Bunk Beds!

The boys got bunk beds last weekend--they love them!

First night in their new beds

Their bedspreads didn't come until a few days later. Josiah chose cars, trains, and boats:

And Elijah surprised me by choosing a boat one:

He's declared his bed cozier the mine!

Ending 2013

Because we live in Southern California, our last day of 2013 looked this:

Beach, cousins, grandparents--a good way to end the year!

And then grandparents took all the kids home for a sleepover, so I got a tea time with a dear friend and then an evening out with Dustin--a good way to end the year!

Christmas!

Christmas Eve was spent at church and then dinner (traditional beef brisket!) at our place with my family.

Christmas morning was just the four of us--nice and quiet and leisurely. The boys, surprisingly, slept in till 8am, then they helped me finish wrapping Dustin's presents (so on top of things!) while the cinnamon rolls baked. 

One child was obliging

Luke 2 was read; stockings were opened.

We had to convince them to leave their coloring books (Dover makes Revolutionary War coloring books) and come eat breakfast.

More present opening, followed by time to play with the presents.

The prized gifts this year were the tricorn hat and pistol

Playing their new Robot Turtles game

Lego assembly

More Lego assembly

Finally two smiling boys in front of the tree

Then it was up to my Uncle's for a lovely afternoon and evening with my family.

We always walk to the town square to visit the snowman and the nativity

Good food, lots of visiting, more presents, and more playing.

Remote controls are pretty fun!

Another hit present: Civil War soldiers from Granny, whom we'd visited right after the Civil War Reenactment

The day after Christmas, the boys and I got a quiet home day (boys got to play with their new toys while I packed, finished chocolates, and finished wrapping presents for Christmas, take 2) and Dustin headed back to work. We drove up to Fresno that night.

Friday was Christmas day with the Guenthers, starting with the traditional Christmas tree rolls and German sausague and ending with the traditional chocolate pie. It was a day of good company, good food, playing games, opening presents.

Next day was Christmas day with the Friesens (and the camera was forgotten back at the house). More delicious food, good company, game playing, Christmas celebrating. Then back home that night, so that I could help my mom host a bridal shower for a dear childhood friend the next day.

December

Pictures from last month....way too many for one post, but enjoy!

The boys absolutely love to play playdough (when my mother's helper comes, she often does playdough with them for 1.5 hours straight--they adore her!)

The bears are eating bread, I think. Each one gets its own portion (each sometimes also gets its own tricorn hat)

Making playdough snails

 Revolutionary War play remains just as strong:

Duplo fort with lots of cannons, built entirely by Elijah

Close up of all the cannons manned by duplo people

Preschool tray: Watercolors

My fourth graders started their bird unit. We set up matching bird feeders to see which type of bird seed was preferred by birds in the area--No Waste Blend was the winner by a large margin.

The boys drawing birds in their field notebooks

Elijah's bird (I helped with some of the outlining but he did the rest)

 We did some, but not a lot, of Christmasy things:

Neither boy indulged me with a photo while decorating the tree (which Dustin had to get by himself because some of us were sick), but here Elijah is undecorating the tree to decorate the little one.

Decorating the little tree

Preschool work tray: magnets

 Dustin is working on clearing the bushes out of the back corner, much to all my students delight. Fort building is a favorite activity!

The preschoolers at work

Napping with his second cousin

We made a gingerbread house:

The boys had lots of fun making the gingerbread house. We had to display it on the piano because that is where Rand and Ella had theirs last year. Drama occured when two little pieces of candy fell off of the house and Dustin ate them thinking no one would notice. He was wrong--tears ensued! More tears when part of the roof fell off. We are supposed to repair the house, including replacing the missing candies, before we can consume it.

December has been full of gorgeous weather:

Fire trucks and the only toy a child really needs: counting bears

Some Revolutionary War game; I think Elijah is reading a map

Ready for battle

 Making sugar cookies:

Josiah called the angels "The angel of the Lord"; he insisted the stockings were just socks

The reason the boys like to help :)

Decorating our cookies:

Careful decorator

More playdough time:

All the Revolutionary War soldiers are tucked into bed

 The boys helped me make lots and lots of chocolates to give as gifts.

Crushing Oreos for Oreo Truffles

Slicing cherries for Chocolate Covered Cherries