Merry Christmas 2012!

 Merry Christmas to you all!  I'm a day late with this post, but we've been holidaying non-stop since about last Thursday, whew!  We had a wonderful holiday which I'll post about soon.  But for now, please enjoy our list of quotable quotes from 2012!

January 2012 – Our family received an iPod touch for Christmas from my parents.  Noah is a pro and navigates on his own.  I downloaded an app to practice dialing your home phone number and 911.  The app includes a voice that talks to you after you dial.  So for 911, the voice asks, “what your address?”  Noah’s response, “I’m wearing my jammies right now.”  Guess we need to discuss what an address is versus our dress.

March 2012 – Michelle (our friend who watches the boys) is expecting, so we’ve had many conversations about babies and families, etc.  Noah asked, “are we going to have more babies in our family?”  Not wanting to get into a lengthy conversation about family planning, I said “maybe… someday… we’ll see.”  Noah’s response, “yeah, maybe like Friday or Saturday.”

May 2012 – Our rule in the car is if we are on the highway we cannot open the windows because it gets too windy in the car.  On a recent drive to the lakehouse, Noah asked me “are we on the highway?”  I replied, “yes, so please leave the windows closed.”  Noah thought for a moment and then said, “when will we be on the lowway?”

May 2012 – We took a trip to the bookstore to buy a few gifts and look around.  Noah asked, “are we going to the farmer’s market?”  Confused, I said “no, the bookstore” and quickly Noah responded, “but mom you said we were going to Barnes and Noble, and barns are usually on the farm!”

June 2012 – Each night I do prayers with the boys.  I go first, giving the basic scaffold of “Dear God, please bless ____, reason for blessing, amen.”  For months Sammy has been saying “Dear God, please bless Bampa (grandpa), Amen.”  Tonight he had his first spontaneous prayer that went “Dear God, please bless Bampa and….. Wolverine, Amen!”

July 2012 – We were staying at the lakehouse with several relatives, and Noah and I ended up in a different bedroom than usual.  Noah went to sleep with no complaint, in the bed with a nightlight nearby (as is standard).  A few minutes later I heard a loud scream, thinking it was a nightmare or injury I ran upstairs.  When I arrived in the room, Noah sobbed “The outlets…. the outlets in this room are all wrong! If the nightlight is in that one it’s too close to my face and too shiny, if it’s in that one it’s too far away and too dark in here!  We have to change the outlets!”  Eventually I was able to calm him down without having to get Uncle Dave to do some impromptu electrical work at 8:30pm.

August 2012 – Noah is a keen observer and often tries (with mixed results) to compliment everyone.  Today his comment was, “Mommy, you know you have a really soft booty.  Daddy has a hard booty, and I have a hard booty, and Sam has a really hard booty.  But you, you have a nice soft one!”  Thanks, I think.

September 2012 – On a weekend at the lakehouse, we enjoyed spending time with Kim and Joe Skaggs (family friends).  They are great with the boys and even did early pumpkin carving, etc.  Kim took the boys out in the driveway and played with them, then brought them back inside before she and Joe had to leave to drive back home.  After they left, I noticed Sam had something in his pocket.  I asked him to hand it to me and discovered it was Kim’s credit card.  We still have no idea how he ended up with it, but his life as a petty thief has begun.

October 2012 – Philie scored some tickets from her family (2 of whom work at Wrigley) for the last home Cubs game.  Noah and I joined Philie and Fred for a special afternoon game.  It was a wonderful time filled with pictures on the field, nachos, a trip to the PNC box, and lots of free goodies.  One item was a baseball autographed by the starting pitcher.  I excitedly handed it to Noah and he looked quizzically at the ball and then me and said, “Mom, why did he put HIS name on there?  My name is spelled N-O-A-H.”

October 2012 – Noah and I often enjoy watching the show, “Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives” and tonight we watched an episode that featured asian food.  Noah watched intently and then turned to ask, “why do those guys eat with pork chops (meaning chop sticks)?”

November 2012 – We talked a lot about the election this year and what the president’s role is.  Noah declared, “I want to be president!”  I was pretty proud imagining my smart boy as leader of our nation when he followed up with “so I can wear a tie!”  I’m sure that’s why most seek the office, for fashion.

November 2012 – We tried hard to educate the boys about who the candidates were, trying to offer a bipartisan perspective.  We felt pretty proud of ourselves when Sam could identify both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney on the TV.  One morning, the boys were watching their favorite cartoon “Superhero Squad” and Mike was quizzing Sam on who all the characters were.  He correctly pointed out Cyclops and Dr. Doom.  When it came to Magneto (one of the featured villains) Sam proudly said “Mitt Romney!”  Perhaps we have some early leanings towards the Democratic Party? 

Wishing you and yours the most wonderful 2013.  We excitedly look forward to a new baby in March, Noah turning 5 and starting Kindergarten in the Fall, Sam turning 3 this summer and enjoying the continued craziness that is our lives!  We are so thankful for healthy, smart boys and a wonderful group of family and friends (including you!)  Love to all!

The Rodriguez Family