Merry Christmas 2021

 We are enjoying the lull between Christmas and New Year's after a few busy days of seeing family and celebrating the holidays. On Christmas Eve, Boomer and I snuck in a matinee movie just the two of us to see Spider Man. He was very excited about the latest Marvel movie...and I was very excited about popcorn and a date. After the movie, we came back to my parents' house where the kiddos were hanging out. The Houstons joined for our usual Christmas Eve hors d'oeuvres, and we watched the Jim Carey version of The Grinch. The adults got to open their presents, and the grandchildren got to open one present from Grammy and Grandpa. Each of them got a framed Bible verse to hang in their rooms. The biggest excitement of the evening came when Emmy lost her first tooth! A couple of weeks ago, I noticed an adult tooth poking through behind her baby tooth. I contacted the dentist because I was concerned about overcrowding in her mouth. The dentist said not to worry and to keep watching the tooth and gums. Sure enough, a few days later, the tooth felt loose. However, I didn't think it would happen so soon; I thought I still had a little longer before having to play the Tooth Fairy. Boomer took her to the bathroom to wiggle it some more, and it wasn't a few minutes later that Emmy came back with a tooth in her hand and a space in her smile. Boomer said she was so brave and didn't even shed a tear. We hustled home to prepare for both Santa and the Tooth Fairy. 

The Tooth Fairy must have hitched a ride with Santa because on Christmas morning, Emmy found money under her pillow - a whole dollar! After putting her coins in her piggy bank, we then went downstairs to see if there were any other surprises. Santa gave Emmy a Starbelly, a light-up stuffed animal that projects stars onto the ceiling in the dark. Eli got a set of blocks and more "zoom zooms." Santa was very practical with gifts in their stockings: character Band-Aids and toothpaste. After getting dressed, we headed over to the Houstons' for breakfast and more presents. Santa visited Grammy and Grandpa's house, too, and filled their stockings with goodies. In addition to the frames from Christmas Eve, Grammy and Grandpa also gave Emmy a personalized memory set, notebook, and placemat, plus a Paw Patrol board game and daily kids devotional; for Eli - also a placemat, Hot Wheels cars, a Christmas book, a football, and a little brother shirt. 

A little before noon, we left Kernersville to head to Star. We had some downtime with Paw Paw, Granny, and Kyle before the rest of the Kennedys arrived around 3:30PM. When they arrived, it was an epic marathon of present-opening. Emmy loved her very first gift, a Barbie camper. She liked it so much that it was hard to get her to stop playing to open another present! Uncle Goosie helped put all the stickers on it. From Granny and Paw Paw, Emmy got a personalized pillowcase, a Christmas doll, and Magic Ink coloring books. Eli got a magnetic drawing pad, more Hot Wheels with a carrying case, and a Paw Patrol towel set. After all the presents were opened, we had a big meal of steak, chicken, and cocktail shrimp with all the side dishes. We stayed a little longer, but then it was getting late. I had packed the kids' pajamas so that we could change them before driving back home. Both kiddos fell asleep along the ride, but before falling asleep, Emmy insisted on using her Starbelly, which lit up the backseat like a disco!

We've continued to work on potty training. I would probably not recommend doing this task during the holidays. For most of the break, Eli has been pant-less but in big-boy underwear. On Christmas Day, there were several accidents, wardrobe changes, and deep breaths. I had definitely forgotten how hard this part of parenting is. But then, just when I am ready to throw in the towel, we'll have a success or a sweet moment like this one...

...so we will keep trying and not give up yet! This evening we did our final Christmas tradition of Starbucks and then driving through the Tanglewood lights. Somehow both kiddos ended up in the front seat with us before the end of the ride. 

I always like to include the annual Kennedy ornament and Christmas card. Both had a similar theme this year: Disney!

One last final memory from this Christmas season has been listening to the kids sing along to the Christmas carols, especially the ones they have learned at church. Emmy has memorized so many, and Eli in his own way will join in. Hearing their sweet voices singing about baby Jesus is a reminder of the real reason for the season. 

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." 

- Luke 2:11

Didn't I just do this?

It seems not too long ago that I was potty training Emmy, and now the time has come to potty train Eli. Because they both have November birthdays, I thought I would try the same timing of Christmas break after turning 2. We started on December 21st while Boomer and Emmy still went to school for a few more days. I stayed home with just Eli for Potty Training Boot Camp. On that first day, Eli woke up a bit grumpy, and it was a struggle to get through breakfast. As you can see from the photos, he was a range of emotions. 

 

I contemplated scrapping the whole plan, but once his mood improved, I decided to push on. One difference between Emmy and Eli is that Eli wasn't very interested in drinking. With the potty training boot camp, part of the strategy is pushing lots of liquids so that they frequently have the urge to go. Juice boxes, water, milk - nothing seemed to interest him. I still took him every 30 minutes to the bathroom, but with Eli not drinking much, he often did not have to go. Aside from nap time, he was in underwear from about 8AM to 7PM, and he had only a handful of accidents. We tried first sitting down, but then tried standing up on Day 2. He seems to like standing up "like Daddy." We've made some progress with him understanding the feeling, walking voluntarily to the bathroom, and being uncomfortable when he is wet. However we've still not had the breakthrough moment where he will go on command when at the toilet. I am nervous about the next few days as we start our rounds of Christmas festivities. Hopefully things will start to click for our big boy!

Countdown to Christmas

With the start of Upward basketball, Tuesdays have allowed for Daddy-daughter time for Boomer and Emmy. This past Tuesday, they had dinner together, and then they went to practice from 6PM to 7PM. The team received their jerseys, and Emmy is #5. She was so excited to try it on when they got home. She was in such a happy mood that I was quite surprised to hear that practice had not gone quite as positively. According to the coach (aka Daddy), there is room for improvement with her effort and willingness to try. She seems to get nervous around the other players and does not want to mess up. Boomer took her back to the gym on Sunday so that she could get some extra practice, and she did much better. With time, I think she will come around to the game. I hope that she finds more courage over the next few weeks, especially before the first game in January. Go Emmy, and go Green Waves!

Emmy sure loves her Daddy. She made some special holiday artwork for his office.

On Saturday, we fit in a final trip to the Science Center for 2021. The weather was rainy so we stayed indoors, going through the aquarium and playing in the kids area. We ate lunch at Freddy's, our usual. Saturday was our 11th anniversary, and throughout the day, Boomer and I would laugh at just how different things are now compared to eleven years ago. We have a kids-free getaway planned for after Christmas, and we are both looking forward to it. Eleven years has gone by so fast! 

On Sunday evening, our church had its annual candlelight service. It is always a beautiful service with the traditional Christmas songs, communion, and the lighting of candles to "Silent Night." Eli and Boomer stepped out during communion, but returned for the final song at the end. Maybe next year all four Kennedys will make it through the service! :)

I am wrapping up the last workdays of the semester, and then Christmas break will officially begin. The first task is a big one: potty training! I am still undecided on using a standing or sitting approach, but I bought a small step stool just in case. Stay tuned!

Christmas Programs and Christmas Cookies

It's been a big week for our Emmy girl! We had something almost every evening, which meant several fast-food dinners and late nights. But it also made for some fun memories. On Tuesday evening, Emmy started Upward basketball with Daddy as her coach. The mighty Green Waves had their first practice from 6:15PM - 7PM. Boomer led them in drills and the basics of passing, dribbling, and shooting. Afterwards, Emmy said "It's just so hard to dribble 10 times in a row!" She was a little upset when she had to leave early to jet over to play practice. We had double booked ourselves, and that evening was also the final rehearsal for the Christmas program. Emmy dried her tears when she found out she got to wear an angel costume with wings. The performance was on Wednesday, and Emmy did a great job! Zander and Maddox did excellent too, with solos during a few of the songs. Emmy and I have been listening to the CD during every car ride the last couple of weeks, and during the performance, she sang her heart out and knew most of the words. Uncle Zack put together a collage of some of Emmy's expressions throughout the performance. Grammy and Grandpa bought cake pops as a treat for the performers, and we captured some classic family photos afterwards.

In other news, Eli was out of school on two different days this week. He was at home with Grammy on Monday and again on Thursday. On Sunday night, he was up from 1AM to 4AM, just general fussiness and a runny nose. Boomer and I took turns going in to hold him, until finally Boomer moved to the guest room for a final hour of sleep before our alarms. Boomer and I have gotten spoiled with our uninterrupted sleep at night. Both kiddos have always been great sleepers, so we were all out of sorts on Monday. Mommy and Daddy still had to go to work, while Grammy watched Eli so he could get some extra rest. He was much better on Tuesday and returned to school. However on Thursday morning, I got a call just after leaving the house saying that Eli's class was closed. There were several staff with the flu, and they did not have a teacher for his class. We had to make a quick change of plans, and luckily Grammy was able to watch Eli again. I think he rather enjoyed being back at "BeeDee's and Granpa's." 

The week ended with a second Christmas program, this one for Emmy and Eli's preschool. Boomer wasn't able to attend since it was during the workday. I came in on two wheels and just made it in time to see Eli up on stage. Luckily Grammy and Grandpa had gotten there early and saved seats. Eli's class sang two songs which were a bit hard to decipher. Emmy's class sang two songs and also recited a verse of Scripture. Overall, I have concluded that preschool teachers are saints and are not paid nearly enough!

This weekend, we fit in several holiday traditions, like seeing the Christmas balls in Greensboro and making cookies at Grammy's. The cousins had fun using the cookie cutters and decorating with sprinkles. Eli was a little impatient and didn't quite understand the whole baking process. He kept hollering for "cooo-kies" before we had even put the first pan in the oven. Maddox and Emmy were the most involved and did an excellent job making Christmas trees, angels, snowflakes, and snowmen. We have enjoyed eating their Christmas creations the rest of the weekend.