I finally caught up with Christmas...

As November was quickly rolling into December, I started thinking about what I wanted to give my little man for Christmas.  During my daily blog-stalk I hit up a couple of crafty blogs, so I felt inspired to do a bit of a "homemade" Christmas.  I came up with three gifts I wanted to make and personalize.  But, alas, there was not a single homemade present under the tree (or in our case, the poinsettia).  Lesson learned - start homemade gift planning in September.  But, I finally finished one of his Christmas presents this week!  Corban started becoming interested in the fridge magnets, so I made him some of his own

These were super easy and really cheap.  I bought some plain wood cutouts at Michael's, painted them with craft paint, spray painted them with a clear gloss, and glued magnets to the back.  Some of the details I just did with a fine tip Sharpie.  I don't consider myself very artistic, so I'm generally very impressed with anything I do. (Sorry, I hope that doesn't sound egotistic.  It's definitely not meant to be).

A great tip I found online: spray paint in a box -

Even though its clear paint, I didn't have any problems with dust or dead grass blowing over my pieces.

I gave the magnets to Corban in the morning right after he had a bottle.  He gave me a big smile.  Almost as good as Christmas morning.

Prophet Memory Cards

Yesterday my Primary lesson was on Prophets.  I was looking for a fun activity to include and I found these prophet cards to use as a Memory game -

I had fun releasing my inner child and colored for a couple hours the night before.  I think I'll laminate them and hold onto them for future Family Home Evening activities.  Click here to get your own copy.  There are larger sizes too.

18 Months

Corban is 18 months old today.  I can hardly believe it.  I think he's officially a toddler now.  He is such a sweet and happy boy and Josh and I are so proud of him.

He's still as active as can be.  He loves being outside and especially going on walks.  He is so curious and he tries to figure out how everything works.  He's started doing some of the hand movements to Popcorn Popping.  He's finally stopped eating crayons, so we can now draw together.  He learned how to jump a few weeks ago and climb into his crib by himself, so I'll find him in there just jumping away.

Corban absolutely loves going to nursery.  Although this coming Sunday is supposed to be his first week, the nursery leaders are super awesome and have taken him since the beginning of the year.  Josh had to bribe Corban with a bag of M&Ms to get him to leave last week. 

He's just a great kid.  We love you!

Book Report

One of my New Year's resolutions was to read more, so I thought I'd share my January reading.

My first book for the year was Chaim Potok's Davita's Harp.  I think this is the fifth book I've read by him and I love them all.  Potok is such an amazing story-teller.  The novel chronicles the life of a young girl as she comes of age amid family, social, and religious strife.  I typically become very invested in the books I read, so I cried all the way through.  Davita's story is heart-breaking in itself, but Potok is able to capture that moment when the harsh realities of life settle on a young person, particularly the realization that life is not fair, even cruel, and we're often powerless to change it.  But it's a hopeful book, offering a solace found and built upon the power of ideals and imagination.  Honestly, just writing about this book makes me want to read all over again.

 I soon followed up with John Steinbeck's Travels with Charley: In Search of America.  I remember during Junior year of High School everyone was dreading reading The Grapes of Wrath, supposedly because it was long and boring.  But I adored it, so I was excited to read this book.  It is a travelogue of Steinbeck's cross-country trip with his poodle, Charley.  First, it was interesting to get to know the author, since this was a non-fiction personal account.  It gave me a different perspective on what I remember of the The Grapes of Wrath.  Second, Steinbeck is hilarious.  He has a very subtle humor, but he is spot-on with his observations. ("spot-on" - this sounds so British but my brain can't think of the American equivalent.)  I was so amused I had to read all the funny passages to Josh.  He was a sport and played along and chuckled at the appropriate moments.  Since we had just recently gone out shooting, I found this passage particularly amusing:

"...every fall a great number of men set out to prove that without talent, training, knowledge, or practice they are dead shots with rifle or shotgun.  The results are horrid.  From the moment I left Sag Harbor the guns were booming at the migrating ducks, and as I drove in Maine the rifle shots in the forests would have frightened off any number of redcoats so long as they didn't know what was happening.  This is bound to get me a bad name as a sportsman, but let me say at once that I have nothing against the killing of animals.  Something has to kill them I suppose...If I were hungry, I would happily hunt anything that runs or crawls or flies, even relatives, and tear them down with my teeth.  But it isn't hunger that drives millions of armed American males to forests and hills every autumn, as the high incidence of heart failure among the hunters will prove.  Somehow the hunting process has to do with masculinity, but I don't quite know how.  I know there are any number of good and efficient hunters who know what they are doing; but many more are overweight gentlemen, primed with whiskey and armed with high-powered rifles.  They shoot at anything that moves or looks as though it might, and their success in killing one another may well prevent a population explosion."

Anyway, I got a kick out of it. 

Another note on domesticity...

So, the other day, Josh gave me a present out of the blue.  For no special reason. As I've mentioned, I have a pretty sweet husband.  He gave me an apron.

I really do like it and I was way excited, but I feel like I shouldn't.  I think I've spent to much time being indoctrinated by feminist English teachers at college.  I mean, it's so 1950s - symbol of oppression, or something to that effect.

But, hey, it does make me feel like one hip housewife.