Fun Christmas crafts

Here's some pics of our fun craft times we've been having. These are pics of the stockings we made. I found this neat craft foam kit at Hobby Lobby that had foam stickers the kids were able to put on the stockings (with a little help). They loved it and we've had them proudly displayed.

We also made Christmas ornaments last week. I got this idea from the Santa Day that we went to for Steve's work. The kids loved it, though it was pretty messy as you can see. Anything involving glue usually goes over well with them though. We tried to make three, one for each set of grandparents and one for home, though some of them got bored before they got all three made.

Santa Day 2008

Steve's work has a Santa Day every year for the employees and their kids. We have gone every year since Grace was born. This was probably the best year because she was old enough to actually do the crafts and enjoy it. She had a blast and I think Steve did too. He kept shuttling us from one craft to another. When we were done we went up to see Santa but weren't able to get very close to him. The first year we went was the only year we have been able to get a picture and it was of her reaching for me and screaming. Oh, well, maybe she will be more open to sitting on his lap next year!

Holiday fun with the daycare kiddos

We made cookies yesterday. So much fun, and so messy. I wish I had thought to take some pics, but at the time I was too busy going from one kiddo to the next, rolling dough and showing them how to use the cookie cutters. Grace had already made cookies with Nana Glenda last year and both Nanas this year, so she didn't need much help, but the others seemed to think that the dough was Playdough, so they kept trying to make shapes with it and using the cutters wrong. It was pretty cute. I showed them how to use them, but they didn't really care, they were having their own fun doing it their own way. You have to love the creativity that 3 year olds display. I took a video of them singing Christmas carols too, I will figure out how to post them and put it on-too cute!

Thanksgiving fun.

We have had a great Thanksgiving weekend here at the Weber household. Nana and Papa Weber came into town on Wednesday evening, Uncle Chris joined us Thursday along with Steve's friend Jamie. My mom came to join us Friday. We have just had a great time visiting and hanging out. We got family pics taken on Sat and got the house decorated for Christmas and some cookies made. Very productive. We will be very sad to see everyone leave today though. Hope everyone had a great holiday!

Halloween fun

Princess Grace had a great time trick or treating this year. I was wondering since she is so shy I thought she would never say "trick or treat" to people she didn't know, but she did. We just went to a few houses in our neighborhood and to a couple friends in other neighborhoods. She did great. She was so excited about her candy and was very good. I told her we had to wait until we got home to have some and she was fine with that, but of course she was ready to call it quits pretty early to get home and eat some! Here are some pics of her and some of her friends from daycare.

So today was a pretty rough day. It has been cold and rainy here all week so the kids (and I) are getting a little bit of cabin fever. They were onry and not wanting to listen and I was very close to losing my patience. We all kept things in check, but I can tell that I am going to have to find some activities for the winter to get rid of some of their energy.

Here are some great pics of the day we painted pumpkins. I wasn't sure I wanted to tackle such a potentially messy endeavor but am very glad that I did. They had fun, got somewhat messy, but it was well worth it. They were so excited about their creations and did a great job. Here are some pics of our fun!

Miss Talks-a-lot

So it was pretty funny the other night Grace and I were taking Daddy to his dart league and she was just jabbering away at him, telling him all about her day. "Does she always talk like this" he asked? Now that I think about it, she just really started jabbering that much the last few days. She just loves to tell stories and recount what has happened in our day. We went for our walk the other night, walked by her friend Jadon's house. The two of them ran up to each other like they were long lost loves finding each other again, even though they had just seen each other a few hours before! Anyway, while we were there visiting with them (because we can't go by Jadon's house if he's outside and not stop to play and use their bathroom!), Jadon wasn't listening to his mom when she asked him to stop doing something. He got upset so we left to come home for our bath. The whole way home she was shaking her hands and saying, "Jadon didn't listen, he got in trouble because he didn't listen" It was too cute the way she was telling me the story over and over. She also repeats everything we say. The other day her DVD player in the van messed up and I said "what in the world is going on with this thing". Well the next time it happened I hear, What in the world?" coming from the back seat. Unfortunately she also repeated a not so nice phrase that mommy used the other day when I was frustrated. We are learning to watch what we say around her.

Okay, just one more funny story about her antics. The other night I was sitting at my computer working and she was on my bed watching Ariel (the little mermaid). Suddenly she looks at me and goes, "I love you mommy". I said what? She goes, I love you. So we proceed to go back and forth. It was so sweet I just had to stop what I was doing and sit and cuddle with her and smother her in kisses for a few minutes.

As much as she frustrates me sometimes with her constant need to be in charge and to boss the kids around, she is just the sweetest little girl, very caring and loving and helpful. I am truly a blessed woman!

Fun with the Daycare Kiddos

So here are some new pics of my daycare kiddos. These guy really enrich my life in so many ways. They keep me on my toes, but it is so fun to see them learning new things and growing every day. I am trying to do some preschool activities with them to help prepare them for school. Unfortunately I don't think I will be able to put Grace in a regular preschool due to the fact that it would be so hard to get her to and from it, so I don't want any of them to be behind so I am teaching them their numbers and letters and colors and such. They love to play with the playdough when we bring it out. We are learning how to use scissors and I read that playdough is a great way to get started teaching them the basics of scissor use. Most days they love doing their lessons, although the rain we've had all week this week seemed to mess them up a bit and we didn't get as much done as we usually do. I also have a great video of them dancing and singing to our "Doodlebops" soundtrack. As soon as I can figure out how, I will post that too. It is a riot!

Labor Day weekend pictures

Grace and I had a great time last weekend visiting with my family. My sister Aubrey was home for the week on leave from the Air Force. She has been overseas for about two years now I think, maybe three? Too long anyway. Grace and her only met once about a year and a half ago, so Grace was a little unsure of her at first, but warmed up to her pretty quickly. Here are some great pics from the weekend and some other fun ones of her and daddy and her toys. Steve wasn't able to come to Salina with us for the weekend, so I gave him the job of putting Grace's big girl bed up. She had now been sleeping in it since we got back on Tuesday and is doing great. We even got her a new step stool and put Princess stickers and her name on it so she can climb into bed herself. She is officially not a baby anymore, fully potty trained with few accidents anymore and a big girl bed. What's a mom to do?

Whew! We survived!

Well we survive this last week, barely, but we did. Steve is feeling better, still in pain but better. His stomach problems were pretty painful for him the last week and still are. He probably enjoyed having a week of from any and all physical work around the house. I ended up mowing Saturday because he was hurting too much after watering earlier in the week. Poor guy couldn't even really pick Grace up and play with her like he did before, he was in so much pain. But I am proud of him, he is really following his diet well, no spicy foods, no caffine, no alcohol. Unfortunately he is still chewing, but hopefully he will give that up soon too!

We also survived the first week of all my daycare kiddos being back full time, plus one additional little one, 3 month old Sienna Rose. She is Jadon's little sister born on Steve and my anniversary, May 7 this year. Jadon has been with me since he was about 5 or 6 months old, he is exactly 3 months younger than Grace. He definitely has become like part of the family, and I have a feeling it won't take long for Sienna to feel the same. I already love her, she is a doll, a handful, but a doll nonetheless. We have had some good days, some bad days. We are all just trying to get back into a routine and get used to one another again. In the picture above left to right is Kadance, 19 months, Grace, 2, Sienna, 3 months, Jadon 2. Missing in the picture is my oldest, Kaia who will be three in October. She actually lives next door and her and Grace have become really good friends who will play together whenever they see each other outside.

We have started a new "preschool" program this year, just some ideas that I put together that I saw while looking around at preschool programs that you can buy. I put together a calendar that the kids can put the days and months on each day (they are velcroed) and it includes a place for the letter we will study that week, in addition to the number and color of the week. This is our second week doing it and the kids are kind of mixed in their reactions to it. Grace and Jadon love to do our lessons, they will sit and listen and color the sheets for quite a while. Kadance and Kaia will sometimes sit and color, other times they could care less. I don't expect too much of 2 year olds of course, but am glad to just get them introduced to the letters, numbers, and colors.

I hope to take some fun new pics of the kids this year to post, so keep watching out for the fun times that we have everyday!

A Hard day in the Weber house

We had quite a scare today. Steve started feeling very sick at work and almost passed out. One of his co-workers (thanks Tiff!) was kind enough to rush him to the hospital. Thankfully after several hours in the ER, lots of tests an IV and such, the doctors told him it was a severe case of gastritis, or an inflammation of the stomach lining. They told him this is caused by among other things, caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol-all three are his biggest vices of course. This is something that he has been dealing with for a while and it just has gotten more and more severe over time. He is going to visit his regular doctor tomorrow, but the ER docs put him on a bland diet and told him to quite all his vices. Obviously this will not be a very fun time, but hopefully this is something we can stick to.

I was terribly worried about him and wanted to meet him at the hospital, but unfortunately was not able to because I had a houseful of kiddos. Thanks again to Tiffany for taking him and staying with him while all the tests were run and keeping me abreast with several phone calls to try to alleviate my worries. Something like this really makes you stop and think and appreciate what you have. All I could think of was, what would I do without him? I really have no idea, I don't even want to think about it. But thankfully the diagnosis wasn't worse and is something that can be treated. It will be hard, but these are health changes that should be made anyway so we all can live healthier, happier lives. Thanks for all the prayers, please keep it up, he is going to need all the strength he can get while he makes these very necessary changes to his lifestyle.

Amazing things in my life

So I was just looking and watching and playing with my little girl today and realized she's not such a little girl anymore. She's potty trained and such a big helper. She doesn't want my help with anything anymore. "No, mama, me do it" is her newest thing to say. She has to go potty herself (and when she wants to), washes her hands herself, brushes her teeth herself (tho not as well as I would like her to, at least she is trying I guess). She also insists on getting the diapers for my daycare kiddos. She will actually get angry with me when I do it.

I have had such a stressful week this week (as had Steve) but we still managed to have some great family time together last night. We took Gracie to the fair. Steve won her a little stuffed monkey and I took her on the carosel though she wouldn't ride on the horse, she just held on to the post with me holding her. I just think about what a great life I have. I have a wonderful husband who works hard to provide for us so that I can stay home and raise our beautiful little girl who amazes us everyday with all that she is learning and doing. For a while I was so upset at the thought that we might never have another child. But I realized this week that it may be better if we don't have another one. I have been extremely stressed this week caring for the 3 month old that just started with me and I think about how it would be if I had another one to care for 24/7. Not that it would be terrible if we did, but I just really am enjoying Grace and spending time with her and just being her mommy. I think it would be so much harder to be a great mom if I had another to care for and split my time with. I greatly admire the women who have numerous kids, they are my heros. I also pray everyday for my friends that have struggled with fertility issues, between not being able to get pregnant to not being able to carry a pregnancy to term, it happens all too often these days and my heart goes out to those women who haven't been able to experience this wonderful gift from God. I just hope that they all realize that even though they may not be able to physically carry a child, there are so many wonderful kids out there for adoption that need good homes provided by women like these who have so much love to give. Please know that all of you are in my prayers.

Well enough of my rambling thoughts here. God bless!

Still doing good

So Grace is doing great with her potty training. Today she only had one accident. She may wake up wet tomorrow though because she just wouldn't go potty before she went to bed tonight. I think she just didn't want to go when I asked her to. She just wants to go when she wants to, it's a control thing. She always wants to be in control of everything. She constantly gets mad at the daycare kiddos if she wants them to play with a certain toy and they don't want to. She doesn't quite understand that she can't make them do something that they dont' want to do.

But she is doing great and we are so very proud of her!

Potty training.

So I forgot to mention in my previous post that today Grace has decided that she does not want to wear diapers. I tried to get her to at least wear one during nap but she refused. "Big girl panties mommy" she said. I have been trying and trying for the last few months to get her to go on the potty all the time but she just wasn't wanting to. She would sometimes, but mostly would just go in her pull ups. She just would go when she wanted to. She is very stubborn like her father, so I knew that she wouldn't stop wearing diapers until SHE was ready. So hopefully this means she is ready. She has had a few accidents today, but did get to the bathroom once before she went in her pants. The other times she stopped when she realized what she was doing and told me and we got up to the potty for her to finish going with out too big of a mess. We will see how she does during nap time though! Hopefully we will not have to buy any more diaper-knock on wood!

Cooking time!

Nana Ann introduced us to the delights of "cooking" once when we were back home visiting and so now every time mom's cooking dinner in the kitchen Grace wants to help cook. Finally I cleared some spice shakers just for her and put sugar and flour in them so she can have her own spices to cook with. She makes a bit of a mess, but it keeps her entertained while I am trying to get dinner together. I was going to make some cupcakes tonight for my daycare kiddos, so I am sure I will get some help. Nana sent her own little kiddie pans to cook with, so we will make some of her own sized ones. It really is amazing everyday to watch her growing and changing. She loves to help me with my daycare kiddos. She will get me new diapers and loves to give the baby her bottle and paci (or boo as she calls it). I just hope and pray that I am showing her the right things daily and that someday she will be a good wife and mother to her own family.

Just some pics

Just a pic of Grace and I taking our afternoon nap. Some days this is the only way I can get her to nap. She is tired by nap time but just doesn't want to sleep in her bed, so I lay down with her on ours and she is usually out in a short time.

Here is a pic of our house, for those of you that have never seen it. We bought it about four years ago before we got married. We've been able to make a few improvements to it and hope to get some new carpet next year. Daycare is rough on carpet! And yes, I am a mini van mama!