Pajama Day

Pajama day + stuffed animal + silly hat + Mommy visit for lunch = 2 very happy boys!  Lots of hugs + kisses + smiles + "you're the best!" = 1 very happy Mommy!

Writing sentences

The boys have been learning to write sentences in Kindergarten.  This is what came home in Drew's backpack yesterday.

If you're having a hard time reading it, it says:

My Dad is fun to play with.

We like to play gun fittes. 

We like to play sord fitts.

Pretty sweet, even though he spelled a few words wrong!

Crispy Kale Chips

This is our new favorite, healthy snack.  I know it sounds crazy, but kale chips are delicious!  So inexpensive (about $1 a bunch) and so nutrient-dense.  C'mon....give it a try.  Here's to your health!!!

Baked Crispy Kale
Source:  Steamy Kitchen
Ingredients:
4 giant handfuls of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces and tough stems removed (about 1/3 pound)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt or kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the kale leaves into a salad spinner and spin all of the water out of the kale. Dump the water and repeat one or two times more just to make sure that the kale is extra dizzy and dry. Use a towel to blot any extra water on the leaves. Place the kale on the baking sheet.
3. Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves. Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes until leaves are crisp. Take a peek at the 12 minute mark - the timing all depends on how much olive oil you use. Just use a spatula or tongs to touch the leaves, if they are paper-thin crackly, the kale is done. If the leaves are still a bit soft, leave them in for another 2 minutes. Do not let the leaves turn brown (they'll be burnt and bitter) Remove from oven, sprinkle with salt and serve.

Neighborhood Nativity

For the past several years, our neighborhoood has put on a live nativity performance.  The mom's serve Christmas cookies, hot cocoa and then everyone goes caroling around the neigbhorhood...kids are towed in a trailer behind a golf cart, of course! This is our 1st Christmas here, so it was all new to us.  Miss Paula asked if my boys wanted to be the Shepherd and a sheep, and much to my surprise (Bryce does NOT like to dress in costume!) they said yes!

The Wisemen

Joseph and Mary 

 The girls choir

 The Angel, Shepherd & sheep!

They did a beautiful job telling the story of Jesus' birth.  They sang a few songs and then at the end, the whole crowd sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.  It was so sweet and very touching to see everyone involved.  I'm very proud of our little children and our neigbhorhood for making this a tradition!  Bryce & Drew are already talking about next year!

Spreading Christmas Joy

The boys and I get 18 days off for our Christmas break.  We are SO excited to spend time together without the rush of school, homework, jobs, etc!

One day this week we baked a bunch of different Christmas goodies.

And delivered them to our neighbors on the golf cart.

The boys loved running up to each house, ringing the bell and saying, "Merry Christmas...we're glad you're our neighbors!"  They thought it was much more fun than trick-or-treating!!!  I think we'll make this an annual tradition.

Merry CHRISTmas everyone!

Operation Christmas Child

Bryce & Drew were SO excited to participate in Operation Christmas Child this year.  They each chose to shop for boys in the age 5-7 category and both made very thoughtful and selective choices to fill up their shoeboxes.  They commented that "This was one of their best days ever!" 
Bryce & Drew helped to load up the 157 shoeboxes that our church had collected.  Their smiles and enthusiasm were priceless!

My children have such a wonderful life - they are blessed with the love of so many and have so many nice things. It makes me very proud to see their desire to serve and help those that don't have as much!  I'm thankful they understand what CHRISTmas is all about!

TOOTHLESS!

All I have to say is....I'm SO GLAD we got family portraits done when we did.  One of my children's smile looks DRASTICALLY different! 

TODAY

3 WEEKS AGO!

For the record, the "toothless count" in our house is:

Drew = 4
Bryce = 0