December - Photos of Kids

Another year done and gone.  When I was a kid, I never believe people when they said that time just seems to go faster.  My oh my, but I am finding that to be so true.  My kids are growing too quickly.

Angela

Concentrating on decorating her Christmas cut out cookies.

"Like my new glasses?"

"Look at this face!"

Heading back up to the top of the stair at the water park.

Coming out of the McDonald's play toy.

Connor

Enjoying eating his Christmas cut out cookies.

Pretending he is on the phone (using a little ceramic box a present came in).

Hiding under the end table in the TV room.

He spent a lot of time behind the camera over the Christmas holiday. 

Coming out of the McDonald's play toy.

Emeric

"I have to eat Goldfish on the floor while everyone else is having cut out cookies.  What is that all about?"

Mr. Emeric Potato Head

Drinking a beer with Grandpa!

His first time playing with Play-Doh.  I don't think he ever swallowed any.

Playing at the bottom of the McDonald's play toy.  Not quite old enough to climb around inside.

Merry Christmas from the Jamison kids

Christmas

After our day at Chula Vista I thought the kids would sleep late, but that was a no go.  I think it was partly due to them being kids but mostly due to it being Christmas Eve.  It was a difficult day for Angela, having to wait to open a couple of presents, but the boys seemed to do okay.  We relaxed and watched a movie.  For dinner we did make your own pizzas and had ice cream sundaes for dessert.  The kids each got to open their Christmas jammies, and they got a new book called A Snowman Named Just Bob.  It was pretty fun watching Grandpa Bob read about a snow man named Bob.

Christmas Day was a wonderful time for everyone.  Santa brought the kids some fun presents.  Angela got a Fur Real dog, Connor got a large Bumblebee transformer and Emeric got a roller coaster.  After opening stockings we enjoyed a breakfast of breakfast casserole and orange rolls.  We then spent a lot of time opening and enjoying all of our different presents.  Dinner was a wonderful prime rib (thanks to Dad and Brian), cheesy potatoes and a pomegranate pecan green salad.  Then we had gobs of pie for dessert (apple, berry, eggnog custard and pumpkin).  

 

Christmas was a joyous occasion sharing all the new fun and remembering Christs birth.  But we did have a bit of sadness as we missed seeing all the rest of our family.

Sunday and Monday we relaxed and played with toys and my parents.  Tuesday the Grandparents took the kids and I out to McDonald's.  I don't normally splurge on Happy Meals so Connor thought it was fun to get one with Grandpa.  After an early dinner we dropped them off at the train station.  We all seem to be getting better at good-byes because none of us had any huge tears.  Now the count down is on until we get to see family again. 

Chula Vista

My parents rode the train out here to visit us for the week of Christmas.  They arrived on Monday December 20th.  Unfortunately their train was running a little bit late so instead of arriving at lunch time it was dinner time, but regardless we were all really happy that they were here.  Tuesday and Wednesday were spent playing and having fun with Grandma and Grandpa.  They kids and my parents seemed to do everything they could to soak each other up.  Then on Thursday we spent the day at Chula Vista water park in Wisconsin Dells.  Last year we went end Emeric did not do much of anything but sleep and play with Grandma, he was three months at the time.  This year he walked/crawled around in the water and loved playing with the jets of water that would spray up out of the ground.  Connor had fun on the little water slides and he had a lot of fun climbing around on the big play toy.  Angela ran of for hours at a time going on slide after slide.  She didn't seem to have any fear, except for the one we call the toilet bowl.  Brian got to some of the bigger stuff, but ended up spending a lot of time with Connor.  I did the roller coaster water slide with Angela a couple of times, but the rest of the time was spent mostly with Emeric.  My Dad spent his time with all three grand kid's and he also did some time in the hot tub.  Mom held down the table for us and enjoyed some time with her book and taking photos.  She also did a really good job getting Emeric to nap after lunch.  It was such a fun day for all of us and boys did the kids sleep good that night.

Is it a leopard or is it Emeric?

Thursday of last week Emeric started getting a rash all over his torso (front and back), his upper arms and the back of his neck.  By bedtime it had spread down his arms, around his neck and on his knees.  We went to the urgent care and they said give him benadryl and watch him.  The next day everything from the first day was a yucky purple bruise color and there was new red rash spots.  It was all over his head and face and thicker on his torso and there was more on his legs.  We saw the doctor that afternoon and she said it was a type of allergic reaction.  She thought it was his bodies way of responding to a virus he must have encountered.  She thinks it is viral because he was the second child she saw that day with the rash.  Saturday all of the purple spots were the yellowish/brown color of an old bruise, his red spots were purple and he had new red spots.  Sunday things were looking a lot better.  Now today he seems to have all the bruise colorings gone and just a little bit of red, but it is still all over.  Here are a few photos in chronological order.

Charlie Brown

I have never seen A Charlie Brown Christmas, but we do have a small kids book about the movie.  It seems he has a bah humbug spirit and that everything seems to be going wrong for him.  That is how it was for me earlier this week. 

Our Chrismas tree had been set up and decorated.  We put a gate around it so that Emeric would not bother the tree or ornaments.  I guess I should have gotten a bigger stronger gate that would have kept Connor out too.  I guess he decided to climb back by the tree to get a toy or look at an ornament (I really am not sure).  All I know is that one of the tree legs broke and the whole thing fell over.  After having Angela help me retrieve all the fallen ornaments we proped it over until Brian could help fix it.  That evening he tried to fix it, and it fell over again (stand it up, pick up more ornaments).  He tried fixing it a second time, and it fell over (repeat - stand it up, pick up ornaments).  This time he stood it up, with only three legs, and tied it to the banister.

But now due to the force of gravity, and I am sure little hands it is leaning again.  

I am hoping that it will at least last us until Christmas. 

Block-A-Palooza

I learned this morning from Vanessa at V and Co. that John from Quilt Dad is the mastermind behind a new quilting venture that will start in January 2011.  It is called the Blogger's Block-A-Palooza and it is featuring a new line of Moda fabric.  You will make two quilt blocks per week and then they will tell you how to piece them all together to make a festive Spring like quilt. 

I have only made one quilt and it was the t-shirt quilt I made right around my high school graduation.  If these blocks are simple enough, I might just give it a try.  Otherwise, I guess I am just passing along the information for this fun activity.  I am sure it will help some people pass along the dull winter months.



November - Photos of Kids

Wow - I didn't realize that it had been so long since I've posted anything.  Here are some pictures of the kids from November.

Angela:
She was being a slide for Connor since her jammies are so slick.

Connor:

Playing on the slide at the Children's Museum.

Searching for one of his birthday presents.

 Wearing his new birthday hat.

Emeric:

Playing with a toy carrot at the Children's Museum.

 "Look at me, I can climb up on my brother's bike all by myself!"