I'm Back and a James Update

School is back in session and so far so good!  Paul is ahead on all of his coursework.  Work is crazy for him right now so he's a little stressed, but I think he's doing alright.

I've been working on getting organized around the house. I have started my Fall cleaning, which is pretty much like Spring cleaning only a different time of year. In addition to deep cleaning the apartment, I have been going through clothes and toys and either craigslisting them or giving them away. I still have a lot to do, but I am well on my way.  I hit the caselot sale at Smith's today and stocked up my pantry. I'm cutting back on my monthly grocery bills by stocking the pantry really well about two or three times a year. In the long run it really saves money. I've reorganized both bathrooms, all the closets, and every cabinet in the kitchen so far.

I've also got a huge head start on Christmas.  Once we decided what James' big gifts were going to be for Christmas I started keeping my eyes open for a trike and basketball hoop.  At the beginning of the summer these items were priced at about $40-$60 a piece depending on brand.  I had a bunch of R Us cash and as soon as the basketball hoop went on sale I bought it. I only paid $5 out of pocket! I was a little nervous about finding a trike, but as luck would have it this little Radio Flyer was on sale at Wal-Mart for $20 and I had a gift card for the exact amount. I only paid tax. I am WAY ahead of schedule :)

Speaking of Christmas, I'm very excited for the holidays. The cooler weather we've been having has really got me psyched for Fall. I know it'll probably be 100 degrees tomorrow just because I said this, but the mountains are changing colors. It's coming!  Paul and I had such a fun Thanksgiving together last year that we've decided to go solo again this year. Christmas is going to be a total blast. James is at such a fun stage.  I'm planning on a few different projects for my decorations this year. I'm making new stockings, a wreath, tree skirt, and ornaments.  Here are a few ideas:

I love these little stars! Plus I don't have to worry if James rips them off the tree.

  

I don't think this will be going on my door, but I will be putting this in my house. I think it's so cute!

I can't make up my mind which stockings I like better. What do you think?

  

I've already got the stuff for this one. Only mine is going to be red and white. 

James is finally learning to sign. I started signing to him when he was about 8 or 9 months old.  I was just starting to think that he wasn't going to pick it up when he started communicating when he's hungry to me (he makes the sign for eat, only on MY face...so funny!). Pretty soon he was signing for lights, trees, flowers, thirsty and water (he made up his own for this one. He acts like he's splashing water with an open palm...which looks more like the sign for ball, but it's still cute).  I'm working on toilet, please and thank you.  It's really awesome to be able to communicate with him before he is really talking.  He is really good at getting me to notice what he's jibber jabbering about with pointing. Oh, and when he blows it means candle. Cute! I have a little border in his room that has lions and monkeys in it. He'll point to the lions and growl and say "oo oo" for the monkey. 

List of words James uses: wow, hi, no, yay, yeah, oh, mama (but never about me :(), kee kee (which generally means that he likes something), uh-oh, up, moo (ha ha ha, why I don't know), and why. 

He is in to everything now. I have found him on the dining room table trying to smell the flowers!  He dances to EVERYTHING. Commercials, his toys and sometimes the sound of Daddy's snoring. Anything that has a beat. He's recently started "conducting." The cutest was last week when we were watching Music and the Spoken Word and he started conducting MoTab.  He loves to spin in circles until he's so dizzy that he falls over.  He is a handful, but I wouldn't have it any other way.