Making Our Season Bright

It's just been an average week around our place.  Not much has happened that's blog worthy, but I have taken a few photos to share with you.  Jingles is making his daily appearance and the boys love hunting for him every morning.  You'll be glad to know that our elf has been so tired this week that he has just slept in the same place that we left him.  For some reason he likes to move around and hide while we are eating breakfast.  Imagine that, ha.  Here's a little of our week in pictures-

One morning we found Jingles hiding in the entertainment center.  He had left some Whoppers candy and a Christmas book.  

Every Wednesday is pancake day at our house.  I started this when Cruz was still in school.  Wednesday was P.E. day and was his favorite day of school.  Pancakes are his favorite breakfast food.  I decided to combine the two.  P.E. and pancakes make a great combo, right.  I've been doing holiday themed pancakes this month.  This week we had snowman pancakes.  My boys LOVED them!

While in town one day this week we finished up some Christmas shopping for the boys.  Where did we go?  to the hardware store, of course.  My little guys love all things handyman/ construction.  They're getting new tool boxes, tools, work gloves, work vests...  They are going to love it.  

The boys love building things with my Jenga blocks.  We make all things from roads for their cars to stalls for their animals.   This week Cruz built a house and a parking spot for his work truck.  When I asked him what the tall blocks were he responded "Oh, that's my corn. I don't have a lot of food so I had to plant some corn to make my tortillas".    I just smiled, big.

I made some pans of cinnamon rolls this week.  It takes me two days to do it.  I make up my dough one day.  I let it sit in the refrigerator overnight and then assemble the rolls the next day.   It's just easier for me to do it that way with little ones running around.  It's A LOT of work but the results are worth it.  We ate one pan that afternoon and I now have seven more in the freezer to enjoy in the coming weeks.  Anybody want to stop by for coffee and dessert? 

Out of the blue one afternoon this week Cruz says "let's take my training wheels off and let me ride my bike without them."   David jumped right up and got on it.  I didn't think he could do it but much to my surprise he jumped on it and took off.  He's been all over the place ever since.  My boy is growing up, and as excited as I am to watch him ride like a big boy it tugs at my heart just a bit to know he's not my baby anymore.

Here's a video of him in action (and Ben too who can't ever seem to be outdone by his big brother)

Speaking of Ben, this is his favorite place to hang out at night- under the Christmas tree looking at the lights and ornaments.

My boys favorite ornaments are the family ones we have from over the years.  Ben likes this one from 2011.  It's a bear family of me, David, and Cruz, and the mama bear is pregnant (with Ben).

Cruz loves this one from 2009.  It's our ornament when I was pregnant with him.  It's funny to me that the boys like the ornaments of when I was pregnant with each of them.  Another thing that makes me smile.

 We had an angel themed day this week.  We read the Christmas story in Luke 2 and had a coloring sheet to go with it.  We also made these hand and footprint angels to add to their door.

 How cute are these!

Here are the boys having snack one morning.  I'm sure you've seen the commercials for Snackeez.  Memaw bought them each one while we were in the States and they love them.  It's such a cool idea to have their snack and drink together. 

 Cruz has been driving me nuts asking each day when is Christmas.  So, I decided to make him a countdown to let him see how many more days were left.  We always bake a Jesus birthday cake on Christmas Eve and I put red and green M&M's on it.  I used that theme in making my calendar.  Each day we glue another "M&M" on the birthday cake.  It's a fun way to review the meaning of Christmas- the birth of Jesus and he's not asked me again how much longer.  He also made the snowman to add to it, ha.

Hooray for Friday!  Today our Jingles treat was a connect the dots coloring sheet.  It revealed their surprise for the day.  

Ice Cream! 

 My guys love ice cream and can't wait until our trip into town tonight to get theirs.  They will probably drive me crazy all day asking about it, but that's okay.  They are so excited! 

Here's the coupons they got this morning.  Our weekly trip into town just got a little sweeter.

As if these two need anything else to hype them up this time of the year! 

Have a great weekend everyone!  Let's all slow down and take a little time to enjoy the season.  It really is a special time of the year.