Can I get an Amen?

James was very anxious and extremely crabby Christmas morning. We were expecting his favorite gift to be his iPod Touch or his "rectangle" TV. To our surprise his favorite gift was his remote control Dodge Ram that I picked up last minute at Walmart for $19.99. James was able to shake off his bad mood just in time to join us for church. James has only recently been able to attend church services. In the past someone would have to stay home with him because he is simply too disruptive. However, he has grown to the point where he can sit through an entire service. During the Christmas service he sang along, shouted "Amen!" and clapped aggressively where appropriate. Of course he had his less than perfect moments too like when he reached over and pulled on Mark's ear during the sermon.

 

Christmas Jitters

As Christmas nears the anxiety for James that he might not get everything on his Christmas list grows. He spent most of this past weekend interviewing every family member about his list to be sure we hadn't forgotten anything. He has already opened some of his gifts at family Christmas gatherings and has not been disappointed! On Saturday James put on his favorite tie to take some pictures in front of our parents' Christmas tree. He was bewildered by Venessa's baby bump and pushed on it to see what would happen. On Sunday night most of our family went to church for a Christmas program. James sat very well for most of the program, but our dad had to take him out early because he was getting restless. When we asked him why he left he said, "I just couldn't take it anymore."

 

It Will Never Happen Again

Grandma got Mark and I a new bathtub for Christmas so James and our mom, dad, and grandma came over to check it out. While we ate lasagna at the kitchen table, James inhaled a large pepperoni pizza on my couch. That couch has clearly become his favorite spot at my house. James kept sneaking into the kitchen to steal cheese bread, and before we knew it, it was all gone. I scolded him, and he said, "Val, it will never happen again." During this visit James was hoping to find his Christmas presents, but instead he found a back scratcher. I think everyone got their back scratched!



It's Taco John's Christmas!

When James and I stopped at Hy-Vee Friday night the song "Feliz Navidad" was playing in the store. James started dancing in the middle of the main aisle and yelled, "It's Taco John's Christmas!" At my house I overheard him repeating lines from "Tommy Boy" to himself including: "You know a lot of people go to college for seven years. I know, they're called doctors." James' constant chatter has included a lot of baby references since he learned about Venessa's pregnancy. A new one Friday night was, "Don't make the baby cry!"

James to be an Uncle!

James had something or rather someone extra special to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, his niece coming April 2012. After finding out that Jeremy and Venessa were expecting a baby girl, James and I made cupcakes to celebrate. James was hoping for a boy, but he is warming up to the idea that the baby is a girl. He told me Friday night, "Val, my niece is growing up." At Thanksgiving James ate a massive amount of ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pie. He has a difficult time understanding that it is inappropriate and disgusting to eat off of the serving spoon. 

    

Happy Birthday Grandma!

We celebrated our grandma's birthday yesterday by bringing lasagna and brownies over to her house. Our family finds the continually growing height difference between grandma and James amusing.

Grandma's First 3D Movie

James invited a very special guest to join us for Friday movie night. He even shared his popcorn.