys are becoming more and more independent everyday. From putting on coats + shoes, to bathroom antics, to helping set the table for meals, it's been wonderful. The photo above is a snapshot from their newest venture in independence: collecting their dishes for their morning snack (of cereal + dried fruit while they wait for their real breakfast, in case you're curious). Yes, the animal bowls that they usually use are located easily in the lower cabinet but they've realized that eating their snack out of a plastic cup is preferred, and, for that, you need to move one of our stools across the kitchen and scale the counter to find the perfect cup.

Of course the little one always volunteers for the job.

Day 921 | Christmas Kindness Calendar

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Inspired by my desire to "do something", I've decided we're going to tackle this "Random Acts of Christmas Kindness" calendar this year. Every day (starting December 1) leading up to Christmas, we will pick one item on this list to make the world a better place. 

I'm hoping this will be fun and not another to-do on my already excessive list. There might be a day off here or there but I'm hoping we can really commit and get inspired to make someone's day just a little bit brighter.

Want to join in? You should be able to grab the calendar from the photo above, otherwise comment below or contact me and I'll send it your way. And I'll report back at the end of the month to let you know how we did.

{ Calendar modified from this version. }

Day 919 | Advent Workshop

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Chase and I busted out of the house solo (what?!?) this afternoon for some serious holiday crafting. A local church puts on an amazing advent workshop that I attended and loved when I was young.  

I will say, it surpassed all expectations. I bet there were close to 20 different crafts to chose from. Chase finally had to call it quits after about ten. He was just too tired. That never happens! He painted a wooden bird ornament (thanks to Aunt Lynn + Uncle Jim for this one!), constructed a marshmallow snowman, crafted a glitter ornament, created a star out of legos, decorated a gingerbread man (and one for his brother)...plus more!

Nothing gets you in the holiday spirit faster than a serious crafting session. See you next year, advent workshop!

Day 915 | The First Snow

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It snowed today. The boys loved every second. I think they were hoping for something closer to snowman-building accumulation, but they didn't complain. Instead we discussed the strategy for forming the perfect snowball and enjoyed see the different types of tracks we could create.

Oh, and we had a discussion on what type of snow is acceptable to eat...not the 1/4 inch snow that's lying directly on top of the dirt, in case you were wondering.

Day 913 | Thanksgiving Crafts

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It was the perfect day to get some friends (and their little ones) together for some Thanksgiving crafting this morning. 

We made some corn shakers (we promised to give the corn to the squirrels after the kids get sick of them), some owl + turkey friends, and some thankful pumpkins (here's the tutorial, in case you're interested).  

What are your two favorite blog-stars thankful for this year? Well, let me tell you:

Chase is thankful for...

  • my house
  • my family
  • food
  • my windows
  • my shoes 
  • my drawer

Robbe is thankful for...

  • trucks
  • stickers
  • Skylar
  • Mama
  • Anni
  • books
  • my room
  • *my toolbox...but he forgot to list that one on his pumpkin.

Day 911 | A Kids Party

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After a morning yoga class (my second this week...look at me!), my mom and I dropped the boys off at a "kids party" with my nieces and sister in law. Their dance studio hosts baby sitting every now and then as a fundraiser and by calling it a "kids party" the boys were beyond excited to attend (sometimes Robbe would prefer to have me by his side indefinitely). 

My mom and I got to enjoy some kid-free exploring a few new-to-me spots in my new city and the boys had a blast.  

A lovely day had by all. 

Day 909 | Morning Snuggles

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Robbe slept in this morning so Chase and I had a shocking 45 minutes worth of snuggle time in bed. We laughed, we pretended to be sleeping, we talked about how excited we are for the holidays, we promised to be best friends forever, etc. Oh, and Chase enjoyed using the camera on my phone to capture the moment. The photo above is credited to him. Every time he put his little finger over the flash, he would look at the photo and say, "Look! A rainbow in this one!"

I just kept thinking to myself: man, I'm glad to have these mornings back (he had school last year so we had to get up and going everyday). In addition, I was thinking about how much I'm going to miss these mornings when he's in school full time again next year. At least I can be grateful and present in the moment because of this crazy gap year of school for him. I'll take it. 

Day 907 | Tomato, Zucchini, Bacon Pasta

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This is hands-down one of my all time favorite recipes.  To the boys, it's known as "fancy mac & cheese." To me, it's just delicious. The only problem with it is that I tend to eat way more than I should. Such problems, I know.

Tomato, Zucchini, Bacon Pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 box spiral whole wheat pasta

  • 8 slices bacon (I use turkey bacon)

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 2 medium zucchini (about 1 pound), halved and thinly sliced

  • salt and black pepper

  • 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half

  • 6 ounces crumbled Feta

  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves (or a sprinkle of dried basil)

Directions

  • Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot.

  • Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; transfer to a plate, let cool, then break into pieces. Reserve the skillet.

  • Add the oil, zucchini, a sprinkle of salt and pepper to the drippings in the skillet and cook, tossing occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

  • Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and cooking water to the pasta and cook over medium heat, tossing, until the tomatoes soften slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Feta and bacon and toss to combine. Serve sprinkled with the basil.

[ Modified from this recipe ]