What We've Been Up To

This is just  a little catch up post on what's been going on around here.  Noah and Nathan have had colds lately.  This week Noah's turned into strep throat.  Wow, was his throat yucky!  I rarely see Noah down for the count but he spent an entire day laying on the couch.  I think he only played about an hour during the whole day.  The good thing about strep is it usually responds to antibiotics very quickly.  He was good to go by the next morning.  The bad thing about strep is that it is highly contagious. Yes, my children all shared drinks the night before he got sick (along with me).  Hopefully, the rest of us won't get it.  It seems like we have been healthy this fall and winter but we have had 2 cases of strep, 2 sinus infections and 3 cases of pink eye since December.  Thank goodness it has all been minor!

The boys have been so funny lately.  One morning we were saying a little prayer on the way to school to start our day.  I prayed that Noah and Abby could stop fighting (the constant fight for control between these two).  Noah and Abby both wanted to pray about something.  I asked Nathan if he wanted to pray.  He said, "No Mommy, I'm good and I don't fight.  I don't need to pray."  Priceless!  Noah is in full super hero mode.  Every day we are a different super hero.  He loves his Batman house that he got for his birthday and he has already decided to be Bat Man for Halloween.  In his world right now everything is  very simple.  You are a good guy or a bad guy.  Noah also thinks he has taken control when we go out to eat.  We let the kids get lemonade, juice or milk to drink.  They usually choose chocolate milk.  They are allowed to have one cup and then it's water for refills.  If not, they fill up on drink and won't eat. Noah knows our answer if he asks about the refill. Today, he just waited for a waitress (of course a woman where he can turn on his charm) and stopped her and ask her to bring him some chocolate milk.  She just thought it was so cute and she was going to get it. Bobby overheard and asked for water instead. Noah cried for at least 5 minutes (pretty pitiful actually).  He just knew that he would use that charm and work around us.  I'm going to start praying now for the teenage years.

We are also still big into our Tinker toys.  We have got our money's worth out of those things 10 times over.   I am constantly amazed at what they come up with to build out of these things.  One day Noah built a metal detector and was looking for metal under all of the furniture.  He even explained to me how it would work.  Another day he built himself a pair of crutches. (With his luck this might come in handy one day!)  They built a telescope so they could see the moon and stars.  All three of them worked together to build a gingerbread house for Christmas.  Yes, we still talk about Christmas every day around here.

Abby is keeping very busy with ballet, school and church.  This weekend she participated in a cup stacking event for school and won several medals.   She was measured for her spring recital costume and started practicing for it this week in ballet.  At school they have started the Reading Counts program where they read books and take tests.  After they get 10 points they earn a baseball hat.  She got her hat this week and she was so excited.  She loves to read just like me.  The boys love to sit with her and let her read to them. One of those rare moments of quiet around here! haha!  She is just such a big girl now with all of her friends and activities.  Almost 7!  Where is my baby?

We are gearing up for the birthday season around here.  Abby's and lots of other family birthdays!  Lots of fun to come! 

Here's a few pictures of my handsome boys in their new church clothes. (This is for you Nana!)

Love Noah's look!



Daddy finally got him to smile!



Girls Day Out!

Last Saturday Abby and I escaped for the day to a little Girls Day Out with my best friend Belinda and her little girl Mary Helen.  We went out to lunch and took the girls to see Beauty and the Beast.  This has always been one of my favorites.  We all loved the movie and it was great in 3D. The girls always have such a good time together.  Belinda and I have been best friends for 29 years so its so fun to see our girls grow up together as friends. 

We finished off the day with a little puddle jumping in the parking lot.

Guess who?

I have someone ride along with me to pick up Abby last week. Do you recognize him?

Yes, it was Captain America.

Noah is loving the dress up clothes.  He likes to accessorize with Abby's Cinderella gloves.  He usually uses these with his doctor's scrubs but he's branching out lately.  

Just Dance!

If you come to our house in the evenings after dinner, here's what you might see: 







The gang doing a little Wii dance

Even Mommy and Daddy get in on the fun

Of course, Abby is our little dancing queen!

And in other news...Nathan didn't want to be outdone by his brother so now he has matching injuries.
Seriously, how do they manage to keep bruises and black eyes all the time?  Boys!!!!!!!!!

100 years from now

Tuesday was Abby's 100th day of school.  She had to dress like she would look 100 years from now.  We decided she would be a pink sweat suit wearing, mall walking little granny.  We added the glasses and a bun.  By the way, she loves the glasses and wears them every day as soon as she gets home.  Her class is also working on performing 100 acts of kindness.  I think this is the cutest idea.  It goes right along with what they are doing in Children's Choir right now.  I keep encouraging acts of kindness towards her brothers. (A mother can dream can't she?)

Goodbye 2011!

It's officially the new year in our house.  All of the Christmas has been taken down and put away.  The kids almost starting crying yesterday when I said I was taking it down.  I wanted to get my house back in order but I swear I could look at Christmas decorations all year.  We have had a great Christmas break because we have done absolutely NOTHING!  The last few weeks before Christmas were so hectic that this is exactly what we wanted.  We have slept in each morning.  We have watched tv and laid on the couch. Most days the kids and I haven't even ventured out of pajamas.  It was exactly what we needed.  Bobby didn't have to work for the first time on vacation in several years.  We did manage to knock out a few projects.  Bobby installed a set of shelves in the den.  We spent one day sorting out toys.  Our kids willingly chose several toys to donate to Goodwill to make room for their new things.  We made homes for all of the new toys.  So, we did accomplish a few things.

2011 was a year for changes for our family.  We potty trained the boys and put them in big beds.  We packed up the baby beds for the final time.  We officially left the baby days behind us.  There were some hard times in those days but I have to say I miss it at times.  The boys are in school 3 days a week so for the first time in 6 years I have a few hours to myself each week.  Those 9 hours a week are packed with groceries, errands, housecleaning and volunteering at school.  It is amazing how much more you can get done without 2 active, curious 4 years olds.  Abby is a first grader and reading everything in sight.  She is such a big girl now.  Bobby has started back to school this year to get an Accounting degree. It is a lot of work but he is hanging in there.  There have also been a lot of changes for him at work this year.  I'm still at home but I know that will change in a few years.  I'm trying to learn my way back around a classroom by volunteering but things have really changed in the schools.  We have become more involved in our church this year. The kids all attend choir every Wednesday night and performed in the Christmas musicals.  Bobby and I hosted the Sunday school Christmas party for the first time which was a lot of fun.

I'm looking forward to a great 2012.  Of course one of our resolutions is to get healthy.  We want to eat healthier and work out.  My other resolution is just to spend more quality time with our family doing nothing but enjoying each other's company.  Time flies and we have to enjoy every minute of it.  We will blink and we'll have college students! 

Happy 2012!!!