Family Christmas Weekend

Baking Day #1

Joseph and I made Gingerbread cookies.

And despite the amount of dough that this kid snuck by me and consumed. . . .

we still ended up with about 6 dozen cookies.

Joseph got a big-boy haircut. . . . including #4 clippers and shaving around the edges. Good-bye curls. (*sob*)

Baking Day #2 - Puppy Chow (a.k.a. Puppy Crack) A second batch of this will have to be made. I would like to blame its disappearance on Teacher gifts . . . but there is only 1 teacher. So the blame lies with Joseph's parents and the fact that it's so darn addictive.

Putting together Joseph's "big" Christmas present.

We went ahead and gave it to him on Saturday. Christopher's boss and family came over for dinner and this provided some entertainment for the younger kids while the older ones and parents watched the Saints vs. Cowboys game.

Joseph waiting patiently for "present time" on Sunday by drawing on Mama's phone.

. . . helping distribute the gifts . . . .

. . . . he didn't want George to feel left out. . . .

"present time! present time! open the present and see what's inside!" (a little Blue's Clue's reference for you) Joseph loved opening presents and is looking forward to Round #2 in Nashville on Friday.

Visitors!

Katie & Rachel came to visit us this past weekend. We met both of these girls in Charleston and they were a beloved part of our community group. In the past year both of them have moved to Texas. Katie moved to Houston and Rachel to Dallas. Katie is getting married in February so they came up for a weekend of wedding dress alterations, invitation assembly and some much needed girl time. It was wonderful having them here!

Christmas shopping . . .

is finished (I hope). Presents have been wrapped and put under the tree. Four boxes of gifts have been shipped to Indiana & Virginia family and Chicago god-daughter. Joseph's "big present" is hiding in the garage for last minute assembly. Joseph talks about nothing but "going to see Nana & Papa & Alissa & Uncle Travis & Aftin & Katie next week." (side note - he puts "uncle" in front of Travis, Chris & Jon but will not put "aunt" in front of Natalie, Megan, Alissa & Aftin. I do not know why.) Joseph's pre-school Christmas program is tomorrow morning. I found out yesterday that he needs a green dress shirt for this. hmmmm. Next week - more Christmas baking and packing for Nashville. 'Tis the Season!

baking day - in pictures

posing for Christmas pictures

Joseph's great-grandmother (Nanny) knitted this cute snowman sweater for Joseph.

the process of posing for pictures includes lots of "cheese" and jumping. .. so I switched to video.

getting closer. . . .

ungrounded

Remember the red sharpee on computer monitor debacle?

Conversation Joseph had with himself in the car yesterday:
"I like the computer.
I like to play on the computer.
I like to paint on the computer.
But can't play on the computer because I'm grounded from the computer."

Joseph is no longer grounded . . . but is closely supervised. . ..

the kid loves his veggies

Christmas in Little Rock

Joseph overseeing the trimming of the tree

New School!

Today is Joseph's first day at his new school. Over the summer Joseph went to school 4 mornings a week. We have switched things up a little this time and he will be going 2 full days a week. Hopefully he'll be able to take his nap away from home! The great thing is that his school is part of ACH where Christopher works. So daddy is close by.

The other great thing is that his best friend, Red George, gets to go with him.

Home Again

We are home from our wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday in Indiana. Unfortunately I have no pictures at this time. I charged our camera all week before we left and the first time I pulled it out to use, it had a low battery. So - pictures will be posted when I can snag them from my sisters.

Some highlights from our week:
Parking cars for the Notre Dame game at my sister & bro-in-law's house
Attending the Notre Dame game
Amish Thanksgiving
Glaub Thanksgiving
Ruth's Chris for my parents' anniversary
Christmas shopping

Wordless Thursday

Joseph is grounded from the computer

side note: Goo-Gone spray gel works miracles on getting red sharpee marker off of a computer monitor screen.

belly shot - 20 weeks

half-way there!

Indiana bound

I made the mistake of mentioning to Joseph on Saturday that we would be going to see Grandpa & Grandma (and Aunt Megan, Uncle Chris, Aunt Natalie. . . . . ) this week. He is ready to go now. Whenever I announce our next activity, it's followed by "and then go see Grandpa & Grandma. ok?"

Getting in the car yesterday after church - "go see Grandpa & Grandma now. ok?"

This morning -
mama: "We're taking daddy to work, then going shopping, then to the library. ok?"
Joseph: "ok - taking daddy to work, then shopping, then library, then see Grandpa & Grandma. ok?"

Joseph on the way to take daddy to work - "we'll drive and drive and drive and get there. And see Grandpa & Grandma. ok? Let's go!!"

After library -
mama: "ok Joseph. We took daddy to work and went shopping and went to the library. Now we're going home."
Joseph: "ok. go home and then go see Grandpa & Grandma. ok?"
mama: "remember I said we're not going until Friday. We still have to do laundry and clean the house and pack up your clothes and toys."
Joseph: "ok! go pack up clothes and toys right now and then go and see Grandpa & Grandma. ok?"

I think it's going to be a long week.

Jacob Christopher

It's a boy! We had our anatomy scan today and found out that we'll be welcoming another sweet boy into our family. He measured right on track at 19 weeks and looked healthy. We had a little bit of deja vu as he pulled the very same pose as Joseph did during his anatomy scan (one hand by face, one hand by his, um, stuff). Typical boy.

Waiting for Daddy

Usually when Joseph hears "Daddy's home" he runs to the door to greet him. However, on this particular day, he had been told "no more candy until daddy gets home." So he stared into the candy basket until he heard "Daddy's home" and then reached in as fast as he could to pull out the Pez dispenser.

M. E. W. 3.

"How to eat M-n-M candies"
by: Joseph Henry Swearingen

1. Pick up the m-n-m between index finger and thumb
2. Rotate until you can read "M"
3. Rotate 1/4 turn until you can read "E"
4. Rotate 1/4 turn until you can read "W"
5. Rotate 1/4 turn until you can read "3"
6. Eat
7. Pick up next m-n-m and repeat steps 2-6

Happy Halloween

Those troublesome numbers

This morning's conversation while I am getting Joseph dressed:

J: "mama, there are numbers"
Me: "Joseph - there are no numbers on your shoes - let's just put them on"
J: "mama, there are numbers"
Me: "I don't know what you're talking about. We just need to hurry and get dressed"
(finished getting Joseph's shoes on and set him down)
J: "mama, this is not going to work"
Me: "what"
J: "this is not working!" (holding out his foot)
Me: "ok - sit up here and let me take a look" (I put him back on the chair and yank off the offending shoe - and out fly 3 small plastic magnetic numbers)
J: "see! numbers in the shoe!!!!"
Me: "um, sorry"

Joseph's letters

fun times

It's just so much fun having a house with a staircase. . . . . . . especially for the animals and other various toys and that get to tumble down.

Arkansas State Fair

picture of politeness. . . . . or . . . .

The following conversation took place this evening while Joseph and I were throwing the ball back and forth in the living room:

Joseph: "throw the ball please mama"
Me: "ok - catch the ball Joseph"
Joseph: "oops - dropped it. I'll go get it" (runs around to the other side of the room) "I've got it!"
Joseph: "catch the ball please mama"
(repeat this part about 10 times)
Me: "ok Joseph - last time"
Joseph: "ok mama - I'll go put the ball away"
Joseph: (as he hugs me) "thanks for playing with me mama"

I'd like to say that he's always this poster child of politeness perfection. . . . but the horrendous scene caused by this same child at a Little Rock fabric store earlier today would prove otherwise. If I can muster up the courage to go back to this great little store it will most likely be in disguise and quite definitely sans child.

our new home

It's Raining Food

This morning at Bible Study my leader told me not to make dinner tonight. She said she would stop by this afternoon with our dinner. Yay! As I left her house our realtor called. She said that she would love to bring by dinner tonight for us. I thanked her profusely but said someone was actually already bringing dinner. Miss Sue said then that she would love to bring us dinner one night next week. Wonderful! We were home for about an hour when the doorbell rang. It was our builder's wife (who also happens to be the selling realtor for this house) with a bag from a local market containing some frozen gourmet soup and crackers. Yum! I will not have to cook for a few days.

Playhouse Disney Live!

We took Joseph to the Verizon Arena to see Playhouse Disney Live! for his birthday. It was his first concert and he was mesmerized. He clapped, danced and waved his little heart out.