Christmas Day

I feel like a really bad mom because as I sat down to start blogging about Christmas, I realized that there is not a single picture of JJ opening or playing with his presents on Christmas morning! :( We did get it all on video, though. Sorry, JJ! He did get lots of cool toys: a transformer, a bionicle, racetracks for his hot wheels, a couple board games like Hungry Hungry Hippos and Elefun. We had a great morning.

Santa Came!

Here is JJ's bowling set that he got from Santa. As soon as the kids came downstairs, they immediately started fighting over it. And we were worried that JJ would feel bad that he didn't get a big playhouse like McKenna!


The Rose Petal Cottage has been a big hit!





Santa even remembered Sparky



We always go to my Mom's for lunch on Christmas Day. All of the cousins come too- it's a lot of fun!






Moms on Christmas. We were worn out!

The Brown Family Christmas Party

On the 26th we had our annual Brown Family Christmas Party!




We gave my Dad a book of all of our family pictures from 1970 to 1979.






We sang Happy Birthday to JJ. He was really shy about it, but you could tell he really loved it too.


McKenna got an Elmo from Grandma and Grandpa Brown. He sings the ABC's which is perfect for her. She has been learning the alphabet and can recognize and pronounce most of the letters now.



She calls the Elmo toy "Melmo." And she loves her Melmo. He has joined her entourage of 'gigi's- her blankie, bunnie, and chocolate milk are all gigi's too.

JJ Turns 4

Happy Birthday to my big boy yesterday. He had a great time and kept saying, "This is the best birthday, EVER!"

I like my sister's idea of not doing friend birthday parties until they are 5, so we didn't do one with his little friends this year. Honestly, that's one part of parenthood that I am dreading: friend birthday parties. Not my idea of a good time.

Another thing that I'm not so excited about? Making cakes that are not in the shapes of squares or rectangles. Here is my first attempt at making something different. Frosting it was such an ordeal that I was about ready to throw the whole thing out the window. Luckily, James stepped in and finished it before I got to that point.





James lifted the balloon ban and I think that was a good thing. McKenna didn't care at all that JJ was opening presents. I swear, to her, balloons are like crack.



JJ was really happy with all of his presents. Each year his Nana and Grandpa in South Dakota give him some of the Mr. Men books for his birthday and Christmas. I think that by next year he will have the whole set. (McKenna gets the Little Miss ones from them too.) Missing from the picture are the Bionicle and Viewfinder from my Mom.


We let him stay up late to play with his toys. He had so much fun. And I will admit it: I've always wanted a viewfinder.


In the meantime, we're all looking forward to James coming home from work so that I don't have to be a Bionicle while JJ is a Transformer. That's what dads are for. (And brothers. Maybe JJ will get one of those this year.)