Adventures in baby growing!: Christmas preparations

We've been getting ready for Christmas all week! We can't wait. I think it's maybe more fun as an adult now, getting to see and experience the joy in our kids as they anticipate all of the festivities. Most of the gifts are wrapped (and still in the closet because we don't want them all to be opened before Christmas by the toddler). Ruby said, "Mom, after Christmas will you tell me where you hid the presents?" She's been super curious, so I showed them to her the other day while Reid was napping.

Both kids still take a nap every day, which lets me have some nice quiet time to get work done. Ruby's naps have been shorter lately though. We'll still do rest time when she's done napping altogether. We both need it. Reid has been napping really well! Some days he sleeps for three hours and I have to wake him up at 4-ish. We start bed time for both kids at 7:15, and Reid is asleep by 8, Ruby sometimes doesn't go to sleep until 9. But she just reads to herself in our bedroom, which works out well. And then we transfer her to her bed when we're ready to go to bed.

Ruby has been saying, "Mom, I love you" a lot, which I LOVE. She's the sweetest thing. She has been so much fun to watch as she plays pretend, sings everything, tells stories, helps me cook, helps out with her brother, and learns how to write. Reid has been talking like crazy! He learns new words every day and has started to tell us things with his words. For example, at lunch today he said, "drink, coffee, cup." I think he was telling us about snack time in the nursery. So fun.

We've been loving making snow flakes! They turn out different every time.

The kids were "working" (yes, Reid is in a tutu).

Andy has gotten into deep cleaning mode and deep cleaned the kitchen. You will not see me complaining about that!!

He also took the kids out on Saturday morning so I could have some me time. I slept in until 8:30, and then I got to work cleaning and organizing the kids' stuff.

I did a toy purge and got rid of a bunch of stuff they don't play with, and then I went through all of their clothes to take out the smaller sizes that they don't wear anymore. Reid is wearing 18 mo and 24 mo stuff, and Ruby is in 4T. So crazy how fast they're growing! We measured them the other day, and they both have had a growth spurt. They've grown about 2 inches each in the last 4 months.

Yummy baked stuffed acorn squash. We all liked it!!

Reid loves to "hep you" and get into the silverware drawer to stir things in a cup/bowl.

Ruby has been loving to draw and color.

I made a Mickey Mouse pancake one time, and now I have to do it every time... but I don't mind.

They love it!

We get to ride a shuttle bus to church every week. The kids love it. Ruby has a special friend named Fable who is often on the bus. She's 3 as well, so they have fun in their Sunday School class together. Today I heard that they got in trouble for talking and hugging during the lesson so they had to be separated. Haha!

She's getting so good at writing her name!

Getting into all of the cooking things. He loves it so much. "Hep you. Cook."

It was cold and rainy outside, so we did a morning bath. They had fun playing!

Reid's spaghetti mess. Sometimes it's hard to eat with this boy!

But he loved it!

Ruby made a "pea cake."

In the morning on Tuesday the kids got out their pillows and blankets and played by the Christmas tree for a little while.

They've been loving to do picnics.

We painted together on another cold, rainy day. They had fun, but it sure made a mess! This was Reid's first time actually painting.

Ruby saw this picture and said she looked like Aunt Becca. :)

We went to meet Santa! Ruby said, "Mom, that was really the real Santa" on the way home. He was a very nice Santa, and told us he wants pretzels and beer instead of cookies and milk when we asked. Haha!

She woke up from nap and sat right next to me on the couch.

On Thursday I took the kids downtown in the rain. We went to Central Library and made these little cars for a drive-in movie! They had so much fun. We decorated them for about 45 minutes, then watched two short little movies.