Making cookies on this snow day!

Grandma came over to make some cookies with us today. Ethan had fun trying to help. He kept saying, "I cookin, I cookin." He also had fun dancing in the living room to Christmas music while we made the cookies. :) Oh how I wish I had a video of that dancing...it was to slow music and he looked like he had a little routine going. It was hilarious.

A cute story (or two) - Ethan is realizing how fun giving is!

So, a couple of weeks ago Ethan and I were out and about on a cold, dark night. I dragged him out to staples with me to get some things laminated. As I was standing at the counter he ventured a few steps away from me and started looking at a small "dollar spot stand." He found this bag of little froggy erasers. I watched him stand there for a while and look at them and he seemed like he was in deep thought. He turned the bag around in his hands as he examined the froggy erasers. (I wish I had a picture of him standing there).

He then came back up to me and, in a round about way, asked if I could buy these and take them home to give them away as presents. I asked him who he would give them to...and he went on to list the people he wanted to give them to..."Grandma, Papa, Mama, Dada, Dakota, Rece, Brody, Leah....." the list went on and on.

I thought this was soooo cute, so, of course, I bought the frog erasers. We came home and had our own fun with them as we sorted them by color, counted them, loaded them up in his cars, etc.

The next day Grandma came over and Ethan was so excited to give her one. :) He also hand delivered one to Papa, and has given one to his babysitter, Hannah. He picked out one for Dada and one for Mama. He is still waiting to give the rest away.  So sweet!

It is so cute to watch how excited he gets to give someone something. I remember a few weeks earlier as he jumped and squealed as he watched Dada open up a picture he had colored for him. Ethan has discovered the true joy that comes from giving!

As for me, this frog eraser will serve as a reminder of my sweet boy Ethan and the tender heart he has.

Okay - one more cute story about giving...

So, we participated in the "Operation Christmas Child" shoe box drive at church. You basically pick a boy or girl and an age range to buy some things for and place inside a shoe box. We made this into a family outing as we went to Target to get things for another 2 year old boy.

We had to explain to Ethan over and over again that we WEREN'T getting him any toys, but we were buying toys for another little boy who didn't have any.

Ethan helped us pick out some toys, a shirt, a car, a toothbrush, socks, a ball, and some other items to place in the shoebox. We also got a pack of small play doughs.

We came home and carefully arranged everything inside the box. I was so impressed with how good Ethan had handled this (without getting anything for himself) that I told him we would put 3 of the play doughs in the box and he could have 2 of them.

To my surprise, he took his 2 play doughs and decided that he would also put them in the box. I asked him again - "Do you want 2 play doughs for you?" And his answer was no - he wanted to give them all to another little boy!

Is this sweet, or what?

Now, Ethan may not always be an angel ;o)  - but moments like these are priceless!

Star of the Week!

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Ethan is ALWAYS the star of EVERY week at home...but this week he is going to be the star of the week at school! :)  We had our first homework assignment and I took it pretty seriously. :) We had to fill out a survey about Ethan....and I thought it would be a fun thing to record every year to see how our little guy's interests are changing. We also will be sending him to school tomorrow with some pictures of his favorite people and some special items from home  (his special puppy, a picture of the Toy Story Gang, a picture of an elephant b/c they seem to be his favorite animal, his stuffed Lotso that we just bought him while on vacation, a small lightening mcqueen car, and the box that his first bible came in). He will be sharing/showing these things to his friends this week at school. Oh, how I wish I could be a fly on the wall... :)

So, here are Ethan's answers at age 2...

My Name is: Ethan James Royer
My birthday is: July 19, 2008
My family is made up of: Dada, Mama, Ethan, and Dakota (Da-ka - wawa)
My pets are: a beagle, Dakota
My favorite color is: ?? I don't really have one yet, but I say black and purple a lot
My favorite book is: "The Very Itchy Bear" and my Bible (this is true!)
My favorite toy is: Buzz, Woody, and my cars
My favorite movie is: Toy Story
My favorite t.v. show is: Dinosaur Train (although the last couple of days I have wanted to watch Thomas the Train...much to my parents dismay).
My favorite junk food: Cookies (just like my dada)
My favorite dinner foods: (I am not very good at eating dinner) I like rice, beans, Mac and Cheese, and Buzz and Woody soup)
My hair color is: Blonde
My eye color is: Blue
My favorite vacation is : the WATERPARK in frankenmuth! I want to go again! I ask to go every now and then...
I would also like to share this with you:

• I love to be outside and go in the woods to look for bears.
• I love going to see my Grandma and Papa
• I love to dance and listen to music
• I love to go to church to sing, play, and learn more about Jesus
• I am super silly! 

Ethan singing ABC's :)

Here is Ethan singing his ABC's. It is funny because at the end he is trying to say, "Now I sang my ABC's next time won't you sing with me..." but when he says ABC's he starts singing all over again. You can see by his face he is trying to figure it out...but he finally gets it! :) 

Ethanisms

On the way out of the door in the morning..."Bye Bye House, Have a good day!"

Before bed at night Ethan chooses who he wants to pray for.  One night he decided he wanted to pray for his cousins, Rece, Brody, and Leah. The next night he only wanted to pray for Grandma and Papa and Grandma Royer. Another night he choose to pray for a friend - Eliana. Other times he asks to pray for his friends Max and Ben. Every night he seems to choose someone different.  So, sweet. :)

While laying out in the leaves looking up at the sky with Mama,

Mama - "Wow this is really pretty, isn't it?"
Ethan - "Yeah..."
Mama - "You know Jesus made all of this? He made the trees, the leaves, the blue sky...?"
Ethan - "That was really nice of Jesus." :)

(James snuck up on our sweet moment and took a picture)

Three Cedars Farms

Today we went to Three Cedars Farms - I just love that place! Thought I would share pictures from today :) We had tons of fun, but were missing some members of the family  - James, Grandma (she is in Chicago for work), and Rick.

Enjoy!

Here we are on the tractor ride - riding to the corn maze. 

 Ethan got to sit next to Papa. He loved the ride!

 At the start of the corn maze. Ethan was throwing a fit for some strange (unknown) reason. 

 The kids led the way! It was fun!

 Even Leah is in there with them! :) Rece is the leader of the pack. 

 Jill and Leah! So cute!

Larry, Jeanette, Rece and Brody

 Ethan and Mama :) 

 Checking out all of the pumpkins!

 Back on the tractor!

 Checking out the cow. 

 On the Choo Choo Train. 

 Best part of all - eating donuts!

LIke Father, Like Son 

 The whole gang!

Bye Bye Cars!

I wasn't able to edit this video, because James took it with his phone. It wasn't compatible with I-Movie. So, it is a little long - but cute! He is putting all of his cars in his pumpins. As he puts them in, he says, "bye bye car...see you tomorrow..."

It reminds me of when I put Ethan to bed at night. He always says, "Bye Bye Mama, see you tomorrow." :)

26 months!

I haven't had much time to update our blog lately, but we are all doing well! Ethan is now adjusted to going to school and I think he really likes it there. :) On Friday when I picked him up, his teacher informed me that Ethan seems to have a buddy that he hangs out with most of the day - Dylan. She said they have all sorts of fun together. :) I am so glad that he likes school and is walking in without tears - it makes it soooo much easier on me!

Speaking of friends, Ethan really loves hanging out with other kids these days. He has a friend Max from church that he likes to play with. He also gets very excited to see his cousins, Rece, Brody, and Leah. He is constantly asking to "see Rece, Brody, Leah" or "Go to Max's house," or "Go see Grandma Papa??"

Some of his other constant questions throughout the day are:

• Milk? Milk? (This kid could drink milk all day if we let him)
• Choc-oh-late milk?? (Seriously, why did we introduce him to this?)
• Basement? 
• Watch a Movie? Watch a movie? Watch a movie with Dada? (You would have to hear him say all of these things - it is cute) :)
• Outside? Go outside? Go to Park? 
• Go to school? Take One puppy? (he can only take one of his puppy's to school, as appose to 2)
• Wear Ethan's hat? Where Dada's hat? (This is his current obsession - he always wants to wear his hat, and he likes James to have his hat on too. Sometimes he asks where Mama's hat it...but I don't have one). 
• Cookies? (Again - something we should have never introduced him to)!
• Special treat? Special treat? 
• Punkin! Two Punkins! Mama's Punkin....Ethan's punkin (I just put out our fall decorations and he loves all of the pumpkins) :) 
• Go Bye Bye in Dada's JEEP?
• Ethan run fast! 
• Mama heeelllp? Mama help!? 
• Church bus! (Whenever we drive by our church he is always looking for the bus)

Ethan is really talking. He repeats everything, so we have to be careful what we say. I have already said some things that I didn't mean for him to repeat.....however heard him repeating them shortly after..... :) Opps!

This is Ethan and I in South Haven

Ethan on one of his first days of school!

At Grandma & Papas enjoying a bon fire

Being silly at a restaurant. Trying to hang the spoon from his nose. :) 

In downtown Brighton. Enjoying the christian music night. 

Not the best picture - but this is Ethan at his first movie - Toy Story III. Notice Buzz and Woody in his hands. 

Going on a bear hunt with Dada!

Enjoying lunch with cousins at our house. 

Ethan with some of his friends, Gage, Max, and Eliana. :)

Being a goofball in his new Woody PJ's. 

Little Buzz! Little Buzz! Where are you!?

Today we had an incident - Ethan dropped little buzz light year down our vent. He wasn't happy! Dada came to the rescue and about 5 ideas later we were able to rescue Buzz. Of course I was laughing the whole time and Ethan was trying to "help Dada." It was a cute moment.