"Sledding" in San Diego

This picture is not of us, I couldn't have my phone out and participate in this at the same time so no pictures of my boys, but thought this picture was so funny.
Yes that is a real sled, and yes that is a mound of sand.
We were at Moonlight beach with our cousins. We were actually "sledding" down the longer side of this sandhill on boogie boards.

January is southern California, I love it!

Pantry Stacking

This continues to be one of Will's things he likes to do. I have older pictures of more elaborate stacks of canned food. This time it was peanut butter :)

Zoo Trip with Cousins

My cousin Misty and her boys Owen and Cole were visiting from Arkansas.
We did many fun things I did not properly document (I didn't take my camera out much!)
I did get a really cute picture at the Zoo.
Note to all - Going to the Zoo the day after Christmas is not a good idea. It's like going shopping the day after Thanksgiving. We survived the crowds and the giant Hill back to the front of the Park and had fun with all our cousins so we will call it a success :)

Ice Skating

Today we went ice skating for the boys' first time.
We went with our cousins in Mira Mesa and the San Diego Ice Arena
It was really busy, but still room for us to skate. They did a nice job of making if fun by playing music, changing the lights and playing games. The staff working there were really nice.

I was scared when we first went on the ice. I haven't ice skated since I was 13. So I am trying to find my balance, while holding up Will, and holding Westley's hands. Within minutes my legs were burning and I was thinking uh oh, there is no way I can do this for like 2 hours.
But Will actually found his balance and did very well really quickly. Westley had too much excitement and his legs kept flailing out from underneath him. He always fell with a smile though. About half way through, he got it down and then could skate on his own without falling much.
Both boys loved it and asked if they could go ice skating again next time. Sure, I said, next time. Not sure when that will be but we will go again sometime.

Before Picture:

During (very hard to take pictures while skating)

After :)

12 Days of Giving

To focus on the true meaning of Christmas, This year we started a new tradition of the 12 days of Giving.
12 days in the month of December, before Christmas, my goal was to create opportunities that my boys could experience giving and sharing.

We are not done yet, but here is what we have done so far:
1 A special one -
I told Westley about Finnley - A little girl whose brain does not work like ours. The doctors told her mom when she was a tiny baby that she would not live. But her mom, friends, family, and people all over the world prayed for her, and God helped her live. She is 3 years old and still faces many challenges. Her mom needed money to take her to swim with some whales and dolphins who have shown a magical ability to help heal children's brains. It was an expensive trip. (see the whole story at finnleykate.blogspot.com) Westley asked, "How much money do they need? I said every little bit helped" He got out his sharing bank. I told him since we were mailing the money, we needed to use dollar bills instead of coins. He took all 5 one dollar bills from his sharing bank and put them in an envelope. On his own he then opened his spending bank (we call it his game bank because that's what he likes to do is play games) and he took all the dollar bills from that one. He wanted to give more money, so then he solicited Dad for the dollar bill in his wallet :) I was very proud of him.

2. We made and decorated cookies that the boys hand delivered to their teachers and our neighbor

3. We made sending out our  Christmas Cards a family project. The boys helped put the stamps and return address labels on the envelopes.

4. We donated food to the canned food drive at Westley's school. I talked about how we have so much food, but some families cupboards have little or no food in them.

5. A military family in need was asking for magic toys for their 8 year old. We filled up a Packed 4 Fun Magic and Mind games backpack for the little boy.

6. At church our pastor told us about children in Mexico that sleep in a one bedroom shack without beds. They asked us to bring blankets. I shared the information with the boys, and they took new blankets to drop off at church

7. We have started to clean out their playroom. We have talked about what books and toys we could give to others. We have set toys out to give to their cousin, our friends, and the teen mom I mentor and delivered them to them

8. We made red and green play dough to give as a Christmas gift to our little cousins.

9. The boys wrapped up presents for each other (and did so without saying, "I want that", or telling the other what was inside)

10. We went to a Christmas Service at our church and the boys brought money from their bank and gave it in the offering.

11. Westley agreed to let Will sleep in his room (he has a trundle bed) Will has been afraid in his room for weeks as the heater shares a wall of his room and makes creepy sounds. It's so cute to hear them giggle at night even though I put on my serious face and yell for them to stop talking and go to sleep!)

12. This one we still have to do -  Thank you notes to Santa and others who helped us have a very Merry Christmas.

Do you have a special place in your heart for Children or Dolphins? Please Help Out!

Will's craniosacral therapist has a new non profit organization called Universal Alliance For Family Health (which I am on the board of now)
Our First Project is to help a little girl named Finnley.
Finnley's whole story can be read at finnleykate.blogspot.com but I will tell you a little bit here.

Diagnosed with brain damage and on life support, newborn Finnley Kate was given only days to live. Powered by prayers and love, Finnley defied all odds, astounded doctors, and is a now a precious 3 1/2 year old girl. While Finnley has survived the odds and overcome many challenges, she has Cerebral Palsy and faces all the challenges that can come with it.

Finnley's mother and therapists work tirelessly to do all they can to help Finnley, but  another miracle is needed to help her get closer to being able to walk, talk, see better, and battle seizures. They now believe this miracle has come.

Finnley has been accepted to participate in a research project where she will swim with a wild pod of dolphins off the coast of Spain this month. The research team has been coming from Germany to work with children from all over the world who suffer with Cerebral Palsy and Autism to this spot in the Atlantic ocean to work with the each winter over the last ten years. They have had great success in helping these children heal within their central nervous systems.

I have created a nice Christmas themed card that has Finnley's picture on the front (pictured above) and on the inside it has her story as appears above on the left-hand side of the card. On the right-hand side it says "A Donation Has Been Made In Your Name To Support Finnley's Opportunity To Swim With Dolphins In The Wild- A Therapeutic Experience That Can Provide Sonar Healing To Her Central Nervous System"

These cards would make a great gift for anyone this Christmas season - for teachers, extended relatives, hairdressers, as stocking stuffers etc. You can make a donation of any size, even $10 would be great. 

If you are able to donate, please contact me (either by email or leave a comment on this blog post)

Checks can be made out to Donations Universal Alliance for Family Health and are Tax Deductible. 

If you are not interested in the card or receipt, donations can easily be made on Finnley's webpage

Thank you for your support. By supporting Finnley you are supporting a miracle.

The String Game of Surprises

So I did something very similar I think for Valentines Day and Westley has been asking for it since. While the boys were napping, I ran a string through our living rooms and kitchen. Along the way there were hidden little presents.
When they woke up they had to follow the string and hunt for the presents (which were in a drawer or the refrigerator, or under a cushion or behind a chair).
They had a fun time with this, again!