Ho Ho Ho

Isaac got a special message from Santa today. Thought we'd share it with you all. Here's the video.

Merry Christmas!

Isaac's Christmas Program

This past Friday I enjoyed Isaac's first Christmas Program since he has been attending Jefferson. I arrived a little early since I heard parking (and seating) could be tricky, so I enjoyed wandering around seeing the Christmas decor and observing the kids' hand-made decorations like this one (notice the color = green = Isaac's favorite!). It was nice to stop and take some time to find Isaac's creations when I could actually take them in, aside from the usual hustle and bustle of coming or going when we're dropping off or picking Isaac up. Isaac has been excited about his "program," coming home and enthusiastically practicing his songs. They are a couple of familiar tunes with different words - see if you can make them out. He didn't display the stage fright that he did last year at his Christmas Program - it was fun to see the difference 1 year can make. In fact, I'd say he was one of the more confident ones of his group. Here's a link of some of the pictures I took along with a couple of video clips of the preschool songs. I also took some photos of the art murals that a couple of the teachers have been working on this fall.
https://picasaweb.google.com/118301653485391374513/JeffersonChristmasProgram?authkey=Gv1sRgCOujtdmktOSA0gE

Enjoy!

Santa Claus, Trains & Music

This weekend we decided to take a break from our holiday to-do list and attend the Winter Depot Arts Festival at the Duluth Historic Depot. It was advertised as a free family event, with Santa Claus, hot chocolate, special vendors, and of course admittance to the train depot and children's museum.

For us, it was a "hole-in-one." In one 2-hour stop, we got to introduce Isaac to his first Santa Claus, sip on some hot chocolate while enjoying some carols sung by the Arrowhead Chorale, and of course enjoy the many train exhibits, which is always a favorite of Isaac's.
In addition to the regular train exhibits, they had a special showcase with many electric trains setup. As we were there towards the end of the day/event, there weren't many people around so I asked the engineer if Isaac could go back and see the exhibits more closely. Isaac was in train heaven!
Of course when Santa asked Isaac what we wanted for Christmas, he said trains/train set. It all came together Saturday afternoon!

Christmas Trees, Cousins, and Growing Boy

Here's a few tidbits of what we've been up to...
This past weekend we got our Christmas tree put up and decorated. It was fun to see the difference from last year in Isaac's participation with the decorating process. He even remembered some of the ornaments from last year. It was the 2nd Christmas tree he helped decorate in 2 days...helping with my parent's Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. He reminded us that we needed candy canes and gingerbread boys (from a Christmas story book he has) and a "beautiful bright star at the top."

Here's a fun picture from the Thanksgiving weekend at the Thompson House. Here is Isaac and David with most of the Thompson cousins.
And here's a fun picture of David. He's really starting to become a big boy...rolling over, teething, starting to sit up. We can hardly keep up!

Halloween Fun

Had to share some fun photos from Halloween. We started our festivities last Thursday when Joel took Isaac to his workplace (College of St. Scholastica) to participate in trick-or-treating and games in the student dorms. Then, over the weekend we attended a community carnival with more games and, of course, treats. By the time Halloween actually got here on Monday, we visited only a few neighbors close by. Isaac more enjoyed being at home and watching all of the "big kids" come in their costumes and help hand out candy. Of course, Isaac's pick this year was "Thomas the Train." I have a feeling we'll be wearing this around the house quite often!As for David, we didn't bring him with to any of the festivities this year. But he managed to still be cute in his "First Halloween" outfit. And he seems to enjoy watching 'big brother' in all the action.

Enjoy!

David's Dedication

On October 2nd we brought David before our family and extended church body and dedicated him to the Lord. It was a very special time for us as we commit ourselves to raising him (and Isaac) in a Christian home. Here are a few highlights of the dedication and following:

Pastor Jeff praying a blessing over David (David wasn't happy at the moment - and big brother knows something isn't quite right...)
The group prayer with our parents and Grandma Rudy:

The 4 of us:
The whole group (me, Joel, Isaac, David, Heather's parents, Grandma Rudy, and Joel's parents)

Grandparents

In recognition of Grandparents Day, I found a "grandparent job description" that I thought was worth sharing. I don't know what inspired me to find this...perhaps it was my recent return to work and the HR side of me...

SUPPORTS DEVELOPMENT OF A RESPONSIBLE ADULT

by

relating family history; supporting social growth; improving life skills; contributing to a positive family environment; providing overnights, outings, and vacations; dining out; allowing special treats; supporting discipline; keeping safe; supporting parents; giving lots of hugs; spoiling just a little.

Spoiling "just a little?" This should be modified to read "spoiling at will" :-)

I was fortunate enough to grow up knowing most of my grandparents and have many wonderful memories of growing up years with each of them. As I am now parenting young children, I realize how blessed we are to have such wonderful grandparents to our children. It brings joy to me seeing the special relationship Isaac already has with each of his grandparents, and will be fun to see how David grows into his own relationship with them as well.

Here is a special Grandparents Day wish from Isaac:



Happy Grandparents Day!!!

DIY Saturday Project

From time to time Joel and Isaac have enjoyed participating in the Home Depot's Saturday Kids Workshop, usually held the 1st Saturday of the month from 9 - 12 a.m. They have a do-it-yourself easy project to put together and give away fun freebies like a kids apron, pin, balloon, and popcorn. Today's project was a painted white board. I guess Isaac is quite handy with a hammer and a screwdriver, and we enjoy giving him an opportunity to practice those skills outside of our home! And, of course, we enjoy the little treasures that we're able to bring home afterward...

A Historical Visit

Anyone who has been to Duluth has probably seen the the "William Irvin" ship at Bayfront near Canal Park here in Duluth. Isaac sees the ship often and knows it by name, but we have never stepped foot onto the ship or toured inside it. With the last few weeks of the open touring season upon us, Joel decided to seize the opportunity and take Isaac for a tour this weekend. Here's some more info for those who are interested in the history:
http://www.decc.org/omnimax-irvin/william-a-irvin.html

And for those of you who just want to see the pictures, here you go!

The big ship:

Quite a view of Duluth Harbor and Aerial Lift Bridge in the background:
Hold onto your hats - look who's at the wheel!
And when the boys returned home and I asked how the big ship was, Isaac said, "mama, I saw a yellow FAST car!" Sure enough, they parked right behind this:
I think the car made more of an impression on Isaac than the William Irvin!

Transitions

These past couple of weeks we have experienced more "big boy" transitions with Isaac. He started a new preschool (Jefferson) in Duluth last week and is doing well so far. His group is small (6-8) and they do lots of fun things, including weekly themes, "circle time," projects, and of course free time to play/explore on their own at various stations in the classroom. The preschool does lots of fun things throughout the month like "bring a summer vegetable day" to share, bring your bike day, wear your favorite color/team jersey/PJ's day, etc. I like how the teacher assigns each of them a "job" for the day (i.e. weather watcher, snack helper, fish feeder, floor inspector, etc). Isaac is always proud to tell us about his "job" and what he did to help the teacher. Here are a couple of photos of his first week at Jefferson.

Here's the big boy on his first day:
Here's a couple of shots outside the building/entrance:
And the warm welcome we found by his locker:
And his favorite part of the classroom...the train table!!!
And also this past week Isaac had his first "play date" with his best buddy Keshaun, whom we know from Isaac's previous preschool/daycare setting. So happy together!

A Day Out With Thomas

When Joel and I saw that "Thomas the Tank Engine" was coming to Duluth as part of the 'Leader of the Track Tour' this weekend (and next), we didn't have to think twice before purchasing our tickets. Isaac is a huge Thomas fan and has been since he was over a year old. Everyone that knows Isaac and heard about the event made sure we knew about it (from teachers at preschool to family members in the Twin Cities!). Indeed, we wouldn't have missed it. Today was the day!

We arrived an hour early to explore the activities and "Imagination Station" that they advertised being part of the event. There was plenty to do and see. The ride on "Thomas" was a mere 25 minutes, but very exciting nonetheless. Other highlights of the event included a story-time/video viewing, meeting "Sir Topham Hatt" and exploring the Imagination Station and Thomas Gift Shop (can you believe we made it out of there with only a new Thomas book and a CD with Thomas theme songs?!).
You can see more pictures at our online gallery:
https://picasaweb.google.com/joeltjohnson/August2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCNayw_6W-Jm0RQ

There are, of course, additional "bonus" photos of David! Enjoy!

Trucks, Trucks, Trucks

This week we received a preschool assessment for Isaac in which several areas are observed and assessed based upon his age, learning style and social adaptability. Joel and I both chuckled when we read the comment under the header "Mathematics and Scientific Inquiry" and the sub-topic of "Measurement." The teacher's comments were: Isaac likes to see how big things are in relation to trucks.

Anyone who knows Isaac knows that he loves trucks of all sorts. Apparently he loves them enough to make them his standard of measurement.

Weekend Project

In our backyard we have 2 large planters boxes that have been collecting yard waste since we moved in 2 years ago. We've talked about different ideas for this space, but nothing that we liked enough to act on. A while ago I was thinking about that space and the idea came to me for a big sandbox for the boy(s) to enjoy. This past week we began exploring the idea further and cleaned out the box in preparation for the conversion. This weekend, the idea became reality. Joel and Isaac made a trip to Menards on Saturday to pickup all of the sand and other items and today we finished the project:We're excited to have another alternative for Isaac (other than his beloved dump truck) when outdoors - one that keeps him within eyesight in our backyard! I've heard from others that I may regret the decision when I'm cleaning up sand all the time, but I say let it come! Every boy needs a sandbox!

And here's a photo that I had to share from earlier today. While staging the boys for a photo, Isaac leaned over and gave baby brother a "smooch" totally unprompted by me...so sweet!

Life with the Boy(s) after 1 Month

We're getting more adjusted to life with 2 boys in the house, and Isaac is equally adjusting to having a "little brother." It's been neat to see how he fits himself into the new routine with David. For instance, David's frequent feeding times are "story times" when Isaac joins me on the couch with a book and we read together. You can see how Isaac even sometimes continues the storytime with little brother:

Just recently, Isaac has joined diaper changing times, during which he sings a song to brother David...if you look carefully, you can see David's happy face in the background:We managed to catch at least one photo of "Big Brother" / "Little Brother" shirts. Really makes Isaac look all the "bigger" when he is next to his "little" brother:

And, there are lots of smiles in our house these days! Just for fun, here are some happy boys!
Happy 1 Month, David!

The Newest Addition

As you all probably know, we welcomed David Thomas into our family on June 21st. These past couple of weeks have been a time of adjustment for us all as we settle into our new "normal" and realize day-by-day what it means to be a family of 4. It has been neat to see Isaac's interest in Baby David and how he wants to include him in various activities (not all of which Baby David is able to participate in just yet). Already in these couple of weeks, we are starting to see David have more alert/awake time and display interest in his surroundings. We've even managed to get a few smiles out of him. Here's a few highlights that show what we've been up to the past couple of weeks...

Soothing/Swaddling (Baby David loves the Ultimate Wrap!)

Keeping 2 kids busy at once ...Sleeping and being cute (David, that is)...Crying (the boy needs to be swaddled!)And being happy! We look forward to sharing many more experiences with you all - stay tuned for more photos!

Whatta Place

There are a lot of reasons I enjoy living in Duluth. The pic below shows one of them. Quick and convenient access to unlimited rock-throwing fun.

Isaac 3rd Birthday

This past week we celebrated Isaac's 3rd Birthday (May 12). Following a day of celebration with his friends at preschool, we enjoyed a pizza dinner (Isaac's choice) and a "big birthday cake" (which he has been talking about for a few weeks). This year's theme: Lightning McQueen and Mater (from "Cars") - a new favorite of Isaac's:Isaac also enjoyed opening / putting together a few birthday gifts following our cake. Isaac was a great help to papa putting together his soon-to-be-favorite. Doesn't every boy need a big wheel?! Although we had to test it indoors due to the cool/rainy weather...
On Friday (the 13th), we spent the day as a "family day" doing some fun/favorite things together in continuation of the birthday celebration. First, we headed to The Edge, a large indoor waterpark here in Duluth where we enjoyed some pool/waterslide action for a couple of hours:
Then, that afternoon we enjoyed a complimentary tour of the downtown Duluth Fire Department where Isaac enjoyed seeing all of the big fire trucks, and even enjoyed witnessing a practice "drill" during which 8 firefighters slid down the pole into the main garage area of the fire station. To round out the day (excuse the pun!), we stopped by the St. Luke's Birth Center (where Baby J will be born in little less than a month) and toured the Center as a family, giving Isaac a chance to see the babies in the nursery and where "Baby J would come out of mama's tummy." We caught this photo of Isaac looking into the nursery and speaking softly/quietly to the new baby inside:
A funny moment occurred when we were waiting for one of the nurses to take us on the tour. When she approached us, Isaac looked at her, pointed to my tummy, and said "Baby J is ready!"

At the end of all the celebrating, Isaac has stated on numerous occasions, "mama, I like birthdays!"

Isaac as Humpty Dumpty & Preschool Spring Program

Last Thursday we enjoyed the Spring Program at Isaac's Preschool (Happy Time Daycare and Preschool). Much to our delight, Isaac was participatory in the songs and even made his stage debut as Humpty Dumpty. We've been practicing his "big fall" for some time, so I'm glad to see it paid off! The videos with the songs show Isaac and his "best bud" Keshawn from preschool on his right, and another good friend, Nate, on his left. Here's a few clips for your enjoyment:
https://picasaweb.google.com/joeltjohnson/HappyTimeSpring2011Program

Easter Getaway and Fun

Over Easter Weekend, Joel and I took an opportunity to have one last "getaway" with just the 2 of us before Baby J arrives. We enjoyed our time of relaxation at Cove Point Lodge in Beaver Bay, MN (just 1 hour north of Duluth). We got out to visit one site - Split Rock Lighthouse - even though it was windy and cool.
We headed back to Duluth early Sunday morning (Easter) to reconnect with Isaac and Joel's parents for Easter (who had been staying with Isaac during our getaway).
After church we went out for brunch and much to Isaac's delight we ran into the Easter Bunny along the way:
Later in the day, we conducted an indoor egg hunt and Isaac enjoyed the thrill of the hunt (albeit, 10 minutes long)!