Tiger! Tiger!

One day in December Atticus discovered this infant tiger costume. And He's been wearing it ever since.

Tic's a thinker. If he really wants to BE a tiger he needs to eat like them. So he asks me for MEAT.

He does everything in his tiger costume.

Watches movies in it...

Plays in it...

Eats snacks in it...

Falls asleep in it.

Then one day he found THESE.

And he knew...

they were the perfect addition.

So now you can almost always find him wearing a 0-3 month baby tiger costume, 6 month girl leggings, this orange t-shirt, and growling at everything.

He even catches daddy long legs in this attire.

P.S. Should I not win some "mother of the year award" for helping my children catch a daddy long leg in a jar? Oh how far I've come. Mr. Tic was excited to catch the bug but also nervous. So as I'm SHAKING IN MY PANTS (literally shaking) I'm saying "It's okay, buddy. They can't hurt you." Ahhh. I am so nice.

How we love our dear little tiger. But we keep our fingers at a safe distance from his teeth.

Christmas Festivities: The Tree

This year Ryan took Jo to pick out our tree. She was very proud when they brought it home, pointing out a place where it had let a chipmunk eat some bark and a hole where a deer had snuggled up. I love her imagination. (Have I mentioned that before?)

t

Our stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

Remember how we really had a fireplace (ish... a wood pellet stove...). It was so awesome having our first Christmas in our own place this year!

We had our tree in the family room (since that's where Santa would come, obviously) so we made a little grove of trees for our living room.

The kids loved playing with the toys under the trees. I LOVE decorations kids can play with. I love them times 10.

On to Christmas Festivities: Painting

Mom and Dad gave the kids this fabulous nativity set they could paint back in Septober. And the kids asked me almost every day between then and December if they could paint it. I'm so mean... making them wait. Alas, December came and we pulled the funtivity out.

And oh was it fun!

Mr. Atticus was a bit slap dash on his animals and wisemen.

Jo, as anyone would predict, was meticulous. She is a wonderful artist. I love watching her work so intently.

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for a very, very fun morning!

One day I walked in my room and found this scene.

"Mama! I'm reading Maggie the scriptures!"

Multiple times a day I contemplate how blessed I am that I got
Jo and that I got her first. She will be an awesome leader of the pack.

Family pics Oct. 2011

My sister Jules took these for us in our backyard. She did an excellent job- especially considering she had my handicapped camera to work with!

Thanks Jules! Move back soon so we can run together again (unless, as we discussed, Tracy proves to be more conversationally fun than you:) Ha ha)!

Some friends we miss...

I have many pictures from the blessed Christmas season to blog about, but first I want to do a quick post about some sweet friends the kids made this fall. We were so thrilled to meet the Hoge's in our ward. Brooklyn and Will are about the ages of Jo and Tic and they all quickly became good buddies. I ended up watching the Hoge's kids about one day a week. Then they broke our hearts with the news that they'd be moving to Idaho just after Christmas. How we miss the Hoge's!

Here the kids are waking up Mags after her nap! This was a pretty regular routine:).

Jo and Brooklyn especially loved to craft together. I am not an especially crafty person so this was a little out of my element but tried to get creative. Remember how they look like twins?

Same hair, same size, same high foreheads.

Will was a hoot. He's the most coordinated kid I've ever seen. At the age of 2 he could serve a volleyball correctly, throw balls accurately across the family room, and sporadically drop kick anything. The kid is 110% male. Here he is shooting.

The picture does NOT do justice to the awesomeness of Will's shooting abilities. He'd usually stick his bottom out pucker up those lips, and hold his gun sideways as shown. We had to mock his dad (who is an expert hunter) for teaching his son this most excellent stance.

Ryan trying to get Will to show us his talent. Mostly it's just a great one of Ry though:). One to keep forever and ever.

Emily became an instant friend too and I dearly miss talking with her. But we're excited for their new life up north :). Love you guys!