Christmas pageant 2011

Friday night was Miles’ Christmas performance at school.  Just reading the program for the event was enough to cause my eyes to well up a bit.  Miles is growing up faster than I’d like him too….. and he loves every minute of it!

  

Miles and his 3-4 year old class rocked out, Christmas-style! No words can describe how proud I was of Miles and his confident self!

Here’s Miles assembled with his class waiting for their turn to perform.  He’s right in the center wearing green.  He kept scanning the crowd until he found us. Ah, I love him!

Here’s his class assembling on the stage. “Hi, Mom and Dad!”

 

Finally – the moment you’ve been waiting for….. the VIDEO!

I apologize, in advance, as this was my first time using this camera for its video function. Apparently, when I zoomed in or out, the audio cut out.  <tear> Also, I kept giggling making it difficult to hold the camera still.

Enjoy!

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Posted in: Christmas,Miles,Video

I’ll help you play with your food……?!?

For Christmas, Miles got this AWESOME plate!  I have a lot of fun setting his food out for him.  I know you’re not supposed to encourage playing with your food, but I cannot resist!

 

You can get one for yourself here!  The ‘maker’ of this plate gets pretty creative…

Here’s my weak attempt….

Nate made the comment to me (after setting up this particular Miles Meal) that I really put effort into making Miles’ food appear fun. We both wondered if he even notices….

The answer: Nope!  Food is food… When he’s hungry (or crabby), the food placement doesn’t matter at all.

This was a crabby night….. but he wasn’t really feeling his best.

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Posted in: Christmas,Klinge's,Miles

Projects, crafts, and traditions

We bake, we glue, and we have a blast!

Here are a few more of our recent activities :)

Lots of baking :dumping, mixing, stirring, and licking…..

 

More paper crafts….

(Nate calls this the SouthPark (Cartman-esque) Nativity scene – My drawing/cutting skills are weak, I know)

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Tonight’s project is Christmas cut out cookies!! It’s a HUGE tradition, 7 years in the making…

7 year ago today, Nate proposed!!

Fade in cloudy, dream sequence…..

I had always made it clear to Nate that in order for me to graduate from college, I couldn’t even consider engagement until I was done with school.  My mind would have wondered into the realm of wedding planning, losing all focus on my coursework.  I had no idea that Nathan would have taken me so literally…  Within 30 minutes of completing my last final exam for my undergraduate degree, I was engaged to be married!! Nate, being big on creating and keeping traditions, suggested that we make Christmas cut out cookies together – we were a family!!

Every year since, we’ve made Christmas cut out cookies on December 16th! Tonight shall be no different! I’ll do my best to document the activity. I’ll also be sure to post the recipe if all turns out. As mentioned, this is the 7th time for this event and I have NEVER used the same recipe twice. I just can’t find one I like….

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Posted in: Christmas,Kelly,Memories,Miles,Nathan

Mom’s Day School Projects

‘Tis the season to be festive with crafts, right?!  Sadly, I am not talented enough to make wares worthy of selling or giving as gifts,but I’ve had a lot of fun coming up with ideas for Miles and I to do during the day!
Here are a few of our recent projects!
A countdown to Jesus’ Birthday
This is just a simple construction paper chain. Miles gets to take off one link each evening to visually see that the big celebration is getting closer and closer! 

Ideally, we would have written something to be thankful for, something to pray about, or an act of kindness too perform on the inside of each link, but Miles wanted to get started with the tape immediately.  If only I had thought of the idea earlier in the day. I would have prepped the links during his nap. 
 
We wrote the number of day’s left until Jesus’ birthday on the outside of each link… that’s it.

Our next project was a mask!
Glue and cotton balls…. you really can’t go wrong when playing with messy stuff! Miles loved making the mask as much as he loves shouting  Ho! Ho! Ho! afterwards!

We just used stuff we had laying  around… a paper plate, construction paper, white card stock, cotton balls and elmers glue.  I did all the cutting before Miles knew I was up to anything!

We stretched each cotton ball a little to make them go a little farther…  I should have checked my stock before getting Miles involved. He had a blast!!
 
Here’s the proof!

Want to see another version of this mask, Click here!!

Finally… we made a couple wreaths.
For this project, we used construction paper, a paper plate and rubber cement.  I thought the painting action for the rubber cement would be interesting – for future projects, I recommend elmers glue!
I traced Miles hands several times on one piece of construction paper. Then I stacked several pieces of paper behind the one with the traced hands before starting to cut in order to get more “stuff” for my effort.
  
I did all the cutting again before getting Miles situated to start assembly.
 
He got to paint the glue… and stick the hands on the paper plate.

Quick and easy!  This one might actually make a decent gift… right?
We do lots of baking and read lots of stories… so its nice to take a break to make crafts every once in a while…  however, we all know that his dad would be a lot better mentor for this stuff!
That’s all I’ve got for now.. I’ll let you know if we create any other masterpieces :)

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Posted in: Christmas,Kelly,Miles

Perfectionists: Turn away now!

We had a big project planned for today; A gingerbread house!

What a fun little craft – what could possible deviate for my vision for the afternoon, right?

Here’s the set up:

Kit with all components accounted for

 

Happy-go-lucky 2-yr-old male

 

We were off to a marvelous start – naming colors, counting to 10, singing Christmas songs, and making frosting

Everything is still peachy! Assembly began… Miles did fantastic placing pieces and holding them still!

  

Now to decorate the roof with the frosting… you can see he’s starting to get restless.

 

Finally the fun can begin!  Add the candy!

Frosting was being licked directly from the roof, candies placed in the wrong locations, same colored candies placed side by side – YES, I was on the verge of breakdown. We were following a picture!!!  Writing this now, I realize how crazy I was to think that my 2 year old boy could follow an elaborate picture and keep the sugary facade out of his mouth!

(sorry – due to my strained patience, I missed multiple photo opportunities..)

Then there was a calm…. I thought it likely the calm that arrives just seconds before a terrible storm. To my surprise, this calm was followed by a new vision:

This is Miles creation – if he wants to lick the roof, that’s okay! If he wants to eat the candies that he just stuck to the roof, that is also okay. Taking a bite out of the jelly shrub is also alright as long as the remainder is put back in its original location.

 

We went on with the rest of the decorating in a messy Miles manner, arguably having a lot more fun until…..

….. Miles got bored, started tossing candy across the room AND the icing bag blew a big hole in its side!!

Great ending point – don’t you think?!

Here’s the finished product – sides and back not completed due to equipment malfunction and designer fatigue!

Moral of this story: Perfectionists, please purchase a second kit for yourself to complete during naptime! You’ll enjoy both processes much MUCH more!

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Posted in: Banwarth's,Christmas,Kelly,Miles

Rocking Around the Christmas Tree

You may not get a sentimental feeling, however we sure do! Nate is a huge fan of family traditions.  One of ours is putting up the tree immediately following Thanksgiving.

Here we go… Christmas 2010!

Christmas playlist blaring over sound system……………….Check!

Christmas scented candle…………………………….……….Check!

Santa hats…………………………………………….…………Check!

Hot cocoa………………………………………………………..Oops!

Ornaments packed with memories……………...……………Of course!

Curious 2-year-old……………………………………………..Yes!!

Nate and Miles hauled all of our holiday treasures up from the garage storage cage and the party began!

 

 

  

    

The best part is hanging the ornaments and reminiscing.  Nate and I get rather competitive on who's ornaments get the best location – front and center, adult eye level!

These are 4 of Nate’s ‘most prized’ ornaments:

 

Here are a 3 of mine:

 

Miles hasn’t been collecting for very long, but these will surely be his favorites:

 

This Christmas is gearing up to be a great one! Miles is getting a little older and can join in on the excitement.  Seeing the anticipation in his little, innocent eyes adds to the sentiment. I’m excited to hear the memories he’s storing up to share at later nostalgic celebrations – not that I’m trying to get him to grow up any faster….  Do you ever wish you could pause time in order to savor your child at a particular point in their development??  He’s changing so quickly that I’m afraid I won’t be able to remember each precious moment!

Do you have ornaments or memories that you treasure at Christmas?

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Posted in: Christmas,Kelly,Memories,Miles,Nathan