Saturday, December 27, 2008

Boys and their toys

I finally got all of the toys put away today. Well, I got them all put away until noon, then all were dragged out of their hiding places by two little boys. Why can't kids play with a toy, put it away, then get another toy out? This drives me bonkers! Our house isn't big enough to accommodate all of these toys out at once! So, do you know what that means? Nathan doesn't know this yet but one day this week we are getting rid of old toys to make room for the new ones. And when I say "we" I mean me, the soon to be mean mommy.
This wonderful event takes place twice a year. And every time it happens you would think the world was coming to a violent and horrifying end. "Mommy, I still play with that...that's my favorite toy ever...I looooooooove that one...why are you doing this to me?" Drama, drama, drama!
This time I'm going to have Brian take both of the boys out so I can do this on my own.
No little hands to "help." No little boys with sad puppy dogs eyes convincing me to let him keep just one more toy. Just me, all my byself (as Nathan says) tossin' toys.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Toy Overload

These past few days have been a whirlwind. Toys, toys and more toys have been given to my boys like they will never get another toy, ever. We have toys in their rooms, the living room, our bedroom, the kitchen and in the entryway that haven't even been taken out of their boxes yet. And next month for Brandon's birthday I'm sure there will be even more toys. Craziness!
All of their dreams have been answered and smiles are plentiful right now. I love happy little faces.
I hope all of you have had a wonderful Christmas too.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

4:42 pm

Six years ago at 4:42 pm on December 23 something amazing happened. Nathan was born.
Yesterday my little man turn 6 years old. I wish I could just push a button and make him stay little forever. But he has reminded me over and over that he just needs to grow up. There are so many things that he wants to do. Walk on the moon, fly like Superman, be a race car driver. So, I guess I must let him grow.
Last night we had a small birthday party for him. Pizza, bread sticks with cheese and an Incredible Hulk birthday cake. He got everything from a scooter to a crazy remote control Shell Shocker thing to his own wallet complete with McDonald's "credit cards."
After the green icing was brushed from his teeth and the sugar rush had finally subsided, we curled up in bed and read a bedtime story.
Thank goodness he isn't too "big" to snuggle with mommy. I think my heart would have physically broken if he had.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Sweet Torture

Nathan's birthday is coming up in four days. So what does every soon to be six year old need? That's right...an Incredible Hulk birthday cake complete with green icing and big number 6 candle on top!
While Nathan was looking through the catalog of cake designs, Brandon had plans of his own. He had his chubby little face plastered to the glass case of fancy deserts. "Bite...Bite...BITE" I'm sure everyone in the whole store heard his pleads. There were dogs made of icing, cupcakes, cookies, fruit tarts, anything and everything a little boy would need to satisfy his sugar cravings. The bakery guy felt so sorry for him that he gave both the boys a couple of cookies.
In the end we walked out of the store with four free cookies, a drooled covered size two t-shirt and an Incredible Hulk cake ordered.
Good times!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Oh Christmas Tree

Last night Nathan and I finally put up our Christmas tree. I was holding out, hoping that either it would put itself up or Brian would finally do it for me, but neither happened. So, last night after Brandon was sound asleep, I drug it out and put the mangy thing up. Nathan "read" the color coded directions and handed me the appropriate limb, what a big helper he is! Then I put our new multi-colored lights on, all 400 of them. Nathan is so proud and Brandon is totally amazed with the lights. "Yights...booo, reeee, wellow, geeeen....teeee!" Too bad he points to blue when he says green, but who cares, it's cute.
Nathan has been busy putting the finishing touches on his ornaments today so we can put them up tonight. I think this year we are going to have all home made ornaments on the tree. And I think they are all going to be on the upper half of the tree. Brandon has grabby little hands!
It actually looks pretty good. Now I kind of wish I would have put it up earlier. We'll just keep it up longer than we normally do. Instead of taking it down Jan 1st I keep it up until Jan 2nd!

Monday, December 15, 2008

2am morning call

For the past two weeks Brandon has decided to get up at 2am and scream. Why? Because screaming is his second favorite thing to do (first is eating) and 2am just seems like the perfect time to scare the crap out of mommy and daddy.
Last night there was a change in our routine and he went to bed almost two hours later. So, instead of 2am it was 4am. And instead of going back to sleep within a few minutes, he decided to stay up for 1.5 hours. You know how your eyes twitch because they are so tired and coffee doesn't do anything for you anymore? That's where I am right now.

Brandon is cranky and tired but will not take a nap.

I'm cranky and tired. I would take a nap if I knew that the kids wouldn't burn the house down.

Poor Nathan is stuck with us all night long.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Breakfast with the big guy himself!

Tomorrow morning Nathan and I get to have breakfast with Santa. Santa will be making a rare and special appearance at Nathan's school between the wee hours of 745a-845a, then it is back to the North Pole for last minute adjustments to the "who's been naughty and nice list." Well, that's what I've told Nathan anyway. hee hee!
Nathan is not a morning person, so it will probably be interesting when 7a rolls around. He may jump up out of bed with no problems or he may moan and groan and we'll end up snuggling the morning away. But just the idea of having cinnamon rolls and o.j. with Santa has made him giddy with excitement.
Yesterday Nathan got to go to the school's Holiday Gift Shop and purchase gifts all by himself. We sent a check with him, which he thought was just a piece of paper, and they gave him money back for the difference he didn't use. That was a huge deal! He thought that besides the gifts he got, they actually gave him money too! The look on his face was of total amazement. "Mommy I bought stuff and they gave me some money too!" And the poor boy cannot keep a secret for anything. As soon as he saw me he blurted out what he got me. I remember doing that as a kid too. Ok fine, it was last Christmas! At least we know who he gets it from.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

All things Brandon

My little coconut head...he has a perfectly round hard head and brown fringe-y hair, just like a coconut. If you would thump it I'm sure it would sound like one too.

Harmonica man...trying to play a harmonica is kind of hard for a little one. So if it doesn't make sound why not make the sound for it. Have you ever heard a moose moan? I guess that's what Brandon thinks it should sound like.

oohhhoohhh...wiggle your fingers and say oohhohhh when daddy is lecturing at you. See how long it takes before he starts laughing and kissing your neck.

Coy boy...don't smile at Nana even though you've missed her all week. Once she leaves scream until your face is beet read and see how long it takes mommy to pull the car over. (2 blocks)

Ho Ho Ho...He'll say it but won't even look at the big guy.

Tv cleaner...why not just lick the finger prints off.

All aboard...sit in a box, cup your hand over your mouth, say "all aboard...choo...choo" and you've just done what Brandon has done most of this evening.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Christmas crafts

We have been keeping ourselves pretty busy the past couple of days. We have been making Christmas ornaments. Popsicle sticks, glue, markers and sequence, all that good stuff. Brandon's hands look like they've been tye-dyed. Nathan decided to glue his fingers together tonight (thank goodness it wasn't super glue). And my kitchen floor looks like 80's prom dress exploded.
Anyone what to come over and clean? Have you ever noticed how hard it is to sweep up sequence? It's nearly impossible to get them all up.
Tomorrow we are going to make a wreath or a tree to put on the front door. That's after I take down the turkey, of course. I'm so far behind on Christmas this year. I have two presents bought, no cards sent out, and our pathetic tree hasn't even been put up yet.
I'm kind of scared to put the tree up. Brandon is such a bulldozer that I'm fairly sure he will pull it down. So, that means no glass ornaments this year. Fragile and Brandon do not belong in the same room together.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Moe

A part of our family has passed on. Yesterday I had to put Moe to sleep.
My scruffy old buddy had given me so much joy in the 11 years I had know him. The first time I met him and his brother Curly they were just 2 years old. Brian and I just started dating and he decided to introduce me to the "boys." They were tugging on an old sock, growling at each other like they were going to rip one another to shreds. They just looked at me from the corner of their eyes, neither one was going to give up that sock.
Moe has pulled some pretty good stunts over the years. He use to get mad at us when we would leave for work. So he would pull all of the pillows and cushions off the couch. Once he even pooped on the coffee table to get back at us for leaving. He got into big trouble for that one!
After he had enough of Curly playing with a squeaky toy, he would rip it open and take the squeaker out. Then to make sure we couldn't fix it, he would chew the squeaker to bits.
And his favorite treat has always been popcorn. He would sit at our feet, drooling on our toes, waiting for us to give in and finally give him some.
I'm going to miss my buddy. But I'm sure that where ever he is, he's gotten the spring back in his step and is eating popcorn until his little heart is content.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Snow

The boys woke up to snow yesterday. Oh the excitement! You would have thought it was Christmas morning from the squeals and giggles coming from them. It didn't snow much, just enough to get two little boys excited for the possibility of more to come.
Brandon and I sat at the back door and watched the snow flakes float down. Last year he was barely 1 when it started snowing, so he could have cared less about it. But this year is a whole different story. Amazement was in his eyes until I put a little of it in his hands, then he wanted nothing to do with it. "Told...told!" (cold...cold!) was all he could say. Then he ran to get Nathan out of bed to show him what was going on outside. Nathan came running out of his bedroom, still half asleep, then screamed "SNOOOOOOOOOOW!" He begged to go outside to play in it, there was barely enough to cover a blade of grass. I told him once it snowed enough to make a snow ball then we would go out to play in it.
After we ate some breakfast, I made some hot chocolate and we watched it snow some more. Nathan asked a hundred times if we have everything we need to make a snow man. I assured him that we would be fully prepared before it snowed a whole bunch.
Then he asked one more time just to make sure.