Elf- Day 8

Our elf found a spot in the tree today. He still hasn't been found as of yet this morning. He's keeping a good eye to see if kids are being naughty or nice.

Elf- Day 6 and 7

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. We even managed to get our Christmas tree from Quady's Christmas Tree Farm. We decorated the tree and house for Christmas yesterday. Now for a little white on the ground to make things a little more Christmasy. 



Here is our elf, William, from day 6.

And from today, day 7.

Elf Day 4 and 5

Elf Day 4- So yesterday the elf popped up in an old milk jug on top of our cabinets. Here he is.
Last night we watched the "Elf on the Shelf" Christmas special that was on TV. It was really cute. 
 

Elf Day 5- Today the Elf was feeling a little sneaky and played a little trick on Tayah. Here he is today.

Look closely to Tayah's photo in the bathroom.

Here he is caught red handed with marker in hand.

Elf on the Shelf- Day 3

Tayah's bedroom door.

The elf breaking into the closet with the Christmas paper.

Look who broke into our Christmas closet and wrapped a present for Tayah. I can't wait to see her reaction when she wakes up this morning. Sneaky Little Elf.

Elf on the Shelf- Day 2

Can you see him?

Here is a closer look.

Tayah immediately started looking for William the second she got up. She started looking in her room and then made her way upstairs. She had a hard time finding him but with a few clues she spotted him. I can't wait see where he will appear tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving to all tomorrow!!

William the Elf- Day 1

Look who made is safe and sound from the North Pole. Yay!! He is here visiting until Christmas Eve to keep an eye on girls and boys to report back to Santa at night if they have been naughty or nice. He is a sneaky little elf so I can't wait to see what little tricks he has up his sleeve during this holiday season.

Tayah hasn't noticed him yet. I wonder how long it will take? Collin noticed him right away and pointed right to him.


Welcome William!!

15 Month Checkup

Last night we had Collin's 15 month checkup. Which means shots for ALL. Ben, Tayah and myself also got flu shots while we were there. Collin also got a flu shot along with 2 other immunizations. But he did very, very well and hardly cried. Again, I will give you one guess on who didn't take getting the shot very well. No, it wasn't Ben. Let me tell you, there will be no childbirth for that girl, that is for sure!! She tried being brave but when it came to it, it was just way too hard to be brave. Oh well, done with that until next year. Hopefully next year when she is 6 it will be a little better...maybe??
Everything is looking good for Collin. He is 22 lbs. and 31.5 inches. (Up 1 inch and 2 lbs from his 12 month checkup.)
Not walking yet but we are getting there. Doctor wasn't concerned about that, nor am I really, because he is taking all of the initial steps to get to walking so within time he will be walking soon enough. Don't rush them growing up, right?  He is doing everything but walking independently. He walks along all the furniture, walks holding your hands, walks while pushing a push toy or any chair or table or object he can use for support. And can even climb on top of the toilet to get on top of the vanity in my bathroom while I am getting ready. Ugh!


He is doing a little talking:
mama
dada
papa
all done
nigh-night
meow
quack
baa
moo
no
uh-oh
more (sign)

The morning ritual photo of bandaids on the thighs.

A Family Tradition

So the holidays are (almost) here. Thanksgiving around the corner and Christmas shortly after. I'm beginning to get in the holiday spirit, operative word being BEGINNING. I've done a little bit of shopping for the kids. We have our cabin booked for the holidays for my side of the family, so things are starting to come together. This year we are starting a new family tradition, Elf on the Shelf. I wanted to do this last year as it started to get pretty popular but by the time I found out about it the holidays had already started so it was best to wait until this year. So, for those of you who don't know about Elf on the Shelf, here is the jist of it:

Have you ever wondered how Santa knows who is naughty and who is nice? The Elf on the Shelf – A Christmas Tradition is the very special tool that helps Santa knows who to put on the Naughty and Nice list. This interactive holiday hide-and-seek tradition is perfect for children and families of all ages.

The tradition begins when Santa sends his scout elves out to Elf Adoption Centers. Waiting for their families to bring them home, these patient elves hibernate until their family reads The Elf on the Shelf, gives their elf a very special name, and registers their adoption online. Once named, each scout elf will receive its Christmas magic and become a part of the family’s Christmas each and every year. 

Excellent listeners and even better observers, these scout elves are the eyes and ears of Santa Claus. Although they cannot be touched, or else they may lose their magic, the elf will always listen and relay messages back to Santa. Taking in all the day-to-day activities around the house, no good deed goes unnoticed; these scout elves take their job seriously.

Each night, after the family goes to bed, the scout elf uses his magical Christmas powers to fly back to the North Pole. Once there, the elf will make his or her daily report to Santa and visit with elf friends where they will tell stories about their beloved families, play with the reindeer, and of course, sneak some of Mrs. Claus’ cookies!

Before the family awakes each morning, their special scout elf will fly back to their home from the North Pole. However, since these elves like to play games, don’t expect to find them in the same spot!  While some like to hide in the freezer (probably because it reminds them of the North Pole) and others prefer to sit on the fireplace mantle or hang from the chandelier, these elves love to play hide-and-seek with their families.

On Christmas Eve, the scout elf will listen for Santa’s bell and then fly back to the North Pole until the next season, wishing every girl and each boy a Christmas of peace and a year full of joy.

So, I told Tayah the other day that we would be having an elf come to stay with us over the holidays until Christmas and he would be watching her and reporting back to Santa at night whether she had been naughty or nice that day. She was really into it and excited for him to come. She has already named him "William" and we look forward to William's arrival the day after Thanksgiving. 

Trick or Treat

It was a beautiful Halloween evening. The kids got all dressed up and hit up our street. We made some trick or treat stops to our family on Sunday night so we weren't trying to cram everything into Monday night after work. It worked out well. Tayah was a wicked witch and Collin was a sock monkey. Tayah was more concerned about staying home and handing out candy. Next year I will have to remember to do that because I think she enjoyed that the most. Anyway..here is a quick pic.