Photo Bomb 35

Dear Hubby,

I realize it is Monday...meaning I am late yet again with my weekly obligation for updated pictures of your growing monsters and weekly wrap-up on our little families doings. I'm guessing you will forgive me because you don't have much of a choice...mwuah hahaha...that and we actually email, FaceTime, and message each other throughout the week so you kinda already know what we have been up to.

As always we love and miss you and pray for your safety everyday.  Oh yeah, and a very belated Merry Christmas.  Christmas Eve daycare was closed and I had to work so the boys got some Grandma/Papa time in at the farm and when I got off work we exchanged presents (aka-the boys unwrapped Toys-R-Us). Next stop was your grandmas and more gifts.  The boys are now proud owners of a microphone that plays holiday tunes and turns your voice into an elf, as well as a 5 ft x 5 ft inflatable bounce house castle complete with 100 plastic balls.

Christmas Day we went to mass and I will admit it was a hard one for me.  The boys were acting up, I was exhausted and mainly just missing you. The entire day was just hard without you, everything felt wrong.  But we overcame, we went to friends/quasi brother-in-laws for lunch (I count my sister's in-laws as my inlaws too).  Our gracious host even went shopping for the boys so they would have the same amount of gifts to open as the other kids and sent them home with gift bags full of candy and a new matchbox car. After some much needed naps we were back out at the farm to have supper with your family.

The Toddler's favorite toys seem to be the karokee robot and a remote control car, or as he calls it his Racing Tractor.  The Big D is smitten with the tot sized card table and chairs, and then big blocks.  Actually they love everything, but the week of Christmas those were the big draws.

I didn't pack my camera around to all the Holiday feasting and festivities because I know myself well enough to know I still wouldn't get any pictures.  I am so happy that we were able to FaceTime on Christmas day and that your whole family got to chat with you.

The Toddler belting out some tunes!

The Big D improvising his own microphone...
he wants to do everything just like big brother.

What don't all kids drink hot cocoa out of plastic cups and straws?

I'm just showing off how good he is getting at drinking out of a cup now...

provided you watch him and he doesn't get bored and start filling it up with anything else he can reach.

The boys hugging their Daddy Dolls...and yes I did go overboard on these pictures but I loved them.

Daddy Seep'n (Sleeping)

Awwhh!  Giving Daddy kisses!

The Toddler was giving you a tour of the house and telling you stories but was booking it too fast to get more pictures of him.

What other choice do you have but dress up when a 1-year old shoves something in your face and says:
Hat - gwobes (Gloves)

The Big D loves brothers extra hat and gloves.

Brothers that build together stay together.

The Toddler quizzing his little brother on the names of all the Cars characters....and yes he knows them.

Photo Bomb 33

Dear Hubby,

This week is a bit foggy in my mind.  It is amazing how quickly time moves and I forget the small details.  My big accomplishment for the week is getting Christmas cards mailed out.  We dealt with a sick kiddo also, which why not a whole lot was accomplished. (I'm also lazy what with the livingroom rearrangement and the need to plug in and put away a cord every time I want to get online.)

The Toddler woke up in the wee hours on Wednesday and informed me that his bed was messy and to come see.  I expected that it would be a bit damp...he refused to make a trip to the bathroom before bed and had been chugging water.  Instead it was a much bigger mess!  He had mentioned his stomach hurt before bed, but it was tucked in the middle of a list of excuses:

• I'm not tired
• I'm scared of my room
• I don't like the dark
• I want to sleep in your bed
• I just love you and want to stay with you forever
• I'm hungry
• I'm thirsty
• I want to take a bath
• I want you to read me a book, five times!
• I want to talk to Daddy
• I want to snuggle with you
• I want to sleep on the couch

I stripped him down and his bedding and threw it all in the wash.  Well, him I threw in the bathtub and got him cleaned up.  He was thirst so I gave him a little water and tucked him into my bed.  By this point the Big D was beginning to stir, so I rocked him to sleep in the living-room ...and woke up in the morning to my bed meeting the same fate the Toddler's bed had met.

That is kinda how the week went.  The Big D never did get sick and was 150mph, and the Toddler recovered from his flu bug just in-time to catch a nasty fever and cough. All in all I ended up missing about half the work week...but I wasn't exactly not working.

 We did a lot of vegging on the couch, this is a rare moment of calm for the little one.

The Big D didn't quite grasp the concept of picking up,

but I guess he did get himself put away?

 The Toddler contemplating sending himself to see Daddy.

Measuring everything we can with the Bank's Christmas giveaway tape measure.

The boys playing with book covers
(or as I called them DIY pope hats)

 The Big D really wanting the "balls" on the tree,

and about to get in trouble for hammering the tree.

 Helping Aunt B cook

Seeing how they measure up.

At least someone seems almost as sad as Mamma for growing up too fast.

Photo Bomb 34

Dear Hubby,

This week our household finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and are on the mend.  The Big D escaped any illness, but the Toddler saw it come and go.  Sunday I thought we were in the clear.  We had a fairly big day.  We enjoyed the Christmas Program the kids put on after mass, and after a lovely nap-time and getting to talk to you for several hours (always a big highlight) we had company.  I should have been smart enough to get out my camera....but I didn't.

Both boys enjoyed having two other little boys their age to play with.  I enjoyed having someone my age to visit with too! I was relieved to know I am not the only parent who has little ones with a fascination of tree ornaments.  I think the two moms enjoyed visiting too, at least I did.  I'm looking forward to doing more entertaining and having friends over more often when you get home. There really are so many nice people in this community and as I get to know people better, it feels more and more like home.

Monday we relapsed with a fever returning and nasty cough, so my mom came up and watched the boys at our house.  We couldn't get him into the doctor until Tuesday, poor little guy was getting over a lung infection.  The verdict is that he is unlucky and caught a couple things back to back.  He was cleared for daycare and some antibiotic and has been a go-go-goer ever since.

My sister and her kiddos came up Wednesday and picked the boys up from daycare while I went to my safety meeting after work.  The boys loved the company...so did I, because I forced them to stay longer than they planned.  Mwhahahaha.  The rest of the week was just business as usual. I went to work, the boys to daycare and we chatted with you every chance we got.

Yum Grapes! 

Oh no it broke again!

I fixed this truck for him no less than 25 times...
then I hid it. (good parenting right?)

 Future mechanic?

Attacking Christmas Tree #3

Repelling a pink seahorse off a picture frame.

 Peek-a-Boo!

Did you notice the scratch on the Big D's chin? Apparently he was climbing on something (shocker)at daycare and fell and caught his chin.  There was minimal bleeding and it hasn't seemed to faze him...I guess it just ups his street cred.

Rocking the Spider Man Pajamas.