2014 Interview with Declan

I saw this on facebook and thought it would be cute to do every year!  This year was a lot more our answers based on Declan's likes and adapted from what Declan asks for and says the most, but it will be fun to see how he answers in future years!


I am this old: 1   (Almost 19 months)

The best show on TV is:  Baby Baby Baby Time     (Any and all Signing Time)

My favorite thing about school is:  Otto   (He says his name at least 5 times a day...)

The thing I'm best at is:  Getting Mommy to carry me  "Up peas"  "Uppy"

If I could change my name it would be:  Otto

My favorite color is: Orange   (probably just his favorite fruit but he says it the most)

My favorite toy is: Farm animals/farm animal sound pull and hear toy

When I grow up I want to be:  Up Peas  in the SKY

I like to take these to bed with me at night:  Two Blankies, Pillow, Elephant light at Grandma Connies and Pooh & Tiger at our house.

My favorite book is:  Knuffy Bunny or Hippo Excuse Me

My favorite movie is: Cars

My favorite season of the year is:  Summer-- Momma was home!

A food I really like is: Olives, Pizza, Hot Dogs, Carrots, all Fruit

My favorite animal is: Puppies and Horses

My favorite sport is: Balls

My best friend is:  Otto

My favorite holiday is: Christmas

My favorite thing I did this year: Go to Myrtle Beach with all my Grandpas and Grandmas and Uncles and Aunt!

Christmas Letter 2014

The month got away from me more than normal... and I could've made time for mailing cards and letters... but I just didn't and I have a few excuses, but the main one is:

Next Christmas, our stocking holders will be full with stockings. 

We'll need another string of lights.

Evictions will occur.

So hopefully Declan will still be kissing our new little Firecracker to arrive after the 4th of July!

 (July 8th if I get my first choice since Declan's is June 8th!)

We wanted to tell our families in person on Christmas Eve so I wanted this "letter" to reach you all as quickly as possible after! Declan opened up his "Big Brother" book two times to share our news with the families! Grandma Connie "knew it" she said! Click for the video here!  And Grandma Sue said, "Awesome"  (But I think she had a inkling too!) Click for Grandma Sue's reaction!

If you don't usually read the blog, the highlights of our year include seeing Declan turn one and grow into one smart, little boy! I entered my 30's with little fear and lots of fun.  Our travels are always enjoyable and started with a double family trip to Myrtle Beach.  During the summer, we enjoyed 4th of July at my cabin and then a cruise around Mexico (first trip without Declan!)  This fall, after some time in the airport, we made it to Chicago for a great wedding!  

We know how fast life has gone with one little man and it is only going to pick up in pace!  I have high hopes to keep up with this blog throughout the year, so if you want the long versions of our adventures you can enter your email to receive notifications when I actually blog.  We will get back to traditional mail cards next year as we love getting every one of yours the good ole' fashion way!  

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS!!! 

Dear Declan, You're 18 months old today!!

 Dearest Declan,

18 whole months you have been on this earth!  18 whole months we have loved you with every ounce of our being.  18 months of smiles and laughs I will never get enough of!  

Winter may be here but you still beg to go outside daily!  The cold doesn't bother you anyways!  You hate your carseat right now and so it is easier to walk home from Jessica's.  Daddy and I are getting good at "Karate Chop/Tickle" move to get you into that seat!   But the great part about winters is it's holiday season and we had a nice Thanksgiving at Grandma Connie's and are looking forward to Christmas!  

You love helping us do everything.  You feed Croix and the "meows" dinner every night, load the dishwasher (though I have to move all your crooked plates) and we are starting to cook together!  You pour in water and ingredients and like to stir.  You really wanted to crack eggs yesterday morning and we made it work with my help! 

We started going to "school" with our special classes together at ECFE and all really are loving it!  More new friends to meet, lots of different art and toys to play with and you love circle time (and bubble time!)   Last week it was ooey, gooey, sand and toilet paper snowballs!  I love we can go there with all the fun messy stuff and it not destory our kitchen!

Between ABC Signing Time, daycare letters of the week and coloring/singing the Alphabet with you, you recognize letters as letters and you (most the time) know about 10 of them when we ask you... A B C D E  I O L M N... Numbers you just think everything is an 8, but whatev... I am biased and think you are a genuis!

You sometimes have a bit of whine happening but whenever I remind you to use your manners and ask nice, you stop pretty quickly and say  "Help pease"   "Up pease"  "Move pease."  It melts my heart!   We tried to fit Uppease in a crossword the other morning for the clue "Carried" but it didn't work.  You have solved a couple crossword clues for us too... Sheep and Cow sounds!  Baa and Moo! :) 

While not only is your brain growing... Your body still is too:

Age: 1 YEAR  6 MONTHS                 Dr. Appt. Tues, Dec 16th 

Weight:  Guessing..24 lbs            Actual:   23lb 7oz   38th%

Length: Guessing..34"  inches     Actual:   34"             92%
Head:  Guessing..19.5" inches    Actual:   19.25"        87%
Teeth: 7!!  Finally getting a few more! 

Love you through and through,

Momma

                      

After your appt, Dad and I had fun taking you to indoor playground and you practiced bowling a lot!

St. Nick's Day!

And the Christmas Season has begun!

Andy's family has always celebrated St. Nicholas day, and though it has always been fun, I never have really wondered much about the tradition until this year.  Beside knowing he was a Saint who gave to poor and helped children, I didn't know much else about how "Santa Clause" evolved.  I enjoyed this website giving me more history if you are curious too!

A part of me would rather stick with just celebrating St. Nicolas day and Christmas as Jesus's Birthday... leaving out the whole "Santa Clause".  But the other part of me still likes that fun and tradition from life, and it is a big part of our culture that I won't be doing anything rash and outlawing Santa and our new Elf that Declan already loves!  We'll just add saying "nigh-night" to Happy Glitter Balls after kissing Baby Jesus (and the sheep and donkey!) "nigh-night"!    Regardless, I love traditions so I am excited to continue it all with Declan and we can talk about all the real truths when he is older!

 We put our shoes under the tree instead of a windowsill!

Declan got BALLS!

And our Elf on the Shelf... named Happy Glitter Balls after the silly Elf chart going around on Facebook with his first letter and month he was born.  But we decided it was fitting because Declan started saying "Happy Happy Happy" right away, and he loves his ball pits!

Today was also the 3M Christmas Party for Kids!  It was a lot of fun spinning wheels and picking Lolly Trees for little gifts.  (Shocker... Declan picked balls 2 out of 3 times... Grabbed a Play-doh once!)  He made an ornament with stickers and scooped the Magic Reindeer Dust.   We'll have to sprinkle that in Grandpa & Grandma's Lawn on Christmas Eve!  

And he ate.. a cookie and popcorn.  He did great getting his Snowman face painted... but smeared it in the first 10 seconds off the chair... but still cute! 

However he felt the same way towards Mr. and Mrs. Clause as most 18 month olds, but I was still the evil person who had to snap the pictures!  

But some fun Throwbacks... last year at 6 months he liked Santa's!