Christmas card 2010

Peppermint Bliss Christmas 5x7 folded card

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Playdate

I had just HAD to share these pictures of Jackson and Sarah-Ellis on one of their playdates! We had so much fun at the Riverland Terrace playground on James Island and enjoyed the first taste of fall weather by the water. These pictures were taken when they paused for a few minutes to share a snack. Jackson was literally feeding his Goldfish to Sarah-Ellis, and she was giving him some of her Ritz crackers! It was adorable!!

At long last...

Ok, so it has been almost a year since I last posted, and my how things have changed! Life is crazy in the Craft household with 2 under 2, me working 2 jobs, Calvin teaching and attending graduate school, and so much more!! Some days it is hard to find the time to eat, so needless to say, there is very little time to play on the computer and update the blog. The kids (big and little) are napping (one through a football game), so I will try to get as much in as I can! So what has been going on since my last post, you ask? Well, let's hit the highlights:
Jackson celebrated his first Christmas, he started walking, he started running, he turned ONE (and celebrated with a BIG Clifford party), he moved into a new room in the house, he moved up to a new class in school (twice), he started feeding himself, he started sleeping through the night (YEA!!!), he has gotten sick A LOT, he had surgery, he participated in a research study for his ears which always seemed to be infected, he spoke his first sentence ("I love you"), he learned how to count to five, he learned to dance and sing, he apparently thinks he has turned two by the way he exerts his independence, and he had a baby sister (whom he LOVES to death)!! He is so much fun these days, with the exception of the occasional tantrum when he doesn't get exactly what he wants when he wants it! He loves to play outside and constantly amazes us with how quickly he learns things and how much he remembers. He is very smart, super cute, and is the sweetest boy on the planet! He loves to give hugs, kisses and high fives, and he has great manners, saying "pease" and "dank you". He talks constantly, and now that we are starting to understand some of what he says, he keeps us laughing! His newest love is Nemo.

Riley (aka, "Smiley Riley")...was born, had colic, got over colic (YEA!), she learned to smile, laugh, coo, and say "dada", she started rolling over, she learned to sit up (though still a little wobbly), she started eating solids (and almost insists on trying to feed herself with the spoon), she started sleeping through the night (double YEA!!), she started school, and apparently thinks she is 4 by the way she tries to feed herself, eat regular food, sit at the table with the adults, etc. She loves to watch her big brother and can't wait to get down on the floor and play with him. She is fascinated with hair and will grab anyone's that she can get hold of. We often call her "piranha girl", as she will come at you with an open mouth and try to gum you to death!
Overall, they are both very happy babies. We feel very blessed to have them both and wouldn't trade our crazy life for anything in the world! They truly are the light of our lives. Enjoy the pictures!

Jackson Slideshow

It's (going to be) a...

...GIRL! We found out yesterday that Jackson is going to have a little sister! She is growing well (at 1 lb and 1 oz) and is measuring about 6 days ahead of our due date of April 27, 2007. It is amazing how much she already looks like her big brother.

Jackson's First Day of School

Yesterday was Jackson's very first day of school! His teachers reported that he had "a great first day." They couldn't stop talking about what a happy baby he is. It was a very big day for him. He skipped his morning nap, got his hand print posted on the classroom's Christmas Tree, and did his first finger-painting!! It is a beautiful green Christmas wreath. The only issue that he encountered was at snack time. I sent his favorite snack, "Wagon Wheels", but it appears that all of the other kids had "puffs". Apparently he wouldn't eat his wagon wheels.........today, we made sure to send puffs! I think that overall he had a lot of fun. By the time we got home, he was fast asleep (and he stayed asleep for over on hour--even through the phone ringing off the hook with everyone checking on him!) He was definitely worn out. I hope today goes just as well! Who knows, maybe this is our ticket to getting him to sleep through the night--here's to hoping!!

Thanksgiving

This was Jackson's first Thanksgiving, and what a great time he had! We started the day at Mama and Papa's house, where we visited briefly with the Mitchum family. We then travelled to Mount Pleasant for the "Mann Clan" family gathering. After a brief nap, he was ready for the big family photo and lots of delicious food! It was great to have the whole family all together again. Jackson thoroughly enjoyed seeing all of his relatives, many for the first time!