On Your Third Birthday

Dear Carver,

It has been three years. Three years since you arrived and three years since my life really began.

Happy 3rd birthday sweet boy!

This last year has been a little crazy, hasn't it? A lot of changes in our life-- and some tough moments. I hate to admit it, but I've spent a lot of time worrying about you this year. Mostly worrying about how you would adjust to having a new brother. I was so afraid that you would feel like I had abandoned you or that you would long for the days when it was just us. But, I should have known better. I should have known that you would adapt and grow and quickly love your little brother and become such a fantastic big brother. I'm so incredibly proud of you. Watching you love on Carson, and watching Carson stare at you with such obvious adoration, has been one of the biggest highlights of my life.

You are the sweetest boy I have ever known. Don't get me wrong, you have a lot of not-so-sweet moments (we all do), but you have the most precious heart. I love it that you still want to be held-- a lot. That your favorite thing is to be sitting in one of our laps or have us pick you up, or lay in bed with you and snuggle. I just love that. I dread the day you won't let me hold you anymore because I know my arms will feel so terribly empty.

You have grown up so much this year. You look older, you act older, you are talking A LOT, and you are capable of so many new things. I love watching how you progress month to month. You say such cute things in such a charming way that even when you are driving me absolutely crazy I can't help but feel like my heart will BURST. Your Daddy and I both have trouble disciplining you sometimes-- because you're often cute, even when misbehaving.

I'm sorry that your third year was a little chaotic. And I'm sorry for all of the times that you wanted to be held, or wanted me to play with you and I told you I was too busy. I'm so sorry for that. I'm sorry that sometimes you have to turn my head to look at you, and press your forehead to my lips and remind me to kiss you (even though I kiss you a dozen times a day). I'm sorry. It is my promise to you that this  next year I will take more time to just sit with you. To read you books, even when it is not naptime or bedtime. To hold you when you want to be held-- even if I have to stop whatever I am doing. Because nothing, nothing, is more important to me than you.

I'm still not perfect. I say this every year. I wish I could tell you one day that I will be a perfect mom, but I'm sorry-- that won't ever happen. I will fail you in some way every single day. Just saying that makes my heart hurt a little bit. But, I have to be honest. What I can promise you is this-- I will never stop trying to do my very best for you. To every day try to be a little better than I was the day before. A little more kind, and a little more patient, even a little more FUN.

I will cherish every single day of your life. I will pray over you every day. For health, for safety, for your salvation, and for your sweet heart. I will pray without ceasing. I will do what I can to teach you to love others, to show kindness, to be respectful and have integrity. I will teach you how to cook, and do laundry and treat women well. I will work so hard to help you see what is really important in life-- God, family, friends. Your Daddy will teach you a great many things too-- you are so incredibly lucky to have him.

Carver, you are such a blessing to so many and you don't even know it. It is privilege to be your Mama.  Thanks for being patient with me. And loving me even when I make a lot of mistakes.

These three years have been the best of my life. The very best.

Love,
Mama

Christmas Craftiness-- Part 2

Peppermint Play dough!

Clay Ornaments! Super easy-- baking soda, cornstarch and water. And cookie cutters. I LOVE cookie cutters.

Carver painting his ornaments.

The finished product!

Painting Christmas sun-catchers. Carver decided to paint his black...
I wonder what that means.

A little holiday baking. From a box. He was just a little excited.

Another walmart quickie activity. I have been planning activities for weeks. Buying supplies and mapping everything out on a calendar. His favorite so far? This $0.97 sticker craft. Of course.

He has been carrying around his snowman for DAYS. Poor little snowman has had to have a lot of repairs with the glue gun. Carver is pretty much obsessed with him.

Decorating Sugar cookies. He was saying, "shake, shake, shake."

Carver's First School Program

Last week Carver had his very first school program. Which is a big deal. The first of many, I know, but still there is just something about the first one that is exciting.

The 2, 3, and 4 year old classes at his school spent a couple of weeks learning several Christmas songs and were assigned parts to "play" in the program. Carver was a SHEEP!

Ever since Carver started school this Fall, we have always been a little curious about what he is like at school. You know, we see him with us, but we don't really have any idea how he acts when we aren't around. I'd like to observe him sometime, just to fulfill my curiosity, but that might be a little stalker-ish.

Anyway, I digress.

For his program, we had a few concerns about how he would "perform." And by "we" I mean Daniel. I was not all that particularly concerned. The job of  a 2 year old in a Christmas program is just to look cute, right?

So we arrive early to get a good seat. We settle on a spot that will give us the perfect view of Carver's spot (his name was on the floor so we knew where he was supposed to be). Then we waited.

Eventually, the kids were led into the room, all in their cute nativity costumes. We spotted Carver (the cutest sheep around), he spotted us and....

refused to move.

He would not follow his teacher or classmates onto the stage area.

He stopped, came to us, and when we told him to go on up with his class he sat down. In the middle of the aisle. And would. not. move.

Awesome.

He would not move when Joseph ran him over.

He would not move when he got decked in the face by the angel's wing.

This was a close call. Tantrum was super close.

So, Carver watched the program with us from the audience.

Happy boy.

You might be thinking that I view this first  program as a failure.

WRONG!

1) Carver looked ADORABLE in his costume.

2) We avoided a full-on tantrum.

SUCCESS!

Christmas Craftiness and Other Activities

Painting with water. (This was one of those quickie activities from Wal-mart. I think it cost $0.97. It was one of those weird velvet pictures that you just use water to paint and then the colors appear. Not one of our better activities).

Christmas sticker collage. I have a love of foam stickers. Have you noticed?

Coloring!

Ornament Painting.

It seemed so cute in my head, but the end result was a little, well, creepy...

Christmas Tree Decorating! This was a good one. Thank you, Pinterest!

Daniel's handiwork :)

Lots more to come!
We're just getting started.

Deck the halls...

We're gearing up for the holiday season around here. I love the whole month of December. Seeing all the stores get stocked with Christmas goodies. Watching the lights and decorations go up around town and in neighborhoods. And then, of course, getting our own decorations out. I like the planning, and list-making, and shopping, though not particularly the wrapping part. I like Christmas music on the radio and at church and really being reminded of why we celebrate Christmas and what it means for Christians.

So...Hooray! December has arrived.

We have A LOT planned this month. Items in red are activities with Carver-- I'm aiming for one a day. We'll see if that happens.

 

We've been decorating the house. Daniel just got the last of the lights up outside so now our decorating is complete. It's tricky when you move to a new house. In our old house I knew exactly where every decoration was placed-- this year I have had a little trouble figuring it all out. We had to sacrifice a few things that didn't fit back to the attic, and we'll really need to add some additional decorations in the next couple of years. But, overall, it's not too bad.

I've made two Christmas crafts for Carver to play with (these he couldn't really help with).

First, I made a Christmas tree out of felt and then made ornaments out of felt for Carver to decorate the tree with. He loves it! (Credit goes to Pinterest, not me).

Then I downloaded this free printable of a nativity scene. Laminated and cut out the figures and hot-glued magnets onto the backs so that Carver could play with it on the fridge and we could really start working on teaching him the Christmas story.

For the second year, Carver and I also stuffed a box for Operation Christmas Child. My plan is to do a box each year with the boys (probably 2 boxes starting next year), and stuff a box for a boy of each child's age. So, this year we did a box for a 2-4 year old boy.

Carver totally doesn't understand what we are doing with the boxes yet, but I hope  he "gets it" by next year and starts to learn about giving, and supporting ministries-- even as a child.



The day after Thanksgiving we went over to the campground to meet up with Daniel's parents and go on a sleigh ride. Carver loved it! It was a great "first activity" for the holidays.

Last weekend we watched the Cleveland Christmas parade for the second year in a row. We ate dinner first at Creekside Deli and then walked across the street to watch the parade. Unfortunately, Carver was SUPER exhausted and had a hard time waiting for the parade to start. Once it started, he did settle down some and seem to enjoy it, but as soon as we got to the car he was asleep before we left the parking lot.

It's a fun but extraordinarily busy time of year. I feel a little overwhelmed. Which is crazy, I know. Hoping not to get too wrapped up in crossing things off of my to-do list and instead can relax and just enjoy family time. Making memories, fellowshipping with family and friends, teaching Carver about Christmas and really starting some fun traditions.

This is my favorite time of year.