December Kid-Isms

NOLAN:

• After time out one day, Nolan told me "While I was in timeout an angel was holding my arm."
• He told me one afternoon, in regards to something he was eating, "I'm not a forn." I said, "Do you mean, you're not a fan?" And he said, "Yeah, thats what I meant, I'm not a fan."
• Nolan has begun to talk with his hands ALOT. He uses hand gestures for every story and they are pretty dramatic.
• Nolan asked why superman does not wear pants.
• Two nights before Christmas Nolan got very upset at bedtime and cried and cried, convinced Santa wasn't coming because he was sure he was on the naughty list. He kept asking why God only made God perfect, and why he couldn't be perfect so he could be on the nice list. That led us down a road of explaining that trying your best does put you on the nice list and is what God wants us to do.
• This week Nolan told me, "Mom, I love Daniel better than Joseph. He's my favorite." (I feel I should add that we talked further about this, but I am curious over the years how many times his favorite brother will change)!

JOSEPH & DANIEL:

• When the boys take a bath, Joseph grabs the shampoo and pretend pours it on D's head, then proceeds to "wash" it.
• Daniel is a WILD child in the tub, splashing his brothers crazily, laughing and getting away with it becasue quite frankly, they love it!
• Joseph can be absolutely the meanest child I've ever seen to Daniel. It shocks me how violent he can be and the fact that its just instinct. If he wants to sit in a chair D is sitting in, I've seen him pull Danny by the neck, ear and head (different occassions) off the chair. If he wants a toy that D has, I've watched him slap D across the face!! He sits in time out at least 5 times a day, and that helps, but its also funny to me that by 18 months he knows exactly what time out is, to stay sitting and that afterwards he gets a hug.
• On the flip side, so you don't think J-bear is a monster, he babies Daniel daily, as if instead of his twin, D is the baby brother. He follows him with food and tries to feed him, brings him his sippy cup, will chase him down the hallway to give him his favorite toy, pats him on the head, kisses him, helps him climb furniture.
• Joseph can open the fridge and so now he goes in and gets his sippy of milk and puts it back when he's done. Kind of frustrating, kind of cute...
• J&D love to play in their cribs and talk at night, naps and mornings. Every night they ask to go in each other's cribs and on the rare occassion I let them, they laugh and play and bounce...and then both bawl when I seperate them.
• They put their legs through the crib slats facing each other and "chat"
• If J runs out of water/milk and I have to refill his cup, I have to pretend to refill D's because he feels jipped, even if his isn't gone.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was full of magic, family and good times at our house. We actuallys started the day at a friends house with brunch, which was a great idea. Wish I would have taken pics!!! We opted for the first Christmas eve service at our church (late afternoon), and for many reasons, I'm glad we did, it worked out perfectly. Nolan wanted to come with us, so he sat between us and was amazing. And the service was so beautiful, it brought tears to my eyes!! This pic is at church...they are almost cooperating! While we finished getting dinner ready Nolan decorated his cookies for Santa. J & D enjoyed "helping" by eating as much icing as they could get their hands on. Brian getting the dinner cut upand ready to serve. We normally do something super easy for Christmas eve so we can focus on family and relaxing, but we won a turkey from base housing. We went with some non-tradional turkey side items to make it easier and it was delicious!! The twins think its much more exciting to throw food on a table cloth than just the wooden table. We had no where to hang our stockings this year that wasn't a risk of hurting the babies (or putting some holes in the wall to actually hang them), so we waited until Christmas Eve. It actually added to the excitement! Cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. Egg nog, of course!

Brian and I actually made into bed at a decent time, too, snuggled in cozy waiting for the morning of magic. We are truly blessed beyond words and I can't decide which day I like more...Christmas morning or Christmas Eve!

Progressive Dinner

The week before Christmas our neighborhood group of friends organized a progressive dinner. Well, it was going to be a dinner, but we decided heavy appetizers and dessert would be easier and more fun. So we went to 4 houses and had 7 families participate. We also had to wear tacky Christmas sweaters. It was so much fun and such a relief from the hustle and bustle stress that comes with the holidays. The kiddos had a great time, too, getting to play at 4 different houses!

I know, we're hot. What do you like more, Brian's turtle neck or my red corduroy pants?

Tyler and Jess. She had matching shoes, it was awesome and she made Tyler's sweatshirt!

Kristy & Chris. I guess he broke a ton of lights making his vest. Brien & Erica:

Brian and our neighbor, Jeff. This is my favorite picture of the night. Sweater vests and hot drinks. So hot.

Nolan and Trenton.

Joey & Danny. They had so much fun!

The girls: The guys:

Boys love Trains!

The train set we got years ago, before we had kids, is a big hit with our boys. Nolan claims it as his own and so far each year when we put it away there are lots of tears shed. Joseph and Daniel love it, too and its so funny how boys just love love love trains! Daniel actually had a love for trains before Joseph, but J has been much more interested in this paticular train. Most days I find Nolan and Joseph playing with this, while D happily plays with the wooden trains in peace (he's glad to have a break from his brothers stealing whatever 2 wooden trains he wants to play with). Nolan is "sharing" the remote and explaining how it works to J. I love this picture. Okay, and yes, I love that belly J bear is sporting!! Nolan, his pal Trenton & Joseph: I have no pics of D playing with the train, but I have so many cute ones of him I have to throw this in there. I LOVE this expression. Piercing blue eyes and that nose crinkled up in a smile that will soon explode into laughter. Makes me the richest woman in the world!

Breakfast With Santa

The first weekend in December was Breakfast with Santa, hosted by the Hanscom spouses club and held at the club on base. The boys had a great time. I had high hopes to get a picture of the 3 boys with Santa for our Christmas card. While we were watching the line for Santa grow, we kept looking for Nolan so we could get in line. You know, as a family. Suddenly, I spotted Nolan across the room, happily opening a gift. There was only one way to get a gift. Santa. His story goes that he waited in line, for his turn, to sit on Santa's lap. I hope he wasn't that kid who jumped in front of someone. But he had no problem sitting on Santa's lap again for a picture with his brothers. His brothers, however were not so happy! Joseph was too strong for Santa, and I left Santa no choice but to hold a wiggly, ticked off Daniel so I could get my photo. The kids watching the magician. He was really funny.

J Bear running up and down a ramp in the club he's sure was designed just for him and Daniel.

J&D:

Brothers

The bond that these boys are growing is amazing and humbling. They have such a unique relationship with each other and as brothers as a whole.

Joseph "washes" D's hair everytime they take a bath.

Snuggling for some TV.

Different Kind of Sick

Last week we were out to dinner with some friends and D was not acting himself. I finally realized he was burning up. He wanted to be held and fell asleep on my shoulder, something for him that is unheard of (he is not my cuddler). By morning the fever was better. That night, high again, so the next day off to the ped we went. Fluid in his ear. Antibiotics prescribed. Not a huge deal. Or was it? Daniel was down for the count for days. Wiped out completely. He would wake up, eat breakfast, sit in front of a toy and ask to be picked up, rocked and put to sleep. Even Nolan said, "Mom, he's just staring off, what's the matter with him?" I know even a healthy child or adult who gets sick, often just need sleep. I've seen Nolan and Joseph like this...but it usually lasts for a day or so. This lasted for 3 or 4 days. And for me, it was a reality check. There is a reason the cardiologist gave us a timeline and that the surgery is scheduled for January. There's a reason. His heart is working hard, perhaps overtime and being sick just was too much for him. It broke my heart. It made me feel helpless. Panicked. The cloud came and settled over my own heart. But I'm grateful that he's better. I'm grateful he likes to watch TV, so as you can see in the pictures below was content resting on the couch. I'm grateful that Nolan would join him often, being gentle, putting an arm around him or holding his hand. I'm grateful for the miracle that I have a little boy with a special heart that I get to take care of when he is sick. I get to be his mommy and I'm grateful for that, grateful for each day. Because there were so many days when I was pregnant, when I was unsure if I would ever get to hold him or know him. Now we just need to pray that he stays healthy! Here's a couple pics of our cutie pie, all cozy.

Christopher Pop-In-Kins

December 1st a package came addressed to Nolan, Joseph & Daniel. The return address? The North Pole! In the package was a box, with a book and a cute little red headed elf. We read the book at bedtime. Apparently our elf was sent by Santa to watch over our boys and check back with Santa to let him know if they are naughty or nice. Nolan liked the name Christopher and his nickname is Chris. If you touch the elf, he loses his magic and every night he finds a new place in the house to sit and in the morning the hunt is on for us to find him. Nolan adores Christopher and has honest to goodness conversations with him. Conversations that he tells me I can't hear. Chris is bringing LOTS of joy and laughter to our home.

Reading the book the first night Christopher arrived. We put Christopher up on Nolan's bookshelf, still in the box when we went to bed. In the morning, Nolan came running into our room shouting, "CHRISTOPHER'S OUT OF HIS BOX!!!!" That cute elf had climbed into our tree and hung our first ornament. We're guessing it was a Santa ornament because he misses him and the North Pole. Friday night Christopher got a little crazy. We said he was naughty, but Nolan assures he is NOT naughty, just very silly. Look what he did!

Veterans Day Race

On Veteran's Day we bundled up the boys and ourselves and walked in a 5 K. All the proceeds go to military families with deployed spouses. Nolan and his buddy, Evan, ran for about half of it. I mean, truly RAN! It was impressive. Some of our friends ran the 5 and 10K and Kristy even placed 3rd overall for 10K. It was a really fun morning, which we finished with a big breakfast at a diner nearby.

The kids before the race.

The ladies before the race. It was really cold until we got moving. Cheryl, Kristy, Jess, Dawn, Mairead, & me:

Nolan & Bri crossing the finish line. Nolan was convinced he "won." We told him he was definitely a winner!!!