Happy New Year.  Still adjusting to 2011 here.  But what a great month we have had.  While all our friends are getting snow we seem to be getting rain.  We have had about 3/4 of our yearly rain fall so far and January is usually one of the rainiest months.  Rained us out of going to Legoland for a second time in December, but as long as we don’t remind Jeremiah I think we will be ok.

We also had a little bit of Fall in December.  The red leaves fell right in between storms.  So we actually had leaves on ground for a couple weeks – usually any leaves we get on the ground only last until Thursday when the gardeners come to mow them over.  So out we went before it rained on the afternoon of the 20th, to play in the leaves.  Jeremiah loved it.  He jumped in the pile, threw them up in the air and climbed the tree.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas.  We had a great time.  Before Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Anna came we celebrated at Chick-fil-a.  I had downloaded a Veggie Tales CD (well actually Andy did) and we had been listening to it, but Jeremiah didn’t know what caroling was.  Then we went to Chick-fil-a and the high school was caroling, so that was perfect.  Jeremiah finally agreed to sit on Santa’s lap – it was the Cow Santa, but he was quite excited.  🙂  We also went to a guys house who goes WAY overboard with Christmas decorating.  He even sits outside as Santa.  Jeremiah loved it and even waited to tell him he wanted “500 Legos”.  “Santa” tried to get him to say something else he wanted and he said “No, just 500 Legos”.  Jeremiah is too smart to know there is not just 1 Santa.  Andy had “Santa” call him and he told me, “It was probably the one at the mall that called”.

We had a great Christmas morning.  Jeremiah woke up about 7 and said, “Daddy.”  “Yes..”  “IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!!”.  He stayed in bed for about 5 more minutes and then had to go the bathroom.  Then he was ready to go downstairs.  He loved all the present unwrapping and was very excited it was Jesus’ Birthday.  Jesus had birthday pie, just like daddy does.  He played non-stop for 2 1/2 hours with his Batcave.  Sorry, he stopped for 5 minutes to shove a sticky roll down his throat for breakfast.  Nothing else just a sticky roll.  We did manage to talk to all the grandparents that couldn’t be with us, but it was only because I was holding the phone by him while he was playing!

(Jumping back a few days). Jeremiah had a GREAT time with the Merrill’s.  Anna, Grandma and he made a Gingerbread House the first day they were here.  He was so excited (thanks Hannah for the dough!).  He was not very happy when they left to go up to Katie’s, but he loved when they all came back on Christmas day.  He played Santa and gave everyone their gifts.  He then proceeded to climb up in their lap and help them open their present.  I am glad he likes to GIVE presents and not just get them.  We had a great day with TONS of food.  We had a “Hawaiian” Dinner that evening.  Very fun and tiring day.  Since we got rained out the first day, we went to the Zoo the day before Merrill’s left.  It was SOOO busy, but we avoided most of the crowds.  Then we ended our visit with In-n-Out Burger (of course).

The Holiday Bowl is played in San Diego and last year I saw on the news they have a balloon parade.  So our friend Shannon, Jeremiah and I decided to try to go.  We had so much fun.  Before it starts the 5K run begins. Jeremiah thought it was hilarious to see all the people running down the street.  He clapped the whole time they ran by.  Then he got the blanket and wrapped up in it for the parade.  You would have thought it was 30 degrees, it was probably about 50.  It was a great parade with Thomas the train balloons, Star Wars, and various other balloons.  I think it will be a before New Year’s tradition.

New Year’s Eve we went to some friends’ house.  There were a bunch of families there, so Jeremiah had a blast.  He was determined to make it to midnight.  We ended up leaving about 10:30.  He was fading and the whole “controlling the body” thing was out the window.  He did make it until 11 though (Midnight in Mountain time, right?).  We watched the ball drop on the computer and he was satisfied.

This month we decided to go to the Science Museum and the History Museum.  We hadn’t been there for a long time.  Jeremiah had to see ALL of the Science Museum.  He led the way the whole time.

Of course we had a birthday party (and another one this weekend).  I guess we are at the age where all we do is go to birthday parties on the weekend.  This one had a jumpy obstacle course.  Jeremiah barely stopped for 5 minutes to eat.  He ran from the end to the beginning as fast as he could.  Good nap you would have thought…NO.

We also went to the Wild Animal Park, I mean Safari Park (they just changed the name).  With all of our December trips to the Zoo we had not been there for quite a while.  Jeremiah is now a Zoo Member and has his own card.  He thinks he is big stuff.

With all of the birthday and Christmas fun, Jeremiah has decided he needs to take pictures too.  So he has been using our old camera to take pictures of his toys.  “So he knows how they go”.  He wanted to save all the boxes so he could look at the pictures on the back.  That was not happening!  He has also been throwing “birthday” parties for Monkey and Rattly Bear.  I think Monkey has had 10 birthdays in the last month.

So in the after Christmas sales Jeremiah found a castle that he REALLY wanted to get.  So we decided if he earned it he could have it.  He did so many chores that week.  He swept the bathrooms and my car, put dishes away and brushed his teeth by himself without complaining (I know not really a chore, but we needed some kind of motivation).  So the day or so after he got it we were driving home and he says to me.  “Mommy, can we make paper wings?”  I cautiously said, “For what?”  “I want to make paper wings for my T Rex, so he can be a dragon.”  Not sure the processing, but he is definitely creative!

In the last month or so he has watched 2 full length movies – Beauty and the Beast and Robin Hood.  These are the first movies he has watched all the way through, because he just didn’t have the attention span and we don’t have TV on very much at all.  Well both of them have added to his imagination.  He has been using the Batcave and the castle to act out both of the movies.  Daddy is Little John and he is Robin Hood.  I am the Prince, “because I am a girl.”  It took me a while to convince him the prince (not princess) was really a boy, but I am still the prince.  He has been attacking me with his foam sword more often now.

He has had quite a few funny one liners this month as well.  As we were talking about where to eat the other night and we turned down the Chinese buffet, he says “But shushi (yes that is how he said it) sounds good to me.”  What 4 year old says that? Ours.  He likes the California roll.  Then when he was on the phone the other night with mom he says, “Grandma, can you stop talking, please? I want to tell you something.”  I guess Grandma doesn’t have to keep the conversations going anymore.

I have forgotten to weigh and measure how tall he is this month.  I guess that will have to be the cliff hanger for next month.  Maybe I will be able to slow him down enough to get those stats.  Maybe.

Hope you all are on our way to a great new year!
🙂
Nichole