CHRISTMAS!!!

ah, Christmas morning finally arrived. When we woke up at Mema and Tony's Santa had come! And Joshua heard him! well, actually, he just heard the reindeer...
At any rate it was very exciting to see all that he had stuffed in our stockings and THEN to open up presents from the Johnson's. Michael was very patient and did not open up the X-Wing fighter lego set from Mema and Tony (at Chris' wise instruction) until we got home.
As we pulled up to 6609 Wells Parkway at noon-ish Michael asked "I have been very patient, haven't I mom?" After I agreed that he had he ran in the house, announced that Santa had been to our house TOO and then threw up scrambled eggs and bacon outside the bathroom door. He took about 5 minutes to recover on the couch and was ready for more Christams when Grandma and Rich arrived (hooray!) from Long Island. Their visit with us was very nice, as usual, but way too short. And in the car ride to the airport on their way to Florida Grandma got Michael to commit to moving to LI!

Peeking at their stockings

Surfer lego from Santa

Star Wars Legos from Mema and Tony

Checking out the X-Wing Fighter

Staring at the X-Wing Fighter

A DRUM SET from Mema and Tony!!

Everyone is busy

The ONE present from Mom and Dad (hint, hint, anyone who actually reads this).

Chris assembling toys

Nice job Chris!

Christmas Eve

Before we left for Me-ma and Pe-pa Tony's we opened some gifts at home Christmas Eve. Michael and Joshua gave each other the presents they had picked out for each other--Michael gave Joshua an Indiana Jones lego set and Joshua gave Michael a Star Wars fighter plane. We didn't have anything much for Matthew so he opened a present from Aunt Val and Uncle Mike---Thank You Mike and Val! You saved the day.

Spinner from Mike and Val.

Joshua and Kate making Christmas cookies.

Matthew talking on the phone, again!

Too hot in the hot tub

Tried out the Dutchtub in WV...it was a HUGE hit.

Too hot in the hot tub

Right back at ya

The other day we were putting the boys in the car to run errands and Joshua put himself in Michael's booster, and then didn't move over when asked, and then kinda kicked Michael when Micheal tried to scoot past him. We took Joshua out of the car to correct the situation and he started to throw a bit of a fit (which has been happening with some frequency lately). All of a sudden he screamed "I AM NOT HAPPY!!!!!" Sarah started to tell him that we weren't very happy either with the way he was acting, and he screamed "I AM NOT HAPPY WITH YOU!" We were both biting our lips trying very hard not to laugh...

Recurring Feature...

...where we highlight what the boys are up to at the moment. Not sure what we'll call it yet.

Here goes:

• Matthew is sleeping on his own: put him in his crib and he pretty much goes to sleep, naps, straight through the night, the whole thing. Really just a treat;
• Joshua and Michael are asking a LOT of questions about Jesus. That's what xmas songs with Da - Li - Lahhhhh every waking moment (and while for asleep) everyday since Thanksgiving will do to a child;
• Michael is loving school and is pretty excited about learning the basics of reading. Sometimes while he's falling asleep we hear him sounding out words: ta...rrrrrr...trrrrrrr...AYYYYY...tuuurrrrAYYYY...nnnnn...tuhhhrrrAYYYYnnnn...TRAIN!
• The two bigger boys both have jackets with double liners and Joshua's has two zippers. He insists that both zippers be zipped to go outside, but then takes it right off when he gets in the car so he can buckle into his car seat;
• They play with Legos every second they can;
• Joshua has been having trouble hearing lately...
  

What they want for xmas

Michael wanted to make a "change" to his xmas list yesterday - three days before the big day - to add the gift he got for Joshua (a small Indiana Jones lego set) to HIS list. "Only bigger." Just to make it perfectly clear for us how his gift-picking logic works...

Too Late for the Card

We were able to get some nice pictures of the boys one afternoon...unfortunately too late for them to be options for our Christmas card (I had just finished ordering 70 or 80 other pictures!). But still so fun for Chris and I to look at. Maybe next year I'll start earlier...(maybe!)

When Gymnastics Practice Becomes a Game of Tag

Chris shot this clip of the boys sometime recently...I'm not sure where I was during the filming. My work shoes and bag are in the background so I'd like to think it's a Monday night and that I had already gone to bed because I was so tired from a weekend of work.

Most mornings after working I don't get far inside the door before I have to shed all that I am holding and pick up one or more small children. And usually that bag and those ucky shoes (I just got new non white ones--thanks mom!) don't get put away until Tuesday and have been known to stay there a good part of the week. (yikes!) So that's where I'm going to say I was---sound asleep after saving lives, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Chris thinks I was out gallivanting. Could be. I do have an extensive social life.

Anyhow, I was hesitant to post this what with the shocking (to some) clutter in the background but...what can I say? This is our life---cluttered and filled with happy (most of the time) giggly boys. Enjoy.

The Fall

Fall has arrived bringing with it some beautiful colors, cooler weather and new additional yard work. Luckily, as usual,the boys have been very helpful. First they help us rake the leaves into big piles and then help us spread them all over the yard again by jumping in them.

Michael and Joshua hard at work.

Matthew has learned how to smile for the camera!

Capitol DC Boys

We went to tour the new visitor's center at the Capitol building. Afterward Kate took this picture on her phone...

Uncle Brian!!!

Brian came for a visit today to check up on his nephews. As always we all were very excited to see him come and sad to see him go...

Halloween

Halloween was a big day for us. Michael was off from school (teacher workday), Joshua had a Halloween party and parade at his nursery school, we had Michael's birthday party, and then of course there was trick-or-treating. Here's a peek at our day:

Joshua and Tabitha (Snow White)

Miss Terri's class parade

Decorating pumpkins at Michael's Birthday Party

Ezra and his creation

Michael and his.

After the party was over Chris and I collapsed (we were both sick with a lovely bug the boys had traded throughout the week) and sent the boys to nap. With the threat of not being allowed to trick-or-treat the house was soon quiet. After we all woke up Michael decided he wanted to be Speed Racer for Halloween, rather than any of the superheros or various animals we have in our costume box (a mere 2 hours till trick-or-treat time). After some discussion I convinced Michael that no, I could not make a Speed Racer costume "real quick" but I did think we could put together a Luke Skywalker costume with the help of the hour old lightsaber from Ezra. The following is the best that we could do (apparently we don't own any cloaks...). Luckily, while he may look back on these pictures and groan, he had no qualms Halloween night about trapsing around in an inside out bathrobe... Having a lightsaber on your belt gives one a certain confidence.

Michael Turns SIX

Michael's turned SIX on October 29th and Me-ma, Pe-pa Tony and Kate came over to help celebrate. After Michael and Chris were done soccer practice we had dinner, birthday cupcakes courtesy of Kate--(Thank you!!) and then Michael opened his presents.

Making a wish...(Joshua gets a candle too.)

The remnants of a baby cupcake.

In one quick moment Michael became a Redskins fan for life. (Poor boy, little does he know the heartache he's in for!)

LEGOS!  Never was there a happier boy...

When Michael opened his present from Chris and I he said "I didn't think I was old enough for a skateboard!" It was quickly tested out by all...

Joshua's turn

Matthew's turn

Joshua and the Headphones

We came home from a visit at my mom's with some old tapes from when my siblings and I were little and Joshua was enthralled with them. He listened to them all afternoon and then in bed before he fell asleep that night.

Monday Afternoon Mom

On Mondays I am not usually a very good or effective parent. After staying up Saturday and Sunday nights I am tired and lack much patience. Luckily Chris has a flexible schedule and, at least this semester, is around on Mondays to be the lead parent.

A lot of Mondays after I wake up and Michael gets home from school we try to get out of the house and go DO SOMETHING. Today we took the boys to Wheaton Regional Park which has tons of room to run, playgrounds to climb and play on and, in the summer, they have a small train you can take rides on (does it get any better?!?).