Isaac's Movie

Okay Adair Family, since I got you to all log-on and look at Morgan's meet video, it's only fair I share some of Isaac's highlights for the year too. This was the movie I made for his baptism last month. Merry Christmas to all of you. Wish we were hanging at the Shaeffer's tonight too! Don't have too much fun without us.

Loving My New Easel

Brent surprised me with an easel for Christmas today. This painting is what I whipped up this afternoon (it looks better in real life). It felt great to get the creative juices pumping again. Thanks Brent!

Morgan's Beam & Floor Routines - 12/19/2009

Morgan's gymnastics season got off to a rough start this year. First, she fell on the bars and cut her lip (tooth through upper chin) so she took two days off practice. The next week she was elbowed in the wave pool at Six Flags and broke her nose so she couldn't go upside down for a few days. Then, we went on vacation for two weeks. When we came back from vacation, the gym was closed for their annual week long summer break. So, after being off for about four weeks in July/August Morgan couldn't wait to get herself back in the gym. About halfway through her first practice she had a big rebound and stumbled backward right off the cushy floor. When she reached out her hand to save herself her hand hit the concrete and her wrist broke. That meant a hard cast and four more weeks of no bars and no tumbling. After eight weeks of hiatus, Morgan was finally able to start training again around the first of October. She worked super hard and was barely able to get all her Level 6 skills just in time for the first meet. After this meet she moved up to Level 7 so she had just two months to learn all of her new skills before the first meet. She was so excited to finally get her beam routine down just in time for the meet on 12/19. She did awesome and we were so proud of her. We also just love her cute floor routine this year. We think her coach, Angi Rawles, did a great job with the choreography.

Brothers

Ethan and Isaac were outside playing in the snow this morning. Brent was watching them outside the window giving Morgan and I the play-by-play:

Ethan makes snowball with the snowball maker tool
Ethan throws snowball at Isaac and misses
Isaac throws snowball at Ethan and hits him in the face
Ethan cries, and hits Isaac with the snowball making tool
Isaac falls down
Ethan continues to hit Isaac with snowball making tool
Isaac gets up
Isaac throws another snowball at Ethan's face
Ethan cries again
Ethan again charges Isaac with snowball making tool
Isaac takes tool
Isaac helps Ethan make a snowball
Isaac stands still and lets Ethan hit him in the face with a snowball

They seemed to be having a great time. Apparently this is how brothers have fun together.

Thinking Outside the (Toy) Box

Last year Isaac's favorite Christmas gift was a stack of cut 2x4s. He was slightly disappointed that Santa didn't think to leave nails too, but thank goodness Dad had plenty in the garage to share. This is the same kid who wanted nothing more than his own rolls of Scotch tape for his 3rd and 4th birthdays. On that same note, one of the most used "toys" in our household this year was a huge sheet of whiteboard that Brent bought at Home Depot for about $12 and mounted to a wall. The kids have spent countless hours drawing and coloring on their wall-sized canvas.

Last Friday (Black Friday) as I walked through the war-torn aisles of Toys R Us, I couldn't stand the thought of bringing one more useless toy into the house, knowing full well that it would likely be forgotten within a few days and sent to Goodwill within a year. I hate that I've become fond of video games as gifts only because I know they get used and they don't take up much space.

Each December Ethan's preschool sends home a great "alternative gift list". I just couldn't throw it in the recycle this year without posting it where I knew I could always find it (here :-). So, here's the fabulous list (with a few of my own embellishments) that inspires me every year to think outside the (toy) box:

HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR YOUR CHILD (from Totline Parent Flyer)

If your house is overflowing with forgotten toys, try these gift-giving alternatives this year. Friends and relatives might also appreciate suggestions for practical, meaningful gifts for your child.

Subscriptions - Children's magazines, book clubs, activity books

Lessons - Music, tennis, art, gymnastics, ballet, swimming, computer

Tools for Learning - Globe, pens and pencils, magnifying glass, magnets, puzzle books, reference books.

Games - Concentration, lotto, deck of playing cards, dice, marbles, number games

Music - CD or iPod player, CDs, iTunes cards, musical instruments

Tools for Creativity - Special kinds of paper, felt tip markers, crayons, stickers, rubber stamps, paints, pipe cleaners, colored duct tape, yarn

Things to Build With - Blocks, building sets, hammers, pliers, screwdrivers, nails, scrap wood

Special Keepsakes - Photo of you as a child, a favorite old toy or book, your first teddy bear, a scrapbook or photo DVD

Entertainment - Tickets to a play, movie, or other special performance, roller skating passes, bowling passes, climbing wall passes, zoo or museum memberships

New Hobbies - Art posters and children's art books, camera, photo album, soccer ball and jersey, kid's cookbook with apron and cooking utensils

Your Time - A special day spent together, doing an activity of the child's choice