Christmas 2011

Tyler in the morning before church

I am about a week late writing about Christmas, but every time I thought about doing it - it just seemed overwhelming, so I didn't.  But I have now put the pictures on the computer and have plenty of time to write about all the fun that we had this year.
We started the fun on Christmas Eve by going to see the Muppet Movie with my family.  It was a pretty cute movie and the boys did pretty good the whole time.  Tyler watched the whole time and didn't get bored, so that was an improvement from the last time we went to the movies.  Josh kind of played around the isle and here and there, but for the most part did pretty good.  My boys (okay, all of us) LOVE popcorn, so that pretty much kept them happy most of the time.  

Tyler excited to start the opening of the presents

Tyler and his snow globe

After the movie we went back to our house to get ready to go to Tony's parents house for the annual Kresser Family Christmas party.  This is one of my favorite parties of the year.  We get to see lots of family members that we don't see very often and then we eat lots of yummy food and then have a gift exchange, not only for the adults but for the kids too.  The icing on the cake this year is that Tony's grandparents were able to come up from St. George so we got to see them a couple times while they were here.  It is so nice spending time with family - I wish more of my extended family lived closer.  After the party Tony's mom always has pajamas for the kids and then they wear them home.  It is such a nice and happy feeling after everyone is gone and it's just Tony's immediate family there and we sit and chat and have the kids open their pajamas - I think that is my most favorite part.

Josh playing with his new tool bench, that's all he really cared about

Opening the goods

Then we took the boys home and put them straight to bed.  Then Tony and I got out the gifts for the kids and Tony put together a tool bench that we got for the boys.  After it was all set, we went to bed - wonderful bed.  Then that morning when Josh and Tyler woke up we let the boys play with the tool bench and open their stockings before church.  Once Josh saw the tool bench, he didn't care about anything else.  So Tyler just opened his stocking.  Then we got ready and went to church.  Josh and Tyler both got colds that started that morning, so Josh was pretty sick during sacrament.  Luckily it only went an hour and then we headed back home to change and open the gifts from Santa and mom and dad.  Josh liked opening the big presents, but pretty much just wanted to play with the tool bench.  So we skipped him a lot and by the end just let Tyler open the rest of Josh's gifts.  They always have to share with each other anyway, so it worked.  Tony got me a new video camera and I got Tony a remote control car, deep frier, and BYU shirt, and some Swedish Fish (half of that was for his birthday - which was yesterday).  We then played around with all the new goods before we headed over to Grandma Margie's.
When we got there we made some lunch and ate before we did presents with them.  Tony's parents were very generous and we always feel spoiled and loved by them.  The boys got some nice new Sunday clothes and some fun toys to add to their collection - more tools for Josh...he can't get enough.  Then after playing for a while we headed over to my parents for some more food and presents.  We once again got spoiled and then enjoyed a lovely Christmas dinner with the family.  Then after dinner we headed home for some relaxation at our own home.  We had a wonderful time and are very grateful for all the love and support that we have received from our friends, neighbors, and most importantly our family.  It truly was a Merry Christmas!

Who needs sleep?

Obviously not me.  I have been having such a hard time sleeping these days.  I go to sleep easy enough, but then I have to get up to use the potty like six times a night and then around 5-6 I am wide awake feeling like crap so I can't get back to sleep.  It's pretty crazy.  But, while I am up so early, I might as well be productive...so here I am.
Last night we had a Christmas party at my parents house.  We had a couple cousins come and most the siblings.  We ate some food and then played a "White Elephant" game.  The kids had fun playing with each other and being silly while the adults talked and played the game.  It was good to visit and let the kids play.  I think this cold weather has been hard for them to not get to play outside or with other kids very often.  Over all I thought it was a successful night.
Today we plan on seeing the Muppet Movie with my family and then we have the Kresser Christmas party tonight.  That is always a good time.  I look forward to seeing many family member we haven't seen in a while and to have a fun gift exchange as well.
Then one more night and it will be Christmas.  Tyler can't wait.  He is so excited for Santa and the presents.  I just hope that this new "attitude" with chill out soon, he has been such a pill lately.  I don't know if it is the age, the cold weather, all the treats, the anticipation of Christmas, what...but he has attitude - and I don't like it.  For the most part he is still an amazing kid, but he has been giving me a run for my money these days.  Maybe it's my lack of sleep...lack of patience...naw couldn't be that.

Tyler's Christmas Play

Tyler had his first preschool play on Friday.  It was the tail of the "Littlest Tree."  He was first assigned to be the medium tree, but he didn't want to be a tree so then he was changed be the Daddy.  He was happy with his new role, and did great being the dad who chopped down the tree.  It was a very short play and they sang about five songs that I had never heard before.  For example, "Red and Green are Christmas Colors."  That was Tyler's favorite.  Both my mom and Tony's mom came and Tyler just loved that his grandma's were there.  It was fun to see him participate and not just sit and pout (a fear I think every mother has about their children at this age).
Josh just thought that he was a big boy and that he should be part of the play as well, so he went and sat up at the fire place with all the other kids.  Luckily he just sat there quietly and didn't bother anyone or disturb the play.  Josh will definitely be ready for preschool whenever I decide to put him in one.  I am sure that if he had his choice he would go right now with Tyler.  But I think that Josh has a good time hanging at grandma's while Tyler's at school.  He'll miss that next year when Tyler is at Kindergarten and we are stuck at home all the time.  Tyler only has preschool one more day this year and then he is off for a week and a half.  Lucky me...Maybe it will at least snow so we can have some fun in the snow...

Breakfast with Santa

"I want a new watch"

"I want a snow globe with plastic on top"

We had our Breakfast with Santa on Saturday.  It went pretty good.  We had lots of people and plenty of food, so I call that a success.  Tyler was really excited to tell Santa exactly what he wanted and had it all planned out in his head what he was going to say.  As soon as he sat on his lap, his list came out...."I want a snow globe with plastic on top, a new watch because my other one is too small, and a new yo-yo because my other one broke," and then he went to get off his lap.  He didn't care about the candy cane or anything else after that.  So we told him to stay there to get a picture and then we put Josh on the other leg to get a picture with both of them.  After Tyler got off Santa asked Josh what he wanted for Christmas and Josh shrugged his shoulders as if to say "I don't know" but then he pointed down to Santa's bag of treats and said he wanted that.  It was pretty funny.  That kid sure does like his treats.  So it was a success with Santa this year - thank goodness.
 Can you guess who thinks he doesn't needs to take naps?  Yep, it's Josh.  My two years and three month old boy.  WAY too young to not take naps.  On the days that he doesn't take a nap then he goes to bed nice and early, between seven and seven thirty.  So that is nice to have Tyler and Josh down so early, but I have really been missing my time to get things done while Josh naps.  He will take a nap about every third day - silly kid.  For the most part he doesn't get too grumpy, luckily, and it's been working out okay.  I do still lay down with him while he drinks his milk and then after about a half an hour or so if he's still wide awake then I will let him get up.  At least it is a little quite time for the both of us.  I guess we'll see how long this lasts, Tyler napped until he was over three - maybe when it gets warmer again and he's playing outside more he will get more tired...I'm pretty sure I am going to want him to nap after the baby gets here...less for me to deal with!

I love the Holidays

Well, we sort of gave up potty training Josh.  We put the diapers back on him.  He will still occasionally tell us when he needs to go pee, generally at the store or in church.  I figure he does this to get out of the cart or out of sacrament - he's a smart kid.  But he was having way too many accidents at home and I was getting tired of asking him every ten minutes if he had to go potty.  We will watch for more signs of readiness and try again.  I am still looking at summer when things have settled down after the baby comes and the weather is warmer.  We will see.
We are all decorated and getting ready for Christmas.  It is so much fun to have the lights on the house and the tree all decorated.  I love to just sit in the front room with just the tree lights on and just look at the tree and think.  I used to do that as a kid and I have loved doing it ever since.  It is just so peaceful and almost reverent. 
I love this time of year.  Tyler wants to make us "gifts" every day.  They usually consist of him drawing on a piece of paper and then cutting it up into a shape of some sort.  It is fun to see him enjoying making things and wanting to do things for others.  I plan on starting to bake next Friday to get ready for my neighbor gifts.  It is fun sending all my boys out to deliver the gifts and to see them having fun giving things and not just receiving.  Our neighbors are really awesome and always spoil us.  I enjoy giving back to them - hope they like my goodies I'll be making.
I got a new calling a couple of weeks ago.  I am now the 1st counselor in the Primary.  I have never really served in the Primary, so I am learning a lot of new things.  The presidency is made of some really fun ladies and I hope that we can all have a good time serving the kids.  So far it has been really good, and really busy.  I have my first sharing time on Sunday and it seems fairly straight forward, so I am not too worried.  We did get but in charge of our wards Breakfast with Santa this Saturday, so that is a lot of work.  I am sure it will work out fine.  Luckily my past calling will serve me well with putting it all together since the Primary President won't be able to attend.  My only concern is that we'll get everything set up in time.  I guess if it's not perfect, o-well.  I'm sure the ward members will still love us.  At least they better.

Potty Trainging Josh

So we started potty training Josh last Wednesday.  Tony thought he was ready and I wanted to wait until summer, but I told him that if he thought Josh was ready then he could potty train him when he had some time off for Thanksgiving.  He has been doing okay.  Some days are much better then others.  We have to ask him a lot if he has to go potty and he sometimes will tell us if he has to go.  Half the time I like that we are doing it and then other half I wish we had waited.  I guess we will give it some more time and see how he does.  He seems a little young to me, but if we can get him out of diapers, then that would be great.  He isn't motivated by being called a "Big Boy" so that kind of sucks.  I guess we'll see.