Author: Jodi

Gingerbread House Decorating Party…

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I was so excited to be able to spend some one on one time with Jonas at his Gingerbread House Decorating Party at preschool this morning.

Wondering on the way there how they were going to afford gingerbread house kits for all of the kids in the 4 and 4/5 year old classes, I smiled when I saw the milk cartons framed with graham crackers and held together by hot glue…I love the resourcefulness and creativity of teachers.

Jonas and I worked together…I iced the gingerbread house and the upside down ice cream cone tree, and he did all of the decorating. He had bowls and bowls of fun, decorative sweets to choose from: marshmallows, peppermints, candy canes, jolly ranchers, M & M’s, gingerbread man cookies, butterscotches, gumdrops, and coconut.

Here are a few pictures of us hard at work and of his gloriously festive finished product.

Christmas Alphabet Tree…

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After the big boys came in from their trail blazing explore in the woods with Daddy and Roman finished playing with Playdoh (i.e. throwing all the Playdoh and tools on the ground), they set to work on this fun Christmas Alphabet Tree craft I saw on Pinterest. I’m trying to ramp up my winter activity stash, as it’s been cold and rainy and Christmas Break is coming up (help me, Lord).

Bird Feeders…

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The boys made bird feeders this morning with their sweet neighborhood buddies, Claire and Eleanor. We tried out a different recipe than the one we used last year that worked much better (it was simpler and held together even if it was a little bit messier). It was as easy as 1, 2, 3…spread soy butter (our substitute for peanut butter) on the outside of an empty toilet paper roll, roll it in bird seed, and hang it on a bare branch to give the birds a midwinter’s treat. Here’s a picture of Roman working it out and a few pictures of the finished product.

Jonas Bonus…

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Jonas is super into playing with his Legos right now…he started out loving keeping them in sets but is now really enjoying sorting all of the pieces out by color and coming up with his own creations. He’s also really wearing us out with potty talk and learning how to balance independence and obedience. Here’s a one-liner classic:
“I won’t stop talking until the day has ended.”

Gymnastics…

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Xander started his first gymnastics class tonight! (We go once a month with our moms’ group and he talks about it all the time, so I thought we’d see what he thought of going to his own class once a week.) He hung back at first on the tumble track but warmed up to it surprisingly quickly and was soon running down the tumble track, walking on the balance beam, and jumping in the foam pit. He had a blast!

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Mat Man…

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I had a little bit of a brain about me today, so after the boys and I dropped Jonas off at school and played in the play room at home for a while, I busted out the playdoh for Roman to play with and an opposites puzzle for Xander to put together. I also found Mat Man in our pantry stash of activities…who helps the boys at school learn to draw and write with short and long straight lines, short and long curvy lines, and circles…and Xander had so much fun with him.

Thanksgiving…

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We spent a week in Virginia with Grandma and Grandpa Seyfried, The Seyfrieds, The Longs, and The Paccassis for Thanksgiving. It was cold and rainy most of the time, but we were still able to get outside and play. The kids had a blast working on their forts in the woods, we all enjoyed our annual Turkey Games (including Crazy Hot Potato, Clothespin Drop, Hula Hoop Pass, and more), and we even celebrated Grandma’s 70th birthday a little early. It is so sweet (and challenging at times if we’re honest…this year there was another stomach bug going around as well) to just do life together for a space of time…how rare is that privilege. The holidays and winter months are always hard for me for some reason, but I do so love the perfectly imperfectness of togetherness. We have so much to be thankful for…

(For more pictures, click on the “Thanksgiving 2013” picture page to the right.)

Twenty-One Months…

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At twenty-one months, Roman is: saying anything and everything (Xan-Xan mean, JoJo yell, Daddy has, play Monkey Treehouse, play dough, sure, play soccer ball, watch RaRa, hear Maw CD, and more); starting to leave his beloved pacifier in his crib for nap time and bed time; still waking up way too early; loving books like Curious George Visits the Zoo, Ten Tiny Tickles, and Frosty the Snowman (touch and feel, lift-the-flap or tear-the-flap in his case, and song books are his absolute favorites); and enjoying playing hide and seek, give me five/fist bump, and this-is-the-way-the-ladies-gentlemen-farmers-ride.

Xan-Man…

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Xander has been cracking me up lately with his one-liners:

“How do you make chips? Maybe water, seeds, and chip parts. And then you sprinkle a little salt on them and that makes them yummy.”
“Mom, if you make a mess, Petra will clean it up with her tongue. She maybe wants to be a vacuum cleaner.”
“Mom, Pooh Bear’s not a potty talk word.”

Science Experiments…

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I’ve really been looking forward to Fridays lately. It’s so crazy during the week with school (not to mention any other planned or unplanned activities) that the boys and I are all WIPED out when Friday rolls around and ready for a rest. We like just hanging out in our pajamas and rediscovering the toys and games we have at home.
This morning, while Roman was having some play time in his bed, Jonas and Xander and I played with the Tasty Science kit Jonas picked out from Target with the gift card Aunt Julie gave him for his birthday. First, we tested a group of liquids to see if they were a neutral, an acid, or a base (totally brought back science class memories). Then, we tested citric acid/water and baking soda/water and mixed them together which was the really fun part. We’re looking forward to doing more science experiments…

Happy 5th Birthday, Jonas!!!

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It is UNBELIEVABLE to think that my firstborn son is 5 years old today. You are the baby that made me a mother and the boy who makes me want to try to be the best one I can be. You are an incredibly gifted little man…a head shaker in every way since the day you were born…fascinating to watch as you grow and change…like the best kind of fireworks. Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Jonas, happy birthday to you!!!

Jonas has been loving four days of preschool and is learning so much. He cranks out beautiful artwork like water these days and always makes me do a double take when he reads aloud. He’s a building machine with Mega Blocks and Legos and is a constant wall of motion and sound. His favorite thing to read right now is “My First Study Bible”. Here are a few of his most recent one liners:

“Dad, did you know that an upside down lowercase u is a lowercase n?”
“Moms and Dads have to obey God, and kids have to obey God and their moms and dads.”

Skydiving…

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This morning we all (Grandma, Grandpa, Tom and I, and the boys) piled into the van and drove out to Jasper, TN. In celebration of Jackie’s 70th birthday coming up in December, she and Tom decided to go skydiving together!!! It was fairly nerve wracking for all of us to some degree leading up to the jump, but it was WAY cool to see them both come parachuting triumphantly down onto the runway. As they were getting onto the little twin engine plane to make their ascent to 10,000 feet, Jonas asked, “Mommy, do you think Grandma’s scared? Do you think Daddy’s scared?” I said, “Sure, buddy. Do you want to pray for them?” Before he could even answer, Xander said, “Yes!”, and so we did. Add that to Grandpa’s prayer over them before they walked into the Chattanooga Skydiving Company building and their priest’s blessing before they left home and all of the other prayers that I know were being offered up on their behalf, and I would say they were pretty well-covered in prayer. It’s the only way to go. Yay for living life to the fullest Jackie and Tom Seyfried style!!!

Jonas’ 5th Birthday Party…

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We had Jonas’ 5th birthday party at the park this afternoon (it was a little on the chilly side but the kids had a blast which is the most important thing and it was so nice not having to stress about cleaning the house). As always at parties, I get so caught up in the moment that I don’t quite take all the pictures that I wanted to…oh well. It was great visiting with family and friends and watching the kids play. Tom did a GREAT job of making Jonas’ “Lego cake” dream come true, don’t you think?

Jonas’ Last Soccer Game…

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Jonas had his last soccer game of the season today. Hip hip hooray for his spunky little teammates and for his big-hearted coaches (with the patience of saints). He loved his trophy and was super excited about his doughnut. But the best treat of all is that he got to share the moment with Grandma and Grandpa AND with MeMe, PaPa, and Aunt Jean!

Trick or Treating…

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Halloween night was so blustery that we ended up going trick or treating tonight. It was perfect weather, and we enjoyed getting to share the trick or treating experience in our neighborhood with Grandma and Grandpa. (Just in case you can’t quite tell…Jonas was Curious George, Tom was The Man with the Yellow Hat, Xander was Blue, Jodi was Steve, and Roman was Pooh Bear.)

I always get a little anxious about Xander’s peanut allergy on Halloween night, but Jonas was ALL ABOUT protecting him and Xander did a great job of protecting himself, asking, “Is this peanut-free?” and “Does this have peanuts in it?” in his sweet little voice. I mean…who can resist that preciousness. By the end of the night, Xander had gotten really good at identifying the candy that was safe for him to choose (even though Grandma and Daddy still went through everything after the boys had gone to bed just to be on the safe side).

It went by quickly with the setting of the sun, but we still had fun…the boys and Grandma and I especially liked wearing our glow necklaces and bracelets.

Twenty Months…

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At twenty months, Roman is: saying anything and everything (“walee” for “water”, “lalo” for “another”, etc.); getting into anything and everything; doing his fair share of biting and hitting and sitting in time out; throwing tantrums; winning the loudest at the table award; being a heart melting cuddler; and enjoying sharing a room with Xander.

Xander Lately…

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Xander has really been coming into his own these days…I think preschool has been SO good for him. He’s freely giving out the love that’s in his heart with spontaneous hugs and kisses and showing his super silly side with goofy dances, funny faces, and the most joyful jumping jacks I’ve ever seen (guaranteed to bring sunshine into any kind of day). His one liners have really been getting to me lately…what a special guy:

“If I die with God, I’ll go home. And I just love God.”
“I want to invite the trees, too, to my birthday party.”
“I see it’s sunny…and did the sun wash away the rain? I didn’t know the sun could wash away the rain…that’s pretty cool.”
“Did you know that shoe plus shoe equals funny?”
“Cars don’t fly…they drive. I just knew that.”
“Where are the trees’ stomachs? Maybe in the leaves or in the sticks…”