A California Christmas

One of the very best things about Christmas in California is being able to play outside.  It's all the kids really want to do and since we've been back in Indiana.  Peter still asks to go to "Dave's house" all the time.  One of the big highlights for the kids, was riding on the longboard with their dads.   Peter took some warming up to the idea, but after watching Jane go several times, he wanted a turn too.

CHRISTMAS EVE
We stayed with the Reids for Christmas and on Christmas Eve, Doug and his family came over for dinner and festivities.  It was a great dinner and we spent most of the evening singing every Christmas hymn and more around the piano.

CHRISTMAS MORNING
On Christmas morning we attempted a line-up shot before we headed in to find all the Christmas goodies.
Peter ran straight to the wooden train set Santa had brought for him.  He was thrilled even though all that was out was a single circle of tracks.
Jane paid little attention to the Princess dress initially, but it has grown in favor over time.  She was very interested in pulling things out of her stocking and loved everything.  No one gave a better reaction to EVERY present than Quinn, though.  She gasped with the biggest smile and held up each item, even the clementine in her stocking.  So cute.
Jane got a princess dress, a purse, and a set of legos (shared with Peter).
Peter got a train set, a backpack, and the movie Toy Story (shared with Jane).
Chris completely surprised me with a new sewing machine and an awesome curling wand to replace my curling iron that is taped together and coming apart.
I got Chris an air compressor, a cast-iron skillet, and a couple of shirts, but since I left the cards I printed to wrap up of those heavier items on the screen of our computer at home, the surprise was just an act.

 Jane, Quinn, and Zoey dressed in Princess dresses and accessories, playing with clip-clop ponies and giggling all afternoon was a pretty sweet sight.

We were so lucky to meet up with our friends the Morris'.  They live in Connecticut now, but they were home for the holidays in San Diego.

Jane and Peter were thoroughly entertained playing with Andy's dog at Erik and Juliana's house.

Caitlin and I were due a mere 6 weeks apart so we had to get some bump pictures.

 ... and so did the boys.

San Diego

We took a day trip down to San Diego while staying with Chris's dad.   It turned out to be a pretty drizzly day, but it was still a lot of fun.  We stopped at the San Diego temple briefly to walk around, but didn't stay long because the it was raining a little more there.

We found a restaurant down there off of the the TV food maps. The highest rated DDD place Chris said he'd seen, so we were excited to check it out. Hodads. It was a burger place with a fun atmosphere and a line out the door. It was great.  After lunch we walked straight down to the beach and let the kids run around chasing seagulls.  Jane was a little hesitant.  She was pretty freaked out that Peter was going to run straight into the waves, but she loosened up a bit and chased a few seagulls of her own.

We tried to stop at the Mormon Battalion site, but it was very busy and weren't ready to wait another half-hour for our tour, so we just snuck in the back and panned for gold.  We'll definitely stop by another time.

Jane at 3 years old

These photos were taken in late September, but now that I'm getting around to blogging them in early December, the corresponding Jane update will be a little off.
At Jane's 3 year appointment, she measured less than the 1st percentile.  That's our pint-sized little Jane.  Peter is catching up quickly and we frequently get asked if they are twins.  They wear the same shoe size and very soon they will be wearing the same sized clothes.

Jane loves organizing, categorizing, and counting things.  She skips straight from 19 to 25, but is otherwise pretty good with her numbers.

She knows that ten is a pretty big number and frequently asks for just 10 more times or 10 more minutes.  She's trying to figure out how to use measurements of time, so we keep hearing things like, "remember, I brushed my teeth last year."

She loves it when I put music on and bobs her head while she builds castles or trophies with her legos.  She's particularly fond of Taylor Swift's Shake it Off and Megan Trainor's All About that Bass.  Although, whenever we ask Jane if she's all about that bass, she emphatically denies it.

Jane started swimming lessons for the first time a few weeks back.  She LOVES it and listens carefully to her teacher.  She's not very comfortable in the water, so it makes me proud just to see her beaming and waving to me from the side of the pool.  I can tell a big difference in the last few weeks in just her comfort level.  It is without a doubt the highlight of her week.  The other night before prayers, we asked me if Heavenly Father was "way up there".   "Yes, and he's listening right now because he wants to hear your prayers."  (Translation: "get on with it." Nighttime prayers are a real struggle in patience for all of us right now.)  Jane's response was really sweet, though, "I want to get in a helicopter and fly way high up into the sky so I can tell Heavenly Father all about my swim class."
She has only one swim class left and then is very excited to start her dance class... so I guess we're going to be signing her up for a dance class.

She's crazy about lego duplos, Cinderella, and riding her tricycle over to the playground, but it's mostly too cold these days.

We have a season's pass to the Children's Museum so Jane get's to ride the carousal there regularly.  I makes me so happy to see her SO happy.  Chris and I can't help but giggle as we watch her overjoyed face and hear her explosive squeals of pure happiness.  In the line, the anticipation is so great that she's constantly giving hugs and kisses to all of us.  I love how affectionate she gets when she's excited about something.

Lately, she's become more aware that her things come from someone and she often asks, "Who gave me this... book/skirt/toy etc".  When I say, "Oh Grandma gave you that, " she says, "Oh, I have to tell Grandma thank you.  I love it!"  She's genuinely so grateful for her things.