December Fun

WARNING - LONG POST WITH LOTS OF PICTURES!

Where did the month of December go?  I just peeked on my blog and noticed that I still had pumpkins up as a background.  OOPS!  December has been so busy and full of fun activities.  We made some terrific memories and this was the most magical Christmas yet with Landon.  We have much to share about our holiday!

I did the usual Black Friday shopping with my sisters.  We have been doing the crazy Black Friday shopping for so many years now - at least 10 years - and we just love it.  I saved $112.58 with coupons alone and another $158.67 in Black Friday deals/sales!  I found this terrific Hallmark coupon online this year - spend $10.00 and get $5.00 off - and was able to use that for my many Keepsake Ornament purchases.  I just had Jenny and Angie use coupons, too, and we Hallmark store jumped all around Jefferson County and South County.  Totally gamed the system and saved at least $40.00!  WHOOT! :)  The girls did great with the coupons and sales, too.

The Saturday after Christmas, our Elf on the Shelf, came to our house and gave Landon a surprise breakfast of powdered donuts and lots of little treats.  Landon LOVED our Elf this year - whom he named Buddy.  Buddy did lots of silly things and Landon really enjoyed finding him each day.  Pat on the back to me for remembering to move him each and every day!  Here are some pictures of the fun we had with Buddy.  Landon really misses him - and so do Jason and I (and my sisters, mom, dad - who received pictures via text each day of Buddy's shenanigans!).

Welcome Breakfast

Landon loved it!

Silly Buddy got into Landon's stickers

He decided to take a marshmallow bath with Landon's elmo bath toy!

He went fishing for goldfish

Hung out on the window with Santa & Mrs. Claus

Slept with Landon in his room

Sat in Santa's sleigh

Left lots of balloons in Landon's room

This is Buddy blowing up a balloon :)

Buddy decided to play on Landon's BBQ pit one day.  Landon was very upset about this!  So Buddy moved and left an apology note later in the morning.  LOL!

One of Landon's favorites - Buddy got into Landon's underwear drawer and hung them on the stocking holders!

The day we baked cookies with Aunt Jenny and Aunt Angie (for like 12 hours!!!), Landon left a note and some goodies for Buddy since he wrote to Landon telling him he liked cookies, too!

That night Buddy ate all of the goodies and even had chocolate on his little face the next day!

Buddy reading a book to his friends.

   

 

He played in the toilet paper!

Buddy left magic dirt and fertilizer with instruction on how to plant the peppermints to grow a surprise.  The next day Landon had a candy cane full of chocolates waiting for him!

On Christmas Eve, Buddy was waiting in the Christmas tree with a note for Landon.  Santa lifted Buddy's magic that day so Landon could hug and kiss Buddy and tell him good-bye.

On December 4, I took a day of PTO from work and went to Farmington, MO, to watch my Mom get remarried to Mike.  I have never been to a courthouse wedding before, but it was really nice.  We had breakfast and then went to the courthouse.  Landon was pretty fired up most of the morning - but he was an angel while we were in front of the judge.  Was it because I told him they would throw him in jail if he misbehaved in front of the judge???  LOL!

Ever since I was a little kid, I have always celebrated St. Nick's Day on December 6.  Jason's family celebrates it, too.  We have carried that tradition on and St. Nick came this year.  It was extra special because I took a snow day that day and stayed home.  We had lots of snow here!  St. Nick brought lots of candy, a Keepsake ornament for each of us, a toy for Murphy, slippers and a book for Landon, and a gingerbread  house kit.  We spent the morning decorating a gingerbread house and it turned out so cute!  I just had no idea how very time consuming that project would be.  I did not intend to take Landon out in the snow because I really don't like playing in the snow, but Jason was busy that day so I did take Landon out for a little while.  He of course LOVED the snow this year and Murphy always likes playing in the snow, too.

It was HILARIOUS - Murphy thought Landon's new slippers were toys for him and kept chasing Landon and nipping at his feet.  Landon was NOT pleased about this! 

Trying to catch a snowflake on his tongue!

We braved the snow that Saturday and went and visited Santa for the 2nd time at the Festus Library.  Landon loves seeing Santa, but clams up once he is on his lap.  You can totally see that in this picture!

Landon was KILLING me this year.  He was only asking Santa for candy for the longest time so I thought I was finished with his shopping like 2 or so weeks before Christmas.  On the library visit, he told Santa he wanted a police car and a dump truck.  UGH.  And on his last trip when he had cookies with Santa at daycare - he decided he wanted a train.  Well, Santa did bring a set of emergency vehicles that make noise (including a police car) and luckily our friends Debbie and Bob gave Landon a dump truck (by complete surprise - so cool!) and Aunt Angie came through with a very cool Disney train set!

Jason and I have always had a real Christmas tree.  This year we went on the very snowy day to cut one down.  It was so cold!  We started the day with visiting my nephew, Wyatt, at the cemetery for his birthday.  Wyatt would have been 10 years old this year.  Jason wanted to take him birthday balloons this year and we told Landon all about his cousin, Wyatt.  Landon had lots of questions and we tried to explain to him the best we could that Wyatt was having a big birthday party with Jesus this year.  After our visit with Wyatt, we headed to the tree farm to find our Christmas tree.  Landon had some melt downs - but after we found a tree - he perked up and we were able to get some really great pictures!  The tree took me about 3 days to decorate - but it turned out so pretty!  The more ornaments on the tree - the better!

Landon has gone to Children's House cookies with Santa every year and we always have a nice time.  This year Landon enjoyed it the most.  He loved hanging out with his friends and he enjoyed seeing Santa Claus so much!  Landon did get busted trying to steal candy canes from Miss Mickey by Miss Mickey and Santa himself.  I was able to snap some pictures of that - and it was so funny!  Only my son would steal candy in front of Santa Claus!

Best friends - Brock & Colton

Landon telling Santa he wanted a choo-choo train.  UGH!  Where did that come from?!?!  LOL.

SO BUSTED!

We also baked cookies with Aunt Jenny and Aunt Angie and we had a play date with Brock.  Brock and Landon created some Christmas crafts and ran around like wild boys do!  I was able to attend Landon's school Christmas party, which was really fun.  I don't have the pictures from Christmas downloaded yet, but here are a few others from December.

Papa K and Mimi

I gave Jason the Santa picture last year for Christmas.  It is now one of my favorite Christmas decorations in our house.  LOVE how it looks over the fireplace!

Pinterest was my BFF this holiday season.  I made lots of gifts, made many yummy recipes, and stole decorating ideas.  Loved how this turned out!  Landon did throw a ball one evening and broke several of these - but they were easily replaced.  LOL!

Landon loves his Mimi!

Strawing the Nativity Scene with Daddy

Camel ride!  This is a great picture of Jason.  The camel's facial expression is hysterical!

YES - Landon is singing at a local nursing home with daycare and PICKING HIS NOSE while every other child looks like an angel.  Oh the embarrassment when this came across my screen on Facebook.  LOL!  Priceless photo that I will use later in life when Landon has a girlfriend.

Singing Jingle Bells with the Eckelkamp cousins on Christmas Day

Landon really enjoyed doing the Advent calendar with Daddy this year

I hope your holiday was filled with lots of love, laughter, and wonderful memories.  In addition to the holidays, I do have some exciting news.  A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a journalist for the New York Times.  She was given information about me by the Executive Director of Postpartum International, read my blog, and decided that she wanted me to be part of a story she is working on that is centered around Postpartum Psychosis and other severe postpartum mood disorders.  I was totally surprised by this and I feel so honored that they are allowing me to be included in this piece.  I was interviewed by phone last week and Landon and I will meet with one of their St. Louis photographers in the upcoming weeks.  After reassurance from the journalist, Jason is even on board with this, which makes me very happy.  The journalist really believes that the story could help many people, and I pray that it does.  I will share the story on my blog once it has been published!

Happy New Year to all of you!

Love,

Tina

xoxo