Last Night of 2009

We attempted to spend a nice little New Year's Eve as a family....

I made the usual array of snack-like pick-on foods, but this year I made home-made pizza as well!





Matt and I loved it, Jonathan, well... he wanted left-over sweet potatoes...UGH.

We wanted to watch a movie together, since we had gotten Jonathan a bunch for Christmas, but he wanted no part in watchinf anything other than "Cars" or "Jack's Big Music Show", so that was out... We instead put on the rest of the Disney Parade (which really did feel like a long commercial - as Matt had pointed out). In any event, I think it served it's purpose, since Jonathan was asking to go to Disney...No arguements here!

Jonathan was a bit nudgy today, so lets home he left the last of that in 2009!
Once his teeth were brushed and he listened to a story, we put him to bed and settled downstairs for about an hour of conversation and television until Matt had to leave and go to work for the night... DOUBLE UGH!

Playing with NEW toys

Jonathan is still plying with everything he had gotten for Christmas, one or two items at a time, and Matt noticed he has made up his own little rules for playing...
How cute!



(You have to say "vroom", cars have to practice on the rug, only one car down the ramp at a time)

Our little Christmas

Matt of course spoiled us rotten, but I guess I knew he would... he always does!
Jonathan was surely a trooper, after a LONG (honestly exhausting) fourteen hours of unwrapping (I am REALLY not exaggerating). We almost finshed. We left one special gift for last, the biggest of all, and I don't think Jonathan had a clue about it.

Second Birthday!

We started the morning off right, Jonathan's favorite breakfast PANCAKES!

Once, we had full bellies we got down to buisness....PRESENTS!!!

First Jonathan opened his little supply gifts (art paper, crayons, play-doh), and on to the big gift AN ACTIVITY ART CENTER!!!

He was so super excited to see it and he sat right down and wanted to play right away!

Lastly he opened a BUZZ LIGHTYEAR! He loved it! He even napped with it!

Present for Daddy

Jonathan making a bell ornament for Matt for a Christmas present. It may appear that I am doing all the work, but that is only after Jonathan gave me specific directions on where to put each sticker AND THEN someone brought out animal crackers... Whenever food is introduced, it's all over!

Jonathan's SECOND birthday!

This time there was no snow to prevent people from coming! We tried to keep it as far away from the holiday as possible, I think that helped...
Jonathan picked the theme "Hawaiian Beach Party", the cakes (Cookies and cream & fruity pound cake)and even learned to say thank-you in Hawaiian "Mahalo"...



We had a nice turn-out of adults, plenty of people for Jonathan to entertain, but not too many little people for Jonathan to play with...Next year...

SURPRISE!!!!

Guess who is going to be a BIG BROTHER!!!!!
THIS BOY

Jack o' Lanterns

Matt says I always put too much effort into it, but I love every minute of it.... Very few times can adults act like little kids and not be laughed at, I surely take advantage of that every chance I can get!


Matt made the pirate skull...(below)... And I the wolves howling at the moon...(above)

TRICK or TREAT!?

Here is the little monkey boy,....
He didn't really get what was going on untuil we were done. He kept wanting to go in everyone's house and "visit" once we knocked... maybe next year...

Halloween Party

I managed to drag both Matt and Jonathan to the annual halloween party with the promise of having some great fun and food.... I think at least Jonathan left happy!



One thing is CERTAIN... when all was said and done, the
ittle man NEEDED a nap!

My little helper!

Jonathan now wants to watch everything I do in the kitchen, ESPECIALLY when he hears the mixer!

He pulls up his little chair-stool right up to the counter to watch or spin a bowl or pour in some ingrediants for me...

So cute, so helpful and always so hungry!

Little silly boy!

Jonathan is a trip! In a word, unpredictable!
He so enjoys just being his silly little self, and everything he does just brings a smile to my face!
How lucky I am to have such a brilliant, handsome, funny little man!

Newest Little One is on the Way!!!

ALWAYS SMILING!

My smart cookie

Jonathan is growing LEAPS AND BOUNDS in his learning and developmental progress!
He is know identifying colors, shapes, numbers and letters by name and working on the sounds each letter makes!
He makes me so proud of him!

Daddy Dressed me!

Apparently I learn each day why I am the stay-at-home-parent!
Matt took Jonathan upstairs to get dressed and ready to start the day and he returned as my little ghetto bug.... and the clothes he was wearing were hand-me-downs that he isn't close to fitting in yet!



But hey he tried! And Jonathan is still cute! And obviously enjoying himself!

We're going to the fair

the birds and the bees will be there....

Ice Cream

Jonathan eating an ice cream! His new favorite past-times!

Everybody LOVES US???

While trying to find ways to make extra money, Matt stumbled accross a need for an "Everybody Loves Raymond" sort of close-knit, close-by family.
And of course we applied..
It took about two months before we heard anything and finally they sent him an email stating that we made it to "round two" and they wanted to know more about us.
Matt completed some survey thing asking some weird questions and then had to send them a bunch of pictures.
I hope we get it!




Of course since we took about thirty pictures and couldnt get ONE right, I didn't think that was such a good sign!

Kissy Face Day

I just cannot get over the whole not-being-in-school-teaching thing yet...
So today, Jonathan and I invited Julie and Jenn over (of course Avery, Jarret, Aiden and Eric came as well) and I read "The Kissing Hand".
My little audience was CAPTIVATED... ha! I think I spent the most of the time reading to myself, but I enjoyed myself.
Once I was done torturing the children with my story-book reading, we made our own "Kissing Hand".
They all came out pretty cute and I am sure I will keep Jonathan's forever!

Last Day

I don't think Jonathan really understood what it meant to leave Disney...

He didn't seem dissappointed when we told him we were going home.

Or maybe it was because the WHOLE vacation he was not napping and clearly having fun EVERYDAY! It definately took him all week to adjust!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

WE got to celebrate our anniversary in the HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH...

I have a SWORD!

Jonathan transformed into CAP'N JACK! Sword in tow...

Magic Kingdom

Despite the rain and TERRIBLE servive we recieved for dinner, THIS FAMILY is not getting down at the Happiest Place on Earth!

Our hotel view...

GREAT TIMING

We were going to go back to the hotel for a nap when we decided, maybe to see if we could hit up some more characters before napping. And since we were on a mad-dash to find Jonathan a Minnie Mouse to smooch, the parade was a perfect time to search...

We stumbled on purpose through a meet and great section of Animal Kingdom RIGHT BEFORE the characters were switching, so we were FIRST in line nearly EVER time!

Checking out Nemo in Epcot!

We must have gone through the new Nemo 'ride' four times but we couldn't get Mr. cranky-pants calm long enough to go to the Crush show! DANG!

Happy FIRST trip little bug!

Although Jonathan has visted DisneyLand in California, it is VERY important to make his first trip to Disney World a memorable one!