Christmas and a New Year!

Hello Everyone!  It has been about 3 months since I last wrote, and so much has happened!!!  I will be writing a little bit, then posting pictures, then writing some more.  This might be a long blog!!!  :)

Christmas!  We had a great Christmas, with Kevin's parents and then with my family.  We did a lot of fun things, including going to the Nutcracker in San Francisco, eating at the Cliff House, going to afternoon tea, playing with Casey's cousins, and spending a lot of time with friends and family.  Here are some pictures of our holidays!

Casey finally got to turn his carseat around!  He loves it!

First guitar.

Snow at Hometown Holidays in Redwood City.

Casey's first pony ride...he was a little scared, but liked it after it got started.

This was before the ride began.  haha.

Fun friends on the Ferris Wheel...Casey loved to ride too!

Casey and I riding the ferris wheel at Hometown Holidays.

Getting our Christmas tree!

Christmas tree farm!

We finally switched Casey's bed to the toddler bed!

He loves it...he hated the crib.

Holiday Music Class!!!

The Elf Hat, as we decorate for Christmas.

Lucasfilm Christmas party...dancing theme!

Christmas with Papa and Nana!  Great Presents and Fun!

Mom's Holiday Tea!!!

Sticker face!

First time ice skating!

Getting ready to go!

Yay!!!

Fun fun!

Daddy and Casey.

The robe Casey got from Nana and Papa.

So much fun at Gilroy Gardens Holiday Lights!  It was a blast!

Fun Merry Go Round!

Riding all the rides at Gilroy Gardens.

Riding the train together.

Eating at the holiday show at Gilroy Gardens.

Casey's first show...the Peanuts!

Picture with the crew.

Ferris Wheel fun!

Living Nativity, Bethlehem A.D. in Downtown Redwood City.

Petting a camel at the living nativity.

Going down the Christmas light lane in San Carlos!

So much fun seeing the lights!

Kevin spent forever putting together this kitchen for Casey on Christmas eve!

Santa Claus present all ready for Casey on Christmas morning!

With the family to see the Nutcracker in San Fran!

He loves it!!!!

The Naked Chef!  He loves to cook.

Christmas dinner with the family.

Christmas with the other family!  Sweet Katerina!

Grandma and newest grand-daughter, Kaylin!

Grandpa and Kaylin.

Me and Kaylin!

Kevin with Kaylin!

Grandpa with his grand-kids.

Grandma and Aunt Jonelle at the Cliff House for dinner!

Mom with her oysters and Hot Buttered Rum.

Casey doesn't know what to think about the crab we cooked!  They were feisty guys when we cooked them!

He liked the crab...just not sure about it at first.

Yum yum!

Brother Joel and Kev eating crab.

Holiday Tea with Missy and Mom!!!  So fun and yummy!

I can't believe it is 2012 already...and already March!  Kevin and I were able to go on a special Valentine's Getaway Weekend, and we had a great time!  It was only our 2nd time away from Casey together...and we went for two nights this time!  We stayed our first night in Yountville, in Napa Valley, and we ate at a great restaurant called Bistro Jeanty.  We had amazing food the whole weekend, actually!  The second night we stayed in a little town called Occidental, which is in the redwoods, on the other side of Santa Rosa.  We went to the redwoods and walked around, went by the ocean, and drove through beautiful wine country.  We also relaxed and just had fun!!  Casey did so great with my parents too!!  He slept all night through, both nights, and barely even missed us!  I am so grateful for my parents watching him and I am so glad he loves them so much and feels so comfortable with them.  We were very grateful for the time away. 

Right after Casey turned two, it was definitely a challenge for me...he was a little terror!  :)  He was having a lot of discipline problems and would not listen to us, no matter what we did.  He was just pushing all our buttons and trying to test his boundaries in EVERYTHING.  I really was wondering how he would ever get better:  I didn't know how many times I would have to tell him to stop going out the doggie door, or to stop hitting the dogs, or stop running away from me when I needed him to come, etc.  It really is so frustrating, especially when I am with him ALL day....but I love the little buddy so much.

We were at a doctor appointment for him, and he was just behaving so horribly...kicking and trying to get down, and wouldn't listen to us at all...it was so embarrassing!  It is definitely hard, because we are very consistent with disciplining him, but he is very stubborn and doesn't like to give in if he doesn't want to do something.  Anyway, when we left the doctor's office, we had to go get an x-ray for his knee.  I was so nervous about it, because I was afraid he would act the same way he did in the doctor's office.  So my mom suggested that he would get a TREAT if he was really still during the entire x-ray.  We explained what would happen during the x-ray and let him pick his treat...a donut.  We told him he would have to WAIT until we drove to get a donut...he wouldn't get it right away.  SOOOO, as he went in for his x-ray, I was praying and praying and praying the whole time, asking God to touch him.  My mom was the one that went in with him, and when they came out, she was amazed!  He did SO well!  He didn't move one muscle the entire time and she didn't have to even touch him on the table.  It was a miracle.  He was SOOO happy when he came out and couldn't wait to get his donut.  It was amazing.  God is so good.

God has also been helping us think of new ways of disciplining him that actually work!  We are now doing a reward system with him...and it works very well.  He is very competitive and loves to be rewarded if he does well.  He hates it when he has something taken away.  So, we give him star stickers if he does something good (like helping cook, or helping clean up, or being kind), and if he does something wrong, we can take away a star...and he hates that.  After getting two stars, he gets one gummy bear or fruit snack.  After five stars, he gets a toy (small dollar-toys from Target).  He loves it and it has helped a lot.  He is also very responsive to counting...if we make him do something by the time we count to 3, or he has a consequence.  So, we are definitely making headway and he is becoming sweeter and sweeter.  I love him so much...he is just hilarious sometimes and says the funniest things.

One of his favorite things lately is STAR WARS.  Yes.  Of course, Kevin had a hand in that (we have only showed little bits and pieces of the 1st movie to him..only let him see glimpses of the characters).  :)  He loves the Star Wars guys that Kevin's parents gave him and he plays with them all day long.  Well, actually, he makes me play WITH him with the guys, all day long.  He wants to pretend and wants me to pretend with him.  So, we do a lot of pretending to cook them food in his new kitchen he got for Christmas, and lot of playing hide and seek with them too.  He loves to even take them upstairs and pretend he is changing their diapers and putting on their clothes.  It is hilarious.  He also loves STICKER BOOKS now....he has a Toy Story one, a Star Wars one, and a Winnie the Pooh one.  He also is starting to love playing games:  he can play Candyland now, Memory, I Spy, and Hide and Seek and he does great with them.

He also has had an art class and a soccer class lately.  He loved his art class and now my parents and I have Casey-paintings all over our refrigerators and walls.  Haha.  He did really well in that class.  He is also taking a soccer class and he is doing well in that too! It is a Mommy and Me soccer class, but it is on Saturdays, so Kevin gets to come too.  He has a little bit of more of a challenge in this class though, because after a little while, he just doesn't want to kick the ball anymore.  He doesn't listen very well to the teacher sometimes too.  But he is pretty young (only 2!) and I know he will get better.  He loves any game that is competitive though:  anything where we have to try to steal the ball from each other or running through obstacle courses...he LOVES.  Especially obstacle courses...I had already set up some courses at my parent's house, so he knew about them, and loves loves loves them.  He kept running through the course, even when it was water break time, and even when he left his ball behind.  I am thinking I need to put him in track and field!  :)  He is definitely a runner. 

Casey holding my flowers and balloon for Valentine's Day.

My beautiful black pearl necklace from Kevin.

My wonderful hand-prints from Casey!

Eating at Bistro Jeanty...it was amazing!

Sitting outside Bistro Jeanty.

Eating at a famous burger joint in St. Helena.

Our pretty hotel room at the Inn at Occidental.

View from our room!

Walking in the redwoods!   

Casey's Art Class!

Playdate with friend Noel!

My wonderful friend Ann's roller skating dress up party!

So much fun!

Julie and I getting our groove on!

Look at those legs!

Fun fun times!

A random trip to Lucasfilm to visit Daddy.  Casey LOVED everything!

Looking at all the fun things at Lucasfilm!

Sitting at Daddy's desk!

Casey's new tools...his tool belt too!

So happy with his tools.

Cutey boy!

Measuring with his measuring tape.

Getting ready for his first soccer class.

Little shin guards and cleats!

Waiting for class!

Parent and Me Soccer Class!

My Boys!

Our new fish, Wall-E!

Soccer!

Goal!

One of his favorite past-times:  Grandma's iPad!

Casey loves his Buzz Lightyear...he carries him around.

Nap time with Petey.

Favorite Buzz Umbrella.

Shopping at Trader Joe's with his own cart!

First Game of Candyland.

Petey and Sidney waiting for Casey to drop food.

Petey with fluff hanging from his chin.  :)

Sleepy Petey boy!

He also does such funny things now:  I taught him that when he is fussy, he needs to be a "happy boy" and that means he needs to show me he is happy:  I told him he needs to smile at me, give me a wink, and a thumbs up.  It is HILARIOUS when he does it.  He also loves to play "sleeping beauty" and pretend he is the prince...he will come and kiss me to wake me up...and he thinks it is so funny.  He is talking sooooo much now, too... he is definitely a talker...he talks and talks and talks.  I wonder where he gets that.  Haha.  :)  He still calls me "Monny", instead of Mommy.  He knows that he says it wrong, but he doesn't care and insists on calling me that.  :)  He also loves for "Casey to do it", including pulling up zippers, brushing his teeth, and much more.  He also loves to go and play at the nursery at church...he is so happy and LOVES to be social.  He loves sports and is a tough guy...he doesn't cry very often, even when he falls down.  He is such a little sweetie and my little friend!  I am so blessed by him!

So, we have been looking at preschools for him, starting in September.  Kevin was an AMAZING daddy and got up at 5am to go stand in line, to make sure he got into Trinity Presbyterian Nursery School, in the 2's/3's class.  They only have one class there, and since the school is 50 years old, accredited, and cheaper because it is a co-op, it is in high demand.  This co-op is lighter than other places, but I still have to go help out once a week, when Casey is only in class twice a week!  Wow.  Oh well...I guess it will be fun.  The classes are only about 2 hours and 15 minutes, so it isn't long.  Because Casey's birthday is in November, he is too young for most of the preschools, which have age cut-offs for being 3 by September 1st.  He will be one of the oldest in his class.  I think it will be good socialization for him though, and he loves to play with "friends".  Whenever we go do something fun, he says, "More fun, More fun!!"  SSOOO....Kevin had to wait in line and even though he got there at 5:45, he was 5th in line!  But we got in!  So our little boy will start preschool in the Fall.  :)

I have a wedding coming up in June and Kevin is doing great with work.  I have been busy helping plan the Young Married's events and the Young Families' events at church and I love hanging out with our friends and going to Mom's Nights Out or Girl's Nights Out...it is definitely needed for me, especially since I am with Casey all day.  I am looking forward to more fun time with my mom this coming Fall too, since she is planning on retiring.  So that will be great. 

Casey looking like a teenager.

Casey and Daddy Ice-skating again, for friend Emilia's B-day.

Ice-skating!

Teddy Bear Tea party at Art Class!  We made the bibs and hats!

Casey's Cute Teddy Bear

Homemade Play-doh!

Playing with his storm-troopers at Grandpa's House!

Petey sitting next to me waiting to get some dinner.

We would love to see you if you are in the area!!!

Sincerely,

Rachel