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.

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

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!

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!

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.

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.

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!!!