Baldwin Christmas

We celebrated our Baldwin Christmas before we left for Lebanon. This year, we tried out a new app to make a video of all of our pics from the day.


http://magis.to/zhPWRig5

Pie Face

If you need a laugh, watch us playing the Pie in the Face game Santa brought us (from Wisconsin!)


https://youtu.be/LHACHwqcv_w

Henry's 5th Birthday Video

Here is Henry's 5th birthday video!


https://youtu.be/5KzIFMNrCWs

Jack's 8th Birthday Video

Here is Jack's birthday video... hopefully you can either click on the link or copy and paste.


https://youtu.be/Mx3W0zXgRpY

Lebanon Christmas

As long as I'm catching up, I should post Christmas pictures. Here are the Lebanon pics!

Henry's Arctic Bash

I never posted about Henry's awesome arctic birthday bash! I loved planning this party and the little boys were so sweet and had a great time.

We started out with decorating tiny gingerbread houses for tiny polar bear toys. I assembled the houses the night before and the boys handled the decorating.

We also played pin the nose on the polar bear and watched funny arctic animal videos.

Henry requested a polar bear cake and cake pops, and punch! Here are some of the party goers... he has such sweet little friends from church, preschool and also our next door neighbors.

More Birthday Fun

We started our birthday celebrations last weekend with a fun visit from Grandma Sue and Grandpa Bill. They gave Jack a magic set, complete with a magician's costume. He's been busy learning lots of  new and amazing tricks.

For his party this year, he wanted to have a sleepover with his best friend Quinn. It shall be known forever as the "Burping Sleepover". Why, you ask? Because both boys have mastered the fine art of burping on command.


On Saturday we took them to SkyZone to jump on the trampolines and then to dinner at IHOP. (Ask Nathan what he thinks about the all you can eat shrimp.) The highlight of the evening was burping concert we "enjoyed" during the entire 40 minute trip to, and from, the trampoline place.

After IHOP, we went to Hy-Vee and they picked out candy to eat while they watched a movie at home. After cookie cake, they set up their beds in the basement and watched Lego videos. They had a really good time and Jack told me it was just what he wanted for his birthday.

On Sunday, we had another family party. Grandma Pam, Grandpa Glen, Aunt Cheryl, Aunt Regina and Great Grandpa Bill all came over for lunch and lots of laughs. Here is the face of a boy receiving his first whoopee cushion from his grandpa. Such a special moment!

He really wanted a ukulele... tonight he learned how to tune it and took it with us on a walk around the neighborhood. Ha! I'm sure people were wondering about the kid strumming a ukulele on Claywoods Drive this evening. 

We had a great time celebrating sweet Jack!

Jack's 8th Birthday

Today is Jack's 8th birthday! We had an awesome weekend celebrating him. Here is his official 8-year old picture taken before he went to school this morning. He's holding his new polar bear (a gift from Henry) and I truly can't remember its name. He loves it and I keep calling it Sparkles, and that is definitely not the bear's name. Happy birthday Jack!

Henry's 5th Birthday

Sweet Henry is five years old today. When he woke up this morning, Lucky the Elf had left him a birthday message written in M&Ms.

Then he had a birthday breakfast of french toast.

And opened presents (a Paw Patrol book and a big box of legos).

After Nathan left for work, the boys and I went to a trampoline park. They jumped for an hour and had a blast. Then we stopped at Pizza Ranch for lunch (Henry’s favorite). This afternoon Grandma Pam, Grandpa Glen and Aunt Regina came over for a birthday party. He finished off the day with birthday spaghetti and a cookie cake. He is cracking up in this picture because he had just blown out the candles with his nose instead of his mouth.

At 5, Henry is such a joy. He is kind, compassionate and generous. He loves going to preschool two days a week. He has wonderful teachers and great friends. He is also in children’s choir and has an awesome Sunday School teacher. Favorites right now are:
Food – fruit!
TV show – Paw Patrol
Toys – Legos, Perler beads
Activities – being crazy with Jack
Song – He’s loving Christmas songs right now. And he is hilarious when he sings the new Adele song “Hello.”
Sport – soccer and the Royals

We are so thankful for sweet Henry. He is still our little bear, even though he’s five now!

Seeing Santa

Tonight was Santa night at MOPS. The boys got to talk to him twice! Once when we arrived and then they got to sit on his lap after we had done crafts and had treats. Henry asked for a Paw Patroller, all the pop-up pups and all the pup vehicles. Jack wants some new house shoes and a Nintendo DS.

They also took some silly pictures in the photo booth.

Then we walked up to the square to see the lights and the big Christmas tree.