Sick, then well, then Oh well

Hi - Yes 4 posts, one after the other, bang bang bang. Well, I've got a bit of time and am still able to keep my eyes open so I'll post one last thing. Everyone here except for me has had the stomach flu for the past week or 2. We're all beat, some of us more than others. The boys have basically recuperated enough that last night's pizza stayed in/down. They both are tired and tempers do flare however.

At the end of Monday's nap, Jason was rocking and singing very loudly. This went on for quite some time. Then I heard a loud thwack and then a thump followed by Jason saying,'Oww. Kevin. That was my back. Owww."

Silence. Then, more singing and rocking. Then, another thwack and a thump. Another "Oww. Kevin. That was my back. Oww." This statement was repeated 2 more times. Now, when I say that Jason is rocking and singing. We're not talking some cutsey, sweet baby-like stuff. No, we're talking hard-core, banging on the crib slats and singing like a Saturday sinner at Sunday mass....good and loud. So, I think to myself, "Jason, I don't blame him. Kevin puts up a with a lot from you. Get the hint."

Well, I'd given each boy 3 books at nap so you know where this is going, right? More singing and rocking followed by a third thwack and a third thump. After Kevin ran out of ammo, they started to talk and laugh and things improved. Until, I heard Jason shrieking. Apparently, he reached out to Kevin (for forgiveness perhaps? I'll never know). I ran upstairs to find Jason in tears, his finger with a large tooth shaped indent and Kevin lying in his crib quietly but not repentantly.

So, like I said, tempers have flared.

More Pictures

Long time no post, eh? My bad. All work and no play makes for a dull blog but thanks for hanging in there. This one is mostly pictures of Christmas Eve. There are a few stories to be posted and I'll save those for another day. Let's just say that some people are able to vocalize their feelings very well while others choose to express themselves by biting and throwing books. No names to protect the innocent. Enjoy the pictures and no, Kevin has not grown a mustache. That is smudged M&Ms.




I corral Kevin long enough to give him a Christmas AM kiss.








Mommy and Kevin watch Jason open presents with Daddy







Jason and his new PC

















Jason playing with puzzle on Christmas Eve

















Kevin and his new mustache

Mommy and Kevin in his Got Youklis? tshirt.

Jason handsome in red

Jason looking at Oswald DVD

New Cameras For All and For All A Good Night

The title pretty much says it all. Joe and I got a new camera (see earlier post) and the boys each got a digital camera for Christmas. The rest of this post pretty much speaks for itself through the pictures.

Jason's pic of Spongebob Squarepants

Jason's feet. We have lots of these pictures. And lots of Mommy with no head or different body parts. But then there are a few like the one of Jason taking his own picture in the mirror, pretty neat.

Merry Christmas to All

Well the holidays came and went and it's all a bit of a blur. I hope your Christmas was a good one filled with lots of joy and baked goodies. The boys had a very busy holiday season filled with visits with family and friends, several late nights viewing Christmas lights, and a few trips through the McDonald's drive-through (a new Christmas tradition if Kevin has his way).

We decorated on the weekend after Thanksgiving by putting up a small tabletop tree that the boys then decorated with teddy bear ornaments and other crocheted ornaments (safe for boys of all ages). We decorated the rest of the house and then the 24x7 Christmas music channel was placed on a permanent cycle and all the Christmas books were brought out. The boys already knew Frosty and Jingle Bells so we really just needed to explain Santa. We kept it light avoiding any details about a complete stranger coming into your house while you sleep.

We visited the mall and watched Santa in action. Joe and I agreed that the Natick Collection Santa was excellent...just like the real guy. The boys "big mall holiday adventure" included watching the Brookstone remote control mini-helicopter fly around the mall, lunch at California Pizza Kitchen, playing at the kids playland, walking around the glow-in-the-dark mini golf place, etc. etc. Much toddler fun.

Viewing Christmas lights at night became a popular holiday activity. At first we viewed neighborhood lights and came home to hot cocoa with mini-marshmallows. During our vacation, the post-lights treat escalated to ice cream sundaes from McDonalds. Both boys call McDonalds "the Big M" or "the yellow M". Whatever you call it, Kevin now keeps an eye out for yellow M's and counts them as we drive around. He counted several on the way to my brothers. He kept reminding us that they had ice cream and that he wanted to stop.

Back to the Christmas decorations....snowglobes were very popular, as was Santa on a motorcycle, and the numero uno favorite was a palm tree and a pig with wings. Jason laughed heartily and requested repeat visits. We even added that address to our GPS.

We had a lovely Christmas eve with family friends and Christmas day was much fun. It took the entire day to open just half of the presents. At this age, the boys want to play with each item they open. So it was touching to see them rip the paper and be so excited and then enjoy playing with the gift. Trucks and trains continue to be favorites.

Both boys liked their digital cameras and I've included their photos that capture our day so well.