Christmas 2013

So I really wanted to post about Christmas even though it's almost March lol. I want to remember it.

We spent Christmas at home for the 2nd time and I absolutely love it! It's our plan from here on out. I love having our own little family Traditions! Some we started the first year and this year we added a few more. It was also fun having my Parents and Sister Jessica join us this year! So here was our Christmas

Christmas Eve Traditions:

• Family fun and eat out (New This Year): In the morning we went to Town Square to play on their awesome Playground and for lunch at our favorite restaurant Claim Jumpers, after we came home for nap/quiet time.
• Once the kiddos are awake we make cookies for us and for Santa. 
• Then we have a Yummy Dinner made by Daddy, his delicious Chicken Parmesan! So good. 
• Family Christmas Activity (New This Year):After dinner we split up into 2 cars and did a Light Scavenger Hunt Race, where the first team to find lights consisting of a reindeer, tree, snowman, snow globe, etc and take pics of them with a phone wins. Joe and I were the 2 drivers so it would be fair. 
• When we got home we got cozy with hot chocolate, cookies and opened "The Big Present" which consists of Pajamas for everyone (Even some for Grandma, Grandpa and Jessica.), a new game and new movie to watch for a movie night on another night that week, this year we got Turbo.
• For bedtime routine we watch Joy to the World for Scriptures and read Twas the Night Before Christmas for a story and then off to bed so Santa can come :)

Christmas Day:

• The kids wake us up and we all go downstairs together to see if Santa came. We only check out the fun in our Stockings before Breakfast (It makes Christmas morning last longer and they actually enjoy what's in their stocking before the presents).
• Then Daddy makes omelets! (We agreed that to split responsibilites. I do everything else for Christmas including present, stocking and food shopping, wrapping, planning and he makes dinner and breakfast :) WE love the omelets and it allows us to get a good dose of protein before more sweets ;)
• Finally after Breakfast we open presents and basically relax and enjoy each other the rest of the day. 

Did I mention I really really Enjoy Christmas at Home? :) love it.

Cienna as a 2 yr old

My sweet Cienna!! I haven't been good at updating about her like I did Jace, poor thing. But thought I would now. Our Cienna at 2. . .

-She used to be small for her age but caught up quickly as she got closer to 2. She is now in the 60 percentile for her age.
- She loves to be cuddled. Everyday at nap time we still cuddle til she falls asleep or decides to have quiet time playing with toys in her crib.

-She is a decent eater. She will eat green beans, tomatoes, peas and carrots, and brocolli occasionally, but doesn't like any other vegetable. She will eat most other things.
-She is very good at letting us know when she is upset ;) and when she doesn't want to do something. In fact until about a month or so ago, she fought us on almost everything, from changing her diaper to putting her in her car seat. I thought I was gonna die and that I couldn't do this for 18 years. haha. However, this last month she has toned it down quite a bit and is doing a lot of things willingly. I did some reading and decided to give her as many small choices as I could in the day and praise her to death when she did something we wanted her to do. Her quick temper has improved dramatically (knock on wood!!)

-She loves princesses, babies and cooking in her kitchen. She is a complete girl. However, she has gotten pretty decent in a wrestling match against her brother. haha.

-Her favorite movies are snow white and barbie nutcracker. She developed a LOVE of ballet when my sister Jessica was here for Christmas and showed her part of the nutcracker on You Tube. She only wanted to watch it a thousand more times all through Christmas and into new years. She basically owned my ipad and watch the sugar plum princess dance over and over again and tries to copy her movements. And now when she dresses in one of her princess dresses she's not a princess, she's a ballerina. ;)
-She is the best hugs and kisses giver! She gives us all multiple a day! I love it!
-She knows her colors, shapes and recognizes most of the alphabet.
-She is talking more and more all the time and starting to string 4 words together at a time.
- She now loves nursery!! She didn't before and would literally scream and scream, and now she starts to get antsy during the closing song and prayer in sacrameeting to be able to go. The Primary Chorister said that she is so animated when they sing and sings the loudest. haha. I believe it.
-She is pretty darn good at entertaining herself which is so nice! Especially when Jace goes to Preschool. I am able to get quite a bit done.
-She loves her older brother and especially loves his room and his stuff. We have to keep his door shut at all times or she will be in there getting into all his treasures haha.

But most of all she is the sweetest and cutest little girl in the world! I am so lucky to be her mom. :) Below is a video of her imitating the nutcracker dance. . .

Jace & Soccer

So I'm playing catch up. Jace played soccer this past Fall and LOVED it! Everything about it, never tired from it. However he did get tired of his mom cheering and shouting tips. haha. I got in trouble by him. He got pretty dang good at getting the ball from the team and putting it in the goal. He probably got too serious about it because he would be upset when he didn't get a certain number in each game. So in March starts another season, and I asked him, "Jace would you like to play soccer in the spring?"   "Yes!!"  "Or you could try another sport?" "Soccer!!" haha Okay. Here's some photos of this past season.

LegoLand

We had a blast on our family vacation to Legoland. Both kids really enjoyed it which made it twice as fun! Jace went on all the rides that he could (even the big dragon roller coaster) and Cienna went on all the rides that she was allowed to go on. And now I think they like Legos even more. They have played with them everyday since we have been back. oh and jace was very brave and thouched a live starfish and snail. He was very proud. And I was proud because he really wanted to do it but it took a lot of courage on his part. After we left the station he whispered to me "I wanna go touch them mom. I can do it" 

Biggest Lego Structure ever made. Actual size of the Star Wars ships used in the movie. 

 We went to the big shop at the end of the day. Can you tell? ;) but they both chose something and found them quite fun and exciting the next day haha 

Trunk Or Treat