Always Busy .... No More!

This is the busiest season of the year. Right before the holidays, there is so much to do and things to get done that we are constantly running from one thing to a next. There are holiday parties to attend or to hosts, Christmas events to go to, children performances, Santa visits, hectic work schedules to be completed before the year ends, shopping, baking, cooking, decorating, and etc. Even though this is the time of year where we should reflect and prepare for the birth of our Lord, we often forget about the reason for this special season and get caught up in everything else that comes with the holiday preparations. And I'm so guilty of all of the above.

 

Right now, I should be working on my in-laws Christmas gift as it needed to be shipped already yesterday, the gingerbread house is still sitting in its box, none of the Christmas gifts are wrapped yet and there is tons of paperwork to go thru that is cluttering up my desk. But you know what, I don't care. It all can wait. I'm slowly realizing that trying to keep up and having constantly a full schedule makes me miss out on the most important things in life: spending quality time with my children.

Extra cuddles were needed today as she didn't feel quite right.

So instead of working on one of the many projects while the kids nap, I went ahead and laid in bed with my little girl until she fell asleep. She is feeling off today and I think she needed some extra cuddles and love. It felt good to forget about time and just to enjoy the moment. Because I fear that somewhere in the midst of this busy life I’ve been trying to keep up, my 2 babies are busy growing up and I will miss it.

 

My husband reminded me the other day that the kids and I are constantly on the go, running errands and doing things even during the non-holiday season. It seems that I am constantly running from one thing to another. There is always something to do or to keep up with:

Keeping up with playdates and birthday parties.

Keeping up with others on social media.

Keeping up with household chores and work.
Keeping up with emails, phone calls and appointments.
Literally, keeping up with anything and everything but the here and now.

Thus, I decided for myself that it is time to slow down, to take a deep breath and to focus on what is truly important in life: being with my kids before they grow up too quickly. This will go hand in hand with our year of taking off, moving, and enjoying a simpler lifestyle. Starting now and definitely making it a New Year's resolution, 2015 will be the year we stayed home more, the year we learned that saying no is sometimes the best answer for our family, the year we slowed down and enjoyed our time together. It will be the year I stopped trying to keep up busy schedules so I could really watch my children grow up. 

Birthday Weekend

This weekend was all about celebrating birthdays. On Saturday we took a break from the holiday season and had some birthday fun since my little guy turned one. Even though his birthday his only a few days before Christmas, I want to make sure Elliot's birthday doesn't get lost in all the holiday preparations. His birthday is as important as any other birthday and we will always celebrate his special day like we would if it wouldn't be in December.  This year, we decided that we won't do a big party for him so only the 4 of us celebrated his birthday at home (also Daddy wasn't feeling too well). And it was just right. I don't think Elliot mind at all that he didn't had a party. He still enjoyed himself because BEING 1 IS FUN!

He went to bed as an 11 month old and woke up as a one year old. Crazy how fast the past 12 months have passed.

His birthday gifts were set up in the living room and he was very fascinated with the balloons. Even though Elliot only got 4 small gifts from us (we think less is more at that age- and he really didn't need anything else), he didn't care much about the gifts but loved playing with the balloons.

Eventually, with help from his eager sister, Elliot unwrapped the gifts and they had fun playing together. He received the Little People School bus, a Duplo book, the Duplo Number Train and from his Oma a Duplo garbage truck. As you can tell, we are very much into Lego Duplo stuff around here.  He also received some cute clothes and toys from his friends. Thank you. So far, he didn't show much interest in the tent but I hope he will get used to it, especially since it is now in his room.

Of course no birthday is complete without a birthday cake. I made one little smash cake for the birthday boy and another cake for all of us to eat. It was a simple yet delicious cake with buttercream frosting. In the beginning Elliot wasn't too sure about the cake on his tray but once he tasted it, he ate most of the cake. This kid loves to eat and he truly enjoyed this sweet treat.

My favorite picture of all:

Elliot's birthday was perfect for this little man and we all had a good time hanging out at home, playing with the new toys, going for a walk and getting extra cuddles in. Happy Birthday, Elliot!

On Sunday morning, we went to St. Bonaventure Catholic Church and attended their Santa's Workshop. Every year, the church celebrates the Magic of Christmas by offering a morning of fun with games, crafts, refreshments and photos with Santa for the children. We all had fun, but especially Amelia enjoyed all the different arts and crafts activities. She made a bracelet, a birthday cupcake for Jesus, colored a gift bag, got Christmas tattoos on her hand, made a foam Christmas tree and another tree ornament.

We also visited Santa and the kids had yet again a chance to sit on his lap. Elliot wasn't really liking it but Amelia enjoyed it. I must say the church did a fabulous job with decorating the room.

In the afternoon, our neighbors had invited us to their daughter's 2nd birthday party. While Daddy still rested at home, I and the kids went and we met a lot of new people and Amelia and Elliot had lots of fun playing with all the other children. I think there were around 15 kids, ranging from 3 weeks old to 3.5 years. The weather was perfect and the crowd and food was great. The birthday girl, Hadley, enjoyed herself and so did we.  

As you can see, we had a fun-filled weekend with lots of celebrating. Now my little boy is no longer a baby but we are happy that he is toddling off to new adventures and achievements. But for me, he will always be my baby boy. 

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY, ELLIOT!!!

I can't believe it but today my baby boy is turning one. A year ago today, you entered our world and since then everything has changed but only for the better. Because of you, we have smiled bigger smiles, laughed louder laughs, hugged much tighter hugs and kissed more cheeks than we can count.  You are curious, smart, fearless, silly…. you are the missing piece that made our family complete.

You started out so tiny and helpless but over this past year, you have accomplished so much. You learned to hold up your head, roll over, sit up, and stand. And in the final weeks leading up to your very first birthday, you have mastered taking your first steps and walking on your own. These steps will take you further into the big world and lead you to bigger and better things in your second year. For the past 365 days, we have watched you grow from a tiny little baby that slept all the time into a feisty little boy that never stops moving.

Today, part of me is sad because I miss nursing you, a time for just the two of us, and holding you tight in my arms when you fell asleep. But for every “baby” thing you are leaving behind, there is a wonderful new “big boy” experience to come. Now you walk, almost run thru the entire house, chasing the cat and trying to catch up with your sister;  you clap your hands and dance when we have a jam session in the bedroom; you wave bye to everyone and you snuggle back into my lap when it is time for your evening milk from the big boy cup.

You are definitely all boy. As soon as you became mobile, you climbed onto the furniture and pulled down everything on the coffee table, you have a thing for cords and outlets, you love to open cupboard doors and you'd rather play in your sister's room than in your own. I can tell you are constantly growing as  you are always ready to eat and you keep outgrowing the clothes I just bought you. So far, you eat everything. There is nothing you won't try or don't like. You eat as much as your sister and you get upset when she doesn't share something with you. You are a strong little boy. I would guess you are around 23 pounds and at least 31 inches tall. A big boy for sure.

But you are also totally sweet, tender and loving. When you love, you love completely. When you hug, you hug with your whole body. That first hug of the day and the last one at night make my heart skip every time. And here's the thing about boys and tenderness: it's one of the best qualities they can have. At some point you might question that and think you've got to be tough all the time, but please don't. Boys who are both tough and tender rock.

Everyday, you and your sister challenge me, test my patience and make sure I keep up with your ever expanding knowledge and curiosity. I'm honest when I say it is not always easy being a stay-at-home mom but I'm so happy that I can share every little step you take and every little smile and booboo you have with you. You both make me a better person, stronger than I ever thought I could be. I will forever be grateful that you are mine.

Happy 1st Birthday, baby boy!

I love you for ever and ever.

Mommy

It's starting to look a lot like Christmas

December is in full swing and we are enjoying the holiday season. On the weekend, we finally finished decorating our home, inside and out. This year it feels much more christmassy in our house than past years as the kids, especially Amelia, are truly in to the Christmas spirit and enjoy all what this season has to offer.

In Germany on December 6th, we celebrate St. Nikolaus. He was a historic 4th-century Christian saint and Greek Bishop of Myra, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him. Thus on December 5th, many children put a boot called Nikolausstiefel outside the front door and overnight St. Nikolaus fills the boot with gifts and sweets, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good, polite and helpful the last year. So Amelia cleaned her (rain) boots on Friday night and on Saturday morning, the kids woke up to some little gifts and a book from Nikolaus.

 And for breakfast I made some delicious Nikolaus pancakes.

Afterwards all four of us went to purchase the Christmas tree and compared to last years, it only took one try and I found "the one". We decided that a shorter tree would be better since there is less of a chance of it falling down when someone little is pulling on it. Since this is Elliot's first "real" Christmas season, we weren't sure how he will do with the tree but so far he has been very good and all the ornaments are still in place and so is the train and its tracks below the tree.

Amelia helped me decorate the tree this year and she did a fabulous job. I decided to use only shatterproof ornaments and put my few special (read: breakable ones) on top. I must say, I do love our tree and the 500 colorful mini lights it took to light it up.

In the afternoon, we all went to our town's annual Snow Fest. But since it was super crowded and very hot (90 F and sunny), the two pathetic looking piles of icy snow there had super long waiting lines, so unfortunately the kids were not able to play in the snow. However, there were other activities we enjoyed such as a Frozen show on the main stage, some yummy snowballs, raffles, arts and crafts, and other games. They also had a carousel and some bounce houses but since the lines were long there too, we didn't do them either.

On Sunday afternoon, Amelia's friend Sofia invited us (only Amelia and I went while the boys relaxed at home) to join them for a family-friendly Christmas play at their church. The play "When it Snows in Miami" was written and directed by their Rev. Dr. Walton and was set in 1942. It was a fantastic production including a great set and fabulous singing and acting. While the adults enjoyed the play, the kids were playing at the church's nursery and so we all had a fun afternoon.

For sure we had a packed and fun-filled weekend but I am so glad to be able to share the joys of this season with my family and to make lasting memories.



Visit to the North Pole

As we count down the days till Christmas, we make an effort to incorporate seasonal family activities into our daily schedule. Most days we actually get to do them and other days life (or sick children, rain, work, etc.) gets in the way. The kids love to do something new every day and it makes us appreciate advent much more if we participate in seasonal, festive activities. This weekend will be packed with fun holiday things.

Today, we visited Santa, his elves and reindeers at the North Pole and then played in the snow at an Ice Palace. It was so much fun and the kids' eyes were glistening the entire time. It was Elliot's first time meeting Santa and I must say he did great (I did a practice run yesterday at our local mall and let's just say it didn't went well at all). I dressed the kids up in their Christmas outfits and took them to our local Bass Pro Shop (outdoor and recreation store), where they set up a Christmas Wonderland. Compared to our mall, the scenery was so much nicer at Bass Pro Shop and they allow you to bring your own camera in addition to giving you a free photograph. They also have free arts and crafts, moving trains, a pretend fireplace, some games, delicious seasonal snacks (for purchase) and a Santa Mailbox.

 Sitting on Santa's lap: Elliot was wondering who that guy with the white beard is but he didn't cry.

Me and my little ones in front of the Christmas tree. Even though it is unseasonal warm here in South Florida, seeing all the Christmas decorations makes one definitely get in to the spirit.

And since we were already next to the Dolphin Mall, we went ahead and visited the Frozen Ice Palace there. I was worried that it would be crowded on a Friday afternoon, but luckily it wasn't at all.
The Ice Palace is an interactive holiday display with falling snow, a light show and featuring the art of the characters from the movie Frozen.

And then Amelia and Elliot played in the snow. In the beginning Elliot wasn't too sure about the white fluffy stuff but quickly got used to it and in the end he didn't want to leave.

We even took a picture with Olaf on the ice throne. And yes, that is my daughter with a shoe off and being grumpy since I told her we had to leave. This is real life!

We all had a blast today and for sure it is a day to remember. Let's hope the kids will be good and Santa will visit our house for Christmas. Now it is time to clean our boots and then go to bed as St. Nikolaus will visit tonight.