Christmas Party

Saturday was our church Christmas party.  It was an interesting event, with a Christmas program followed by bag lunches in the cultural hall.  (Our building is undergoing a big renovation right now so we had to improvise and eat on picnic blankets.)  Topher found the Jell-O cubes quite confusing.  Apparently we never eat Jell-O and he just kept licking it but was afraid to take a bite.

Our family in our "casual holiday attire".

The very best part was when they asked everyone to start singing Jingle Bells.  The entire cultural hall full of people started singing, and then Santa walked in!  I wish I had a picture of Topher's face at that moment.  He looked utterly stunned.  He was so brave taking a picture with Santa, too, even though he wouldn't talk to him.

The next day was Topher's last day in nursery.  Now if you know me you know I love that my son is getting bigger and I never long for his baby days to return.  However.  However...knowing that my little boy is big enough to go to a Primary class now hit me kind of hard.  (Come January, he will be a Sunbeam.  There's even a song: "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam, to shine for him each day..."  It's adorable.)

We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus here in Ankeny, Iowa.  About a month ago Topher opened the doors of the electric fireplace, looked up inside it and called out, "Santa?  Santa Claus?"  I loved it.  I love the magic of the season and the magic of Topher's age. 

Tomorrow we head to Kansas City to visit my family.  We'll come home on Christmas Eve so we can wake up in our own home on Christmas morning.  We'll open presents, go to church and spend the rest of the day playing with presents and watching movies and drinking cocoa.

Here's wishing you all a wonderful holiday full of happiness and anticipation and the spirit of Christmas.

-KC

Itsy Bitsy Spider

Take it away, Topher!



--KC

Summing Up Oct and Nov

Sorry I'm the worst blogger ever.  Here's a quick recap of some (fairly) recent events:

OCTOBER:

After the big party came Halloween.  At the church Halloween party, our family won this (for the life of me this picture would not load right side up):

For dressing like this:

Then on beggar's night TJ decided that pirates had been done to death, so he was Voldemort instead:

And Topher had fun and wore himself out.

NOVEMBER:

Not a lot to report in November.  I hit a knitting wall and now I can't decide what else to make for Christmas gifts.  Anything that saves me from getting carpal tunnel, I think.  All our neighbors will be receiving decorated Christmas jars filled with homemade goodies.  I just think that making gifts helps me to stay focused and in the "Christmas spirit."  It's a way for me to inject a little love into everything I give.

Speaking of goodies, Topher really got into helping me make some cake balls.  So maybe his needed a little help but he was SO proud of himself:

These were the finished products:

The OTHER thing that is happening now is the big PT (which in Parent World is Potty Training.)  It's very gradual around here.  One day Topher wanted his Wall-E underwear so we put it on him and kept trying the potty.  He went twice that day and then had four accidents.  After much laundry, we did it again the next day.  Just kept him in his underwear until naptime or bedtime, at which point we'd stick a diaper back on him.  We noticed that he usually woke up dry.  And even though it's gradual there are no treats or presents involved, just a high five and a happy celebration each time he goes.  Today has been his best day yet.  He's used the potty four times (including a twosie!) and has had NO accidents.  My baby is really growing up now!  Although I have to say that of all the many "baby" things I was SO ready to say good riddance to, diapers have never really bothered me.  Still will be nice not to buy them anymore, though.

Here's a picture of Topher last week when he made his first poo-poo in the potty.  I'm pretty sure I'm obligated as a mommy to take this picture, but I was kind with the angle of the camera:

So there you have it.  Some little events and some big events, all rolling around together and making up the mish-mash of our rather simple, but happy, lives. 

--KC

Constructing a Party

Well Saturday was the big day.

The construction party to end all construction parties.

Here's how it went down:

The Decorations:

 

The Food:

The Family & Friends:

The Presents:

The Cake:

The boy it was all for:

Happy birthday, Topher.  We hope you had a wonderful day. 

As for mommy and dadddy, we're just glad that we have a whole year before we have to put together your next amazing party.  We can only imagine what theme you'll choose when you're FOUR!

--KC

The Adventures of Being Three

Yesterday our baby boy turned three.

He really is a special kid, all full of life and humor and stubbornness, and dancing, and wrestling, and talking, and love.

He got a few presents yesterday, mostly of the knights and dragons variety. 

(He will receive the rest of his gifts on Saturday at his big birthday party.)

Last night, we took him to Fuddrucker's because his dinner request was "chicken and fries".  The milkshake was a bonus.

Oh yeah, the knight helmet came too.

Then we took him to the big indoor playground at Jordan Creek Mall.  He loves it there.

It was a great birthday.  But it didn't end yesterday.  This is his birthday week, after all.

So for today I set up a private, after-hours tour of our local DOT garage.  

The guy let us in the garage and told Topher he could climb in any trucks he wanted.  He went straight for an enormous dump truck. 

And I do mean enormous. 

These are the trucks they use to keep Iowa highways clear of snow and ice. 

That's a big job.

I think this was Topher's own version of Heaven. 

Seeing him so happy and excited was our version of Heaven.

He ended up "driving" three of the huge trucks.

The man giving us the tour was so nice.  He gave Topher a safety hat, a reflective vest, and a toy truck off of his desk.  Then he gave TJ and I vests as well to wear at Topher's construction party on Saturday.

He also mentioned that we were pretty special to get this tour and that to his knowledge, no kid has ever been allowed to do this before. 

Apparently cuteness will get you everywhere in life. 

We can't wait to see what adventures await us in the coming year.

Happy birthday, puppy pie.  Mommy and daddy love you endlessly.

--KC

Why the Clarks should never carve pumpkins...

Yesterday we went to the pumpkin farm and we each chose a pumpkin. 

This afternoon, we thought it would be fun to carve them. 

I asked Topher what kind of a face he wanted mine to have: happy, scary, sad, etc.

He chose happy, so I drew the following design:

Then we looked over to see what TJ was drawing for his face.

This is what we saw:

(If you're a little speechless right now, that's okay.)

Well immediately Topher decided that the  happy face just wasn't going to do. 

He wanted a scary face, too. 

So I revised my pumpkin:

And Topher was happy.

And all the pumpkins turned out just the way they were depicted on paper.

But I couldn't help but notice that that pumpkin next to my pumpkin just looked silly.

 So what can I say? 

I jumped on the sick wagon.

And suddenly I realized that we really are the perfect couple.

 

And that, my friends, is why the Clarks should never be allowed to carve pumpkins.

Happy Halloween.

--KC