Sunday, December 30, 2007

Happy 4th Birthday!!!



Ethan turned 4 today. How much he has grown. It excites me and saddens me all at the same time. His understanding, vocabulary, knowledge, sense of adventure and curiosity has deepend so much this past year, more than i even know.

Ethan is a tender leader with a shepherding heart. I have just realized this in the past few months...the last part at least. The tender part is hard enough for me, not one of my first qualities that jump out at you, but shepherding!!! At least Ethan and I have a wonderful example in D-dad (my Dad). I have begun praying these qualities over him as he sleeps. Thank you Father we can come to you at anytime.

"Cowboys" was the theme for Ethan's party. "Andie" (Alison, Paul's sis) brought over Captain Crunchie the pony. So out in front yard we set up haybales and had pony rides. It was the BEST ever. All that worrying over extra activities...once the pony showed up that was the show! FUN! Thankfully, the weather was beautiful, since we had it on his actual birthday, December 30th. We took pictures of everyone on the pony, ran around, and stuffed our mouths with yummy cupcakes.



HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET ETHAN!!!

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Christmas Sayings...

Ethan
Favorite songs:
Jingle Bells
Away in a Manger
O Christmas Tree
Frosty the Snowman

Sayings and thoughts:
Sings "Simple addy (having) a wonderful Christmas time"
Let's go look at lights
Prays every night for Santa to bring him "Gordon"
Turns all the Christmas lights on every morning
Plays with the nativity while singing carols

Graham
Songs:
Well he really didn't actually sing the words, but loved dancing to them

Sayings and thoughts:
Dights
Ooki (cookie)
Ahdi (candy)
Loves the trees

This year was so awesome to watch the boys get excited about everything that encompasses Christmas. We went and looked at lights at least once a week. Graham even loved this. We have done well in passing our excitement down to our boys.

Merry Christmas


Christmas was so much fun this year. Both boys got excited about everything from the lights, nativity, to the sweets...naturally. Christmas morning was especially fantastic. Ethan had been praying every night that Santa would bring him "Gordon" and more train tracks. Can you imagine his excitement that morning when he walked in and there was a huge train track with THREE new trains running on it? He did not leave that track until about 1pm, not to eat, not for anything. As we opened the pile of gifts, it was fun to see his joy in each thing, the clothes...not so much. Graham, well he had a blast, but did not really care about all the gifts. He ate and ate, and played with keys and the cabinets on Grandma's side table. Oh, he opened a few gifts, but very quickly went back to the other.


We left Grandma and Grandpa's house and headed back to Dallas to celebrate the rest of day with our annual tradition of eating at Benihana's on Christmas night. Our chef was fun, the boys were fascinated with him. AND we have never seen either boy eat so much at meal. Maybe I need a hibachi grill!



It was a wonderful day and holiday season. Graham loved all the lights and trees everywhere, and Ethan understood more about Christmas this year from our Savior's birth to Santa Claus. I can not wait until next year.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Baby Back Ribs

I cooked ribs tonight. (If I may boast, they were delicious!) Ethan ate TWO! As you might know, getting Ethan to eat meats is, at times, quite a challenge. I do not demand that he like it, but at least try it! Naturally we were quite impressed that he ate two, and even managed to finish his rice and green beans! GO ETHAN!


I should have known he liked them. Here is a picture of him at 10 1/2 months chowing one!


Ethan at 4 Ethan at 10 1/2 months

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Playground



Today we went to the school playground down the street from us. Ethan rode his big boy bike, and Graham got a full service ride! We all really needed some time together out playing. The boys were adorable in their Santa hats, and enjoyed running around acting silly. Which brings me to my sweet husband...I love that he is still a boy himself at heart. I am sure this is what his Mom witnessed when he was a child, as you will see in the video clip. Ethan and Graham love when he is crazy and silly...I do too!


Thursday, November 29, 2007

Christmas Decorating

The boys decorating their tree.

Every year the decorating gets more and more fun. The boys were nearly beside themselves when we were putting the trees up; one for the family and one for the boys...shatterproof ornaments and such! Ethan notices every new thing that I put up, I love it.


The other night I came into the study/playroom to check my email and this is what I saw...


How adorable! He put the stuffed animals out to watch the tree. My kind tenderhearted son!

Friday, November 23, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!!!


Well I cooked, basted and baked my way through my first Thanksgiving meal to do all on my own. Quite frankly, it was delicious. At least I thought so. You know how in your mind you can get all caught up in your own cozy thoughts and ideas of how Thanksgiving should be; I certainly did. Somehow amidst those thoughts I forgot I had 2 toddlers! I was so irritated by the time I was ready to put the food on the table, that Paul took me aside and told me to lighten up. I tried. So we sit down to eat, neither son is interested in eating and Ethan is just making mush pot out of his plate! ERG!!! Lunch finally ended, and off to the park we went to run around and take a few pics - and a pit stop on the way to Starbucks. It was so COLD!

At dinner, of course we had left overs; I think the food went over much better that time - the boys were actually hungry! That made me feel a better. After dinner Paul suggested we all draw pictures together. We broke out the crafts and drew Christmas trees, which will proudly be hung this Christmas. That was the best part of the day together. I love my husband and my boys.



side note: if you took my christmas tree drawing and held it up to one i did in 4th grade...it would look EXACTLY the same.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Gobble Gobble Gobble

Tonight Ethan and I decorated turkey cookies. He has been excited all day about this, Graham was just in it for the candy corns. (I kid you not he pitched a screaming fit at the store when I would not open them.) Anyway, we got everything out and Ethan was already to just start eating the icing; so I let him lick a beater. You can see the transformation of the turkeys, in the middle is the "Oh no, please don't eat me turkey." We say, "Gobble Gobble Gobble, we will eat you up!" Graham has this thing, when eating sweets, he really likes to dig in face first and then somewhere along the way start eating like a human again. Cracks me up.

It was a fun memory and tradition we started for Thanksgiving.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Biscuit

Graham is always fussing and hovering me while I am trying to cook dinner. I get it, he's hungry. But for real, give me 2 seconds to cook it. Tonight, I gave him a few animal crackers. Naturally, that was not enough and he was standing at the part of the counter where the jar is saying "Mama Mama Mama!" I give him a few more, he chows them down. Back to the fussing. I am getting everything out, plates, drinks, etc. I decide to throw away the biscuits left over from breakfast that were still on the stove top, since they were in my way. Next thing I know, there is Graham with a biscuit in his hand and a huge bit in his mouth. Straight from the trash can, he is NOT picky about where it comes from. And since I have been typing this, he has gone back and got the other one. NICE! Oh well, at least they were on top!!!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Waiter

Graham has always loved the play kitchen, everything about it. I have to be careful not let him leave sippy cups in the fridge - it has happened and it is nasty! Last night he was so adorably working in the kitchen and then setting the table over and over again. At one point Paul and Ethan were the dining patrons, they got bored and decided to play cars.

Now that Graham has a grocery cart and hopefully the play food he will get for Christmas (wink wink Meema), we can work on the shopping part of it!

Strong Arm of the Law


Ethan wears his cowboy boots every single day without fail; unless I force him into other shoes. Really, I think it is adorable. Yesterday we were going to run errands and he insisted on wearing his holster/belt/guns! He looked so cute in his boots and shirt...why not let him and add the hat. The only rule was he was not allowed to shoot them in the store, and he obeyed (VICTORY!).


As we were putting Ethan's garb on, Graham decided he needed to do the same. Well he came out with a belt that Paul helped him partially loop in his pants. He proudly wore it the whole day as well. They were so cute. I love those cowboys.

Saturday, November 3, 2007

Placebo

Tonight Ethan kept crying that his mouth hurt. We finally narrowed it down to one of those sore bumps on your tongue. He could not fall asleep, and told us that he needed some medicine. Paul said, "Ok", and proceeded to get him some. My thoughts, what in the world would Paul be giving him for a sore bump on his tongue! He comes back into Ethan's bedroom with a medicine dropper full of blue medicine - Ethan's favorite color. Gives it to him and Ethan falls peacefully to sleep.

I asked Paul what he put in the dropper. His reply, "Pixie stix mixed with water!" (sly grin) I must hand it to the man: inventive, yummy, and got Ethan to sleep without another peep!

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Happy Halloween



COWBOYS!!! My cowboys are the bravest and most handsome. We went to Trick or Treat at our friends in the neighborhood, then went to church for the Fall Festival. Pony rides, bounce houses, petting zoo, games, candy, cupcakes, big slides, candy, candy, candy. We were all exhausted when we got home. But a fun evening overall.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Tagged

MAN TAG:
1. Who is your man? Paul
2. How long have you been married? 7 years
3. How long dated? Met in Dec. '98, started dating Apr '99, engaged March 2000
4. How old is your man? 36
5. Who eats more? Paul, unless it's cookies
6. Who said "I love you" first? Me.
7. Who is taller? Paul. He's 6'2" ft, I'm 5'5"
8. Who sings better? Me
9. Who is smarter? Paul
10. Whose temper is worse? mine
11. Who does the laundry? Me, I don't like Paul doing it.
12. Who takes out the garbage? I put it at the back door, Paul takes it from there.
13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Paul
14. Who pays the bills? What a funny question...Paul
15. Who is better with the computer? How many of you know us? Paul, naturally.
16. Who mows the lawn? Paul
17. Who cooks dinner? ME. Paul used to cook on special occasions...what happened here!
18. Who drives when you are together? Paul. I am very good abt telling him is going the wrong way and to park "here" or "there."
19. Who pays when you go out? Usually me, I control the weekly enevelopes.
20. Who is most stubborn? Both of us in different ways.
21. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? pretty even on that one.
22. Whose parents do you see the most? Almost equal amounts of each.
23. Who kissed who first? Paul, while we were watching Ever After. How sweet!
24. Who asked who out? Paul. We went to Terilli's and played putt putt. I schooled him!
25. Who proposed? Paul. We were on a carriage ride downtown.
26. Who is more sensitive? We are both sensitive in different ways.
27. Who has more friends? Me.
28. Who has more siblings? Me, one older/one younger brother. Paul, one sister
29. Who wears the pants in the family? Such a great question. Paul, but they are mine. (I'll make this short as possible) Seriously, one day many years ago Paul came home from work and I was hanging his pants up for him...they were MINE! Never in our entire history have I been thinner or taller than him. You would have thought he'd notice. He wanted me to promise never to tell anyone...6 years and hundreds of people later...I would not promise. It is just too funny. For real, Paul wears the "pants."

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

All Dressed Up

After naptime I was trying some dress shoes on Graham that we received from a friend. I put one on him and decided it fit. I took it off and put it back in the bag. He was not real pleased with this action. He got off my lap and picked up both shoes, got back on my lap so I could put them both on him. Aside from his obsession with keys and phones, shoes fall into 3rd place; I just forget he likes them. Graham spent the afternoon all dressed up with no place to go...

Feeding Franken

So tonight Ethan and Paul caught 2 crickets on the patio to feed to Franken. (Ethan and Meema named the spider Frankenstein, and Franken is what came from Ethan) So, I am holding Graham, Ethan is almost on top of the counter, and Paul is trying to put to fists of crickets in the box. NATURALLY, one would escape and land right on the front of me. I squealed, and started flipping my arm everywhere to make sure it was not on me or Graham - you know, since crickets are dangerous! All the boys just laughed at me. Such the life of being the Mom. Finally, we got them in there plus a big fat grasshopper. As much good food as Franken has been getting, we are either going to have to get a bigger home for him, or free him back to the "wild."

Pets

As most of you know, we like animals, we just do not want any of our own. Funny then that we have 2 hermit crabs, Captain Jack and Lady; and now Franken, the spider. Gross I know, a spider.

Last week Paul a huge spider in our bathtub. He kept it to show Ethan, he thought it was sooo cool. Even Graham gets way excited to watch him. A week later, he is still alive and we have been feeding him bugs. Oh that is even nastier to see him eat them. Is my home going to become a home of odd pets? My friend, Bernie, called them decoration that you have to feed. At least they are enclosed and one less thing I have to clean up after!!!

Bluebell Ice Cream Sandwiches



Why is it so funny to watch kids eat ice cream? Because they make a mess of trying to lick every last drip of goodness. Graham demonstrated this very well. He looked like "Randy" from "The Christmas Story, and was even snorting like him. Ethan's new favorite smile is opening his mouth as wide as he can - which made it all the more fun when he had food in it!

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Armor of God

In my mom's bible study we have been talking about having quiet times with our kids each morning. I decided since I have 2 boys, the Armor of God would be good. It is so neat to see how Ethan has gotten into and learning to memorize the verses. He even has his own armor now. Naturally, it has to be very short. Even more frustrating are the mornings, where it is just not going to be a good quiet time no matter what you do. ERG! They don't happen that often, but this morning was one of them. Ethan clearly had not burned off even a little energy to sit and listen or answer. He was giving me those quick quippy answers; drives me NUTS! We did finish, I am just grateful he wants to learn about the Bible. AND he ended with a sweet prayer..."Dear Jesus, I pray for my Daddy, and my best friend D-dad." Oh my precious boy!!!

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Say Cheese


One evening when the boys and I were at Grand Lake, I was having some mommy time with Ethan. We were sitting reading books and watching TV. I grabbed the camera and took some shots of us - I LOVE THEM! Ethan and I love smiling for the camera. He especially loves his new wide open mouth smile!

Every Little Boy...



It seems every little boy loves being a cowboy. I remember when my li'l brother, Nathan, wore his cowboy boots everywhere with everything (and his Superman cape!) Ethan definitely loves talking about cowboys and wanting to be one and having all the proper clothes of one.

Today he was helping Paul in the lawn in true cowboy style. My sweet "son #1."

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Spaghetti

Finally Graham decides he likes spaghetti. What kid does not like spaghetti? (Ok, my little brother - it baffled me growing up that he did not like it, weird!)

It is fun watching them eat spaghetti when they are young. It inevitably gets everywhere! These pictures are too cute, how can I not post them!

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Seven

HAPPY 7th ANNIVERSARY!!!

Paul and I celebrate our anniversary today! Time has flown in 7 years. Lots of wonderful memories and adventures to cherish. Most of all we have 2 beautiful boys. Andie and Roo (aunt and uncle), kept the boys over night for us last night. How nice to eat dinner in our dining room with good music, candle light without toys or boys running around us! Best of all, we went out for a big breakfast this morning and truly enjoyed it. Thank you and Andie and Roo!

I love you Paul more and more every day. Thank you for being a fantastic husband who cares for me, and puts yourself aside for me. You are truly an amazing man.

I snapped a quick picture of us last night...I think we look even better after 7 years.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Keep it Together

Ethan has been difficult the past 2 weeks. Not in the "I'm such a horrible wretch I am going to ruin your life sense",although, it feels like it. More of "I'm going to see just how far I can backtalk and be disrespectful" sense. It started before vacation, vacation did not help, and now adjusting to being back home...CALGON TAKE ME AWAY! Obviously my current tactics are not working, I think it is time for Paul and I to regroup, and take new action. So Monday during quiet time (no more naps, story for another day), I was having my usual trouble with keeping him "quiet." He comes out of his room for the 3rd time, about an hour into, and told me to look at him.


ARE YOU SERIOUS? What is it with boys and putting on every single pair of underwear they own, twelve to be exact. No lie. If you remember, this happened before. Reference: "Layers" in May archive.

So the last time in between the last few layers were his madi gras beads. This time...a squishy lizard.


I am telling you all this, because I am wondering how I am supposed to keep it together with my stone cold face when he comes out of his room like that. Well, I managed AND took the pictures. Oh alot of good that did I'm sure, but you have to capture that - it's too funny.

Thursday, August 16, 2007