Monday, December 26, 2011

Merry Christmas 2011

Christmas started on Christmas Eve with Travis' folks.  They came to our house this year and we had a great visit.  Kay made her family's traditional oyster stew and we also had sandwiches and lots of finger foods. Parker liked the cake pops best! :) After dinner and presents we started a new tradition and went to the Peoria Festival of Lights.  We had lots of fun!

This is how Parker woke up on Christmas morning...crazy kid...so excited!
After changing clothes he came running out to see what Santa had brought.  
Toy STORY!!!! Blue PAPER!!!! PRESENTS!!!
Parker asked Santa (repeatedly) for presents...blue presents...with Woody, Buzz, Lotso and Woody's hat for Christmas. 
Carsee, Carsee...did you see?!?!?! Toy Story!


Woody's Hat 
Ummmm...smells like strawberries!  Here Carsee, try my hat on. 
 
Crackin up before Church... 
Huh?

Attempting a family photo after Church...

After Church on Christmas Day we headed to Grandpa/Grandma Vancil's.  Again, we had a great time.  The house was full of friends and family, good food, games, and presents!
Parker helped everyone open their stocking gifts and opened all of his and Carson's gifts as well.  We had a great time and Parker was a great cheerleader during the Wii bowling tournament. 
Both boys did really well with two days of excitement and limited naps.  
Parker and friends (Woody and Jessie) serenaded us with "Christmas Classics" ;)

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Shyvel is a local children's photographer.  Some friends use her and she has great backdrops/photos with Santa, Easter Bunny, a Fall scene etc.  
This year I just had to have her do the kids photos.  The cost is very comparable to the mall Santa and I had great visions of this picture perfect Santa photo that I could enlarge and hang in our house as part of our Christmas decor, send out in Christmas cards, etc...

The photo didn't make the cut...
Shyvel is still wonderful, and I look forward to her doing work for us in the future.  She was patient with a bawling Parker who was suddenly petrified of Santa and of Carson who wouldn't look at the camera and with me who kept dodging in and out of the photo trying to get both kids to look and smile at the same time...

Also, please excuse the lime green, unmatching, Oscar the grouch socks that Carson is wearing.  Travis tried to change the socks when we got there, but I was in such a rush and so worried that we would be making people wait I said it was fine, don't worry about it...
Once again, I wish I had listened to Trav....

Ho, ho, ho!

A Sharp Dressed Man...

We can't decide who's fashion sense Parker got......

Gingerbread House

We continue to do the Try it on Tuesday's at Bright Futures Pre-School.  We ask Parker if he wants to go to pre-school and he immediately shouts yeah!  This previous Tuesday he added..."what we make mommy?"  
It is fun to see him so energetic about "school" at such an early age!
This week Parker made a Gingerbread house.  He had very little assistance.  I helped him frost the inside edge, he added the graham crackers.  He started to frost the outside edge,I helped finish.  He added all of the candy decorations...I helped by eating the skittles in his bucket ;)
We think Parker's first Gingerbread house is beautiful!  I'm still amazed he did it mostly himself!
We will miss Try it on Tuesday's over the next few weeks, but look forward to starting again in January!
Yum!  Frosting...Eat it mommy? Eat it? 
Look at my house guys! 
Cheese!

Carson's Dedication

Sunday was Carson's dedication at Church.  Since Chervenka's were home for Christmas, they were able to make the extra drive down to Galesburg to be at Carson's day.  It was nice to have friends and family around. 
Carson had on a really cute stripped sweater...(I didn't try it on before Sunday morning...it had been Parker's and it said the right size on the label...not a good choice)...the sweater was too small and drove him nuts so as soon as the actual dedication was done, the sweater came off!  (I also didn't think through the vest for Parker)  He looks like a turtle in his shell for most of the photos!
Carson's Family

The Stecher's

The Vancil's

Mommy, Daddy, big brother, and Carson

Travis and his sister

Stecher Family Christmas

Saturday was the Stecher Family Christmas.  We had a wonderful visit with Travis' sister and family.  We went to incredible pizza for lunch and play time, then had ham balls and presents later that afternoon/evening.  Everyone had a great time!












Ear Ache


This photo looks like Carson is too big for his swing...he's getting there....
This photo looks like Carson is falling out of the swing....he's strapped in...
This photo looks like Carson has a dirty pillow...it's hair that's rubbed off...'
This photo looks like Carson is covering his right ear...he is...it hurts...

This photo does NOT show the yucky ear infection and first antibiotic our baby has had...nor does it show the allergy to penicillin he apparently now has....

but it does show his sweet innocent face even during illness.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Discovering the Christmas Tree

Hey!  There's a tree there! 


 

A blurry Christmas smile!

Movie Night

Parker went to his first movie on Thursday.
Thursday was Nielson School's Family Movie Night at the Orpheum Theater.   
Parker and Travis went together for the first experience at a dark, quiet movie theater....partially to see how he would do, but mostly because it was free and they could leave when Parker fizzled out. 
If you take a toddler to the movies...
you better buy him some popcorn!

These are pretty cool seats dad!

La, la, la la la la...la la la la la..
Can you guess what movie was shown??
The smurfs!
Parker did GREAT! (much better than Travis or I expected)
He lasted an hour...probably could have made it all way, but it was past bedtime and Travis figured why push it.  
The big boys had a great time and we have heard a lot about the "murfs" since the movie!