Tag Archives: christmas

Christmas Concerts and Joyful Voices

20 Dec

One of my favorite parts of Christmas (since having kids) is the pre-Christmas concerts and programs that involve the kids.  They are a little magical, very sweet, and always fun. This year was the first year that B was in a preschool Christmas program. I was happy to see B being such an active participant in the concert of 3-4 year olds and follow the teacher’s directions so well.

Here is his Jingle Bell song: (notice the  bow at the end)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2MWJbEMRFo

And here is the “Reindeer Hokey Pokey”:
(notice the “hoofs”)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRyXHixOKDY

M also had an amazing Christmas program at St. M’s last week.  My favorite part was the “march” in.  All the kids marched in, and M put everything he had into a very deliberate, wide stride, and stiff arm march.  Then the K & 1 sang 2 songs (one being Away in a Manger) with actions which made it cute. There was lots of playfulness in the concert with the K boys also being “naughty sheep” for a part, running down the church aisle away from the shepherd.

I don’t know  a lot of lullabies (nor am I good singer), but this time of year (actually anytime of year), I like to sing Silent Night to CJ when I rock her before bed (sometimes she tries to sing it with me).  It was funny to see how attentive she was when the kids sang Silent Night at the Church Christmas Concert. She really liked the music.  Several times during the concert, she was also imitating the director and was moving her arms with the music.

Some moments feel so magical. There were times during both M’s and B’s concerts where I started to tear up (proud – and moved my music – even the “Reindeer Pokey” apparently). These little things are what life is all about.

Christmas Poem of Gratitude

18 Dec

2011 was not just another year,

for us it was full of new experiences, change, and cheer

M started kindergarten at St. M’s so proud,

and B was a new preschooler (there he is never as loud)

The boys started sharing a bedroom & we play more games since getting rid of cable

and CJ earned a newly decorated bedroom and a chair at the dining room table

CJ started walking, then dancing, talking, and singing…

And we’ve explored fishing, tae kwon do, bike rides, drawings, cooking, Wii & swimming

The fun never ends until the fighting, whining, or bedtime arrives.

(And then it starts again when the boys’ alarm starts to beep – at 6:45)

In the mean time mom and dad appreciate fine wine and a good night’s sleep

But we wanted more, so after 13 years at the same jobs we took big leaps

J now has independence to be with the kids more while working from home,

family clearly comes first

even though I am often (working) on Facebook, blogging or my iphone.

N is making career changes too, for he has been driving many miles for so long

Starting in mid-December working in Technology for our communities schools –

Staying local, can’t go wrong.

We welcomed new babies with open arms from our families so dear:

Brooklyn, Thomas, and Nolan (a nephew! and another niece or nephew near!)

Treasuring each day, and the people in it.

For that’s what this short life is all about.

So Merry Christmas to you and yours

and Cheers to an even better 2012!

Top 20 Moments of 2010 for our Family

22 Dec

Merry Christmas!

Remember those 3 different Santa Expressions? Here they are again!

Another year has nearly past.: Tons of memories, lots of fun, much more to look forward to in 2011 and beyond.  Here are the Top 20 moments of the Kaufenberg family in 2010:

20. Mr. Independent- This was B’s year to do it himself. “I do it” and “Me do it myself” were his slogans this year.

19. Fireworks and S’mores at the lake- Need I say more? This and swimming sums up the whole summer fun.

18. M excelling in preschool – He particularly rocks at math and telling time, and is enjoying drawing and coloring more then ever.

17. Neil the Vintner- Neil’s fine winemaking skills keep the cellar full & his wife happy, from box kits to fresh organic raspberry & apple wines.

16. B’s sleep changes- In January B learned how to crawl of out of his crib. Now we are close to getting the boys to sleep in one room after many sleep challenges and some sleep successes.

15. Going to Monster Jam- An extended family event last year, going to “monster trucks” will probably become a new annual tradition.

14. Swimming – Between lakes, pools, and waterparks, M had new confidence with swimming and jumping off the diving board and dock. B took swimming lessons with dad, too.

13. Neil’s garden- The small “spaghetti garden” was perfect for us this summer and the veggies were canned into spaghetti sauce.

12. M beating uncle Dan in Mario Kart on Thanksgiving – M showed Dan how “thankful” he was to his uncle being his Mario mentor.

11. New Playset- After much research, web browsing, and a day trip across the state of Minnesota, we finally got the perfect playset for the kids.

10. Charlotte Jane Song- My brother Joe honored me with an awesome gift for Mother’s Day- my poem about Charlotte turned into a song.

9.  Grandma and Grandpa Haen moving to the farm- This has lead to some new adventures and new memories to come.

8.  Dan & Mandy’s wedding – Neil’s brother got married and it was an amazing and fun day.

7. CJ’s first birthday and getting big- up until about 6-9 months she was a peanut. But then she discovered real food and caught right up!

6.  Having a real conversation with B- there is no doubt about it, he has learned how to express himself with sentences and hasn’t stopped since.

5.  CJ’s’s first word “Dada”- It’s not so much the word that were so big, but the day she first said it – on Father’s Day.

4.   M’s Corn Capital Days lemonade stand – We had fun while earning over $50 and giving half to the local Boy Scouts.

3.  CJ’s mobility- rolling over, sitting up, army crawl, all fours crawl, climbing steps, backwards crawl, going down steps on her tummy, and walking marathons around the house in her walker- all in one year.

2.  B mastering the potty- Officially a big kid now! We are happy to be past the diaper stage (at least for two kids) once again.

1. M learning how to ride a 2-wheeled bike – he did it on his own terms, and when he was ready. Oh and a little incentive, too.

Thank you for being a part of our lives, and we wish you and your family a magical holiday season!

3 Kids, 3 Different Santa Reactions

21 Dec
Encounters with Santa have always been entertaining.  Here are snapshots of the Santa Encounters of the 3 Kids:

Awkard. Silly. Now what did I want again?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nervous. Anxious. He knows what I have been up to!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pissed off! This is ridiculous that you hand me to a stranger! This Santa does not even smile!

Busy and Fun 3-Week Wind Down

5 Jan

The last 3 weeks have been a whirl wind of snowy fun…Here is a quick re-cap of the haps at our house over the holidays:

Brody is officially 2! The highlights of the night: Balloons and Cake!

B’s Birthday: Last night, we had a little birthday party with family for our big boy Brody who turned 2…. Yes TWO. It is a little easier for me to grasp the fact that he is two with a new baby around, but really? Has 2 years gone that fast? Brody was excited, had his banana pancakes that dad made him in the a.m., and was pumped for a party at daycare and then later at home. When M turned 2 (about 2 1/2 years ago) his bday was the day we moved in to our new house. It was also the day that we announced that I was pregnant (with Brody) when Mav opened a present that had a “I’m going to be a big brother” t-shirt.

Rockin' New Years Eve!

New Years Fun: We had some friends and their fam over for New Years Eve. We played a little Wii and Guitar Hero and somehow M and B made it AWAKE (and tolerable) until midnight when the ball dropped. They sure felt special to be able to stay up with the grown ups, and play Wii most of the night without me hounding them to do something different.

Joe and Brody made a new friend!

White Christmas: I absolutely LOVED this years white Christmas. We are blessed to have our families and Christmas celebrations so close, so to drive across town in a Winter Weather advisory is really no big deal. 4 days of big fluffy snow flakes and 25 degree weather meant sledding and snowmen for the kids. How perfect to be able to mix in true winter activities with Christmas?! I wish every Christmas included sledding and snow ball fights and snowmen in big fluffy white snow….

All Aboard! Geotrax town in our living room!

Christmas with a change of pace: With the weather being unsafe for travel, a couple of our Christmas’s with extended family got postponed. What was nice about this, is that we got out of the typical Christmas routine of doing the same thing, year after year. On Christmas day, we had time to just relax with the kids, play with their toys and trains, and be in the snow! Later in the afternoon, my parents and Joe came over, and we had an impromptu Christmas dinner. It was so fun and relaxed. Gpa and Joe helped the boys to set up many cool Geotrax train towns in the living room.

I found this baby girl wrapped up under the Christmas tree...

CJ’s first Christmas: This is Charlotte’s first Christmas, and as the youngest in the room, she gets passed around to grandmas and aunts constantly. I am still elated with the fact that I have a daughter, and how wonderful of a baby she is. I am so enjoying this time with her as an infant and treasure every moment. Next Christmas she will be one, and it will be so different, having a toddler, rather then a baby.

Charlotte’s Baptism

My Child of God

CJ got baptized on the Saturday before Christmas. She looked SO beautiful. I was so afraid that she was going to have and blow-out since she hadn’t gone #2 in over a week. But we made in thru the ceremony dress and all. After the ceremony, the dinner, and family were gone, I just could not stop staring at her in her dress, thinking how special she was and how lucky I am. I wanted her special day to last forever. Her dress has lots of soft white lace, and she wore a special “child of God” onesie underneath that Grandma Kathy gave her a couple days earlier.


I get to come home to these smiley, slimy, sticky kids.

Going back to work full-time: With the holidays over, reality is setting in that I have full work weeks ahead of me. I am doing everything I can to adjust and make mornings and evenings as relaxed as possible. Thank God for cooking club and a helpful husband! I LOVE sleep, but CJ has been so good to me, waking up only once, or sleeping all thru the night. I am finding myself to stay up later to prep for the next day, or (like now) waking up earlier to get my own time in. It has been relatively easy to throw baby #3 into the mix (so far). The important thing: Being Present – in the moment… wherever I am…

Mornings need a kick start

30 Dec

American Innovation Talking Alarm Clock- Can it help my morning woes?

American Innovation Talking Alarm Clock- Can it help my morning woes?

I got Maverick a really cool alarm clock for Christmas. It is designed for kids and also is suppose to teach them how to tell time. Also lights up when it is OK for them to wake up (we could have used that about 9 months ago). I splurged on it and spent $40 on Amazon. I looked everywhere and really found nothing that compared.

Almost every morning I have to go and wake up that bear. He can be so crabby in the morning, and man he is pokey! I am sure that it is my own childhood coming back to haunt me, but come on! So that point of the fancy new alarm clock, is to get him going earlier, waking up on his own, and ready on time. Do you think it can happen? He is also starting preschool next week, so that is another incentive. We really don’t have to get up an earlier to goto preschool but thought that may be a good time to start a new responsibility. We will see.

Christmas until Midnight Reflections

30 Dec

Christmas is so much more fun with kids… and we had four days of Christmas, so one holiday is more like a holiweek! On Christmas eve, both boys were up until midnight, with Maverick falling asleep on the short ride home. Brody on the other hand was still ready to party. He did however go right to sleep once he hit the crib. x

Here is a photo of Brody at Midnight on Christmas Eve. Even by the time we got home, he was wide awake and ready to play some more!

Here is a photo of Brody at Midnight on Christmas Eve. Even by the time we got home, he was wide awake and ready to play some more!

Mav Tells Santa what he Wants for Christmas (video)

14 Dec

Santa came and visited us and Maverick sat on his lap! He wasn’t afraid, although he nodded more then he talked. He has 2 things that he wants for Christmas, a bowling ball and a crane!

Our first real Christmas Tree!

23 Nov

We walked around for an hour or more until we found the perfect tree.

We walked around for an hour or more until we found the perfect tree.

This weekend we took a ride to the Iverson Tree Farms and for the first time, picked out our own xmas tree. It was a relaxed day for us and we took out time to find the perfect tree. After an hour and a half, we found it. Then the next day, we decorated it with lights and ornaments. Mav went nuts when he say it all lit up. That is so cool. I love that excitement in kids. It is like everything is so awesome. If only we could all appreciate things so much, instead of taking things for granted…. It was fun to break out the old ornaments and decorate the new house with santas and all the other xmas gear. Mav is at the age now where he really knows what is going on and can enjoy it more and get into it. I love this age.

Mav parties till 1am and gets drums!

26 Dec

Christmas this year was totally different for Mav. He opened his presents and had a blast. He grabbed crackers from the snack table and dipped them in guacamole. He even did a little dancing to a Twisted Christmas. He stayed up until one a.m. two nights in a row to celebrate at each of his grandparents houses. Now Maverick has enough toys to fill days and days. We just wander around the house to find a new toy. Some toys he has really gotten into the last week are: tricycle (fills the trunk with puzzle pieces) bowling pin and bowling ball (real- not a christmas gift but sure is fun) and his new drum set (from Grandpa H and Uncle Joe, as you could probably guess). The drums are set up in our garage and make it look like we have a real musician in the house. I love it. I really like the sound of music in the background, reminds me of home, being a kid, not sure. Hopefully we do not have to use the other part of the drum gift, which was a bottle of aspirin. :) Maverick did have a riot over Christmas though, while he stayed up and ate all the fancy foods with us (and cheez-its).

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