"It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

Life these days has been busy, busy, busy! I thought Cale starting preschool would slow things down a bit but it has done the complete opposite and sped things up! Instead of relishing in the five hours he's gone during the week, my mind is flooded with the errands I should be running, the bathrooms that need cleaning, or the floors that need scrubbing. I know I should be relaxing with Riley and enjoying her but instead I find myself running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Perhaps after we have adjusted to this new schedule I will learn how to manage my time a bit better.

Cale has recently started doing a few new things that are completely adorable! During dinnertime he patiently waits with his hands folded and his head bowed until all of us have sat down and prayed. It is too cute! And being that it is Christmas time and the masses of people are out and about shopping, traffic has been terrible! I literally cringe when I realize I have to brave the roads and run an errand. Apparently Cale doesn't like the traffic, either; he signs the word "go" when we have to sit in traffic for too long and just this morning, after we had sat behind someone at the ATM machine for far too long, Cale frowned his lip and waved his hand at the car in front of us. Too funny! Even though he can't vocalize any words yet, we are finally at a point where we can pretty effectively carry on a conversation with him. I have yet to finalize a signing chart for his preschool teacher but he probably has over thirty signs he uses without us having to prompt him. We have only seen a glimpse of his frustration of not being able to vocalize his exact needs and for that I am very grateful. Cale is one of the most patient, understanding, and forgiving people I know. I also realized today that I haven't cried about Cale being different in a long time. In fact, I don't remember the last time I cried. The last emotion I recall having when thinking about our circumstances was pure thankfulness. Cale continues to make me a better person and I am so blessed to be his mother. I honestly would not change him for the world. God wasn't messing around when he made Cale. :)

Riley is now seventeen months old and keeps me on my toes every second! She is hilarious and makes me laugh until my belly hurts. One of her new activities is to slide like a ROCKET on her stomach down our stairs. (We have a set of fourteen stairs and so this is quite the show) It used to scare me tremendously but I have since gotten used to it and so now I just think it's funny. She has adopted most of Cale's signs and I think they have even created a few of their own to talk about Alex and me behind our backs. :) Her favorite sign is "chicken" because it involves "pecking" your hand like a chicken would peck the ground. She involves sound effects and all. She loves her brother and as much as I pray that she will stay a mommy's girl forever, she is slowly becoming partial to her father. The only way I can comfort myself with this realization is knowing she will have a great relationship with Alex, much like the one I have with my dad, and also thanking the Lord for providing her with a father. Watching her get so excited for him to get home from work is quite cute.

Christmas is only four days away and I can hardly believe it. My parents are coming to our house this year and I am excited to make Jesus a birthday cake on Christmas Eve and for homemade cinnamon roles on Christmas morning. This truly is one of the most wonderful times of the year...