We had the most amazing, magical holiday season this year! Our kids are at such fun ages, and they are so easy to please. The simple wonder in their eyes was enough to melt my heart. I was proud of them for going with the flow, especially when our schedule was turned upside down for a week and a half, and I was also proud of them for being grateful and thankful little people. No matter their gifts, they said thank you and gave lots of hugs.
It was a really fun two weeks off of work, hanging out with the rugrats, being so laid back, and relaxing together doing some of our favorite things. We got some time to play outside, had a playdate with the Endres family, drove around looking at Christmas lights (even went back to the Mankato lights show for a second time!), went to Underwater Adventures, had a couple movie nights, did some cooking and baking together, and read a bajillion stories :) Jeremy and I also carved out some time to have a 'finish the Christmas shopping date,' organize several areas of our home, and we started getting more serious about house preparations for Baby #3. It feels good to be organized and have a little extra space!
We loved the Mankato lights show so much, we went back a second time!!
A little holiday baking...
Our elf 'Red' kept us on our toes
Merry Christmas from the Kalals!!
Auntie Jackie painting Izzy's toes with her new Frozen polish
Cooper building a fence with the presents... he was a little anxious to rip into them :)
Christmas Eve SUPER smiles (it took a long time for them to fall asleep this night...)
Our favorite new Christmas Eve tradition... Movie night after church ;) We LOVED having time at home on Christmas Eve!
Christmas Morning... Cooper got a racetrack, dinosaurs, sharks, a ton of darts, and lots of fun stocking goodies
Santa brought Izzy a Baby that she can take care of, some Minnie Mouse books, and lots of stocking goodies
Woohoo!! A new scooter from Missy and Phil
Cooper was loving the airplane he can build himself (from Dad and Chris)
Another nice family shot... how'd we get lucky enough to get more than one?!!?
The grandkids with Grandma Dawn. This is the best we could muster :)
We are ALMOST all partied out...
Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped by Grandma Dawn's house, and Cooper finally warmed up to Mrs. Claus
But he wanted NOTHING to do with Santa. Here, he is keeping an eye on Santa from behind and barricade of presents.
But Izzy decided he was pretty great. It only took about 15 minutes to warm up :)
So there's a little peek at our amazing second half of December. It is so crazy to think that was our last holiday with just two kids. It is also crazy to think about having another baby around for next Christmas! Christmas is unbelievably better with little kids!!
Winter came... for a while! This late fall/early winter, we had lots of cold, cold days, and just a little bit of snow.
Cooper just asked the other day, "Mom, the snow is gone, so does that mean it's summer again?" It was very innocent, and also a little sad. We just got some snow back after nearly a month of brown, warm days.
Here are a few pics from the first couples week of winter/snow... Cooper had an agenda from the start, and Izzy took a little bit of convincing to play and not just eat the snow.
The kids are at really fun ages to play together outside... we're trying to soak it up!
Just enough snow to have dad pull us around!!
Yummy!!
I'm teaching my sister everything I know about finding clean snow!!
Cooper's 'boulders'
Making snow angels
Watch out mom!!
Uh, oh... snow in the face is just not fun!!
Check out how we entertain ourselves... throwing snowballs at our kids. What mean old parents we are!!!
Now that the snow is officially here, I need to get my butt in gear and finish updating our fall events :)
We had a blast enjoying our BEAUTIFUL fall weather... many weekends were gorgeous, giving us lots of time outside and lots of chances to take in the many inexpensive and fun things our area has to offer in the fall. In addition to our trip to The Wilderness, we made a couple trips to Jim's Apple Barn, picked apples at MN Harvest Apple Orchard, visited Barten's Pumpkin Patch, went to the ECFE costume party, snapped some impromptu family photos in the park, and even spent over an hour trick-or-treating on Halloween night. Here are a few pics from this fall...
Apple launching
Exploring the sunflower maze
My two favorite people :)
Yummy! I love to eat the peels now, too!!
"I can reach it!"
All in a day's work
Elsa and the Dino at the ECFE costume party... pounding on a pumpkin
I cannot believe how the time has flown. I feel like it was just yesterday when we were bringing you home from the hospital. But yet other times, I feel like we've had you in our family forever! Our family would not be the same without you ;)
Your tiny little body has the biggest personality--you are full of spunk and attitude, you light up a room when you walk into it, and you know what you want. Dad's two favorite nicknames for you are "The Hurricane" and "Little Nutcase." You are independent and opinionated, but you still love your snuggle time with mommy. You love to dance and sing (well, yell really) especially to the Frozen movie songs. You can eat and eat and eat... I know your belly is cute and round, but there is not a trace of chub anywhere else on you! You like to take your time in everything... you don't do anything fast, really. But that's okay. Someday I think you'll be a thoughtful girl who considers her every move before making one.
As a sister...
You and your brother can be the best of friends or the worst of enemies. You sure know how to push his buttons, and he knows how to push yours, too. You follow his lead and then some. It seems like you can always take things to the next level, and you are starting to pick up on his competitiveness... you don't like coming in 2nd to him. You would rather he didn't kiss you so much, and you commonly shout, "No kisses Too-poh!" But you like to hold his hand and you are pretty good at sharing when you get a reminder. He even gets you to play along so you two can 'trick' mom and dad together--like locking us out of the bathroom, or slamming the baby gate closed and sitting in front of it. He's a good teacher :)
As a talker...
For a two-year-old, your vocabulary is out of this world. We have full-blown conversations with you, and you can repeat or come up with your own full sentences. Like 7-10 word sentences. It blows our minds. You are getting really good at using your manners, and you are also asking for help more often instead of losing your cool when you get frustrated. But you do have a lot of patience, especially when things are on your own terms, so you don't get frustrated too often. I think I stopped keeping track of your new words each day around 18 months, because they were coming so fast. If we ask you a question, you always have more than one word to answer us... someday I'm sure that will exhaust us! You like to play with your voice, whispering and shouting, speaking in monotone or goofball style, and it seems like you can always get anyone to laugh just by opening your mouth.
As a learner...
You are picking up new skills by the second! You can say your prayers almost entirely by yourself now, you know your ABC's with just a little help, and you love to count (although you skip numbers here and there). I know identifying numbers and letters is right around the corner for you. You already have figured out the child safety locks and how to open and close doors. You like to draw and color and stick stickers. You like to glue things and you know many of your shapes. My favorite is when you recognize a shape out in the world somewhere and you say it with a smile. You know purple and pink, and are getting to know your other colors, too. You love to pretend play with your babies and your dishes. Playing with the Little People or with cars are fun, too. You like to play 'puppies' with Cooper, and you'll even let him lead you around on a 'leash' while you pant and bark. You know dozens of animal names and animal noises, and you share your family's love of the zoo. Potty training is going to happen soon, I think... IF you decide you'd like it to. You like to sit on the toilet, but only one has anything 'happened' while you've sat there. So far, it seems like you like 'story time' on the toilet more than the act of going... You still have a love of puzzles, and you love helping out with 'jobs' whenever you can.
As a grower...
You wear size 4 diapers now, size 6 shoes, size 2T clothes (with some 18 mo pants... you're a shorty), and you have a big noggin like your brother.
As a little stinker...
You seem to know just when to flash that smile and those dimples to get out of whatever mischief you find yourself in. When you get a time out, it's as if the world should stop spinning for your fat lip. You really turn on the waterworks when you're in trouble. But, you have the sweetest way of saying sorry and then snuggling up for forgiveness when you've gotten in trouble. You don't get time outs very often, but when you do, lately it seems like it's for hitting your brother. You like to tell people what to do, so you are getting used to hearing, "Izzy, don't worry about it. That's mommy's job," and other sayings like that. Just today, when I said you needed to cooperate when you weren't getting your jacket on, you said, "No YOU cooperate." Here we go with a two-year-old. I love your independence, and I love that one day you are going to be totally 'in charge' of yourself and your thoughts and feelings, but right now, your independence can be tiresome. Well, exhausting is more like it. I know one day, I'll be glad you can stand up for yourself. But some days right now, I just wish for a two-year-old.
As a mommy's girl...
I love that our morning routine includes me putting 'pretties' in your hair, and that you love to bring me books to read to you all the time. I also love that I'm the one you call for in the night, and that you love when it's mommy's night for stories and bedtime. Your tantrums are rare, and I can usually find the ticket to talking you out of them... without giving in. I think I 'get' you little lady, and I hope we always share that bond. I am so curious to see if you will be our only girl, or our oldest girl :) You have become more interested in my growing belly, and you like to lift up my shirt to give the baby soft kisses and say, "Wuv ooh, Baby." You were ticked to tears the other day when we were in public and I wouldn't let you lift my shirt ;)
Izzy, I can't wait to see what this next year brings for you. You are a little spitfire, and I wish I could bottle up this time in your life for a little longer. You are so much fun to be around, and I love you to pieces.
Love,
Mommy
We celebrated your 2nd birthday last weekend, and it was complete with your Frozen favorites...
You insisted on having your new Elsa doll in the picture
You loved when we sang to you!
Cake and ice cream didn't last long on your plate
You with your cousins and brother, Drake, Cooper, and Laura
Playing with your Elsa doll and your new stroller
Little Ball Player ;)
Playing dress-up in your new fairy tutu and wings
Bouncing on balloons, being a goofball
And I caught a short conversation with Miss Izzy, although she was a little distracted, and after all that explaining I did of her vocabulary, this doesn't showcase it, but it gives us a glimpse of her 2-year-old-self...
