Creative Kids

There is a lot of creating going on at our house these days!

Coloring and drawing is a staple, particularly for Nora. She often wants to do homework right along with Zeke. Her current favorite medium is marker, and she will color the whole page navy blue, red, or magenta. Thank goodness these washable markers really do wash out of clothing!   

Both kids are in heaven with PlayDoh. Mom and dad aren't so crazy about the mess, but the kids have a blast. We have a food set, so they create all sorts of 'tasty' things. Zeke loves the ice cream cone (with sprinkles!) and the popsicles and has been awesome about cleaning up. 

Nora loves the molds and cutting out various food items - it is one of her very favorite things. Here she has a piece of bread and a cookie. She also loves to make pretzels.

Zeke has of late been leaving me pictures on our white board, usually with a story to go with it. Here we are as gingerbread people, 

and this windmill has the caption 'Wheat can make bread and flour.' I love the stalk of wheat, loaf of bread, and sack of flour next to the windmill. 

January So Far

We started our January off busy! 

Making gingerbread cookies

Visiting and playing at the Loertscher party on New Years Day

Meeting cousin Jacob and opening presents with him 

Dressing up for church

And building puzzles we got for Christmas

Here's to 2014!

Leading Up to Christmas

Our December has been so festive and fun. The kids (especially Zeke) have been so excited!

Enjoying the Christmas tree and the Christmas train. 

Advent calendar ornaments for the little tree. Two ornaments every day until Christmas. 

We got Little People nativities this year. We all love them! This is Zeke's preferred arrangement... I love how all of the animals and visitors are crowded around to see the baby. 

Gingerbread festival. The gingerbread boy and girl cutouts were the favorite part again this year! 

The primary sang at the ward/neighborhood party. Aaron got this sweet picture of Zeke and Nora singing Away in a Manger (asleep....asleep....)

Zeke was excited to go see Santa.

Nora was excited too but only wanted to get this close. 

And there were so many other things that made the season bright that we didn't photograph. Baking Christmas sugar cookies, Christmas shopping for our extended family members, Christmas parties, wrapping presents, seeing Christmas lights, singing/listening to/dancing to Christmas carols, reading Christmas stories, watching Christmas movies, and of course arranging and re-arranging our nativities and talking about the nativity story.  

Chrismtas Eve

Grandma Carlile's tradition of giving the kids Christmas pajamas has gotten even more fun now as they come to visit us on Christmas Eve to deliver the presents. 

I managed to get pictures this year before everyone was too tired to put up with a photoshoot. 

As I was taking these I was thinking about just how fast they are growing up and how proud I am of everything they are doing and learning. 

I think Christmas is more fun now that I have kids to plan surprises for!