Happy New Year

Since getting back from celebrating Christmas with family in MN we've had a few days with the family at home as I've been working evening shifts and even had NYE off.  The kids return to school today, which I think they are excited about.  Since spending more time with them the last 2 weeks, I feel like I need to update you on what they have been up to!



The kids got a baking set for Christmas that includes recipes and equipment to make cupcakes and sugar cookies, and of course Thayden wanted to make both.  It took nearly the entire day yesterday, but here are our cookie results!  They turned out pretty good for our first time.

Thayden got a couple puzzles for Chrismas and is mastering them - even a 100 piece puzzle!  He is really good at recognizing pattens and he is even helping a bit with Troy's 2,000 piece puzzle he has had going for the past month.  He is also starting to read more and more - he has a number of sight words and does a great job sounding out words to the point where he read (with help) the first 9 pages in Dr. Seuss' Red Fish Blue Fish.  He also had a great time playing with Ti's new XBox Kinex back in MN and we're waiting for Daddy to get our Wii back out so he can check out his new Just Dance and a sporting game on the Wii.

Sierra just had a big update a month ago, but she is well advanced for 22 months old.  She is talking in sentences and singing songs - she is a sponge for information right now.  She is obsessed with her baby dolls (she got a couple for xmas) and putting them to sleep, changing their diapers, and giving them hugs.  She also frequently asks to read books and talk on the phone (with FaceTime).  She is also still obsessed with puppy dogs and while we were back in MN she told me "Puppy dog at home."  I said, no, we don't have a puppy dog at home.  She replied, "GET puppy dog at home."  This conversation was repeated several times.  Alas, we are not getting a puppy dog at home.

Putting herself in her babies' cradle

On NYE day we went out shopping to exchange some things for sizes, colors, etc.  Sierra started out quite excited, just like a stereotypical girl she cheered from her carseat "shopping! Fun day! Yay!"  Thayden responded like a stereotypical boy, "Shopping? Boring day.  I think we should stay home and play.  Or go to the zoo." 

The first store we went into was Bass Pro Shop, kind of like a Cabella's for those from MN who aren't familiar.  There are huge boats, Rangers, live (giant) fish, about a thousand killed & stuffed animals, and of course all your male sporting goods equipment.  Thayden was ecstatic.  He couldn't curb his excitement, jumping around talking a hundred words per minute "Mommy, look at THAT!  Can I have that for Christmas next year? OMG look at that!" - "that" referring to any of the above listed things in this giant testosterone-rich complex.  Sierra on the other hand was not so enthusiastic.  She asked to "go to other store" and within 5 minutes she had managed to run away from me as fast as she could (even passing by a dog without second look, which is amazing if you know how dog-crazed she is) and running outside.  Haha, I had a good laugh anyway.