Friday, December 24, 2010

Happy Holidays!



Well here we are at Christmas Eve! Obviously I won't be getting a Christmas Card out this year. So let this serve as our digital Christmas Card. It has been a wonderful year, the highlights have included our trip to Denver with the Desai-Gruenhagen family for Britt & Quint's Wedding, the addition of Sammy to our family, many great trips to the lakehouse, visits with Andrea, Nic, and their girls, Tuesdays and Thursdays with Evie, awesome playdates with Fred and Calvin, Taco Bell trips (for me, since Mike poo-poos it) with Ryane, exciting times with Nick and Francesca, and pancake mornings (like today) with Daddy. We've also had some hard times this year, but it's been great to have the support of all you family and friends. We are very blessed! If you care to, please read on some of the funnier stories of 2010. You've probably all read/seen most of these but I couldn't help myself.... Love you all!
(10/2/10): while looking at our wedding picture – Noah: “mommy you a princess!” Me: “Yes I look like a princess in that wedding dress, huh?” Noah: “but now you just a mommy, you not a princess anymore!” So true, so true!
(10/15/10): Noah – “where’s Sam?” Mike – “I gave him away!” Noah – “OH NO, that’s ridiculous!” Mike – “I can’t give him away?” Noah – “NO!” Mike – “Why?” Noah – “Because he’s tooty!”
(10/22/10): As Mike was leaving for work, I said, “Be Safe.” And Noah added “so you don’t stink!” and then turns to me and with a serious look on his face says, “because that’s important!”
(11/10/10): I started reading bible stories to Noah since we got some wonderful children’s bibles for Sam’s baptism. Of course, his favorite is the Noah story. This morning he retold the story in the first person, because he is Noah. “God told me to build an ark boat for my animals and my family, so I did! Then, God made the rain come down for 40 days and 40 nights. Then I went on the grass and it was all better because I listened to God.”
(11/21/10): Noah’s version of the Ghostbusters song “Something strange in the neighborhood? Who ya gonna call? Call Busters!”
(12/6/10): I said, “Noah, you are wonderful!” “No!” he replied. So, I said, “but you are awesome, aren’t you?” He said, “No, I handsome.”
(12/15/10): We were at my parents’ house admiring all their Christmas decorations. We talked about the stockings and how Great Grandma B had made them. We told Noah how much Grandma B would have enjoyed him. I mentioned that Grandma B had pretty, white hair. Without missing a beat Noah replied “Just like Bamma does!”
(12/17/10): We were up at the lakehouse for the extended family holiday get together. It was about 8pm and Noah was so wired as everyone arrived. Jeaneen pulled into the driveway and Noah kept asking “where is CJ, where is CJ?” Kate walks into the house and Noah asks, “where’s your buddy CJ?” CJ finally walks in and Noah asks, “where’s your girlfriend Mere-Mere?” You mean sister, Noah. Well they are from Indiana….

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Bacon Weekend at the Lake

Well, we survived another Holiday extended family weekend at the lake! It was so much fun, every year seems to get better as the kids get older and have even more fun playing together. There was a lot to pack into 48 hours of fun with the cousins. There was some skyping with Pops and JoJo. They are recently hired employees down in Orlando at Disney, so they couldn't join us. It was hilarious as all the kids crowded around the computer and played with the web cam.
Then there was some gingerbread construction projects with Brad the engineer (ask him about some structural integrity issues and candy cane reinforcements).

Mike helped out Noah and Mere-Mere with a gingerbread train. Not sure that Noah helped much, but he was great at testing out the building materials.
There was some movie watching on the couch. The kids all loved The Grinch (original animated version) and The Muppets take Manhattan.
Then the kids all got packed up (except Addie who had a cold and Sam who is too small) to go sledding. Noah somehow convinced Uncle Josh to go with him.
Future leaders of 2035, scary thought, eh?
There was exhausted Daddy napping at his computer...
Attempting to get a picture of the 3 boys in their Christmas Jammies...

We had another cooking competition. This time it was BACON! Any and all bacon was acceptable. There were 7 adult entries and 4 kid entries. I think we calculated about 10 pounds of bacon was used, ridiculous. There was a tie for first place between Maggie and her delicious BLT cups and me with my Bacon Mac n Cheese. It was a great time! There was Wine n Wii for the adults later on Saturday night after the kiddies all went down. Look at Josh's confidence as he takes on Dad in swordplay while drinking red wine!
There was MAJOR cousin love, as usual. Maggie is officially the baby whisperer of the family. Sam was quite enamoured with her.
Then there was "Christmas Morning" on Sunday. The kids gathered by the tree for some attempted group shots. And we opened presents!
Grandma B's 7 great grandchildren, I'm sure she is proud! Or she's laughing her keester off at us having these monsters all running around together!
And there was tattooing...!? Yes, yes I brought this on myself. I purchased a child tattoo machine for Ella and Addie. So everyone got "inked." Noah picked out a spider.
And, since we don't have any at our house, Noah tried out his doll dressing skills. Overall it was a fantastic weekend that went much too fast. I'm so glad that we have this new holiday weekend tradition. Next year will be even more crazy with 3 boys running around and a certain cousin turning 21, muaahahaaaaa! Well now we're back home and gearing up for more holiday fun!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

2 year olds can shovel, right?

This past weekend the Chicago area received its first measurable snowfall of the season. Mike and I were griping about living here while Noah was practically bouncing off the walls. I have to admit, his shoveling skills have improved since last year. He can actually scoop snow, he just happens to dump it right back on the driveway...
I ventured out with both boys for a short time on Saturday while Mike was at work. It was a little challenging and I will admit that for a time Noah was shoveling in the street as I was trying to deal with getting Sam in the stroller and untangling our dumb dog from her tie out. But we all survived.
On Sunday, Mike was home so it was game on out there. He and Noah had a snowball fight. It was pretty one sided...
And Sam just tolerates it for about 20 minutes before he begins to howl.

My boys. Dear Lord, what have I signed up for here?

And how better to end a romp outside than with hot chocolate and marshmallows. Good day had by all!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Most wonderful season...

Well my favorite season is officially here! Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Christmas! I love the decorations, I love the music, I love the presents (buying and receiving), I love the food, and I love the time spent with family. Mike is very anti-holidays, but I'm slowly breaking him. We kicked off our holidays with tree trimming at my parents house. Noah only broke 2 ornaments, so that went pretty well...

There was Uncle Josh trying to teach Sam the Illini fight song. Note his non-impressed face... Then there was the first visible snowfall on Wednesday. Noah really wanted to go out, and I couldn't make him wait. So we dashed out for 5 fun minutes in the snow while Sam napped. He was so excited!Yesterday we steathily put up the tree while Mike was at work. Then we decorated it once he arrived home. I think Mike tolerated it better than expected because Noah was so thrilled about it. We finally have our own tree! Don't the boys pose so nicely...? Noah was pouting about something, per usual.Here are some better smiles! And we went to the doctor today for Sam's 4 month check up. He is 14 lbs 15 oz (up 2.5 pounds from 2 months ago) which puts him in the 50th percentile for weight. He is 24.5 inches (up 2 inches from 2 months ago) which puts him in the 25th percentile for height. And his little bean head is in the 10th percentile for circumference. Both my boys have always had bean heads, Noah can wear the same hat he wore last year! To compare the boys, since I always do, Noah was 2 lbs heavier and 2 inches taller than Sam at this age. So Sam is turning out to be our peanut. Well, in every way but in the hair...