Jude had become very helpful around the house. He is getting to be so big and understand so much that we can give him little jobs around the house. First off he helps us by throwing away all the diapers,(and when you're changing pants and have a cold, naked, hungry baby any help is fabulous) and he takes pride in that job. If you try to throw a diaper away while he is there he gets mad. He makes you get it out so he can throw it away again. He is very helpful with the dishes. He puts away the pots, pans, and larger utensils. He evn puts them away in the right place. Then he will hand me the cups and plates which is a genuine help because I don't have to bend over to grab anything on the lower shelf. He also helps to load the dishwasher although I usually have to rearrange as he can only reach so far till he begins stalking things . 8) He helps to throw clothes in to the washer, then from the washer to the dryer, and when i am vaccuming he is always ready to chipp in and help out. It is so much fun and I know that Jude is feeling a great sense of accomplishment. We always make a big deal to thank him and you can just see it in his eyes that he is happy to be part of what we are doing, even if it is chores.

My crazy husband and his crazy adventures with his hair. Like I'm one to talk... I guess that means we are just perfect for eachother. Love ya Babe! *blows kiss*

Here we are enjoying some of our Christmas prestents. It's been hard to get outside because it refuses to stop raining! So on this day the sun came out long enough to dry the sidewalks and I ran the fam out for some fresh air. Jude just loves his trike. He doesn't quite understand the pedals yet but he loves to be pushed on it and even more so to push it himself. Also there is a little yellow tote on the back which Jude likes to store his "treasures", like rocks and pinecones.

Alice got an adorable little moby wrap. It took us awhile to figure it out but we think Alice really likes it. We get her warm and snuggy and she gets close to our chest. It is so much nicer to carry her around in this then in her car seat(at stores and stuff), and she falls right asleep. It is so cute to have her nice and close. Here are some pictures of Derek being a super daddy and test driving the Moby!(That's right, he did it before me!)

We got a wonderful play mat for Alice for Christmas(Thanks Dad and Rose!) which is perfect because it is just about tummy time...time. We set her on her tummy and with camera ready waited for the crying protest too begin. We laid down beside her to cheer her on and all we got(at first) were smiles. She was lifting her head like a champ and loving the attention. After about 3 minutes was when she started to think tummy time wasn't so fun and started to fuss. We left her there for another 3 minutes until she got really mad, then we rescued her. Good job Alice, we are so proud of you!

We had a very Merry Christmas! In fact Derek and I are walking away feeling a little guilty because we were so fortunate this year. We started by waking up in our house lazily around 9. We undid our stockings for little treats and then loaded up the car to go ver to my moms house. When we got there there were presents everywhere. We started with my favorite Christmas tradition, Christmas PJs. Then we got right into presents. Jude got clothes, coloring books, toys, puppets, and the grandest of all a tricycle with a long handle for someone to help steer him. He tried to ride it right in the midst of all the mess. (Which is our other tradition, to throw the wrapping paper and boxes into a huge messy pile. The cats, and the kids, just love to go frolic in the mountain of crinkly paper) Alice got clothes, tummy time mat, and one of those moby wrap which is prefect cause she thinks it's her job to be held. About half way through Derek, Jude and I recieved bicycle helmets. We were very confused and put them on (hence the "special" high five picture) My mom said it was to get us started on our bike wishes(I have been talking about buying a bike for while now) we said our thanks and then took Jude out to play with his trik when we saw... BIKES!!!!! I just started screaming like some type of crazy game show contestant! I was so excited I just didn't know what to do. And not only were there bikes, but the icing on our Christmas cake is that we got a hitch so we can take Jude and Alice with us! I didn't even know what to do I was so excited! I just kept screaming and jumping and annoying the neighbors I'm sure. It was a fantastic Christmas and I can't wait to get these bikes out on the open trail! Thank you so much everyone who made this a magical Christmas for our family. We love you!!!

Another rainey day boredom reliever. Blanket fort! I just whipped out our comforter over some chairs and tada, home made tent. Jude ran inside and just laughed and lauged whenever someone would come in with him. It kept him busy with his own little indoor adventure!

It was a cold rainy day and Jude NEEDED to get out of the house. It had rained for a week straight and we were all getting a bout of cabin fever. So we braved the crazy holiday traffic and went to the mall. We figured it would be a good place for Jude to run around in while still being inside but not actually being insde a store. At one end of the store they have a neat little kiddie ride place. They had a firetruck and a spaceship, full of wheels, levers, and buttons to press. It was kinda expensive at 50 cents for a minute but luckily for us Jude didn't want the machines to move. He would be playing happily but once we would start the ride he wanted off. Silly boy. So we just had fun for free and played on all the cool toys.After the rides we just let Jude wander and he wandered into Hot Topic. That store is my favorite and my least favorite. It is my favorite because it is one of the only places I can go to get things like video game tees, and Harry potter merchandise, and hair dye. It's one of my least favorite places because it is a store for 16 year olds and is a constant reminder that I am a little immature in my likes and interests. Take this for example. It was a sweatshirt with a tail. and a huge fuzzy beanie with bull horns! I would totally wear those and love it, but Derek reminded me that I am not 16 and I just look silly. 8(

Derek's new love is rock climbing. He took a course this semester and has made friends with some rock climbing regulars that introduced him to this cool rock climbing gym. My mom very sweetly came over to watch the kids so that Derek and I could go on a date to this place and we had so much fun. All sorts of walls to go up and around and over. There were even paths you had to follow to make it even more difficult. It's this great challenge that you feel you have to beat, but if you fall it's ok cause there are suishy mats all over the floor. It was so much fun!

Santa is real! and we got to see him the other night! My sister invited us to her work to see the real Santa. He had a question and answer segment and you could ask him any question you ever wanted. We found out how he gets around the world in one night( It's actually two when he crosses the international date line), how Rudolph's nose glows(He was struck by lightning and was charged), and where he met Mrs.Claus( She was a keeper at a Tavern and when Santa saw her he knew he couldn't leave without her.) Then we got to sit on Santa's lap. Jude cried and hated it but we got some good grins from Alice. It was so much fun and I got the classic crying kid picture and then the sweet little cherub picture. Merry Christmas.

Jude loves the song "Hit the road jack" so we will play a Ray Charles music video on the computer for him so he can listen to it. My crazy kid decided to step up the danger level and balance himself precariously on the arms of the computer chair. I'm the kind of mom who runs for the camera instead of running to the rescue and got some great goofy guy pictures.

Jude, my mom, and I went to go do some shopping and while we were at the store Jude met a cute little girl named Maya. She was about 3 years old and she and Jude were just talking away like they were the best of buds. Maya was eating some cheetos started sharing some with Jude, the thing is they were Red Hot Cheetos and those suckers are spicy!! I stood by and let Jude have one and he was so funny. First he tries to give it back, then he decides that he needs to finish it, by the end he was red eyed and tearing up. Maya's Dad took pity on Jude and gave him some gummy snacks to help the burn. Jude had everyone laughing so hard. Even random passerbys were stopping to watch the spectacle. I didn't get my camera out till the end but it was some funny stuff.

Alice is turning into such a talker girl. She was just laying in her bed early morning and just gabbing away. I asked Derek to get the camera and she stops. Of course she does that's what kids do, stop as soon as any type of memory recorder is whipped out. Any way this video is so super cute, it's kinda grainy because when Derek recorded it it was early in the morning and it was super dark. I went into a photo editor and lightened it up enough that you can see all the cute. Love that Ali-boo-bear!

There is a house near us that has been empty for awhile and since I'm a horrible snoop I had to peek to see what this sign said. It ended up being pretty funny when you think that it was posted to a vacant house. Excuse me Mr or Mrs doesn't exist but could you call us?

I decided to try a diffrent color then purple for my hair, so since it's Christmas I did Green. I'm not sure what I think. It's not that I don't like the green, I just like the purple better. First off I didn't bleach it enough on the top so it looks more yellow then green. So I might have to it again but it's ok cause it was a lot of fun to do my "model" pictures. So what does everyone think?