Goals for the New Year?

As I think about how to celebrate the New Year, I of course wonder what goals I want to make for the New Year. I thought it would be fun to hear some of our friends and families as well. I enjoyed doing this with the Christmas traditions so why not New Years goals? So if you have any that you can share, please post them. I am still thinking and will post them later tonight.

Enjoying the simple things...

This year as always I spend so much time trying to make sure the kids have a good Christmas while trying to not overdo it. This year I tried to get very simple basic toys. For the most part the kids got games, books, and a few action figures. Granny and Bud of course made sure the boys had big presents like an art set for Cade, a guitar for Davis, and a Superman bike for Easton. Easton was so excited for his bike, he couldn't wait for Jeremy to put it together. ( Christmas Eve can not be a "put together" night because the day is for Davi's birthday so we wrap all night!). While Jeremy was assembling the bike, Easton and Davis enjoyed the box almost more than anything else that day.

Ornament Echange

Every year we do an ornament exchange on Christmas Eve in the form of a talk show. Each family member gets an ornament based on something they did that year. This year, Cade got a boy with a missing tooth because he lost six teeth this summer. Davis got a boy going to school because he went to kindergarten. Easton got a boy jumping into a swimming pool because this summer he loved to jump off the side of the swimming pool yelling "cannonball!" He loved it so much, he still jumps off everything yelling that. He rarely walks down the stairs and climbs on anything he can, just to jump off and yell. Jeremy's ornament was a "Mr. Fix It", and Rebecca got an ornament wwith her Ham Radio call sign on it that Jeremy made for her. This is the boys favorite holiday tradition.

Special Birthday

People always tell Davis that having a Christmas Eve birthday must be hard, but he thinks it is great. One of the reasons why is the fact that he is only person he knows who gets two birthday cakes a year. He has a birthday party with his friends in November and has a family party with us and Nana and Papa on his actual birthday. He thinks it is the best to have a special birthday!

Merry Christmas?

Well for the past week, I have not emailed or posted. Not because I have been busily rushing about finishing up last minute Christmas items but because I have had a sick family. Cade got sick while we were opening presents. At first I thought he just wasn't enjoying any of his presents, but he quickly ran off and we figured it out! Poor guy! Some Christmas.

Christmas Letter

For all you who missed our letter.

Batteries Not Included

So I started out in the Christmas Spirit and all excited about the holidays and THEN... I wanted to buy Cade and Davis the game battleship because it was one of my favorites as a kid. The problem is that you can no longer find anywhere that sells the regular version. Today they only sell electronic battleship! After many weeks of searching I began to notice and get irritated with every traditional game being "computerized." Now they even have a fast pay monopoly. The only fun in that game was fighting over who was going to be the banker in the first place. Why? Why must they do this to all my favorite childhood games? In October I was searching for a jump rope (Easton really wanted one, don't ask why!) and could not find a child's jump rope anywhere. Finally I found one in a catalog but it was pink or purple which just won't do. Our country has a childhood obesity epidemic and you can't find a simple jump rope anymore, does anyone else see the connection? The final straw came this weekend when I went to get Cade a hula hoop. They learned to do it in PE and Cade is really good. He just stands there and the thing moves around him like magic, you have to see it. Jeremy's work had a family picnic and there was a contest where you had to walk around , hop on one foot, move forward and backwards, all while keeping the hoop going. Cade nearly won so I thought it would be fun for him to do at home. (Also, I am very competitive and want him to practice for next year to win the stinking contest!) Back to my chief complaint. Well now they have electronic hula hoops! That was it. I feel like boycotting Christmas, since that ain't happening, I am boycotting batteries. No toys with lights, or sounds or anything that requires batteries this year. When Cade was two, he had a little push truck and was rolling it on the ground and stopped and looked up at me and said, "mom this is broken, it needs batteries." I told him that he had to make his own noises and move it himself, he thought that was the coolest thing ever. I feel like sometimes we cheat our kids out of some of the most simplest yet fun experiences of childhood because we buy toys that read "BATTERIES NOT INCLUDED."

This is why I love him....

Our neighbors were both in the hospital last week, and when they came home one of them needed to be in a wheelchair. They were having trouble getting over the porch into the front door. I told Jeremy about the problem on Friday night and briefly mentioned that they could use a ramp. Early Saturday morning Jeremy was out in the garage and by mid afternoon.... the neighbors had a ramp. He didn't mind that all of his projects he had to do that day got pushed back (and still got done because he was up until midnight to finish them). Jeremy is such a giving person who spends his time doing things for other people. He is not a complainer and even though he has to sacrifice his free time (a lot), he feels it a blessing to be able to do things for others. He is truly one of the most Christlike persons I have ever met... and that is why I love him.

Are you the boss of me?

Every once in a while Easton asks me if I will still be the boss of him when he is a grown up. i of course say yes! I tolds him I will always be his mom so even when he is big, I will be the boss of him. When my parents came for a visit he asked me if they were still the boss of me (we disagree quite a bit on most things). I answered Easton's question with a NO, they are not, without realizing what he had stored in his little mind. He then preceedes to tell me that if they are not the boss of me now, I won't be the boss of him when he is a grown up. I scramble to think of something and tell him that my parents are not the boss of me because they don't go to my Church and we believe different things. Easton thinks about it for a minute and tells me that if I come to his house when he is big and try to tell him what to do he will throw me out! I wonder as I look down at this child (who is the spitting image of my husband) that I am staring down at a miniture me!! Oh the realization of this sent fear into every fiber of my being!! For the last month there has been no mention of who will be his boss when he is older, until this morning. Just about ten minutes ago as he was eating a snack and I was doing laundry, he suddenly asks if I still think I will be the boss of him when he is older. I have to admire his desire to be independent, but at the same time I fear it as well. So here we go again, another day of me trying to convience him that yes, " I will always be the boss of you!"

HO HO HO, MERRY NISSMAS!

When Cade was two we flew to Arizona for Christmas and to celebrate Davis' first birthday. Cade was so excited for Santa to come that he kept saying, "Santa says, ho ho ho MERRY NISSMAS!" So as we were getting off the airplane Jeremy asked Cade to tell him what Santa says. Cade (who was a very little guy) screamed "HO HO HO, MERRY NISSMAS!" They whole plane started cheering and clapping. Cade was so embarassed, but it was so cute. Why do they have to grow so fast?

Little Santa's

Every year we dress the boys in these Santa suits for Christmas. I know it seems a little silly but the kids love it! They have to sleep in them on Christmas Eve so they will be in their Santa suits for Christmas. It is fun when we go to Jeremy's work party and they have their picture taken with Santa. People will stop and look or say, "look at the little elves." This infuriates Jeremy and he tells them "THEY ARE NOT ELVES, THEY ARE SANTAS." If you know Jeremy it is so funny because few things ever bug him but this is one of them. The other thing is when you are in traffic and a car tries to cut in line. Nothing else can rattle him. Believe me, I try!!

Comparing boys

Cade (above)

Easton (below)

at age 4

Easton's 4 year old picture

This is Easton's four year old picture. he was very demanding at at the photographer's. They wanted him to sit on top of the suitcase, but he insited on opening the case and siting inside!

New Lockers for the boys

Jeremy just finished these lockers for the boys. He put them in the laundry room so hopefuly we will no longer trip over the backpack and shoes as we walk in the door. the true test will be Monday when they go back to school. At least it looks good now!!

Almost ready for the public

I am just about ready to launch this thing after working on this since Easter. I told you I was slow. If it were not for Emily's encouragement each Sunday, I might not be ready yet. I just don't know what I am doing. Jeremy is not much help. Here goes attempt number 6. I hope this works.

Halloween pictures

I guess I wouldn't be a very good mom if I didn't put up their Halloween pictures. I am not quite use to this blogging thing. Emily told me it is easy, but I don't agree yet. I have a hard time keeping up on everything else so this just adds one more thing. The boys were so proud of their costumes this year though. They were Ben 10. For those of you without boys, he is a guy who can turn into a bunch of diferent aliens. My boys think there is nothing cooler. My mom and I had to drive an hour and a half away to get the last two Ben 10 costumes in the Dalas metroplex. I sure hope one day they will appreciate it.

Davis has his turn too!

Although Dais does not turn six until Dec 24th, we celebrate with his friends early. This year his party was on Nov 1oth. It makes for a very stressful three and a half weeks around our house having three birthday parties in that amount of time but at least it is all over with before the holidays. This year Davis had a bowling party. Don't feel bad for Davis. he gets the best deal in the family. Not only does he get a friend party around the same time the other boys do, he also has his real birthday celebration with us on Christmas Eve. He gets two cakes and two parties. he loves having his birthday this way. Mom loves it because the birthday child always chooses thier dinner and Davis always chooses pizza, or chicken nuggets. it is a great Christmas Eve tradition!!

Easton turns 4

A week after Cade's party it was time for Easton's. Easton had been so excited for his birthday for months. I don't even know if he knows or cares that he is any older, he just knew he was getting presents and cake! He loves to look through catalogs and sale papers picking out what he wants. Our neighbors save the sale papers and when Easton comes over they give them to him. I have never seen anyone get more excited. One day Easton was asking us to buy him all these toys and Jeremy said to him that it seemed like he wanted everything in the book. Easton said he did't because he didn't want any of the girl stuff!

Cade turns 7!

Cade turned seven on Oct. 19th and celebrated by having a spy party. Each boy came in and had to take a mug shot and recieve his new identity. Grandpa Tim's love of funny names came in very handy for this pary. The boys had to go through an intense spy training course before they could have cake. We all had a lot of fun. I can't believe that my little boy is already seven. It just doesn't seem right. They are growing way too fast.