We celebrated Christmas Eve at Grandma Candy's and then went to Grandma and Ampa's. Aunt Kimberly was here this year which the kids loved and it is always nice to spend Christmas with her. Uncle Craig came in for a few days too but had to leave before Christmas Eve to get back to work. The kids received so many nice gifts and were spoiled as always! They are so lucky to have such loving family!
Christmas Day we opened our own gifts at home. Brody got everything he asked Santa for! His favorites are his fish tank and his learning tablets, an Innotab and LeapPad Ultra. He also really likes his helicopter and his many new art supplies. Briana got a "kitty cat" (a "Furreal Friend", not a real cat thank goodness!) a Minnie Mouse vanity and both kids got an awesome new kitchen set. Santa was very good to us and both kids were very happy! They have only opened about 1/4 of their gifts out of the boxes, I like to give them things a little at a time so they don't get bored with them. Briana is so cute when she sits at her vanity and puts on her makeup and brushes her hair!!
Brody's fish tank is definitely a highlight of his Christmas. A few days after Christmas we took him to PetsMart to pick out his fish, gravel and decorations. He picked two goldfish, one white and orange and one black and orange. Their names are Lucky and Petey. He was so cute because when we picked them out and the lady but them in the bag he was talking to them. He feeds them everyday and enjoys watching them swim around. They really are pretty goldfish. His tank is called a "desktop tank" so it fits perfectly on the tall dresser in his room.
We celebrated the New Year at home with snacks and a movie. I got the kids some party hats and horns and they had a blast! We have been having some really cold weather and quite a bit of snow so even though we usually take the kids out to eat on New Year's Eve we decided to stay in this year. Today our weather is -50 with the windchill and Brody's school was cancelled. We definitely have cabin fever but are hopeful the weather will warm up some later this week!
Brody continues to do well in school and as always amazes us with how smart he is. He got to go bowling for the first time a few weeks ago when Aunt Kim was in town and then we went again the week of Christmas with some of his classroom friends. He loved it and had a lot of fun! He was so cute because every time he would roll the ball down the lane he would dance when it hit the pins. The whole place was watching him, it was really cute. He is still my cuddle bug and I love these days as I know someday he won't want to cuddle as much and I will miss it. He also gives out kisses regularly which I love too! He is becoming very independent which has brought on some power struggles for us which I know are just growing pains and are something that will pass with time (we hope!:) He wants to do what he wants to do and at times does not like to be told otherwise. Oh the independence of a preschooler!! He continues to love to read and write and his reading continues to amaze us. He loves books and will sit with one and quietly read it on his own. We are working on retelling where he goes back and recalls events from a story for me. He is very good at this, even with the books he reads independently, so I am confident he is going to do well with reading comprehension. He is a smart, smart little guy!!
Briana continues to grow and change every day. She is definitely in her terrible two's but we try to take them with stride. She can throw some interesting fits over the smallest things but we are hopeful it is just the age and will pass soon as well. She is so funny and her language is developing so quickly that she can say some of the funniest things. You definitely wonder where she gets them from! She loves to pretend and is very into dress up, playing store or kitchen and playing with her babies. She says "I love you" often and gives us kisses from time to time but she is not our cuddly one unless she is around other people. She is very outgoing at home but can be very shy when we are out and about. She is getting very good at recognizing shapes and colors and I am going to start working on alphabet letters with her in the next few weeks. Brody knew all of his shapes, colors, and letters by 2 and a half so we will see if she can do the same as she is very eager to learn. Our two kids really do have such a sweet relationship, I cherish these days that they play so well together. There is definitely sibling rivalry from time to time but for the most part they do really love each other!
Our biggest Christmas gifts came in the form of a bounce house for the kids and a new car for Tim! We decided to get the kids a bounce house that we could set up in the basement in the cold winter months and take outside in the spring and summer. I found a perfect one online and it turned out to be even better than I expected! It can hold up to 300 pounds and is not huge but is a good size and excellent quality. Tim got a new car over the weekend, a silver Mazda 6. It is a very nice car and I am so happy that he gets to have this as he always does so much for us and our family. We have been talking about him getting a new car for a very long time and it was finally time to do so!
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