Santa's Village

After MaKena’s birthday party on Saturday, December 19th, we (me, Jacob, MaKena, Jen, Emma, Grandma Kathy and Mallorie) headed to Santa’s Village. The past couple years mom has taken Jacob and Mallorie to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus at Santa’s Village in South Fargo. This year Jen and I decided to tag along and bring our little munchkins with. I should have known better than to take MaKena out to see strangers without a nap! When we got there the line wasn’t too bad. I think we waited for 15 to 20 minutes to sit on Santa’s lap. Thankfully they had some stuff set out inside Santa’s house that the little kids could play with. As we waited I kept asking MaKena who we were going to see and she would say Santa. I also asked her if she was going to sit on his lap and she’d say yes. So I thought this was going to be great, I’ll get a picture of both kids sitting with Santa and not have to pay an arm and a leg for it. HA! I should have known better! MaKena didn’t want anything to do with Santa. She started to have a little break down when it was her turn to sit on his lap. I even tried to put her on Jacob’s lap and she wasn’t having any of it. Jacob, Mallorie and Emma did great, MaKena not so great! I do have to say I was a little embarrassed at the scene my child was making and kept apologizing to Santa. I did manage to get her to sit down on my lap and decorate a cookie with Mrs. Claus. Unfortunately I didn’t get any pictures of that so I’ll have to get those from my mom. Once we left Santa’s house and ventured to the other buildings MaKena was just fine. She loved watching the trains go around on the tracks and even tried to grab them off the tracks. All 4 kids loved putting money in the train as it went by. They also wrote a letter to Santa and mailed it in the mail box outside his house. All and all it was a good day. I just hope next year MaKena isn’t scared of Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Elves!

Jacob, Emma, MaKena and Mallorie waiting to see Santa.
Trying to get all 4 kids to look at the same time was a chore!
Jacob, Mallorie, Emma and MaKena (walking out of the picture) in Santa's house.
I think MaKena was giving the stuffed animal an ear full!
Mallorie and Santa

Emma and Santa

Emma telling Santa what she wanted for Christmas.

Jacob and Santa. I was surprised I managed to take one of him with the scene his sister was making!!

Emma and Jacob decorating their cookies with Mrs. Claus.

MaKena writing a letter to Santa.

Jacob, Emma and Mallorie writing letters to Santa.

Mallorie and Jacob mailing their letters.

Emma mailing her letter.

MaKena mailing her letter to Santa.

MaKena's Birthday Party

Back in December we celebrated MaKena’s 2nd birthday. (I know I’m really behind on my pictures. I promise to get caught up in the next week!) She had a great party and had lots of fun playing with her cousins. MaKena got a lot of nice gifts. I’m not sure what her favorite was because she loved every gift she opened. The best part was she knew exactly what to do with the bags and presents. She didn’t need much help from me!

Earlier in the day I made a couple cakes for the party. Jacob helped me crack the eggs and beat the cake mix. He really likes to help me when I’m baking. When we were finished beating the mix I let the kids clean the beaters. I remember my mom used to let us do that when I was growing up and I love it! I think MaKena got more on her face and hands than she did in her mouth but it looked like she was enjoying herself!

Little Miss MaKena saying Cheese with cake mix all over her face!
She really liked cleaning the beaters!

Jacob helping me make the cakes.

Mmmmmm!!

What a mess!

Jacob likes cleaning the beaters too!

What can I say!

MaKena opening her present from Brad, Anita, Alexis and Brandon.

MaKena got a purse from Great Grandma Ivy and just loves it!

MaKena got some Fisher Price Little People from Jen, Nate and Emma. Notice the green pants MaKena has on, she got those from the Buchwitz's. They are jammie pants and she loved them so much she had to put them on right away!

Singing Happy Birthday to MaKena.

No boyfriends! Yippee!!!

Decorating for Christmas

We decorated the house for Christmas the beginning of December and I thought it would be fun to have both kids help this year. Jacob has helped for several years and really looks forward to the day we pull the decorations down from the attic. This year we dug out the Christmas music and really got into it. I remember when I was growing up and we’d decorate the house for Christmas it was an all day thing. Mom would get her Oak Ridge Boys Christmas tape out and we’d listen to it over and over and sing along. I really enjoyed that as a kid so I decided to start that tradition with my kids. Although, we don’t have nearly as many decorations as when I was a kid so it didn’t take us all day but we still listened to our Christmas CDs, sang along and had a lot of fun. I bought some new window clings this year for something different. Both kids really enjoyed sticking them to the window. MaKena ripped a couple of them before she stuck them to the window but I was able to put them together so you couldn’t tell. She was so excited to help like her big brother. I usually had to move them up on the window when she wasn’t looking. I also let her help put the bulbs on the tree. I’m not sure if that was such a good idea because she started taking the hooks off and the clips out of the bulbs. She did hang a few on the tree but then she had enough and went to see what daddy was doing. I remember the first time Jacob helped decorate the tree, all the bulbs were on the bottom third of the tree. He was so proud of himself that I didn’t move them until later. Jacob and I finished our decorating and admired our work. And then before I knew it, it was January and time to take them down. I didn’t get nearly as much help taking the tree down as I did putting it up!

Taking the window clings off the plastic so we could stick them to the window.
MaKena sticking one of the snowflakes, or stars as she called them, to the window.
Putting the tree together. Jacob dug out the Santa hats for them to wear.

MaKena in her Santa hat. She didn't keep it on very long.

MaKena helping mommy and Jacob put a branch on the tree.

My big helper!! Don't knock the tree over!

MaKena with a bulb in her hand.

MaKena finding the perfect spot for the bulb.

I love how she has her mouth open. It must have helped to hang the bulb!

Jacob finding the perfect spot to hang the decorations!

Kids at Play

After Jacob’s birthday party the kids went their separate ways and played quietly by themselves. I managed to get some good pictures of them. Jacob got a latch hook kit from Nana and Papa so he sat at the table and started working on it. Every now and then he’d stick his tongue out when he was pulling the yarn through the hole. It was cute. MaKena played in her room with just about every toy she could find. I love how she will just sit in her room and look at her books or play by herself. I do get a little nervous when it’s quiet in her room but usually she’s just looking at a pile of books.

Jacob working on his hook latch kit. When it's done it's supposed to look like a dog.

MaKena playing with her blocks. (Actually these used to be Jacob's blocks! He got them from Great Grandma Ivy when he was MaKena's age and loved them as much as MaKana loves them!) MaKena putting her alphabet puzzle together. She loves to do puzzles.

I couldn't resist this picture. Notice her foot is on the wall.

Jacob's Birthday Party

I am so far behind on blogging it’s not funny. Sorry for the lack of updates lately. December was a crazy month.

Back in November we celebrated Jacob’s 9th birthday. I still have a hard time saying I have a 9 year old. I can’t believe he’s that old already. He had a good party and got lots of cool gifts. Although Lane wasn’t too impressed with the Vikings sweatshirt Jason and Jerene gave him or the Vikings wallet Carol and Keith gave him, Jacob loved them! For those of you who don’t know Lane is not a Vikings fan which makes Sunday’s very interesting at our house during the football season! Jacob even let MaKena in on the action and helped open his gifts. After gifts we sang Happy Birthday and had cake and ice cream. Earlier in the day when I was making the cakes I let the kids lick the beaters. It’s always hilarious watching them. I think MaKena had more on her face than in her mouth! It was a good party and I’m sure the next year will fly by just as fast as this one did.

MaKena cleaning one of the beaters.
Mmmmm that's good!

Jacob licking the other beater.

Nana and Papa playing This Little Piggy with MaKena. She loves having that done on her little piggies!

Jacob and his Vikings sweatshirt from Jason, Jerene and the girls. Can you tell he really liked it!

MaKena helping Jacob open his gifts while cousins Karisa and Mallorie watch.

Jacob and his Vikings wallet. Look at the grin on his face!

Singing happy birthday to Jacob.

How many girlfriends will he have?????

None! :)