Hard to believe it's November 6th already with the weather we've been having around here, but Halloween is over and it seems like we are gearing up for the Holiday at a rapid rate. So with that being said let's get on with my Quick Takes!
***1***
So speaking of holidays, I am super excited for the upcoming Advent/Christmas season. Noah is starting to be old enough to start to get a little bit more about the season and I am trying to add some very age appropriate activities to our days counting down to Christmas. So just what are these activities you ask????
I have purchased the items to make our very own Jesse tree to use for the years to come. If you aren't familiar with the Jesse Tree it's a way of going through the story of Christ all the way back to the creation of the world. Each day you read a little scripture and put the coordinating ornament on the little Jesse Tree. We will be doing this each night while we light our Advent wreath and sing "O Come Emmanuel" together. The whole thing will take less than 5 minutes, but I'm hoping it gets the kids a little bit of the story of Christ. I should give a shout out to my friend Mary for this idea. I totally stole it from her. (Feel free to steal it from me!)
After our little candle/tree service we will pick a book from the tree to unwrap and read together! I am happy to report we have all 25 books thanks to friends and our own collection.
I also plan to "hide" our elf every day for Noah to find. I'm pretty opposed to Elf on the Shelf, but Noah loves seek and find books and to point things out, so I think this will be fun for him and maybe a way to introduce "Elf on the Shelf" **cringe**
I'm sure there will be other special moments in our holiday prep, but I'm really excited to make some special memories with my boys!
***2***
Keeping with the theme of the Holidays, would you believe I am done shopping for Noah already and cannot think of anything to get Jonah. (Poor second child...) It's hard to hold back and not keep buying "things" especially when each day I seem to get rid of or put up another toy that isn't being played with, but yet I am so excited to see our little guy's face on Christmas morning. There is such a joy for me in buying and giving gifts, especially for my kids. I'm trying very hard though to keep things in perspective. For example, I know Jonah won't understand that he has less gifts than Noah under the tree. It's silly to buy just to buy...especially for a 1 year old...who has a birthday 4 days later!
This year I'm also doing a lot of homemade gifts and I'm excited to use my time making some gifts for my loved ones with thought and love. I sure hope they appreciate them too.
***3***
So another shout for my friend, Mary. She's pretty much a rockstar who just gave birth in September to her 4th child and her oldest child is 4. Anyways, she posted this awesome
blog today about how she's learning to keep her house in order with 4 kids 4 and under. The thing is, we've been having lots of conversations lately about her little changes and she's really been inspiring me to change the way I do things around my house too. I won't repeat all that she has to say...go read her blog...but I will summarize by saying I'm learning to never leave a room without taking what I can to any other room it needs to go to. I'm learning the need to declutter with a vengeance...less toys, less piles, less, less, less. (Less really is more.) And finally, I'm making the choice to pick up the Living Room toys every day at nap time instead of leaving it until bed time. Yes, a lot of the toys come back out, but not all of them usually do and having the Living Room picked up for a bit really makes me feel much better in the evenings and when I first wake up in the morning.
***4***
So, I must tell you, I'm not a huge fan of Thanksgiving normally. Yes, I enjoy the meal and family time, but it's just not high on my list for some reason. But this year, I'm trying to embrace the whole Thankfulness of the season and recognize my blessings in a special way. So tell me...what do you do to make Thanksgiving special? What traditions? What makes Thanksgiving special for you?
Help a girl out....
***5***
So, the weather we have this week it's been awesome to spend outside. The boys have enjoyed a few trips to the park, crunching leaves outside, and a little fresh air. And don't get me wrong it was lovely. What was not lovely is that it has gotten all of us sick. I ended up with a sinus infection and bronchitis. Noah's allergies are through the roof. Just today Jonah's nose started running...again. So we kind of are ready for the weather to break, the moldy leaves to be gone, and for the ridiculous amount of kleenex being used to decrease in a major way. I need to get back on a daily vitamin and get on a healthy regiment of water and exercise too! It's time for some extra health in these parts. We've got holidays to celebrate!
***6***
In saying that, I'm also gearing up for winter and what that means for a mom and her 2 boys. More days stuck at home than we'd like. So, I'm trying to make some plans. Have my list of places to visit things to do. So tell me all you moms of little kids. How do you survive winter? Where are your favorite places to visit to let your kids burn off some energy and get a chance of scenery? Also, what activities do you keep on hand to keep your little ones busy when you are stuck at home. I've been doing my due diligence on Pinterest, but it's always nice to hear from the real moms in the trenches. So hit me up!
***7***
Ok last little thought for you. Burlap...it's my favorite. Burlap pumpkins, doilies, wreaths....it's my current fav.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Happy memory making with those you love best!!
Fast forward 14 years, and now I am a wife and a mother to 2 rambunctious little guys here on this earth. Our days are mostly filled with Thomas the Train, ABC's, Daniel Tiger, books, puzzles, mischief, and detesting most foods that aren't cheese crackers or muffins. My little guys spend their days learning new skills, playing/annoying one another, and protesting most forms of sleep. This is their world. They know unconditional love from their mom and dad and for the most part wear smiles on their faces. 
So when the terrorist attacks occurred this past Friday in Paris, I turned on the news while making the boys dinner (something I don't usually do....the news...not the dinner) and I watched in horror as once again the terrorists had seemed to win. Terrorists had once again killed innocent people in the name of Allah. And do you know what my boys did? They threw their food on the floor and protested their hot dogs.