Sweet Christmas Snippets

It is, of course, ALWAYS fun to watch your children get excited about what comes with all the Christmas fun....what did Santa bring, the fun and excitement of driving around looking at lights, discovering new toys, talking about Santa flying in his sleigh to our house, opening our Advent boxes after celebrating the coming of Christ...so exciting, so fun!

We enjoyed all the typical Christmas joy.  Some small Christmas highlights that I would like to remember are:

After nap time on Christmas, I had started to close my eyes and rest on the couch.  Brady had woken up from his nap and came into the den where all his new toys were still laid out.  I rolled over at some point and caught a glimpse of his still half asleep look staring down at one of his favorite gifts with a huge smile and his eyes saying "good, I did not dream it...this is real.  it is all still here."

Yesterday, I sat down with Brady to teach him how his Leapster 2 works and he was engrossed in it and how it works and what he can play on it.  At one point while sitting on the couch with him while he was playing, he bent down and kissed the screen.  I said "what are you doing, buddy?" as I was thinking: did he not understand the instructions that the Leapster just said? He looked up at me and said: "I just really like this, Mom."  How cute?!?!

On Christmas morning after the boys saw what Santa left them, they enjoyed going through their stockings.  Evan had Woody hanging out of his...which is ALL he cared about.  He held Woody and just kept saying: "Wooeee", "Wooeee" and then "ooooooo", with his little mouth in the shape of a very dramatic "o"....he was so delighted with this Christmas morning surprise!

Evan gave Brady the DVD of Toy Story 3 for Christmas (it was definitely a Toy Story Christmas around here).  Brady was VERY excited to receive this.  He leaned in, gave him a hug, and said "Thank you, Evan.  You are a good little child."  LOVED it!!!

WOODy....Affinity and Beyond!

So this has been an interesting new area of parenting for me...first it started with Brady a couple of months ago with his affinity with his male parts and how they change at times.  He has started noticing this change and likes to discuss it and comment on it every time there is a "change".  This is new territory for me...(1) I am a girl (2) I have not had to "parent"/teach on this matter before (3) I only have one brother and he is older than me...so this has been brand new for me!  In one way it is cute...which sounds weird I know but it makes sense.  The part that is cute is the innocence of it all.  The comfort and ease in which he can talk about this with his mother...not something that will exist, of course, when he is older.  It is a little awkward for me....being a girl and being his mom...I just don't want to know, deal with it, or think of him EVER growing up!!!  It is funny at times though too...with his choice of words.  "Mommy, look at this thing...it is growing...it is huge!"  Not exactly what I want to hear from my sweet 4-year-old but funny nonetheless in an awkward kind of way!

Evan...this has been a new area of parenting for me as well.  Evan has this immense LOVE for Woody from Toy Story.  Brady never attached to any one character/toy, etc. like this at this age...actually not even at his current age.  The funny thing to Chris and I is that he only has seen Toy Story in a clip or two here or there when Brady has watched one of the movies on trips.  He first saw a "doll" of Woody at Grayson Kim's house (Brady's best buddy and our next door neighbor) several months back and just loved him...picked him up and did not let him go the whole time we were there.  Evan has the average - or a few more - number of words for a child his age and since Brady received a Toy Story toy set from Noah at our family Christmas that included a little Woody...he has now added "Woody" to his vocabulary.  He says it constantly as he walks around, sleeps with, plays with, etc. this little toy.  "Wooeee, wooeee, woooeee"  He gets sooo excited...truly loves him....immense affinity "and beyond"!!!  Hopefully Santa includes this in his stocking this year!

19 months old!

On December 12th, Evan turned 19 months old...the past month flew by.  He has gone from walking to RUNNING...which surprises me not at all!  He has learned to flex his muscles, which is absolutely adorable!  He is trying to blow the candles out for Advent every night.  Just two days ago, he learned how to blow his nose...like REALLY blow his nose.  That seems like a funny....even silly... thing to journal about but at 19 months being able to truly blow your nose is a BIG DEAL.  It usually takes a child quite some time to figure out this concept.  These little things sure do make parenting a lot easier as well. He is so smart.  His vocabulary is average but his comprehension BLOWS MY MIND!!! He follows 3 & 4 step instructions so easily and thoroughly.  He pats you when you are cuddling him....so sweet, so affectionate.  He seems to be coming out of the separation anxiety stage, which is such a relief for his mommy, especially with a little brother coming soon.  The last couple of Sundays at church he has not clinged onto us or cried at all.  He also went easily from relative to relative at MiMi & PopPop's house during our extended family Christmas celebration and gift exchange.  He LOVES to build...he enjoys K'nex, wooden blocks, and Brady's legos.  His fine motor skills are AWESOME!  He is still a fiesty little guy...very passionate, when he is happy, he is VERY happy.  When he is angry or frustrated, he is VERY angry or VERY frustrated!!

Still hard to believe this little cutie pie is going to be a BIG brother...in just 2 short months!

AMEN!!!

My sweet Brady sure has made Advent extra special for me this year. 

I feel like I am living in a very exhausting stage of my life right now.  With Brady being a very demanding....not in the stomp your feet, yell, pitch a fit kind of a way....4 1/2 year old and Evan being a very strong-willed "typical" toddler, and being pregnant...I am pretty wiped.  Add the rest of life, COO/CFO of household responsibilities, outside organizations, friendships, Priddy Stiddy business, etc. and you make a very worn-out, low-energy old broad! 

We started celebrating Advent as a family 3 years ago and have truly enjoyed the time as a family to pause after dinner and come together for Christmas as we should....for its true meaning.  It has been a blessing to watch our boys learn and grow in the true meaning of Christmas and Jesus.

Two nigths ago, Brady said the prayer for us after our Advent reading and filled my eyes - and I think his dad's eyes too!  He bowed his head and in his own words....we did not talk about it during Advent said: "Dear Jesus, thank you for loving us and giving us life.  Thank you for your birth, for dying, and for coming back.  Thank you for hope and peace (the two candles we are currently lighting).  Amen."  So sweet..the whole gospel right there....so touching, so meaningful....I LOVE it!  It was a nice pause to the busyness, to my frustration and fatigue.  The perfect reminder of WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT!!!!

He exhausts me, wears me out, often makes me crazy but MAN he is a GREAT kid that is so sweet and has an amazing HEART!!!!

Our Sweet Brady has a wise man in his Christmas program at school!