Where Has the Time Gone?

It really feels like it was JUST the beginning of 2010, and here we are staring down 2011. Time seems to fly the older I get.

Christmas was wonderful for us. The boys were spoiled rotten. And after we'd opened up the gifts Christmas morning, and they were playing with their goodies, Jake came over and said, "More?" Steve and I said, "No, you've opened it all...." Then Steve realized we'd forgotten a few gifts...some BIG ones. (Not the ones in these pictures....these pictures are of their Santa presents.)

We were able to see both Steve's parents and mine. We enjoyed our family time, and talked a lot.

With My family we played Just Dance....we ALL had a blast!

It just seems like it went by SO fast.

This new year, I have new hopes. I'm frustrated with my boys (but that could be Christmas break talking here...) and I hope to master The Total Transformation and exercise at least once a week.

Happy New Year to all!

Just Dance

You remember my post about that party we went to? The one where we played Just Dance? Well, now we OWN both games. *giggle* We're so excited about it, and so are the boys. Yesterday, as soon as they could, they played it with their dad. Let's just say it was SUPER cute to see Jake try (and totally NOT use the controller) and feel a slight bounce to the apartment.

Oh, what fun!

Merry Christmas all!

Partying Continues....

This time it was an adult only party. Steve and I had a blast. We did a white elephant gift exchange, and Steve's first gift (since you could steal from others, and we didn't end up with the first gifts) was a digital keychain with pictures on it from this website. It was disgustingly hilarious.

Then after we had talked, exchanged gifts and ate we played Just Dance 2. I LOVED this game. I was laughing SO hard when Steve was dancing to "Hey Ya." He can really wiggle that booty!

I wished we could have stayed longer, but we didn't want to drive Grandma and Grandpa too crazy watching the two little boys.

It was so much fun! (By the way, I did NOT take these pictures, since I'm in them...They are from my friend, Mattsmom. She did a GREAT job with the pictures!)

Let the Partying Begin...

'Tis the season, right?

Saturday we had our Ward Christmas party/live nativity. It was a breakfast (different from our usual dinners in the past, but I know I enjoyed it!) and then they had horse-rides that took us around the park to the live nativity.

The people involved in the nativity bore simple testimony of Jesus' birth and how we need to come to Him. It was quite powerful. I loved it! (Poor cold people, at least they had fires and hot cocoa...)

It was fantastic!! And my boys were happy to be with their shepherd-daddy.

The Elf Family

Thanks to a friend, I'm sharing this. (The boys and I played with it over and over last week, giggling away....) Enjoy!

Oh, Christmas Tree....

A few years ago we bought a full, pre-lit tree. The only thing we don't *love* about it is that the lights are all white, but it's still pretty, and we like it.

When I was out doing errands with my mom last week, Steve and Cameron hauled up the tree and the decorations. (I was SO glad I wasn't here for that...*giggle*) Then when we were decorating, I got tired and decided to leave off my usual gold garland. It's a pain to wind around the tree, and it doesn't even match anymore. Instead we decided to cover it as much as we could with extra candy canes.

The boys put the ornaments on it the next day....Jake's all clumped at the bottom, Cam's all clumped at the top. Steve and I HAD to get into the decorating with them, just so the middle would be covered too.

Seeing my tree is bringing back all kinds of memories for me. My dad's mom would have a beautiful, full Christmas tree, COVERED in different flavored candy canes. We would go to visit her and she'd offer us a candy cane. It was one of the highlights of Christmas pasts for me. I miss my grandma, very much. She was such a fun, amazing woman. It's been 11 years since she died, this will be our 12th Christmas without her. I'm sad that my boys never got to meet her and share in her candy cane tree, or any of the other things she was amazing at.

My little tree is a small way of bringing back her memory into my home. Love you, Grandma Mabel!

He Sees You When You're Sleeping....He Knows When You're Awake....

Yesterday, Santa sent each of my boys an email about their status on his list.

He told both boys that they've been good, but they can improve. He encouraged Cameron to be nice to his brother, and then he encouraged Jake to listen to his parents.

Santa is such a great guy (and motivator for positive behavior)....but I think some boys in my house have forgotten their message from Santa. Maybe I should email him and let him know what's going on.

Mornings are just hard on us. No one really WANTS to wake up (except, maybe Jacob...but only if it's on HIS terms) and then the grumpies come out.

This morning, for example, Jake woke up happily and took a bath. Baths are his FAVORITE thing in the world. Usually he flops onto his belly and says, "Mom, I fwimming! I FWIMMING!" I've yet to convince him that you can't really swim in a bathtub. Anyway, after Jake's bath, it's Cameron's turn. I called to Cameron, nicely (I promise) and told him that it was his turn. He called back, "I don't WANNA wake up, I don't WANNA go to school!"

I told him that wasn't an option, unless he was sick.

Then he stomped into the bathroom....completely grumpy and upset. He took his bath, forgetting to wash certain areas, but that's nothing new. Then once I was convinced he was done, I found him some clothes in my laundry-pile of a bedroom, and he got out of the tub.

He did not like the pants I found for him.

He did not like the shirt.

He didn't want to get dressed. He had melted down. He was done.

I was done as well. Time to truly implement the Total Transformation program. First step: (for me) calm down. Don't take his tantrum personally...treat this like it's business, because it is.

Second step: (for me.....again) what can I take from his menu, that he really LOVES to do, that I can take away from him, to get him to behave better? How long will his punishment last? What does he have to do to get it back?

"Cameron, you cannot watch TV for 10 minutes until you can talk nicely." (Yeah, that will work, VERY nicely!)

Cameron, screaming at me from his bedroom, tells me that he doesn't like that. That ten minutes is too hard, and too long.

Third step: (yet again, for me) don't take it personally....don't take it personally.....don't take it personally......

Step 3.5: make him WANT to behave well. Maybe 10 minutes is too long? No, not really, and I REALLY need him to be nice to me and Jake. We need to make him REALLY want to be good. Push up the time limit to 30 minutes.

"Cameron, since you don't like 10 minutes, now you owe me 30 minutes. Once you've been nice and kind for 30 minutes, you can watch tv. But now that you have 30 minutes, you will completely miss your favorite morning show."

More wailing comes from the bedroom.

Step four: State the consequences, the required behavior and walk away.

"Cameron, you know that you need to behave for 30 minutes. Once you do that, you can watch tv." Grab the laundry that needs washed, and go downstairs.

You know, it worked!! One peaceful half-hour later, the tv is on, the boys are happily coloring and getting along.

I am beginning to wonder if I have more pull than Santa Claus.....