the best nativity scene i'll ever have.

We have a nice nativity scene that was given to us as a gift on our wedding. It is lovely, and nice...and breakable, thus making me a nervous wreck about protecting it. Last year, while setting up the tree, Jack played with Jesus, Mary, Joseph, et al. as if they were superheros. It was fairly endearing.

However, this year, Jack made us the very best nativity scene...complete with a peanut for baby Jesus!! And I could not love it more. It took center stage on our mantel and I cannot stop staring at it. As I was setting it up, Jack was correcting my placement choices, to make it just right. Oh the watchful eye of an artist.



This year, he can actually act out the story of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. His favorite part is when the "mean innkeeper" tells them "No room here!" (He says this very emphatically.)

I will display this, my favorite nativity scene, every Christmas from here on out. Just as my Dad still uses an angel I made out of a paper plate as his tree topper...every year.

Not pictured, the shepard. Also, the Elf on the Shelf loved Jack's work so much that he decided to become an actor in the scene...just for one night.

I'm SO ready for Christmas. Well, not really, I have odds and ends to wrap up, but I'm beyond excited for the kids' Christmas morning...and Jack's 4th birthday.

Last night I asked what he wanted from Mommy and Daddy for his birthday (because he's been telling us what he wants Santa to bring for Christmas, but Mom and Dad need a list too!), and he said, "I want a kitchen set so I can play with Lila." No joke. He has no idea that Santa's elves have been working hard to make them a cute little kitchen! It made my night.

He's such a good big brother. Except for when he gets a little TOO excited about chasing her or dancing with her and picking her up, and she ends up falling or smooshed. In all honesty, Jack is always more upset than Liley is when he bumps her. He'll be laying on the floor, crying and Lila looks at me like, "What's his problem?!".

just a few instagrams...

 

Yesterday at preschool, when asked what he was thankful for, Jack said rings…you know, like the ones you wear on your fingers?.?. While cleaning the basement, I had found a Cinderella ring with lip gloss inside…he won’t put it down, even in his sleep. Thank you, Jesus, for my ring. If only I could make Christmas as thriftily exciting as a found treasure like this one! Also, he's been complacent in allowing Lila to play beauty shop while he watches Ni Hao, Kai Lan!

Speaking of Christmas, I’m making this for J&L (found via Pinterest)…I’m so excited for it to come together! I scored some “oops” paint from Home Depot (which is eerily close to the color of Lila’s room), and am collecting bits and pieces as I go along: hinges and a magnetic clasp for the “oven”, an upside down “J” for the faucet, knobs and acrylic paints…somebody stop me.

'twas a merry christmas

I'm blogging from my TV...WHA?!?! Santa brought me the family google TV, which allows me to access the internet from the comfort of my living room (we were strictly desktop prior to this). I'm be-yond excited and overwhelmed at this point...it's just been a lot of playing around so far.

I can blog, access our regular tv, play games (addicted!), read children's books, access local radio and pandora, picassa, youtube, and who knows what else...I'm pretty sure I can even upload pictures via usb through this fancy new gadget so running downstairs to hop on the old computer will be virtually void (save for my photoshop). Now Jim can keep up with his fantasy sports while watching the games live...OH and my tv remote is out now because I can access every function though the keyboard!!! Amazeballs.

Thank you, Santa. And sorry I was so crabby during the setup function...I was close to throwing the whole thing out the window...but I can see now I'm becoming addicted...

Jack and Lila had a wonderfully exciting Christmas as well and I can't wait to share all about it. Until then, I'm back to drowning in information overload...and loving every minute of it!

Oh, Christmas Tree (and Jesus action figures)

We put our tree up this weekend! It was so much fun because Jack was my super helper. It makes it much more fun to have a partner who's as into decorating the tree as you are...

I unwrapped all of the ornaments and handed them to Jack to place on the tree. As I unwrapped each one, I'd say, "Be very careful with this one, it's from when I was a baby." or "This one is very fragile..." Jack began saying things like, "Ohhh this one is so special, I played with this when I was a baby!" (melt)

Jack grouped every ornament in little clusters...hooking 5+ ornaments on one branch. It was very adorable. But I told him to make sure he hung some on the other side too. When I inspected the other side, this is what I saw:

...no ornaments on the tree, but on the power cord...

No matter...he had so much fun and I had the best time decorating with him...

After the tree was setup, I put our nativity scene out...and Jack was all-about-it! He thought they were some sort of action figures and let me tell you, baby Jesus, Mary, "Ho-sef", and the 3 wise men had quite the adventure at the hands of little Jack!

I wish I would have recorded his conversations, "Ohhh no baby Jesus, I will save you!"... it was hilarious...

Christmas Picture

I realized that I had been slacking on our family Christmas cards this year. December came too quickly, and in a rush I started last-minute planning for our cards.

I had an impromptu photo shoot with the kids. Good idea since Lila was on the fussy side and Jack was only smiling so he could get an M&M, and so I snapped 45 pictures in about 2 minutes before everyone had a near meltdown.

And when reviewing, I realized that I did not have a single picture of both of the kids looking happy at the camera in the entire bunch! Blerg! Here was Jack's best:

...and Lila's:

Well, I took matters into my own hands and attempted to Photoshop each of their best pictures together…fully realizing that I am the furthest thing from a Photoshop guru. But, in the time crunch, I have to say I was pretty happy with the result. Decent for a super novice.

But then, I emailed my work to my girlfriend (who is ridiculously talented and hilarious) to ask if it was indeed a contender for Photoshop failures, and she sent my back this amazing picture…

Beyond talented! I told her I need her to learn how to "osmosis her talent" onto me…no word yet on whether this idea will pan out. But in the meantime, I love this picture of my babies…love, love, love it.

Note: unfortunately, I ordered my cards before I sent the picture to her...damn. Lesson learned: always send any picture I ever take to Laura for editing...or learn how to osmosis her talents! ;-)

Are you there world?

...it's me, Jen!

Well helllooooo! It’s been a whole 20 days since I last updated my blog! Someone has been slacking! (PS: That someone is me!). It’s been so busy the past few weeks, that when I do have a spare minute, I’d rather sit in front of the TV and watch Jersey Shore intellectual public programming, than update the blog, so I apologize!

Like I said, it’s been busy: someone very special turned 2, and oh yeah, Christmas came and went!

So prepare for a picture-heavy post in an attempt to rewind and playback the highlights of the past few weeks!

Here's Jack blowing out the candles on Christmas day.


And here he is showing off the outfit that Poppy bought him for Christmas Eve mass...please disregard the brown shoes with the black pants! Mom's mistake!

He doesn't look quite so happy with Daddy, but he loved dressing up all fancy!

And for Jack's birthday, we had a fire truck party...complete with a (pinkish) fire truck cake! (Seriously, how do you make red icing, because I used a TON of food coloring and it still came out pink!)

Jack and CC loved the cake! Oh and speaking of CC, it's her birthday! Happy birthday to the bestest aunt ever! Jack loves you soooo much, Care! It's just too bad you're so old! ;)

Icing kisses!

And the best, smartest, funniest, loving-est 2 year old I know. I'm beaming proud of the little man Jack is becoming. Everyday he amazes me...my Fireman Jack!

Christmas Photo Shoot...

I can't believe that Christmas is going to be here before we know it! I'm trying to get things done ahead of time to avoid stress, which includes our family Christmas cards!

So this weekend we had an appointment at the Picture People, and the result...a complete FAIL! Jack cried the entire time we were there, so needless-to-say, we did not take family pictures!

But if I'm looking for an upside, it's that we got to have a photo-shoot day at home, and Jack loved every minute of it. He's my handsome little model who loves hims chocolate milk and Big Bird!