Decembers Favorites

Since I last blogged, we've enjoyed many Christmas parties, something like 6 batches of the previously blogged carmels, a surprise anniversary getaway, several visits to our favorite sledding hill, occasional health, and all of your Christmas letters.

My favorite pre-Christmas conversation was with Dalton. He jumped off the bus on the last day of school before break so excited to tell me all about the new band he's going to be in. He'll play the drums, Addie will sing and maybe play the violin or piano, Jace will be on guitar, and they even planned out how they were going to get the instruments. Once there was even a slight pause, I jumped into his conversation with, "Wow! that sounds awesome, what are your plans for the instruments?" He said, "well we'll just ask Santa for them, and then..." I was too sad to inform him that Santa had already finished packing his sleigh, and that he would probably wait till we had a sound proof room for him to practice in. Ahhh, childhood.

My favorite moment with Joseph started with a great secret. Dalton has always wanted a desk, a space of his own where he can invent, work, and create. I found the perfect desk at D.I. with Joe one day, we loaded it into the van, covered it with our picnic quilt and then headed to pick Dalt up from a playdate. I explained to Joseph that it was a special present for Christmas, and that he needed NOT to tell Dalton what was in the back of the van. Just seconds after we had picked up Dalt, and while I was dealing with little Sophia, I heard, "It starts with at D" from Joseph's mouth. I immediately stopped their discussion, changed the subject and then reveled in the fact that Joseph has learned so much this year in Kindergarten. He is spelling new words every day, and attempting to read signs, boxes, and papers everywhere. All of his time at home has been so focused on feeling love, and controlling his behavior. I have always read to him, but didn't actually teach him anything academic. Just since September, he has learned all of his letters, their sounds, how to write them, and dozens of sight words. He's amazing.

My favorite bad thing turned good was from Sophia. She spends most of her days dancing, and wanting to help me. She is getting to where I can have her sit on the kitchen counter while I cook or clean and she keeps out of trouble, most of the time. We have been needing a new sofa for awhile now. I sink, very near the floor, when I sit pretzel style to nurse Jennie, and when my parents were here for Jennie's blessing, my mom had the hardest time getting out of it each time she sat down, and even offered to get us a new one. Well the time came just a couple of weeks ago when Soph got sick and vomited all over one of the large pillows that made up the back of the sofa. Doug and I looked at each other trying to determine who would clean the mess and smell out of the pillow, and he was so relieved when I said, "let's just toss it." Just days after that, I decided to take a shower, (a sadly rare occasion) so I plopped Sophia in front of the TV for some Dora time. I came down to find an entire diaper smeared into two more of the pillows, and two of the cushions of that same sofa. I attempted to clean it up, but failed with the lingering smell offending many of our visitors and ruining TV time for a week. Why only a week you ask? Well the smell did fade, but the real end to the offense happened when our new sofa and love seat arrived. I love our new furniture, and am actually glad to have been forced into purchasing it.

Jennie gets the prize for our favorite smile. At 12 weeks old she has the eating, pooping and sleeping down, and has added babbling and smiling to her list of accomplishments. She likes smiling so much that even when she's crying any one of us Crawfords can smile into her face and expect a smile to permeate through her sadness even if it's just for a moment. She lights us all up, and is the perfect baby for our family.