Mixed Christmas Blessings

As I have had just minutes at a time in between Christmas parties to check emails and follow blogs, I have been amazed that there are people out there who have had time to blog about their Christmas days already!!! I finally have some time here on New Year's Eve, but will only just get started before I have to stop as I have lots to tell and lots of pictures to share! It will take at least one more post to do our Christmas justice!!

I'll start with some of the serious stuff first. We brought Tim's mom, Margaret, to live with us the week before Christmas. On the Monday before Christmas we were able to set up a plan to get her some help after the holidays. While bringing her to our home added some stress to the week, we were certainly blessed that Tim was on Christmas vacation and could devote his full attention to the process. It also gave Margaret time to play with Grace and Cooper. She absolutely loves them and they love her! While this wasn't what we had planned to for our Christmas break, it makes us all feel better to be moving forward. Please just keep us- especially Margaret- in your prayers.

Now on to more of the "fun" times!

This year will definitely be remembered as the Polar Express year! We watched it at least 3 times!!

Grace let me paint her nails red with snow! They didn't last the whole week, but were cute for at least 2 hours. Girls are fun! (most of the time!)

We started our festivities with the Coopers on Christmas Eve at the Richvalley Clubhouse where we used to meet years ago. The Coopers have certainly grown to need the space the Clubhouse provides as we all made it home this holiday. The kids (and adults) loved the room to run and play!

Cooper was the hit of every party! Here he is loving on Cousin Craig.

The great grand kids with Grandpa Gene.

Our first attempt at a family portrait. That would be cousins Allison and Alice sneaking into our picture! Too cute! (I think Grace got into a couple of others as well!)

We started our Drake family Christmas at home Christmas morning with stockings. It was fun to watch Grace dig through hers... and all of ours! I had new jammies for both kids (of course) both were wet in the morning!! So, if you look closely, you'll notice Grace with new pants later and Cooper in a new sleeper eventually. I had to get one picture in their jammies!!

"Are you kidding me with this?"

Boy toys from Grandma Margaret!

Grace loved her backpack, but if you ask her, her favorite gift was the chap stick she got in her stocking!!!

And, the house still looks like this....

Roller Skates!

Cooper likes the farm, but likes the ribbon, more!

Playdough fun!

(Notice that the mass of Playdough in her hands is multi-colored. It didn't come that way. Tim and I resisted the urge to "control" everything!? So we let her "play" and make her own hybrid color of pink and purple, with some other colors sprinkled in! So much for keeping all the colors separate!)

We've had lots more fun, but this post alone took me about an hour! My children (and my husband!) need me. Happy New Year!!!

Weekend Get Away

Last weekend Tim had a history convention in Indy at Union Station. While attending the convention did not interest me, the hotel (the Grand Plaza!) and shopping at Circle Center, did!! So, Cooper and I tagged along. We visited my good friend Erin on Sunday evening and shopped a little on Monday. It was the perfect vacation from my toddler!

We forgot there was a Colt's game that day and had the hardest time getting to the hotel. They had all the roads blocked off before the game! Fortunately, we got there right at 1:00 and eventually they let us through.

Cooper loved the mirror in our room.

Fortunately he is cute enough to make up for not sleeping well that night.
He loves being up so high!!

It was a good mini vacation for us and a small celebration for Tim's birthday! (that makes 35!!) It was such a busy weekend that I didn't get any pictures of it! He got a George Christmas book from Grace and I owe him a Texas sheet cake. That will have to wait until the holidays are over.

Grace stayed with Grandma and Grandpa while we were away. Grandma Jackie and Aunt Vicky watched her while they were at work. I think she made cookies with everyone that day!!

In other news...

The Drakes meet the Wiggles.

We love Aussies!!

Have a Very Merry Christmas!!

Journaling

I have been printing my blog posts and saving them as my form of scrapbooking and have a few Grace stories I want to get posted so I never forget them!

1st...

After leaving gymnastics last time Grace complained that it was too dark. After turning the corner where it became a little brighter she said, "That's better. But I still can't see much." I was pretty frustrated with her performance that night, but of course it all (well, mostly) melted away when she said all this!

2nd...

While I was doing her hair in our bathroom, she noticed that Tim was almost out of hair gel and wanted to buy him some more. We were going to Walmart that day, so I told her to remind me and we would get him some while we were out. "Ok, but we need to get green, not blue." (Why, I don't know) When we found the hair care isle, she went for the first green bottle she found - Shrek shampoo! (Marketing well done on Walmart's part!) When I convinced her that it was not for Daddy, she conceded on the only gel they had - blue.

3rd...

Tonight I carried her into her room for bed, but she wanted to walk into her room herself. So, I put her down and she walked all the way to the other end of the hall did an about-face (An actual pivot on one foot!) and walked herself right past Tim and I and back into her room! (I don't know if this one is as good in print as it was to watch, but I'll never forget!!)

Where does she come up with this stuff?!?!

So, if you read all that, you've earned another picture of the cutest Drakes around!

Christmas is one week away! I'm so excited!!!!!

Toddler Time

I don’t know if a couple steps makes you a toddler or not, but it’s official, Cooper took his first steps yesterday!!! I still remember that first month home, with the postpartum hormones, the lack of sleep, learning to feed him, the worry of blood tests and genetic disorders, and feeling like he would always be that helpless little infant and never grow up. Now, he is walking! The time has absolutely flown by way too fast! He is nothing but joy to have around and I still find it hard to picture him anything but a baby (or now toddler)! But, soon he will be one year old and unstoppable! I’m looking forward to it.
He will be nine months old next Wednesday. We have a well baby check up in Peru and blood work orders for Riley. He seems absolutely healthy so I am praying the test results will show the same.

Congratulations Cooper on the first steps! Way to go!!!

Cooper and I had a little Mother - Son time (and we met Aunt Mandi, too, of course) and went to paint his hand print on his mitten. He did way better than Grace did!

Potty Training 101

I'm not sure this was what my cousin had in mind when she gave me this book. Do you think it will work?

Feed the bird...

And the best part is, he knows he is so cute!

How does that saying go?

Burn me once, shame on you,

Burn me twice, shame on me.

You'll recall last year's tree incident.... This year I took preventative measures! (Hee,hee!)

Here are the kids with their blankies from Grandma Patty. Thanks! We love them!! And I think we may move the play yard for Christmas morning. I don't think Cooper even knows there is a tree in there!

Pottery Painting Play Date

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we met my cousins for some pottery painting time and a play date! It was a good time!

Miss Abigail doing her handprint.

Miss Ava doing her hand print.

Allison and Adrianna painting.

Allison doing her FOOT print.

Anna painting her puppy.

And this is what Grace did:

Ate candy.

Played with Abigail.

And, screamed when I did her hand print!

But it was nothing a good cupcake couldn't fix!