We play, Wii fit, they work

So it's been a bit busy around here since my last post. Everybody went back to work and school and its just me and Little John and the dog at home. And he keeps me pretty busy! The last time I was on my own with him all day he had only started to crawl, now he runs! I wasn't quite prepared for the difference that would be :D
Now that you more experienced Moms have stopped laughing, I will continue :) He may be more work to keep up with but he is also so much fun! We play cars and Little People and jump on the bed a run around and clapping games and sing. We snuggle on the couch with his blanket and bottle and watch a show. (BTW I'm asking for tips to get from bottle to sippy, please) And he like to play by himself a bit more now, so I like to do email or knitting while he's busy 'cuz its something I can stop right away if he needs me.
And then when he gets tired I put him down for a nap and have anywhere from 1 to 2.5 hours to myself! I love this time of day, I selfishly keep it all to myself- no housework! (ok I clear up the living room so I can feel comfy, but nothing else!) We (as in anyone living in our house) got a Wii fit for Christmas. I love it! It tracks stuff, helps set goals, the games are great, and it gives you your BMI in addition to your wieght (which is the number that means more) I started using it Monday and have used it everyday for 30-45 minutes. My goal is to use it every weekday, during nap time since no one is around to see. The rest of nap time I like to read my book, but I decided at least once aweek I should blog instead (hence this blog).
John loves his job, he's already ahead on some project they thought would take longer. But the commute... Well the commute is fine if the weather is. Monday it was not, and it took him like 3.5 hours to get home! And I tell you I don't enjoy the worry that causes. But now that the weather is good he loves the drive, mostly because we get him books on CD from the library.
So I fibbed a little there has been another person here all week (drumroll...) the carpet guy! Yes its true, at long last we have some carpet downstairs! He's not done with everything but hopefully by dinner Friday(tomarrow)... He didn't think it would take this long but he couldn't nail down the tack strips (concrete, duh!) like he thought he'd be able to, so he had to glue. And that nasty smelly stuff takes a while to dry. (Due to the smell we're camped out up stairs in Sarah's room since she's at school. Little John is in the porta-crib in Mom's room) And rather than haul everything up the stairs and then back down, we're playing musical chairs with it. We smashed it in the storage spaces and the bedrooms so he could work on the living room and halls. Now that the living room is done we've smashed it all in there. (Actually the living room is a good size so it isn't smashed much at all) Thank goodness for the Young Men, it took us all weekend to condense into the bedrooms. We moved the light things into the living room and then the deacons moved everything else in 15 minutes. It deffinately would have taken us longer, especially since John is kinda tired when he gets home from work (not suprising). Hopefully the carpet gets finished so we can use the weekend to put life back to normal downstairs.
I drew up a sketch of how I want the furniture to go. It worked the way it was before but somethings (like my craft table) need rearranged so I can keep a better eye on Little John since no one else is aound during the day. I think that after bedrooms my crafts will be the first thing set up, because I'm editing some bridesmaids dresses for a wedding on the 31 (as in January). They got the dresses at the after Christmas sales so they were half off, but they're half gone too. Ok maybe not half that makes them sound like floozy dresses, they're black full length, but sleeveless/strapless. So I'm adding sleeves and some pretty red sheer sparkly stuff, but with all my machines and supplies packed up so we can get the carpet I haven't had much chance to work on them. Plus when that's done I'm going to get my Etsy shop up and running. This is why nap time is all mine, the rest of the time I'm busy.

Ward Christmas Party

So I don't know if I ever mentioned it but John and I were called to be on the ward activities commitee. So we had the Christmas party breakfast yesteday. We do a beakfast early in the month to keep from interfering with people's holiday plans (for the most part). John helped flip pancakes and I ran the skit. The plan was that I'd do the "voice from off stage" but people had things come up and/or got sick so I did a part and sound effects, John did a part, and Ben did lights. And I rounded up a guy from the audience for the "voice". It went well though.
If you've been to Seagull book lately you might have seen the book "A stranger for Christmas" well there is a skit version online(http://www.theideadoor.com/Skits/a_stranger_for_christmas%20skit.htm).
Of course I picked a few characters to do parts and the version we did isn't the same one that's scripted. Our version turned out to be a little more of a comedy when "Florence" decided she was a bitter old scrooge complete with insertions of "humbug!". The original script (and book) was a bit more pionant and heartwarming when "Florence" was just a sad lonely lady. But we got a lot of compliments about it and it was never expected to be a Broadway preformance anyway since we only had one rehersal with an incomplete cast.
And everyone had a good time, even the sweethearts who filled in at the last minute.

What goes around, and around, and around...

So the flu has gone all around our house. John came down with it just before Thanksgiving and since then everyone has gotten it. And sadly recovering seems to be complicated by a nasty cold, but maybe its part of the flu too. Fortunatly I got it mild, you couldn't take me too far from a nap or a bathroom, but at least I never threw-up. Everyone is mostly better but Little John seems to be lingering on forever. I might take him in to the doctor tomarrow. Aside from the germs, laundry, and dishes that pile up when people are sick- I am way behind on Christmas! So for everyone who reads this your Christmas cards are coming but they'll probably get there on Christmas Eve 'cuz I'm so behind.

Is there a Santa Claus?

So this is Little John's first Christmas that he'll remember (he was only 2 and 1/2 months old last year) and I've started thinking about the whole Santa Claus thing. I really want to teach him the nativity story and go from there with something along the lines of "and just like the kings gave baby Jesus presents we give each other presents, because we love each other and to remember his birth" and then I want to go farther with the story of St. Nicholas- the nice old guy who gave kids toys to play with and coal to keep warm. And then to go on from there with thats why there's all the nice stories/movies about santa, but he's just a nice make belive name we use to give present with out saying who gave them like a secret suprise. And then to bring it back to love and family and Christ.
But... I don't want to squash the magic of the suprises from santa, and I don't want to be the mom of the kid who goes around crushing other kids dreams by saying there is no Santa.
But... I don't want him to get all into the "Santa will get me anything I ask for" and thus get caught up in the "gimmes" at Christmas and miss the truth of it all.
Maybe its too soon to worry about this, but you set patterns early on and whatever we do with Little John we'll have to do with the rest of them. Any ideas from the other parents out there?