Love Christmas!

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love to celebrate the birth of my Lord! It means more to me now than ever as I try to teach my boys the meaning of the season!

Sunday we started pulling out decorations... I usually like to get everything up that weekend after Thanksgiving but this year things are a little different. One, we are getting hardwood floors put in our den-YAY!!!!-and will be moving out for a week next week... Two, right after getting back from Columbia I came down with strep (which is how I have time to update the blog), so not only was I behind on laundry already, now cleaning, AND Christmas stuff! But, hey, we got the boys tree up in the playroom and a wreath and flag at the front entrance! We might just go lightly this year...

So, Sunday Jayce and I decorated the tree in the playroom with all his special ornaments (and Gabe's). Each year the McLaughlin cousins do an ornament exchange and he has gotten the cutest little ornaments from all his cousins. He loves looking at them and talking about who they are from. I was excited b/c he loves to decorate the tree as much as I do! Jay, not so much... and Gabe... maybe next year!

Mimi gave Jayce and Gabe a special early Christmas gift this year, a nativity set-non-breakable...Jayce loves to play with it on his bedside table!

Here are a few pics of the boys in some Christmas clothes, nothing fancy, just hanging around the house getting ready for Christmas!

Jayce's Thanksgiving Party

Well, unfortunately these are about the only Turkey Day shots I have... I took my camera to Cola, but had left my memory card here :(

This was Jayce's party at school. I am room mother this year and had the best time helping Jayce's class make pilgrim hats! Jayce and I made pilgrim cookies to take them and they were a huge hit! Tasted good too from the comments! Jayce was especially excited to present these to his class as his teacher told me he'd been telling them about them all morning!

Backyard Fun!

The boys have loved playing in the backyard before it gets too cold! We had our neighbor Sara over the other day, who both my boys love! Sara also has a big sis who Jayce is especially fond of, Ella! She was not here this day so they took turns playing with her! Races were a big hit, and a great way to be sure they'd sleep well that night! I am loving the new camera Jay got me, I still need lots of practice and to learn the manual, but it takes great action shots! Love that!

How Precious is this???

As mentioned many times before, Gabe LOVES to sing! I only am sad for him that he does not have much of a chance at winning American Idol if his parents' singing talent (or lack thereof) has much to do with it!

Here's the little performer with 2 of his favorites
"You are my sunshine" and "Twinkle, twinkle"oi

Bible stories

We are very into reading Jayce's Bible story book at bed time. Jay and I both agree we sometimes get as much out of reading these stories as we think he does! He really listens not only during this time but in Sunday School! The boy can tell me all the details on about any Bible story he's heard!

It is so funny because he will say things out of the blue to let me know he's really been taking it in!

Tonight, as we were leaving church, he said "mom, do I have a birthright?" Totally out of the blue... couldn't tell when we last read about Jacob and Essau, but he sure remembers!

Gabe's Latest Sayings

Here is what Gabe has been "talking about" lately...
He Loves to say..

"COOOO Jayce!" (meaning cool Jayce).

"Watch this Jayce, or mama or dada!" He loves to show us everything "coo" he is doing!

"Iwantsooom" (one word meaning I want some)... this is any time that Jayce has something he does not...

"More mama, more mama..." anytime he is out of food... I hear this one quite frequently as I cannot seem to move fast enough to meet his demands!

"Wannagetout!" Still might be his most famous "sentence" as he repeats this one from his high chair, car seat, shopping cart, stroller, or anywhere that he is forced to sit still for an extended amount of time!

Gabe says MUCH MORE than this but these are the ones that play over and over in my head! He pretty much talks all day, repeating anything that I say to him as a question.
For instance, if I say, "there's a truck Gabe." He says, "There's a truck mama?" Never at a loss for words this boy!

Jayce's First Football Team

bed time prayers with Jayce

Jay and I have started a new ritual of trading off the nights we put each of our guys to bed. For a long time, Jay put them both to bed, as Gabe was usually ready to climb right in and he could take him on his way and get to spend a little time with each. Now, Gabe stays up a little later, and gets to see daddy for a while after he is home. Gabe also now likes to rock and sing more and Jayce loves to read and pray. So, with this taking quite some time to do both, we now each take one. I decided we needed to alternate so we to have some quality time with each one every other night!

I so enjoy reading to Jayce and hearing him pray. Some nights he just wants me to pray but last night he wanted to pray himself. He modeled his prayer after mine, as each night, I start by "Dear Lord, thank you for this wonderful day and my wonderful boys you have given me" and I try to start by thanking Him.

So last night as Jayce begins praying, I am thinking how sweet it is that he is following my prayer pattern... "Dear Lord, thank you for .... how sweet.... "MY CRAZY MOMMY... huh?... MY CRAZY BROTHER... at least I'm not singled out... and MY REALLY CRAZY DADDY... and that I'm CRAZY JAYCE!" I guess we are just one crazy fam!

Mr. Friendly

It's amazing to me how friendly and sociable both of my boys have been! I always heard you had one kind of shy one, and one outgoing one... and one really quiet one, and one roudy one! So far, our story has proven both myths wrong! My boys are both SO outgoing and SO LOUD and So talkative! Jay and I both had one yesterday and when we reunited we both were talking about how they are non-stop talkers! Do not like silence one bit!

Well, not only will Gabe greet each passerby on the street, and say goodbye to everything in our house when we leave... he even talks to bugs. The other day, we were on our way to pick up Jayce from school and Gabe was eating his lunch in the car once again...pbandj. He said, mama, look a bug. I said, that bug must want some of your sandwich Gabe. Next thing I know, I see a hand in the back of the car holding a sandwich up to the sky. Gabe said, "Here bug, here's sandwich, eat sandwich." He can share with a bug, now if we could just get him to share with Jayce!

Gabe's 1st Hair Cut

SO,I finally did it... well kind of... I didn't actually pay for a hair cut... I did it myself! I figured out that while Gabe eats a bowl of oatmeal, it's a pretty good time to get scissor happy on his hair! He never minded and curly hair is really hard to mess up! You can't tell if it's uneven... Anyhow, I cut a good bit but it was not too much I didn't think! Thought it turned out pretty good!

Jayce's First Day of 4K

Here is Mr. Jayce his first morning of 4K! He was super excited about going this year and early mornings have not been a problem for him! He is "up and at 'em" so far each day! He loves to pick his outfit (I give him 2 choices), and come down all dressed. He "orders" his breakfast the night before and things run pretty smoothly this way! He is loving 4K so far and his teacher, which definitely helps! He comes home each day with a new song or Bible verse, which I love!

Here is my favorite so far, it actually is as good for mommy to hear as for him! It has become the song we chant around the house each time it is needed!

"The devil wants everybody grumpy, the devil wants everybody mad.The devil wants everybody grumpy, and he doesn't want everybody glad. (arms crossed and frowny face)
But Jesus wants everybody happy, Jesus wants everybody glad! Jesus wants everybody happy, and he doesn't want anybody sad!"
Love it! Works like a charm every time, even on myself!

We look forward to a great school year!

I must say though, no matter how many times I do this, I have to cry the first day each year... This year especially seemed hard, it was so quiet once my Jayce was gone... that is until I got Gabe out of the crib... but to think, once they are BOTH gone to school... can't go there yet... At least it is only a half day, and I look SO forward to picking him up each day to hear what he has learned!

Uncle Stephen's Wedding

Jay, Jayce and I took a little road trip, actually long road trip, to Marion, Virginia. Uncle Stephen and Taryn were married there August 8th. We had a great time with Jayce! He really had a lot more fun than he appears to be having in these pictures! He did awesome on the road trip and really enjoyed hanging out with his Columbia "friends." (his endearing term for all his cousins)! Congratulations to Stephen and Taryn!

McLaughlin Family Beach Trip

So, after much complaining from my cousin Jen, I decided I had better get on the ball with my blog and am trying to get updated! You're welcome Jen!
Last minute this year, Nanny booked a house in Cherry Grove for the whole family! It turned out we had already planned to vacation that week in Hilton Head, so we just changed directions and went with the clan! The boys had the BEST time... We literally did not see Jayce except for in passing as he ran through the room on his way to find another "friend."
We were on the inlet and the boys loved fishing and crabbing off the dock! Grandaddy brought the golf cart and a red wagon for us to ride around in and these both came in very handy! We were so glad Jayce especially had an opportunity to hang out with his cousins, he always has the best time with them! And, we had a pretty easy week with him being so entertained!