46 Weeks

Guess what we put up this week??

After being home with you all day, it became apparent that the gate needed to go up to keep you out of Albert's cat food! Poor Albert isn't thrilled about having to hop over this to eat, but it's a better alternative to eating it out of your hands and off the floor...

Christmas 2010

This year we started off Christmas Eve volunteering in our church's cafe'. The childcare room was closed, so Carson helped too!

Carson was excited to go to "big" church for service and loved getting to sing Christmas songs on the stage with the other kids. (He is on the bottom left, in red)

After church was Granny's.

Carson got in some quality time with his cousins!

Deacon enjoyed walking around the room making us laugh.

...and especially liked his pillow pet.

By the time we got home, it was time for jammies.

Carson put out the milk and cookies he made at Stephanie's for Santa.

Brian found a Santa-Tracker on his cell, and watched to see the sleigh's location.

I didn't get many pictures on Christmas morning because we video taped too.

Carson received a bike from Santa,

along with a ton of board games, ds games, Big Foot and other toys.

Deacon was good too, and got a play table, ride on toy, and other goodies.

Brian and I decided to focus more on the kids this year, but still did a little something for each other. He bought me a new watch and some "rims" for my car. I gave him a few stocking stuffers and a framed photo of the boys (with the help of Shutterfly, Walgreens, and the fact that Deacon has a "D" and "A" in his name):

My nephews came over with my sister. Ethan spent the morning playing us songs on his new guitar.

They boys tested out their nerf guns on Pops!

Next, we went to Brian's parents for a fabulous dinner. They have a nice, big house, and Deacon took full advantage wandering around.

This year, we did White Elephant for the grown ups, which always makes for a great laugh! We made out well with $25 gift cards to JCPenney's and Academy.

Pictures with Santa

On Monday we went to Bass Pro Shop, where they do FREE pictures with Santa! We picked the boys up from school and headed over before we went to The Christmas Train.

The line wasn't long at all, and they had toys on display to play with while the kids waited. They also had a snow scene made of cotton set up to take pictures in, and the boys took full advantage of the stuff!

When it was our turn, we sat both boys on Santa's lap. Carson couldn't have been happier, and Deacon couldn't have cared less.

Deacon was so enthralled in the decorations the photographer had to work extra hard to get his attention. (haha, nice for it to be someone else for a change!)

This was the result:

I think Carson's smile was hurting from holding it so long!! He's such a trooper!

45 Weeks

This week you have enjoyed the holiday season by looking at Christmas lights, making cookies, and meeting Santa!! Tomorrow you will celebrate your very first Christmas!!

Christmas Break

We have stayed busy this first week of our Christmas break!

Building closet forts...


Kemah for sweet Tracey and Robin's birthdays!

We also went to an event a local church holds called Christmas Train.

A miniature old fashioned train takes you through Christmas displays and over 175,00 lights telling you about the gift of Jesus. It was very cute, but with the wait of almost 3 hours (we didn't realize until after the tickets were purchased), I don't think it will be a tradition we keep.

Deacon was out by the time we boarded the train.

Yesterday we drove to my friend Stephanie's house for some cookie decorating!

With over 7 dozen cookies and a variety of icing, sprinkles, and marshmallows, the kids were in heaven!

Destiny had more fun painting Stephanie and her mouth than her cookies!

After the kids had their fill of munching and decorating, the grown-ups took a turn at the fun.

I now know where Steph gets her OCD from...her mom at one point said she wished she had tweezers to add the sprinkles onto her cookies...lol The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! hehe

I think the kids probably ate more than they decorated, but were all able to bag up their goodies with enough for Santa too.

...well Deacon and Landon may have to share with their siblings.

When we got home Brian had gotten a wild hair to do some baking, so he and Carson worked on peanut butter cookies, fudge, cookie bars, and attempted divinity (which I threw out this morning b/c it didn't quite work).

After all of these holiday sweets, I definitely know what my New Year's Resolution is going to be!

Our Little Giver

For the past few weeks when we pass the toy section of the store, Carson points out something he wants to get Maia for Christmas. I was so touched by his giving nature that I thought he could get her something small for the holidays.

We went shopping yesterday and he decided on a Disney Princess playset, and I also threw in a framed photo of the two.

Carson would have posed by the presents, but he got mad as we were leaving the store because I wouldn't buy him a toy too, and stayed mad until we dropped the gift off at his school!

lol

'Tis the Season...

44 Weeks

Look out!! Now that you are a true walker, you can get anywhere, including the pantry, where we keep leftover Halloween candy! I'm thinking it's time to get out the baby gate...

5 years

Carson- you are five years old!!

• You weigh 40.5 lbs. and are 3.5 feet tall!
  
• You wear size 5T shirts and 4T pants.
  
• You love ravioli and your favorite beverage is root beer.
  

• You LOVE being 5 years old! Lately, every sentence starts with "Now that I am five years old..." or "Because I am a five year old..." You feel like such a big kid and think you are capable of anything now!
  
  
• This past year you have turned into a true boy! You love all boy things, and will tell us if something is for girls, including movies and toys. Your dad is loving having someone to teach about tools and sports, and has a movie-buddy for the action flicks I'm not into.
  
  
• You are such a leader! Your take-charge attitude is going to help you achieve great things one day, but for now gets you to talk your friends (and family) into doing it your way.
  
  



• Although you like to fake it sometimes, there is not a shy bone in your body. You make friends instantly where ever we go and have done wonderfully at your new pre-school (a little too wonderful in the girl department...)
  
  
• Your love for God is amazing! We are blessed to have found a church to raise you in and love that you constantly ask questions and give theories about God.
  
  
• Video games are one of your newest obsessions, and you love Super Mario Brothers and the new Nintendo DS you received for your birthday. But, you would still rather play with friends or outside any day.

• You have exceeded every expectation we had for you being a big brother. You love Deacon SO much and are great with him without an ounce of jealousy. You like to make sure he is included on all that we do, and now that he is bigger your favorite activity is carrying him around the house.
  
  
• You are great with numbers and can do simple addition; we are working on learning the rest of your letters and writing. We cannot wait to see how much you learn in the next year when you enter school! We are still having trouble believing we will have an elementary student in a few short months...
  
  
  



• Have I mentioned that you are silly???
  

Door Decorating

This week at school we had a door decorating contest. We had extravagant plans for a door, but after doing some pricing, realized we were going a little crazy. So the day before the contest we combined ideas and made a candy land theme. My team is so awesome and crafty, that when we came together this was the result:

And we got first runner up! Not bad, especially because Ms. Breaux's room was adorable, and her students worked hard to come up with it, including some of our staff and administrators:

3rd place went to Mrs. Berry's room:

Honorable mention goes to our math department and their incorporation of math into the holiday season! "Ho" to the 3rd power:

Mrs. Olive's "Baby" squared (she is due with twins!)

Some of the other classes turned out cute too!