Grandparents Day

On Tuesday James had Grandparents Day at school. He was so excited that Nonni, Nonna, & Grampy were coming to his school! He talked about if for weeks!

They made these cute little invitations that they sent to their Grandparents. They actually mailed the invitations themselves! There is a mail box right across the street from their school so as a class they walked across the street and put the invitations in the mail box! We were at my Mom's house when she got hers in the mail. James was so happy to see she got it!

The kids met the Grandparents in the church where they sang some songs for them! I gave my camera to my Mom and she recorded all the songs. Then the memory was full! I made sure the batteries were charged but didn't think about deleting things off my memory! Of course she didn't know how to do it, so we had no pictures. At least she got the important part...James kinda singing!

Here is one little video!

No More Binki!!

Jake was a binki baby. He took the binki ALL the time. I thought he would be just like Brianna, not wanting to give it up, she had hers till she was 5! I know, horrible, we ended up telling her she could not go to school if she still had a binki. She didn't have it all the time at that age, just when she went to bed! Then years later she told us she had one hidden behind her bed that we didn't know about! I thought that Jake would be the same way! But I was all wrong! About when he was 18 months he would wake up from his nap and give me his binki. He knew somehow it was only for sleeping. I don't know how he knew that because I never enforced that on him. I was glad he took care of it himself! Then about the same time he lost his blankie he was throwing out his binki when I gave it to him to go to sleep. It was almost as if he was too mad that he didn't have his blankie he wouldn't take his binki! I would put it in his crib after he was asleep in case he woke up and wanted it. Still he wouldn't take it. So it has now been a few weeks and he still hasn't had it. I found two behind his crib, but he isn't hiding them, he is throwing them out! I think he is done with them! I really can't believe he has done this all on his own. I definitely thought it would be a struggle. Recently I was reading that you should take it way before they are two, otherwise the longer you go over two the harder it gets. So I thought I would start to wean him at two, well no worries now I don't have to!

This is what we have left of our collection of binkis. I think I am just going to keep one, just in case!

So proud of you Jake! Kicking your habit all by yourself!!

January

Where did January go? Wow, already one month down in 2011! It was nice to have the kids back in school and it was a busy month for both of them in school. Brianna had finals the third week of January and we just got her report card today. She had a great first semester! James was also busy in school, for how busy a pre-schooler can be in school! This month they had snow day, they bring in snow for the kids to play in and sled down. He had tons of fun. They had teddy bear day where they bring in their favorite stuffed toy. James brought in a stuffed Lightening McQueen of course! He had his "all about me" day. We had to make a poster board of James' favorite things to do. He picked out all his pictures and helped me decorate it. I should have taken a picture! He also had to answer some questions...He said he had 5 people in his family and named them all correctly. He said his favorite thing to do with Daddy is play cars and go to car shows. His favorite thing to do with Mommy is read. When he grows up; he doesn't want to grow up. And he is special because; I love you. So cute! When he brought in his board he had to share with the class, he was also able to bring in some toys for show and tell and a book. He really enjoyed showing his tractor and his cars to the class! They also made pizza this month at school which was very fun!

We were very excited to get Disneyland passes for Christmas this year! We think it is a great tradition and an easy non-thinking present for Nonni and Papa to get us! Since our old passes expired in April of 2010 and the last time we went was for Craig's Birthday December of 2009 I was really excited to take Jake since he was only a baby the last time. It would be a whole new world for him! I couldn't wait to see how he would react to the rides!
We started at Disneyland and decided to get on the train to take it over to the Autotopia, James was dying to go on that ride...his favorite! Jake was a little unsure about the train but did great! Much better than James!


After we went to Autotopia, which ended up being closed we went over to California Adventure since there are smaller rides over there and I wanted Jake to see the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse show. James loved that show.

Wow what a day! As we were in line for Mickey's clubhouse that has technical difficulty and has to close! So we head over to the bug's world and go on a few rides over there.
Our first ride, on the caterpillar.

James loves this ride because he gets to drive!

Jake having a snack while waiting for Daddy and James to get off the ride.

James and I on the Ladybug


On Monster's Inc ride. James hated it, Jake liked it! James is our cautious kid, Jake is more of a dare devil.

Another highlight! Visiting with Mater and Lightening.

We were walking around and came across this playground area that we have never seen before! It was so cool all these things for the kids to run around and climb on! The boys loved it!




Of course James and I had to get cotton candy!!

And as we were leaving we stopped in this store in Downtown Disney and of course Craig had to try out this car game. Can't pass that up!

Since we have our passes back we are trying to take advantage of them as most we can! So two weeks later we were back at Disneyland! This time we went on the bigger rides. The rockets were the first up. Jake was very uneasy when he got on. This is one of James' favorites.

But when we got going Jake ended up liking it!

Then I took James over to Autotopia while Craig decided to take Jake on Toy Story. Jake loves that movie and since James is scared of the ride and Jake is too little to go on Autotopia we thought it would be a good idea. Well it was a little scary for Jake. Don't think we will be doing that ride for awhile.
James on Autotopia driving his car, he needs some driving classes!

Next we went on Dumbo and it was pretty much the same experience as the rockets!



Minnie Mouse was going backstage and we stopped for a visit before she left. Jake is my only child that didn't scream his head off when we saw her. Brianna cried, James won't even get out of the stroller, and Jake didn't know how to react, smile, laugh or cry. He kinda did a nervous laugh, I asked him if he wanted to say hi and he did from his stroller. When we got close he didn't want to get near her! I don't blame them...a huge mouse who wants to get close to that!

We have had a good January and can't wait to enjoy our passes more throughout the year!

I FOUND IT!!!!

Whoo-Hoo!!! I found the blankie!!! I was so excited! This has been SO frustrating, it completely baffled me as to where it was! Last night after the kids were in bed I had to vacuum up some sand that came out of James' shoes and when I went to put the vacuum away I walked to the front door to unlock it for Brianna. I looked over at our buffet table that I had already looked in the cupboards of it. Well it has wine slots to hold bottles of wine. I don't know why I hadn't looked in there! It was in one of them, pushed all the way to the back! Jake was still awake so I went up there to give it to him. I had it behind my back and said, "Jake I have something for you." He said "what?" I took it out from behind my back and gave it to him. He started giggling but it was as if he didn't know if it was really was his blankie. He put it right in front of his face to look at it and then realized it really was it! He giggled again and hugged it! SO CUTE! Then he put it down in his crib, giggled again, laid his head on it, and said ni-night! Awe my poor baby could sleep better now! So thankful I found it!!!
Here is a picture of the old blankie. It is permanently dirty and the white looks gray! The blue is so faded it hardly looks blue!

The back side has many tears already. I don't know what we are going to do when this thing falls apart!

Thank goodness you are back blankie!! Now we can ALL rest better! :)

Security

James and Jake LOVE their blankies! I was the one who got both our boys hooked on blankies. I had one and slept with it till I got married! Craig wouldn't allow it in the bed...I don't know why! Actually I had a few, one pretty much disintegrated from overuse! Brianna never took to one, she did have "Cuppy", who was a stuffed animal. The boys I would say they are both OBSESSED with them. Jake has his ALL the time. There is hardly a time when he doesn't have it!

He has been such a great sleeper because of it. He just snuggles up to it and goes to sleep. he often puts it in his mouth and carries it around like a dog!

On Saturday when it was time for bed we could NOT find the blankie! He didn't leave the house all day so it had to be around the house somewhere. It still has to be around the house somewhere. But we are going on day 4 of not being able to find it! It has probably been the saddest thing for Jake in his whole life so far! Tragic I would say. For me it has been frustrating and heartbreaking. Jake's blanket is actually already falling apart, I can't believe it. So just last week I was thinking I need to get him another one and start integrating it in, so it gets his smell and maybe it won't be so hard to take the old one away when it falls apart! Well this just sped up the process! After looking around the house Saturday night for 40 minutes and every day there after, listening to Jake scream for his blankie and cry himself to sleep I was in search of a new blankie. I looked everywhere online. I couldn't find the exact one. I think it has been discontinued. :( I also called all the boutiques and Nordstroms from here to Newport and no one even had one kinda like it. So I found one kinda like it online. I didn't think we could wait for it to be shipped and didn't want to pay extra shipping that cost more than the blankie! So the good Daddy that Craig is went all the way to Pasadena to pick up the blankie! I warned Craig that Jake may not take to the blankie so don't get upset that you went all the way there for nothing!

When Craig got home with it Jake was sleeping, which he fell asleep in the car thank goodness, so I didn't have to hear him scream this time! I immediately put it in the washer so it would get "our smell" on it! When Jake woke up it was ready for him. Craig gave it to him and said here is your new blankie, and he said, NO and threw it! UGH!!! The past 3 nights and his nap today have been heartbreaking for me. It is like we are re-training him to go to sleep on his own. Which we never even had to do with him! But it is worse because he is screaming for his blankie and if I could only find it he would be fine! I feel so bad, I don't know where else to look I think it was flushed down the toilet or the dog ate it or something!
Last night he threw the blankie out of his crib and we put it under his head when we went to bed.

Hopefully soon we will find the old one or he will get used to his new one! I can't take another night of crying!! My poor baby!
For all the Mommy's and Daddy's out there that their children have security blankies or animals, buy TWO!!!

New Year's Eve

This is our 6th New Year's Eve at our cozy little home. A couple years ago we had some friends over who make homemade pizzas for New Years. So I decide to make that our tradition as well. James loves to help cook so I thought he would really enjoy it! And he did!

Grating cheese!

Rolling out the dough

Putting cheese on his pizza

James' pizza! It was So yummy!

We played the Xbox Kinect and everyone joined in the fun!


The boys stayed up a little late and we rang in the New Year East Coast style! Thank goodness we get East Coast channels! James now wants to go to New York to see the ball!


James setting off little Party Poppers!

Brianna humoring me!
Brianna made me take the picture off!
Craig in his New Years get up

Mommy & James

Jake thought Ricky wanted to join in the festivities!

Jake & Mommy


Happy New Year! We hope 2011 brings everyone good health and good fortune!

Rain Rain Go Away!

We have had SO much rain, I love the rain when we are inside and don't have to go anywhere. But then when it gets to be that you are stuck in the house over Christmas vacation for a week or more, I just want it all to go away. I do love that it felt very wintery over vacation. Here is James in his new Car rainboots and umbrella that he got for Christmas from Nonni & Grampy! He LOVES them and wants to use his umbrella when hardly any rain is coming down! Jake on the other hand won't even put his boots on! :(