Charley and Jackson

AUNT JEN-JEN!!!!!!!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:05:00 +0000

Our VERY first stop when we arrived in Texas was at Aunt Jen-Jen's restaurant. We dropped by for lunch and it was awesome. She made us the biggest kiddie cocktails we've ever had. We are in Texas after all.

The restaurant was downtown, surrounded by huge buildings.

Red eye

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 20:59:00 +0000

Our flight left so early that it was still dark when we had to get to the airport.

We did what we could to get through security quickly and easily.

The plane ride was pretty great, as usual. We got suckers and had lots of fun watching the other planes on the runway.

Chocolate covered birthday

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:02:00 +0000

We celebrate Daddy's birthday with Grandma, Bumpa, Unkie Tyler and Ama Jill. Mommy made this incredible chocalate cake for him. Six layers, filled with French silk pie and covered in chocolate ganache frosting.

As if that wasn't enough, we gave him an "electric guitar" . . .

. . . and Grandma and Bumpa got him a cool new hat. It's corduroy.

As if THAT wasn't enough, we got some presents too.

New tag reader books . . .

. . . and maps.

The maps were super cool. So cool, in fact, that Grandma kept trying to hear what was going on through our headphones. She had mixed success with it. We heard just fine.

As if ALL THAT wasn't enough, we got to eat the cake too.

Finally. Sledding.

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 20:24:00 +0000

It's taken every ounce of our patience to wait for the right conditions to go sledding.

While we MAYBE have enough snow now, we simply couldn't wait any longer.

Daddy took us to an elementary school near our house and we hit the hill behind it.

It was awesome. As much fun as we remember.

We did forget, however, about the walking back up part.

Dot and the Dog

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:39:00 +0000

Word by word, Jax is learning to read.

Overheard: January 8, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:56:00 +0000

"This is an INTERGALACTIC big slide!"
- Charley hollered while building "slides" in the bedroom with Jax.

The Storyteller

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:50:00 +0000

We decided to have storytelling time the other day. These are a couple of Charley's best.

Happy 2012

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:35:00 +0000

We had a special toast on New Year's Eve while at the Dells. 2011 was a pretty good year, nothing will stop us in 2012. It's gonna be awesome in every way.

How could it not? Just check out the feast that followed the toast.

LOVE the wave pool

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:54:00 +0000

The wave pool may be one of our new most favorite things, it certainly is Mommy's.

We had a great time swimming around . . .

. . . and coming up through the middle of the inner-tubes.

Mommy pushed us around the pool before the waves came.

And when the waves did start . . . oohhhh man, watch out . . .

. . . and hold on tight.

. . . we almost fell off lots of times . . .

. . . but hung on every time.

By the time the waves ended, it was definitely time for a rest.

Never too early for watersliding

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 20:20:00 +0000

First thing this morning we hit the waterslides.

We went 8 times before 9:30am. The place didn't even open until 9am.

If it weren't for Daddies dizziness, we would've definitely kept going. He did always have to go down backwards.

the DEEEEEEELLLLLLLLSSSSSSS!!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:23:00 +0000

It's been a long time since our last trip to the Dells. Excited is an understatement.

It's still awesome and always will be.

Christmas with Woody and Buzz

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 07:30:00 +0000

Santa brought us exactly what we wanted. Incredible

Christmas in the dark

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:26:00 +0000

After all the gift giving was complete and the food was eaten, the power went out. Luckily, we had some new spinning lights and handmade candles to lighten the house.

Before the power went out, we were able to get some stories read with Grandma and Great Grandma K. It's always so much fun hanging out with Great Grandma K.

The first thing we did after opening presents was put together a marble run with our new set from Grandma and Bumpa.

Playing with the marble was one of the only things we did (besides eat and watch Toy Story 2). It was so much fun watching them go from top to bottom and through all the different pieces.

Then the all sudden the power went out. That was pretty cool for very different reasons.

Meandering Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 03:11:00 +0000

After cruising through our gifts at home, we headed to Grandma and Bumpa's house for more Christmas. The experience there was a quite a bit different. One present at a time, one gift at a time, including time to check out each gift that was given. No where else in the world will anyone learn where Bangkok is WHILE opening presents.

This was is a lot of fun too. All the joy of opening gifts . . .

. . . and all the joy of playing with them. No rushing, no stressing.

We received some great gifts, too.

These jumbo coloring pads and sticker books were from Unkie Tyler and Ama Jill.

Christmas in a hurry

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:57:00 +0000

Opening Christmas presents at our house waits for no one.

We open them one right after another. Mommy and Daddy sometimes have to physically stop us in order to get a turn themselves.

It's unstoppable excitement.

Just check out the rain boots with spiders on them . . . awesome, right?

Words can't really describe how great the morning was.

Even Daddy was excited about his new stocking hat and the scrub brushes.

Stocking hats seem to be a theme from Auntie Monica. We all got one.

Except hairy, but he figured out a way to fit in.

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 09:24:00 +0000

There's a reason bows belong on presents and not on heads. Tape.

Here comes Santa Claus

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:57:00 +0000

It's very important to get everything right for Santa. We wrote him two nice notes:
"Dear Santa, Enjoy the cookies. Love, Charley"
and
"Dear Santa, Say 'Hi' 2 Rudolph. Love, Jax"

We made sure to pick the best cookies, brownies and candy we have to offer.

Carrots for the reindeer, of course.

We finally, carefully, placed our letters and offerings next to the fireplace to make sure Santa will see them.

Tough packages

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:53:00 +0000

We each got to open one package on Christmas Eve. They were tricky, too, requiring scissors to open.

Once we got the ribbons off, however, the paper was no trouble at all.

We were very happy to see new pajama's in those packages.

And now that we're five, we're too big to play with the boxes. Cutting the ribbon into tiny pieces will have to do instead.

Snowman creations

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:45:00 +0000

Mommy made these awesome snowman cookie packages. All the pieces for the snowman were in a little baggie.

It was our job put them together to look like a snowman.

It was lots of fun and we didn't eat a single piece until after they were all put together.

Special delivery

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:35:00 +0000

Today was the day to deliver our Christmas gifts to the neighbors. We made them bean candles and gave them some of our cookies that we made.

Today was also one of the few days it's snowed this winter.

It was pretty great to be outside in the snow. If only more of it would fall and stick around longer.

Of the four we delivered to, only one wasn't home. We carefully placed it in their mail slot and watched it fall through.

Decorating day

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 15:58:00 +0000

We were lucky enough to decorate "Gingerbread" Houses with our friends at school.

Mommy came and taught all our friends everything she's taught us.

Michelle came to help too.

We had lots of fun . . .

. . . showing off all our refined skills.

It was really fun seeing all the awesome ways our friends decorated their houses.

Some of them got really into it . . .

. . . using lots of frosting (two bags for one house) and lots of candies and other decorations.

The whole event was pretty successful. Just look at all those awesome "Gingerbread" Houses.

Lucky Grandma

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 05:28:00 +0000

After we got back from our concert, we let Grandma open her Christmas present. It's a little perishable and we wanted her to enjoy it as much a possible.

She was very excited when she opened her bay leaf wreath, one of the best smelling presents ever.

She was then nice enough to read us some stories before she had to leave.

Overheard: December 21, 2011

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 03:12:00 +0000

"Can we send Santa an e-mail?"
- Jackson asked.

"I need to tell him everything I need."

Let's sing

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:23:00 +0000

We had a our Holiday Concert today and were super excited to see Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Bumpa in the audience to hear us sing.

It took a bit of arranging to get us and all our friends in the right spots for the show.

We sang all the holiday favorites including "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and many others.

Judging by all the applause it was a pretty good show.

Rays in the pool

noreply@blogger.com (CharleyJax) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 04:15:00 +0000

We're still perfecting our Ray skills. Soon we'll be able to swim on our fronts and backs and tread water.