Chippy the Elf

For years I have been wanting to do Elf on the Shelf with the boys. Each year goes by and I don't get one. This year was about to be the same until students in my class would come in every morning telling me about the cool places they found their elves. Then, I kept seeing the cutest pictures of my friends' kids' elves posted on Facebook. So... I totally jumped on the band wagon and spent the pretty penny of $30 and got our Elf. Best part was the same night I gave the Elf to the boys and read the book, the Elf on the Shelf movie was on TV. It was super cute by the way.

We have been having fun with our Elf. Maybe I am having the most fun each night trying to find a new spot for it. Mike says I have started to freak him out. He comes home from work in the m iddle of the night finding the elf in the weirdest places. One morning the boys even woke up to a note from their elf, Chippy (they named him) saying that if they didn't obey their mom he wasn't coming back. Shaped them up real quick. If you have never seen Elf on the Shelf and you have kids, it is a Christmas must for next year!!

Here are a few fun pics of where the boys have found Chippy.

Yesterday was a big day for Josh. He lost his first tooth! The poor boy thinks he will never lose his teeth. He has friends who have lost 6 already. He was a preemie and didn't even get his first tooth until 13 months, so that probably plays a part in it. Even though his baby teeth aren't ready to come out, his adult teeth are ready to come in. One of his bottom adult teeth has grown in behind a baby tooth. With a little help from our awesome dentist he had the baby tooth pulled. He was such a trooper and so brave. It helps to have a dentist who is amazing with kids.

All smiles after. He got a cool tooth necklace to keep his tooth in.

His note he left for the tooth fairy.

This is what the tooth fairy left for him under his pillow.

We got to play Chippy the Elf and the Tooth Fairy in the same night and Santa is next. Lying to my children has never been so fun. ;)

I have to say one more thing about Josh. This boy amazes me on how mature and brave he can be. He has been having headaches, almost migraines for awhile now almost on a daily basis. After talking with his pediatrician a few times and trying our own fixes at home that he recommended, he is still having headaches. After school on Thursday, Josh and I spent two and a half hours at Kaiser getting some tests done. He took it all like a champ, even the 4 viles of blood. Still waiting on results before we go further to the Pediatric Neurologist.

We texted silly pictures to Daddy while we waited trying to help our boredom.

 I would love your prayers for this sweet boy if you think about it.

And last but not least, Christmas has started early for us. Mike works Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year so we celebrated at his Grandparents' house today before he went into work. We get to have Christmas at his parents' house tomorrow before he goes to work too. He works nights, so they poor guy will be tired. We are blessed with a family who understands his crazy works schedule and is okay with doing Christmas not on Christmas.

Blessings to you all! Merry Christmas! Happy Birthday, Jesus!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

*In the midst of yesterday's tragedy in Connecticut it's hard to have the Christmas Spirit right now. I heard of what happened from my husband when I looked at a text I got from him when I sent my students to recess. It just hits way too close to home. Being both a Mommy and a Teacher, I just cannot fathom what these families are going through right now and the staff at that school. They need our prayers, that town needs our prayers and our country needs our prayers!*



We have been having way too much fun celebrating all things Christmas over the past two weeks. Here is an update on our fun...


We finally got our Christmas Tree. According to facebook, we were the last family in the world to get a Christmas tree. And.... the Christmas tree farm we go to is really close to our house. With Mommy and Daddy working complete opposite schedules it makes the family Christmas tree hunt outing pretty impossible. Finally, we got one.

This was the best picture I could get. This picture is the story of my life!
 

We decorated a Gingerbread house. This is a must after we get a tree and decorate it.

We had Josh's Christmas Concert, which is also the Concert for my students as well. Josh's Christmas Concert is for grades K-3rd. It is at a beautiful Theatre downtown. Our school put on another impressive concert.

Josh in front of the marquee sign that said our school's name

My boy and I back stage

Amazing!

Santa came to Daddy's work as he does every year. The boys were so excited, but have come to the conclusion that they are not babies and are too old to sit on his lap. I tried to convince them otherwise. It didn't work. I also love how they tell Santa what they want for Christmas and it is nothing close to what they told me. Yikes.... I had to go get some extra interesting presents this week.

They are getting way too old

Telling Santa what they want for Christmas

Next, Jason's Christmas Concert... or Pageant as it was called. He was pretty adorable.

Cutest sheep ever

The boy would not stop waving to me

 

Mike and I got to have some adult Christmas fun. Each year his work has a Dinner Dance that we got to with our good friends. Each year we have a blast. We look forward to this night away all year. We were totally blessed with an amazing suite that was comped to us. The theme this year was Christmas on the Savannah, a safari theme.

 

Grrrrr

Our group of great friends who we always have so much fun with

The girls

Love this guy!

 I told you we were having lots of fun. Winter basketball has officially started also. The boys are playing Upward Basketball through a local church. We love that program. Mike grew up playing, refereeing, coaching and eventually running the program at the church he grew up at. Jason missed the cut off by 2 months. We thought only Josh was going to be able to play. When we showed up to evaluations they said Jason could play as long as we don't mind him being with the Kindergartners. (he is in pre-K) He was thrilled. Since we weren't expecting him to play, poor boy totally wasn't dressed for basketball, but he didn't seem to care.

 

 

All ready to go. I know he needs basketball shoes. Santa took care it. ;)

Dribbling around cones

He shoots, He scores

Jason's turn

 

This upcoming week includes Christmas parties at school and finally Christmas break. Yahooooo!!



Dear Christmas Break,

Please hurry! This Mama and teacher can't handle these super long busy days much longer. Leaving the house at 6:30 am when it is dark and not getting home until after it is dark is getting to me and my sweet boys. Oh please, wonderful 17 days off, hurry the heck up!
Sincerely,
This crazy lady who needs more hours in her day

Still Here

We are still alive and kickin' over here. Enjoying a very mellow weekend at home while it just pours rain outside. I am so glad I did all my grocery shopping and errands Friday after school. Just the thought of going out in this storm with the kids makes me tired. I am very thankful to have a PJs and hot cocoa filled weekend. We needed it. This is probably our last free weekend until June, no joke... I am not over exaggerating. Basketball starts on Saturday and the season ends up overlapping with baseball by about 2 weeks and then it is straight baseball times two little boys until  June. Should be loads of fun! And that was not sarcastic... really, I love watching my boys play sports.

We just need to get through the next few weeks of school, basketball starting, Christmas performances, Christmas parties, family gatherings and then we can enjoy 2 weeks off for Christmas Break. I can't wait!! A chunk of our break we will be camping like we did over Thanksgiving Break.

We love to camp and basically all things outdoors. We have been tent camping forever. Mike and I both grew up tent camping as well. We have been wanting to get a Toy Hauler (camping trailer where the back opens to park your dirt bike/quads) for a long time but it was never the right timing. Recently, God totally blessed us with a new member to our family. We call her Stealth.

 

 

I could go on forever about our camping trip. The trailer was so nice and we had a blast. We would ride all day, enjoy the campfire at night until we got too cold, then cuddle in the nice warm trailer watching movies. Our Thanksgiving wasn't spent driving to visit family or me in the kitchen cooking all day. Instead, just the 4 of us hanging out and having fun together. We can't wait until we go again in a few weeks.  

 

Josh sure is getting good on his dirt bike. He can now go ride on the trails with Daddy and gets some pretty good speed on the track. He lapped me a couple times!

Jason still prefers his quad for now, but will ride the dirt bike too. We got this quad for Josh's 2nd birthday. It's barely hanging on, but boy have we gotten some great use out if that thing over the years.

Boys are so fun!

Hopefully, I won't take as long to post again. I am sure I will be back with Christmas Concert and Basketball pics and stories to share.

Fall Fun

I can't believe it is November! Where has this year gone? I love this time of year. Our weeks and weekends have been super busy but we have somehow been able to fit in a little fall fun in to the madness.

We have an awesome pumpkin patch right by our house. We enjoyed a quick trip a few weekends ago.

The boys have gotten pretty good at carving their pumpkins by themselves.

This Halloween was the first year Daddy has been able to join us. It has always been the boys and I on our own and Daddy gets to see the boys in their costumes through pictures. Since Halloween landed on Mike's night off this year, the boys (and Mommy) were so excited that he finally got to join us.

My boys really need new costume ideas. They always want to be dirt bike riders. I really shouldn't complain because it is the easiest costume ever for us. No preparation needed. I just got down this dirt bike plastic bins and let them pic which color outfit they wanted. We could clothe infants to adults in dirt bike gear. It's a little ridiculous. Josh put a little twist on his and wore his SWAT vest so he says he was a Police Dirt Bike rider.

Jason didn't want to wear his helmet and Josh went back home mid trick or treating to take off his riding boots. We ended the night letting the boys stay up a little later than normal (school night) and we passed out candy to trick or treaters. They loved waiting at the door.

Of course, being big San Francisco Giants Fans, we loved watching the World Series. This is Josh being Matt Cain and Jason is Buster Posey. They act out every play and know all the players. We are bummed Baseball is over, but their Daddy already has them watching the 49ers play football.

Even though the season of life we are in right now is so crazy and busy, it is so great too! Our boys are at such a fun age right now. They are getting more independent, but still need their mommy too. They now let me sleep in on the weekends! When they were younger this was unheard of. When they were up, mommy was up. We wake up early on school days.... I mean early. My alarm goes off at 4:45 am. By Friday, I am pooped. They are so good about sleeping in themselves and then playing quietly in their room or turning on the tv in the living room and playing wii. Most Saturdays I sleep in until 9:30. Amazing, huh! The little joys that keep this mommy going.

Happy November! Have a great week!

Wordless Wednesday School Pics

Joshua Alec 1st Grade

Jason Daniel Pre-Kindergarten 

Couldn't resist getting this pose too

Dang it, Lifetouch for taking cute photos of my boy. I got a little carried away in my purchase. 

Update in Pictures

Life is great and busy... enjoy an update on my little family in pictures.

Josh's reading glasses arrived and here he is looking so studious doing his Spelling and Cursive homework. 

Josh at our school's Jog-a-Thon. One of his favorite days of the school year. 

Last lap... it's like he is so relieved to make it to the end. 

I love that I teach at his school. I got to sneak away from my class to watch the first graders run.

We celebrated Daddy's birthday.

The boys(yes, I know Josh is dressed crazy) outside their favorite restaurant on Daddy's birthday. 

I surprised Mike with tickets at the Improv to see Jo Koy. We love going here. 

I have no shame in saying that I deserve the "Wife of the Year" award. I also surprised Mike with an electronic drum set. He has been wanting one forever. More on the bedroom makeover in another post. We have converted the playroom into a music room.  

The boys are having some fun too.