Christmas Pictures

We took the kids to see Santa at the mall (Erik knows this Santa and the kids seem to like him as well). This year instead of just getting a picture of the kids with Santa we got one of the whole family. The package we bought let us get 3 poses so we also got one of all 3 kids and then one of just J - a little something to make her feel extra special. These are the best 3 we got (don't mind C's tongue he likes to stick it out). [ C is in the brown/red sweater and W is in the tan/brown/red one]

Since we had a little extra time with Daddy before Santa would be at the mall, we went to the local bagel shop (a favorite of ours) and got some breakfast and then we went to a park right behind it where we were going to attempt to get individual pictures of the kids. Unfortunately, the grass was wet so we didn't dare let the boys out of the stroller so I attempted to get some of them while sitting down.

I couldn't get W to look at me and smile at the same time so this is the one we went with.

J kept wanting to do silly poses and faces, but I got a cute one with half a smile here.

C was the most cooperative. I want you to take a note of his nice clear forehead - he had a big mishap later that afternoon (post coming soon).

Preschool Advent Program

Every year, J's preschool does a Christmas Advent program where the kids sing a few Christmas songs that they learned at school. Erik's parents were able to go with us this year. Here is C with Mimi.

Once J got up on the stage she didn't remember where we were sitting and kept looking for us.

Once she found us she was all smiles.

I got to enjoy the program from the back of the room because W didn't want to sit still.

Random Nov

November brought more warm weather and more playing outside in the sandbox. Here is C chewing on the hose to a ball pump that J thought would make a fun sand toy (we finally had to tell her to stop taking things from inside to the sandbox after over half of my Tupperware was discovered to be missing and later found full of sand - she told us that she'd been baking pies).

W enjoys playing on the park.

W likes to curl his toes under the tray of his highchair while eating. 

J thought it would be fun to play dress ups with her brothers, W sure doesn't seem to mind, doesn't he look cute in a skirt?

C was trying to get a toy out of the papasan stool in the playroom and got stuck.  W has done this on occasion as well.  The stool was finally put away in the storage room - not only because of this, but also because C decided it would be fun to roll it down the stairs.

Here is C trying to get onto Mommy's lap (notice the red spot on his forehead - he bumped it while trying to get out of the cupboard)

W emptied all the stuffed animals out of the cupboard and decided to climb in himself. 

Along with turning 1 comes switching from formula to regular milk, and for us that also meant major stomach issues (apparently the boys haven't outgrown their milk allergies) and C got a major diaper rash.  To give his bum a chance to air out we wrapped it in a towel.  Fortunately, once we switched them to soy milk the issue calmed down.

Thanksgiving

This year Erik's 2 weeks for the Navy Reserve happened to fall over Thanksgiving so the kids and I flew to my parents for Thanksgiving - brave I know.  The trip there actually wasn't too bad.  J watched movies and the boys slept for most of the flight.  Once we got to my parents the fun really began.  That night C began throwing up and both boys had the runs.  By morning W was also throwing up and the trend continued for the next week and a half.  The last throw-up incident was when W threw up on my lap on the airplane ride home.  Needless to say, it was a long week for me and the boys.  J on the other hand only threw up once and had a great time.  She went to story time at the library with her Aunt Heather and cousin K, she had a friend come over to play, and she got to play with more of her cousins and spend lots of time with her Grandma.  She even got to walk around in what she called Grandma's 'Puss & Boots' boots.  She even wore these as she walked over to the neighbors house one afternoon.

C had a great time playing Aunt Toni's piano - but only when he got to do it by himself.  Toni tried holding him on her lap and he wouldn't play, but once she sat him down by himself he started pounding away.  This boy LOVES music.  Like his sister, he is always singing or finding someway to make noise and is frequently found dancing to the radio.

Here is a picture of my sick boys.  They started out each night in pack and plays next to my bed but usually ended up on the bed next to me.  On this particular morning, W was sleeping snuggled up to C. 

J decided to hid under a pile of toys, laundry and pillows while watching a cartoon at Grandmas. 

Here is J and her cousin K playing with some Halloween lips that they found in one of Grandma's drawers.  These two had lots of fun playing together everyday.

Overall we had a decent trip.  I'm thankful that my family was there to help entertain J while I took care of my sick babies.  My mom even took over taking care of the boys a few mornings so I could get some much needed sleep. 

Nov. Projects

Erik decided to take advantage of the warm weather in November and started pulling the weeds out of our lawn. J decided that he needed a little more motivation and was seen "helping him out".

This year, we decided to simplify Christmas at our house. Part of that process was to do homemade gifts. So I helped the kids make hand print pictures for their grandparents.

We made an extra one and put it in a hand painted frame for Daddy.

I made hopscotch/ tic-tac-toe mats for our family and for Erik's brother's family. (The hopscotch mat isn't finished here, this is only the tape/paper outline. This was all outlined and colored in with markers.)

I made X and O

and initialed bean bags for each set.

In my family, we were to give a gift to my little sister. I made her this denim pillow with yellow felt flowers and a rag wreath (which I somehow forgot to take a picture of)

Here's a close up of the flowers.

12 Questions every Stay at Home Mom should be allowed to ask her husband when he comes home and complains about a "hard day" at work!

1.When you walked into work this morning and pleasantly greeted your
co-worker Jim, was his first reaction to scream “NO! WANT JASON!" followed by an office supply being thrown at you?

2.Has a colleague ever climbed up on your lap while you were using your computer and slammed the keyboard with both fists until the up arrow no longer worked?

3.Do you have to lock yourself in the supply closet or bathroom on a regular basis in order to make phone calls?

4.Did you finish a complete thought at any time during the day?

5.When you went out to lunch with your fellow workers, did you have to pack a diaper/juice/extra outfit for them? Did you have to wipe their faces? Smile an apology and leave an extra tip for the waiter on their
behalf?

6.When a co-worker needed you for something, did she sit at her desk with her head tilted back toward the ceiling and repeatedly scream “SEAN! SEEEEANNNN! SEAAAAAAN!” until you came to find him?

7.When you needed a specific colleague, did you search all over for him, only to finally find him giggling in the cabinet under the sink? Did you also find six pairs of your church shoes under there with him?

8.Have you had to come to an associate’s aid because she fell off her desk after trying to climb on top of it using a rolling chair?

9.When you reached for the report a co-worker was handing you, did he snatch them away at the last second and scream “MINE!” while shoving you backwards?

10.Does your colleague lift up her shirt and pick things out of her belly button every time she comes over to ask a question?

11.While you are using the restroom, do various co-workers come in the stall and ask you to settle a disagreement or open a packet of fruit
snacks?

12.During a board meeting when everyone is present, do you notice a smell and then have to check all your colleagues’ pants to locate it?

In fact, at ANY point in your day do you have to deal with another person's feces?

1st Birthday

We started November of with a bang - or at least with a party. The boys turned 1!! Can I just say that the past year with them has been crazy, tireing and something that I don't care to repeat ever again, but I'm so glad to have these two little miracles in our family - for they truely are my miracle babies and we have been very blessed that there seems to be no lasting effects from their tramatic birth.  Erik had a busy work schedule the week of their birthday so we just had a small family party with his parents on Sunday evening.  We got the boys a couple of packages of CHUCK cars so that they could have some sort of boy toy to play with (these are the first ones in our house).  Here is W trying to figure out what to do with his package.

And C was too busy stareing at the camera.

J finally opened their gifts for them - they loved the cars and love to roll them across the wood floors.

Then came the fun stuff, the CAKE.   Here are the boys anxiously waiting (or at least curious as to why they're in their seats again, we'd finished dinner not long before this).

Here are the before shots of the cakes. J decided that C needed the Cars one and W the Toy STory one. 

We were brave parents and actually lit the candles while we sang Happy Birthday.

Then J helped to quickly blow them out before we had burnt fingers.

Then came the "what am I supposed to do with this?" expressions.  Here is C testing the waters.

W was just as confused curious as to what he was supposed to do.

He had to inspect the frosting before trying it out.

However, once they got a taste of it, there was no stopping them.  Here is W up to his elbows in frosting.

Here he is realizing that he got caught trying to reach over and steal some off C's tray.

Notice how C is a littler messier?

Here's why. 

So proud of himself.

Needless to say when they were done, the boys went straight to the tub, cakes to the trash, and trays to the sink.  I think we were washing frosting off the hairchairs (and chairs) for the next week or more.

W's 1 year stats:

Weight: 23lbs 8 oz (60.56%)
Height: 29.25" (31.64%)

C's 1 year stats:

Weight: 23lbs (52.92%)
Height: 29" (24.47%)