Leftover Turkey and Christmas Photos

Not a single photo has been taken in this house since Christmas Day. We have had something going on every day and I forget to break out the camera...instead, it's been the video camera! It usually gets neglected but with Kenton having time off, it's been fun to not have big agendas and just play with the girlies. Unfortunately I can't share a video clip with you because our technology just doesn't transfer to blogs easily. 

I'll give you the run down.. Wren does something silly and Ellie has a deep belly giggle. Repeat. It's always the cutest!

I had a few leftover photos that didn't make it in the last round...

I mentioned 'Christmas dresses' as being a yearly tradition. How cute are they??

Ellie pooped her pants within 5 minutes of arriving at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and naturally I forgot to pack extra leggings or tights for her in the bustle of getting out the door. So typical.

Great-Grandma Elfrieda beaming with the ladies. Her arm is probably also going numb from holding all 21 lbs of Ellie but she's too happy to notice!

It's pretty crazy to think that about 23 years ago (when I was 3), she was doing this exact same thing with Andrea and I. Where is the my own childhood picture when I need it? Sigh.
Here's another tradition, every single year my grandma makes Christmas Cake. It's like an unbaked fruitcake. She gave me the recipe a few years ago and I tried making it and it ended in disaster. Therefore, she still makes it for us and it wouldn't be the same without it. (I'm going to have to get her to show me, she must have a secret method!)

Over the holidays we've had so much fun just hanging out. A few days ago we went swimming with Andrea. It was Ellie's first time in a swimming pool and she loved it. She just sat in this floatie thing holding a pool toy and relaxed for a solid 45 min. It was so funny! I used to take Wren almost weekly when she was that age, and now it's impossible to manage both by myself, so it's a real treat when we get to go as a family.

Wren got this book for Christmas (along with The Pigeon Finds a Cookie). Her first Christmas she was given Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and the books have been a hit in our house since. This one that she is holding is particularly hilarious.

Here, the girls are watching Great-Grandma Spiers show them a talking stuffed toy that sings nursery rhymes, complete with a moving mouth! 

Things got crazy at Nana & Papa's when Uncle Brad busted out the harmonica and played some tunes while Uncle Jordan gave Wren a horsie ride. (Note: I think Kyle is on two phones instead of just one, haha). This would be a good time to mention that you can enlarge the pictures on my blog just by clicking on them so you can get a better look!

And a snuggle with Uncle Jordan and Strawberry Shortcake..like, the doll she's holding, I'm not referring to Wren, haha.
We watched the Grinch Who Stole Christmas (the Dr. Seuss cartoon, not Jim Carrey- it's a little over the top for a 3 year old in my opinion) and later that night she watched the Polar Express with her uncles.
A good Christmas movie is always the best. A few years in a row it was Elf...but I'm tired of embarrassing myself by laughing until I cry at the part when he tries to go up the elevator and does the splits.

This year we are staying in for New Years Eve with some treats and a movie. Last year Kenton and I went out for dinner last minute but this year we have a big family get-together New Years Day so we're going to lay low the night before. One year I would love to get super dressed up and go out to a party!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all of our family and friends!

 Here are a few fun pictures from our last couple of days. Hope you are keeping cozy by a fireside if possible like we did today. :) I only uploaded this many otherwise I'd be here all night. Enjoy.

Dressed up for Christmas Eve at Grandma and Grandpas. (My parents). Wren was so excited for "Presents! Stockings! Tweats!!"

Aunty Andrea and Uncle Cam, pumped for presents like the rest of us.

Ellie, not pumped about her beautiful cross between a toque and a bonnet. 

Family photo for 2012. 

Aunty getting a squeeze on the lips. This face is depicting true surprise at that little hand's speediness.

Christmas morning at our house with the girlies. Wren was moderately amused with her kaleidoscope for a whole 2 seconds.

Ellie was thrilled to open a box and play with it and the paper inside. She showed no regard for the new outfit within. Easily pleased I'd say.

Mom and the ladies on Christmas morning, a rare shot of us three. 

And of course, Dad and his girls too.

A sweet little picture with Great Nana and Papa Spiers. (Note: Ellie is wearing my old baby sweater that my mom just found, so cute!)

We wish you a very neon pink Christmas from the Jeske's :) Kididng, I promise Wren didn't call up Papa to see what he was going to wear that day.

Santa came to visit! Okay, not really. Uncle Jordan played a great Santa Claus and Wren was super unsure until we showed her it was Jordan. She had a very confusing few minutes trying to figure that all out, haha but thought it was funny in the end.

And then they danced!

Oh and so did we. Ellie loves dancing, truly.

Here we are, the proof of how much Ellie looks like Uncle Kyle. A nice pair right there.

After a big day, everyone needed a little rest...

Aunties.

Aunties are a breed unlike any other. 

They are typically more fun and exciting than mom or dad.

They have cooler toys, like ipads and iphones with fun games to play with.

Aunties are willing to dance in the living room to Glee Christmas music.

You are surprised every time Aunty says she is excited to babysit and means it, because you are the one  that's been around your kids constantly and needs a break, not her. And all she requires are some Glutino chocolate wafers as payment.

Aunty always has the best taste in clothes for your kids. 

Aunty is still excited to go swimming when asked even though it's part of her job and should in her own right, be sick of it now. 

Aunties enjoy receiving texts that look like this: "jglkjsphagosngnoOOOOOOOOO". 

Aunties also seem to enjoy receiving the texts from the parent that go something like this: "My kid sneezed out this huge booger bigger than her head and then accidentally sucked it back in. Sorry, prob t.m.i. I'm like so bored of being in the house all day." 

Aunties find cool stuff for your kids on Pinterest.

Aunties are willing to run an errand for you when there is no conceivable way you can make the 45 min drive to Ikea with two kids for one picture frame.

They know of all the best new and classic kids stories to tell you about.

Aunties snort out loud from laughter when you do dorky things with your kids that only the two of you would find funny. 

Aunties don't seem to mind when you are socially deprived and talk their ear off about nothing interesting for an hour straight. 

Aunties bring you Starbucks when you had a hard day and graciously share their drink with their niece when she starts sucking down half of it from the straw without asking and says "Look! We're sharing!"

As Wren would say, "I like Aunty da best." And it's true, Aunties really are da best.

This is our favourite Aunty. Okay, the only Aunty at the moment. But therefore, naturally, our favourite.

Note: There is huge overlap for what Aunty does and what grandparents also do which is equally great and keeps these parents sane. But today, it's all about Aunty :)

Cozy cuddles on a very chilly day

I finally took more pictures. My stash of photos from December is minimal. I don't know why, maybe because we haven't been doing a lot on a daily basis so I forget to take pictures of the "mundane". 

I like to bring Ellie into Wren's room when she wakes up from her mid-day nap and watch them snuggle together. I'd jump in there too except that Wren's gate thing on the side of her bed is a real hindrance.

After posting earlier today about Christmas traditions, I started to think of all these ideas. We actually did make it to Candy Cane Lane tonight, and we drove slowly through for Wren to take in all the lights.  The whole way there she was insisting that we were going to a store and to walk around. Wrong and wrong. 

Since driving through the 'Lane didn't take long, we zipped over to the General Hospital where the entire front of the place is decorated with a huge lights display. I love 3 year olds- you go somewhere spectacular and they go, "Wow! Um, 'nother lights now?" Like, yay thanks great okay now I want something else and better, haha. Honestly.

Both of the girls have their own Christmas dresses this year. Wren is wearing one of hers in these photos. The Gap has so many good ones this year, like this and this. I was also in love with this one for Ellie. I think Christmas dresses will be a tradition. Same with Christmas pajamas.

Oookay...and maybe some Christmas coloured toes...

I love these two little teeth. They are hilarious and sweet all at the same time. Ellie is a snuggly, squishy, cuddly little thing and I could squeeze her chubby body all day long. She has a new trick as well...

Remember Wren's Turtle Face?

Ellie does it now too! It's a better shot in the third photo from the top. Funny.

Fort Jeske and Christmas Traditions

What happens when I go out in the evening and the girls are home with dad?

Forts happen. How cute is Ellie's little face in there?

I'm sitting here and winding down from a morning Christmas party at Wren's play group today. There were treats, lots of kids and even Santa made a visit. It was ca-razy people. Even Santa left with not so much as a "Ho-ho-ho!" or "Merry Christmas!". He wanted outta there!

I'm hoping to get a photo from the mom that was taking the pictures of kids on his knee. I plopped Ellie in his lap and Wren happily cooperated to stand next to him...I mean he gave her a candy cane so obviously he's now her best friend. 

You know how I detest Costco for it's psycho-busyness...well I kind of hate playgroup for the same reason (Eep! Did I just say that out loud?) and I've only been taking Wren for, well, Wren. Not me. I'm so excited for her to start preschool and I'm so much more excited to not go to playgroup anymore- it's like my New Years resolution. ha!

We are finished attending our Christmas parties and Kenton is SO ready to have some time off over the holidays. I think the girls are going to be thrilled to have him home so much, Wren gets very tired of seeing my face every minute of the day. 

We hope to go to Candy Cane Lane tonight...in the car. I know, I know you're supposed to walk it, but it's like -30C out so I'm not getting out of my car if I can help it. I was going to take the girls to get Santa mall photos until he came today to playgroup so I said screw waiting in a mall line up and having my kids melt down, we technically already saw him. 

I've been reading a lot of blogs talking about Christmas traditions. At first I couldn't think of any I had growing up, and then I realized that we totally did- we would go to the Christmas Eve church service, come home and eat (or was it the other way around?) and then go downstairs and open presents....on Christmas EVE. All the other kids had to wait until Christmas Day, as far as I understood at the time. My sister and I also loved watching a Muppet Christmas Carol on the archaic technology of VHS. It was hilarious and a great version of the story. Then Christmas morning we would get to open our stockings and then go to a relatives house and spend the day with family. 

So I've been thinking of what family traditions we should have with our own girls. We are just on the cusp of instilling some, as the girls are still small enough they don't really care. I'm sure Wren would just say "Eat candy canes!" and be done. 

Her first tradition is a chocolate advent calendar. For obvious reasons, she has loved this. Also, listening to the latest Glee Christmas album while dancing in the living room and drinking egg nog with dad.

Here is a total side note on egg nog for you.  I had a conversation with Wren about her favourite part of Christmas to which she said "Jingle bells" are her favourite part. Then she said, "What's Daddy's favowit part of Cwismass?"

I said, "Hmm, I don't know. Well, Daddy reeeally likes egg nog. It's like a sweet, milk kind of drink." She thought about that for a second and then looked at me and said, "No. Daddy likes coffee and beards."

"Beers you mean?"

"No. BearDs."

There you have it folks. 

Any thoughts on some other good traditions? 

Here are a couple I liked:

Angel Chimes from A Cup of Jo

Gift Giving Traditions from Designmom

An almost Christmas time ramble.

Christmas presents that I ordered online weeks ago are starting to arrive at my door and I can't help thinking how much I love online shopping.
We have purposely avoided the malls and I think I am slightly more sane for it this year.

When I look outside and it's white and frosty everywhere, it feels so Christmasy. But since the snow came so much earlier this year, I find I'm already more worn out from the daily grind of getting two kids dressed and hauling them around clumsily everywhere. My dreams of trying to get outside to play most days have been fading because it's usually too cold or it doesn't work with the alternating nap times or whatever. Sometimes the effort is barely worth it.
It seems impossible to figure out how to keep a stationary baby happy and easily transported in snow with a stroller or carrier and a toddler happy who still needs you to help her do everything like sled down a little hill across the street. And if Wren decides she doesn't want to come inside, it usually ends with two screaming babes.
I know this time of year is supposed to be like a "break", it's called the "Holidays", but sometimes it feels like anything but that. I totally get why some people choose to go away (like on a hot vacation) or go see a movie Christmas day. The presents, baking, crafting, and everything else can be too much!

In our families, on each side we draw names. I'm thankful Kenton isn't the kind of person to expect me to do his gift buying for him. He actually doesn't want me to...but because of blogging I seem to always find some killer ideas for him anyway. This year I drew one of my brother-in-laws names on his side. I have decided that therefore there must be a small, funny element to the gift. If you also feel this is necessary in your gift giving, run to the Tin Box right now. I fully embarrassed myself laughing at the ridiculous things you can buy there.

In efforts to save my sanity and Wren's (seeing as we were talking about being indoors a lot), I signed her up for preschool. We are all very excited for this. The preschool came on recommendation from two moms I know who raved about it. It's affordable, it's twice a week, it's with 3 year olds and the teachers are amazing. We went for a visit last week and I think I was more excited than Wren...well maybe not quite. I have gotten sick of relying on playgroup (where last week a kid barfed all over the place) for her play time with kids, and the chaos that usually ensues. I feel like the timing is perfect, and I'm so happy she can start in the new year. I'm nearly certain it will also work out well even when I go back to work in the spring. All in all, it seems like a win-win situation for us.

As I write this all out, Wren is having "quiet time" in her room while Ellie naps. I'm lucky enough that one of Ellie's naps falls in the middle of the day when Wren's does. But Wren has been very very slowly transitioning out of naps but luckily she will stay in her room and read books and play quietly. I tell her I'm cleaning or something else totally not fun sounding. She did get into the diaper cream one day and it was all over her hands. She looked at me and said, "Gorgeous!!". Mmm, not quite! But her favourite thing to do at night time is to open her blind and stare out her window at all the houses around. She especially likes to keep tabs on Kenton if he's out working in the shop and she can see him in the garage windows.

Well, this was a rambling of sorts because I had to play catch up. We have been busy going to Christmas parties (and taking days to recover), and just getting ready for Christmas like everyone else. I even forgot to post about Ellie turning 8 months old, though nothing has really changed...like she still doesn't roll, crawl or like to do anything but sit and jump in the jolly jumper. I haven't even taken a single new picture! Okay that's a lie...I have one. And it's absurd but it will probably give you a good laugh so here you go...

My guide to all the amazing gift guides already out there..

I follow a few blogs. Okay, a lot. And I have seen soooo many great gift guides from those blogs this year. I didn't want to assume you follow all of these blogs too and have seen these guides, so I brought them to you. Hurray!

1. A Cup of Jo Holiday gift guide for the whole family. I can't tell you how many times I saw something that would be perfect for the people on our lists this year. She has ones for brothers, sisters, moms and dads and even your little toddler. (Some of my favourites were the portable bonfire log and enamel lockets).And you can see them all in this one link. Perfect.

2. La Buena Vida gift giving guide. Nicole Frazen (a chef and photographer, and otherwise very creative person in many areas I'm sure) put together a few ideas that I love. Very stylish for your home.

3. Design*Sponge's $50 and under gift guide. They actually have Tech gift guides, guides for Jewelery, pet lovers and more. So maybe just go to their site and take a look at them all!

4. Little Green Notebook. A little something for everyone.

5. A Beautiful Mess. Emma's December wish list. Lots of pretty ideas for the lady (or ladies!) in your life.

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What are some things on my wish list this year?

La Tartine Gourmande cookbook. Looks amazing! And of course Smitten Kitchen, Sprouted Kitchen or Julia Child's entire set  of Mastering the Fine Art of French Cooking would also be lovely.

This incredibly beautiful Michelle Armas print.

PJ's. Like real ones, not the leggings, nursing tank and Joe tee I wear to bed.

A beautiful scarf.

Stacking bangles because pretty jewellery is always nice to have.

Wren and Ellie's initials made into this necklace. Would also make a great mother's day gift...

And a backpack so I can finally ditch my tearing, worn out diaper bag! (These ones are cheaper and also extremely cool).



We aren't quite done our shopping yet, but I have to say that shopping online makes this time of year so easy when you don't have to fear the crowds at the mall. It would be fun to try shopping elsewhere this year if we must go to a store. Maybe Whyte Ave or 124th Street this year?

Mason Jar Snow Globes.

I followed a tutorial here to make my own mason jar snow globes. The craft inspiration came from Anthropologie, and I'm happy to say that they are incredibly easy to recreate!

Cute hey??

I went back to the Anthropologie website to see how much theirs actually retail for. The price is ridiculous, a globe like below retails for about $40...!

Mine couldn't cost more than $3 to make. That's pretty crazy. 

This one from Anthro below retails for about $28. Yikes. 

If you have a hot glue gun and can go out and buy mason jars from the grocery store, fake snow from Michael's (with a 40% off coupon that they have going all the time), and fake mini trees from the Dollar Store, you can actually do this craft in about 10 minutes...and I mean like make 8 of these at least in 10 minutes! It's really that fast. They also make great little Christmas gifts!

Christmas crafts all over the place

The girls and I went to Michael's yesterday. We had a coupon. We went crazy. 

Okay, no, I saw crazy there and we were not it. They need to make bigger carts for the crazies. But I got what I needed and zipped out quick. (It's very clear I have a huge aversion to big, busy places...note: Costco).

In the last couple of days I pounded out some serious decor...

Paper Christmas Tree.

I should have used bigger paper cut outs. This took me a long time. But was not hard. It gets a 4/5 for being a good and easy craft!

Red burlap Christmas tree. This wasn't really a craft. I cut my burlap into strips and wound it around the tree. Easy factor..5/5.

Snow globes. 

I couldn't find mini trees yesterday (but my sister did at the Dollar Store so I'll also make some of those in snow globes) so we improvised for today with ornaments. Easy factor? 5/5. Super fast, and you can use any jars you have, not just mason jars. Just watch out, that fake snow is messy business!

Chinese lantern wreath. No link, sorry, just thought of it myself. I bought a flat, cardboard ring and hot glued all the lanterns on. I could use a few more lanterns to make it more full and completely cover the ring...but I ran out. Easy factor- 4/5. Bird ornament was our own. 

Okay people! Get inspired to DIY if you are caught up on all your Downton Abbey and have nothing else to do!

(Someone awesome burns the episodes for us and we just finished Season 3. WHOA.)