I would like a race car

We visited Josh for lunch today and decided to eat at the River-bottoms, when we remembered that Santa was there.  Usually when we see Santa at the Mall or wherever we are out and about, Chamberlain avoids him and just wants to watch from a distance. Today he decided that he wanted to sit on his lap. He was so shy and had just a big grin from ear to ear. When Santa would ask him questions he would whisper, and his cheeks would turn bright red. This Santa was so kind and sweet.   Santa told him he has grown so big since last year, Chamberlain agreed.  Which, for a moment caught Josh off guard and he was like how does he know he's grown so much, then it clicked... I laughed.  Santa had to ask him several times what he wanted for Christmas, he finally answered a race car. I hope Santa remembers that.     

We have been watching lots and lots of Christmas movies.  The other night he told me he was so excited to see Santa, that he and Hudson were going to stay up all night just to meet him. 

I loved this Santa. He really was so sweet and felt genuine. Chamberlain would put his head down and Santa would pick his head up ever so softly.  He looked like the real thing too. I also loved the set I wish they would have had a real fire going in the fireplace other than that we had fun. 

 Oh best of all he got to pick a toy out of Santa's red bag, he picked a rubber penguin duck. He also got a chocolate drizzled macaroon. Yum. I like the fire-pit behind him I think its supposed to be a chandelier maybe, but it reminds me sort of like a tumble weed.

I realized

that I didn't have any pictures of me and my kids. So I thought I might take some. 

Here is my attempt at getting a picture with two very busy children. 

 Maybe next time I will get ready and find something a little more charming than the blue couch. 

For now these will do.

I couldn't resist adding these ones below.

I just love these kiddos. 

I really do.

They make my life so much richer.

Siri 

I just want to say, its so nice that you have decided to wake up.

I love that you are becoming so aware and look for Chamberlain at all times and then laugh out-loud at him.

I love how you are learning to control your arms and reach for things especially Sophie your Giraffe (thanks Aunt Lesa).

I love trying to get you to smile, especially when I have a camera in hand. 

I love watching you grow.

I spy a Y

We made decorated a ginger bread house tonight. Josh was so spontaneous today and bought us a Gingerbread House Kit. So not like him, however Im glad he did. It was nice to do something out of the normal for us.

I now know what my house would look like if Josh built it. . . Just kidding.

Im proud of him he did pretty much all of the piping and piped on a Y on the roof. 

Trust me the piping was hard. It didn't stick to the Gingerbread.

Chamberlain thinks it looks like our house, ha!

It was actually really hard to pipe the frosting. Next time we are definitely making it from scratch.  With pliable frosting and a lot more candy.

The finished product. Chamberlain wanted it to look JUST like the box if we strayed he would get so frustrated.

Except for the Y he was totally fine with that. Can you see it on the roof in the middle picture?

After we were done Chamberlain wanted to eat it all.

Thats totally something I would do when I was his age.

 Its beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here.

Not to shabby.

cardboard box

This box played so many rolls today.

From a row boat, to a puzzle table, to a space ship, to his race car for mariokart, to mom can you make this into a bike I can pedal?!

He mostly used it as a puppet theater and sat in there writing plays. He would scribble on piece of paper and then crumple it up and say Lame and chuck it off the stage and start on a new act. 

(I must say lame a lot)

 Yes that says be back in 13. I asked what he wanted me to put on these signs and this is it, Puppet Show Closed be back in 13. He is actually in there, coloring on the walls. I guess Artists do crazy things.

 This is the Lame in action.

 Working on another act for the play.

 He must have writers block.

 This is when it turned into a space ship and he blasted off to space.
Houston we have...

Finally to the race car. He sat like this for a good while, until this show that I really wanted to watch came on.  We watched The Sing Off.  He got out his pirate puzzle and when they started singing he decided to dance to all the songs. 

I wish I had shots of the row boat. He used his horse stick as the row and had Siri on a raft floating behind him. While I was doing laundry.

Most of the day I kissed on this baby's chubby, chubby cheeks. We had a good day just staying inside and using imagination.  I am loving more and more Chamberlains creativity. This is going to be a fun stage I believe. Bring on the cold and snow, we are going to have fun inside this winter.

i know that Jesus lives.

Chamberlain gave his first talk in Primary today. 

He did awesome!

He did NOT want us to help him, he wanted to do it all on his own.

He had the biggest smile when he walked up to the pulpit.

I thought for sure he was going to turn shy and need help.

He got right up there put his lips smack on the mic and talked clearly and loudly and did it all by himself!  I think its a good thing he practiced here, and Ju Ju dropped by just before we went to church and he was able to practice telling her.

We recorded it after church to post it, however, the sound didn't work. I might, just might, make him give it one more time tomorrow and see if we can get it this time.

Now, we have been asking him all week what he knows about Jesus. 

This is what he came up with.

Jesus was born in a manger

Jesus makes me happy.

Jesus loves it when I share.

Jesus loves when I help my family.

I know that Jesus lives and I know that Jesus loves me.

Amen.

Chamberlain,

We are so proud of you.

You did such a great job today. 

We want you to know that Jesus does love you and that he does live, and that he loves each and everyone of us.

He is pleased when you share and help others.

When you keep his commandments and strive to do what is right, you WILL be happy.

 

We know this is true.

Love,

 Mom and Dad

We also watched the Christmas Devotional, tonight together as a family.  Every time Pres. Uchtdorf mentioned the word Manger, Chamberlain would gladly tell us "Jesus got borned in a manger."  If you watched the Devotional, Manger was mentioned several times and every time whether I thought he was paying attention or not he would repeat this saying.

Its so rewarding to see my children grow and learn and hear their simple yet honest Testimonies.

I am truly blessed.

llama carolling, anyone

Yes that's what came knocking at our door this evening. 

BYU students collecting food and singing Christmas Carols with a llama dancing in our front yard.

No really, a guy was parading this llama around and it was dancing while the carolers sang merry songs.

I had to give them a couple of boxes of mac n cheese for the effort.  Even if they eat it themselves instead needy children. So worth it.

When they were done the carolers told Chamberlain that he could pet the llama, he was way to shy to do that. So eventually at the end of our evening we saw all the llamas in the law library parking lot and he decided he wanted to go see them.  So I made Josh go take him and snap some pictures.

We had a Friday night family date and walked around the River Bottoms to see the lights.

Cool.  However, we missed Santa by just a few minutes. 

We bundled Siri up nice and warm in the stroller and she was completely content viewing all the pretty lights strung from store to store.

 At the end Zoltar told us our fortune for a mere 50 cents. 

Zoltar said to Put loyalty and reliability first. If you have faults do not fear self-improvement.

Not to bad Zoltar.  

I must say the highlight of the night would be the llama caroling, that definitely was a first for us.

Oh the perks of living next to the Y.

our little tree

Chamberlain is constantly decorating our tree.

He keeps adding and adding and adding, and its fallen over twice.  

I don't know how much more our little tree can take. 

Oh well at least he is enjoying the season

I've also noticed he keeps sneaking the candy canes and putting them in his treasure box.

We have watched several Christmas shows on TV.  I love watching his face light up when we watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is comin to town.  It brings back so many childhood memories.  

Tonight when I tucked him into bed and I plugged in his Christmas lights in his room before he entered.  When he walked in his eyes lit up and he asked, " Mom did Santa turn my lights on?"

How could I resist I replied, "Why yes he did son."

He got so excited.

I think this is going to be the best Christmas yet for me.