In the Christmas-Making mode

It's been busy around here, getting ready for Christmas. I like to hand-make or "home-made" many of my gifts - a tradition handed down to me from my parents. And because pretty much everything I've been making these days are Christmas presents for some who may read this blog, I can't post any pictures yet!

I do miss scrapbooking, and hope to get back to it after the Christmas rush. Looking forward to a scrapbook day with my SIL. Here's a LO I did before all my Christmas preparations began, but I just haven't posted it yet!

This year has been somewhat exciting, seeing the joy on the boys' face, and being able to do more with Otto. We do an "activity advent", where we do some sort of Christmas activity each day. This morning, we baked some plastic ornaments - a project you'd think Atlas would enjoy as well, and he did... for about a minute. Then the beads were unceremoniously dumped on the tray, and the crying commenced (he woke up WAY too early this morning and is currently down for his second nap of the day!) Now, I say "somewhat" exciting, mostly because I get all excited to do a simple craft with Otto, and sometimes it works out, but most of the time, he's either entirely uninterested or he is occupied for only a short while. I need to remind myself that he is 3 and actually doing pretty good considering. We have been to the Santa Claus Parade (out in the cold!) and Story Time with Santa. Otto and I went to "Christmas at the Hive" at a local honey farm. We've made a foam gingerbread house, several ornaments, watched several new movies, and read lots of Christmas books. Christmas is still wonderful, no matter what age.

Sharing I The Christmas Story video

T'is the season to share the Christmas spirit, to think about our Savior's birth. This video has got to be the cutest version of the Christmas Story ever. Their other videos are wonderful as well. Merry Christmas!

Otto and Paisley On Bikes | Digital LO

Paper: DDE(Digital Design Essentials); Font(O, P): Sahlin Studio; Word art (loving): Paislee Press; Date stamp: Katie Pertiet

I'm on a Scrapbook/Crafting retreat this weekend and I've got lots of "business" to do (aka NOT scrapbooking), but I just HAD to do some scrapping! So here's the first page of the weekend.

Edited: This was the ONLY page I did this weekend! But I think it is my favorite Digital Scrapbook LO to date. It is so simple and minimalist. I love it. Still learning the ropes, but I feel I'm getting better all the time.

Seriously Happy|Digital LO

Template(modified slightly): Nini Goes Digi; Arrows with stiching: Pink Trike Design; Paper: Echo Park, This&That Charming; Frames, Washi Tape: Gennifer Bursett; Yellow Alpha: Design By Dani  

Journaling reads: Atlas has 2 different faces when he's playing: serious or happy. Whichever face he's making he doesn't go halfway. Serious and contemplative or happy and smiling. At the playground Sept 2, 2012.

Critical Stage of Development... Who knew?!

 The other day, a friend and I were discussing some critical stages of development in our children. He mentioned how they have discovered that their son had missed some stages of development in his young life, and they are now trying to implement learning those stages now that he is older. One of these stages is crawling. I don't even know the half of what good crawling can be for left brain right brain development and on and on. Then my friend started to talk about how some mothers would cringe to find out that throwing their children high in the air (like some Dads do) is actually a very important stage of development as well. And I thought....

 

I think we've got that one covered.

 

In fact, I believe the boys are pretty darn brilliant in this area.

  

No worries here.

{excuse the messy bedroom. can you tell these pictures weren't planned?!}

Loving these two together. And wishing often that P's family lived closer so we could DO this more often! Otto and his cousin are only two months apart in age, and they have such fun when they get together. We miss you!

Weekend in Waterton I Photos

Cousins + Hike + Waterfall + Rock throwing + Ice cream = Perfect day.