The Christmas Season

We survived. Although it was busy, chaotic and at times a little insane, we made it through. Here are some of the highlights.

A few days before Christmas, we decided to take in the lights. We made it all the way to Deerfield and sat in traffic to see what was supposed to be an amazing light display. Unfortunately, one street in, we hear Max say, “I have to poo-poo.” That was the end of the light show.

On Christmas Eve, we got the kids all dressed up and took them to the Christmas Eve service. They were very excited, but 10 minutes into the program, they both fell asleep. Normally, I wouldn’t mind, but I had hoped to get them to bed early so Santa could come.

Speaking of Santa, Luke was so excited, he couldn’t sleep in his bed. He literally slept in the doorway so he wouldn’t miss anything. Very cute.


Santa finally came. I don't know who had more fun. Luke and Max are at the perfect age and we loved watching them take it all in.



We had a great morning. My family came over early for breakfast and to watch them play.


Later we ate dinner at my Mom’s house and Max spilled water on his pants. Thank goodness it was warm, because even on Christmas Day, Max found a way to run around without clothes on.


To top it off, we finished our Christmas with a trip to the emergency room. On Friday, Luke and Max were playing swordfight and somehow, Max picked up a non-sanctioned and approved “sword.” Three hours later Merk and Luke are sitting in Acute Care. Thank goodness for Dermabond.

All in all, we had a great Christmas. We hope you did too.

Taking A Breath

For me, this is the best part of Christmas. I know, Christmas Day is still three days away, but for me, this is it.

It’s the quiet, the calm before the storm that I enjoy so much. Everything major is done. Presents have been bought, wrapped and are sitting under our tree. Cookies have been baked and baked and baked. The house is clean. Cards have been sent and received.

All the hard work is over and I can sit and reflect. It’s when I look at my kids with wonder at how God created them. When I look at my husband with gratitude for who he is and not what errand he can do to help me out. When I can savor my family, who I know will drive me crazy before Christmas Day actually arrives.

This is the day when I really appreciate the meaning of Christ’s birth and what that means to me. When I sing Christmas Carols with gusto and feel joy in my heart. After today, I have a hard time sifting through the chaos. Not that I don’t have moments throughout the Christmas season, but only when it’s really quiet am I able to listen and really worship.

So today I’m listening. Tomorrow I will be running again. Family will be here. Cooking will begin. Gifts will leave and more will arrive, begging for a place in my home. The kids will be tired and overwhelmed.

So, Merry Christmas to my dear friends and family. If you’re reading this you know how much you mean to me. My prayer for you is to experience quiet in the midst of the chaos and the joy of Christ as we celebrate his birth.

Hairy Ornament

The other night we were decorating the tree and I found my favorite ornament. It is orange and yellow with feathers that stick up everywhere.

I was pointing it out to Merk, saying someting like, "I really love this ornament." Out of nowhere, Max busts out with, "Hey, that looks like my hair."

Except for the orange, he was right on.


For reference, here's a typical picture of Max.

Birthday Boy

What a cutie pie. Can you believe he just turned 40? Yes, for the two people out there that haven't heard, Merk recently had a big birthday.


I thought Merk might have a hard time with this birthday, but he's handling it pretty well. He decided not to color the gray, but is holding fast to the decision to continue shopping in the Nordstrom's youth department.


I love these old pictures of him. He's absolutely adorable. He has so much personality, even as a kid. Luke's just like that now. I'll be very proud if he grows up to be like his Dad.


Merk and his younger brother, Boyd.


I have so few pictures of the two of us, but here's one we took recently. I have to say, he still looks pretty good. More importantly, he's a great Dad and an awesome husband. I'm a very lucky girl.


Happy Birthday Sweetie! You have my heart and all of my love. xoxoxo

Crazy Busy

We had a very busy weekend. Can you tell?

Thanksgiving

Here are a few pics from our Thanksgiving. This year was a little off for us. Max was sick for the entire week. The only time we left the house was to visit Merk's brother and his family on Thanksgiving day.


Here's Luke at the kid's table. He was sitting on a low chair, so there were times all we could see were his eyes and hair peeking over the table. But we couldn't get him to move because he was attached to his cousin Will the entire day.


Max slept through Thanksgiving. Poor guy. When he woke up, everyone was having dessert. So Max started his dinner with dessert and we fed him real food later. I don't think he minded that arrangement at all.


Here the kids are tackling Uncle Boyd. He was such a good sport. They must have done this for at least half an hour. Merk got in on the action too, but I'm sad to say there are no photos of that.

Atlanta - Part Two

You just can't get a decent pile of leaves in Plano. In Atlanta, they are everywhere.




Buckeyes never get the credit they deserve.

Where's Max?

It looks like Max was busy tonight.


I wonder what he was going for?

Now I've got to go in and clear all that out. What do you think my chances are of getting him back under the covers without waking him up?

UPDATE - He did wake up. It's no wonder. Here's what I found in his bed:

24 small animals (thanks to the Little People Alphabet Jungle he got last year - it looks like he's missing two animals), six Little People, five stuffed animals, two Little People pirate ship things, a camera, three books, two cavemen, two pirates, one dragon, two pieces from a doctor's kit, two balls and my favorite, a bus with a hippo hanging out of the back.

In the morning I showed him the pile and asked why he put all that stuff in his bed. He said he was scared a monster was going to eat him. I guess all the stuff was his form of protection. Poor guy.

Last night we let him keep his door open. This morning we found him with just three little animals. I'd say that's progress.

Four Going on 40

It's been three weeks since Halloween and my kids are still craving candy. The pumpkins have been put away and the candy hidden, but they still ask for it every day.

Last night, Luke came up to me and told me that he hadn't had any candy all day. I told him that he did have candy, he had a lollipop and fruit snacks and that was enough.

He looked at me for a minute, smiled, then said, "Well, you got me there." Then he left.

More and more, I feel like I'm talking to a little Merk.

Now if only I could get little Merk to take out the trash.

T-Ball

Last weekend was our final t-ball game and I'm a little sad. For eight Saturdays in a row we were up early for Luke's game. At first, he mainly loved wearing the uniform. He liked to bat, but he could barely stand to be in the field. He spent quite a few hours playing in the dirt and asking if it was time for snacks.

As he learned to field and throw the ball he started having fun. He even made up a game where they got points for fielding a ball. Towards the end of the season, t-ball started to look a lot like full contact football as Luke and his friends would tackle each other to get the ball. Honestly, it made it a lot more interesting for the parents as well. T-ball is not the most exciting game to watch. There are no strikes or outs, just lots of encouragement.

Merk ended up being one of the coaches so he and Luke were together on the field. I think he secretly loved it. It must be part of reliving his t-ball days. The only drawback for Merk was that we played the Red Sox every game (this is what happens in the fall when there are fewer teams). It was like the movie Groundhog Day except even worse, because the Red Sox are Merk's favorite team and he was forced to root against them every Saturday.

Max is not a big t-ball fan. He would clap really big when Luke came up to bat, but other than that, he was pretty hard to entertain. He was more interested in lollipops and snacks than baseball.

The funniest part of the season was Luke's earnest belief that he was going to be on t.v. As we left for every game, he asked, "Am I going to be on t.v. today?" Of course, we would tell him he wasn't going to be on t.v. but it never stopped him from asking.

Manners?

The boys were playing trains this morning as Merk went in to say goodbye. Granted, they were a bit distracted, but here's how it went:

Merk, "Bye guys. Daddy's going to work."

Max, " Bye Daddy. Thank you for coming."

Ouch.

Halloween

It seems like Halloween lasted forever this year. Between two fall festivals and trick or treating, the kids were getting used to dressing up and getting candy about every three days. Luke loved it because he dresses up all the time. Poor Max was getting tired of being a giraffe.

Luke as Captain America. He couldn't get over having muscles.

Max coloring to pass the time until it got dark enough to trick or treat.

Going through the neighborhood with our friends Ethan and Emily.

I thought this picture was so cute, mainly because you can see all four of them. Luke and Ethan were so excited, they would run to the next house before Max even made it down the sidewalk of the last one. But Max hung in there and eventually made it to every house.

The boys enjoying their haul.

I hate that this picture is blury, but this was Luke's favorite part of Halloween. At our church's fall festival, he had a chance to fight a storm trooper. He thought it was the absolute coolest thing. He did it twice and then we practically had to pull him away because he couldn't take his eyes off the storm trooper. I have to admit, it was pretty cool.

One More Time

We’ve all heard it a million times. We’ve probably sung it at least half a million. But when your child is doing the singing, well, that’s just priceless.

Here’s Max’s rendition.



Notice how independent he is. He gets upset when Merk tries to help him with the hand motions.

By the way, this was probably the 20th rendition we heard that morning. Each one was followed by “one more time.”

I love it!!!!!

The Weather

In Texas, we're notorious for having crazy weather. The past three weeks have been georgous. Cool enough that you know fall is coming, but still warm enough to spend a lot of the day outdoors.

Unfortunately for us, we seem to have been under the weather more than we've been outside enjoying it. For the past three weeks, at least one family member has been sick. This weekend, we were three for four. Not good.

Things are looking up though. The weather finally turned cool and I only wiped one nose all day. Spirits are running high and we are looking forward to the Fall Festival this week at our church. The kids will put on their costumes (Captain America and a giraffe) and we'll collect more candy than we need.

Stay tuned. Cute halloween photos to come.

Boy's Mom

I hate to admit it, but lately, I have been struggling to be a "boys mom." I know that's an odd thing to say since I've been a boy's mom for 4 1/2 years now. But lately, I look at my little boys and see aliens. As adorable as they are, little boys are so different from anything I have ever known.

I don't know exactly how it happened, but I was raised in a family of women. I have close bonds with the women in my family, but the men weren't around much and they certainly were not a significant part of my life.

So here I am, the lone female in a house full of testosterone and I find myself lost. All I've ever known is girl stuff. This crazy, energetic, jump off the furniture because you think you can fly, stick spaghetti up your nose because you think it is funny, beat your brother up because you want to practice your punches, world is so foreign to me.

Did you know that Spiderman and Superman are not on the same team? That Lex Luthor can't fight Captain America but can fight Superman or Batman? I just learned all the names of Thomas' friends and now there are dozens of superheroes with complicated relationships that I have to figure out. There's also Nascar, Rescue Heroes, dinosaurs and sports. Who can keep up with all that?

Max is still into things I can understand. Right now his world revolves around the zoo and farm animals. But he's right there on the threshold of boyhood and his brother ushers him deeper into that world every day.

My saving grace is both of my boys are snugglers now and I am a world class snuggler. My favorite time of day is when they crawl up into my lap for a good snuggle. Most of the time, I let them stay as long as they want.

I'm grateful for my little boys and they crazy things the do. I know it's a part of who they are and I love that. For me, the bottom line is I want to be a part of their world, even when I don't know how. It looks like it might be time for some personal growth.

Anyone have an encyclopedia of superheroes?


Luke playing Rescue Heroes. Yes, I know they never have clothes on. They always start out with clothes, but by the end of the day, this is usually what we've got.

Luke's so proud of his muscles.

Max is showing his feminine side, cooking in camouflage.

Luke is pretending to be the Statue of Liberty here. I'm not really sure why.

Irony

When I was in college, I had a roommate with a lot of allergies. She used to zip everything up in plastic - her mattress, her pillows, her clothes - everything. Poor girl, we gave her so much grief for that. Especially me, since we were in the same room and I had to hear the rustle of the plastic every time she moved on her bed.

Fast forward almost twenty years and now I'm the one zipping everything up. Luke is allergic to dust mites so of course, we have all the covers with zippers to keep them away from him. Life comes full circle sometimes. I love it.

I have to laugh at the irony though. I also laugh, because now, no matter what I do, my mind goes back to my first apartment at Baylor, my sweet college friends and some seriously fun times, every time I change the sheets. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

HSN

For anyone who wants to be amused, check out the Home Shopping Network tomorrow (Wed, Sept 26) at 1:00 and 5:00 Central time. My awesome husband will be selling watches.

I think he does a great job, but the whole HSN thing is a mystery to me. The only time I watch is when he's on, but somehow I always stay tuned for the next show. The crazy thing is, if I watch it long enough, I really start to think I do need a new loofa.

Good luck Sweetie. We miss you!!!!!!!




xoxoxoxoxo

Weekend With Grandma

The boys spent this past weekend with both of their grandmothers while Merk and I went to a marriage retreat. Yes, it took both of them to manage the weekend. I'm glad we only have two kids.

Overall, I think the weekend went well. I did come away with a couple of observations...

Grandmothers will not read or refer to your notes. They tell you they don't need the notes, because after all, they raised you and look how well you turned out. I think that is still up for debate, but it's their position and they will die defending it.

Grandmothers are going to give the kids a bath, whether they need it or not. I don't know why they like to do this, but it appears to be one of their favorite activities. Both of them bathe the boys every time they babysit them at night. I know little boys are messy, but I didn't think they were that dirty.

Happy Meals are the go-to food for Grandmothers. In fact, as my Mom was leaving on Sunday she told me, "I wouldn't feed them Happy Meals for awhile." No kidding. Now I'm in the process of throwing away all of the toys. I have to do it one at a time so they won't notice they've gone away. Don't even get me started on the nutritional aspect.

All kidding aside. We had a great time and are grateful to have loving moms who will help us out. xoxoxo

Running in Circles

Running in circles completely describes our lives right now. The past few weeks have been all about running around, but not really getting anywhere and ending up just plain tired.

The kids started school this week - more about that at a later date. Luke also started T-Ball and choir. All in the same week.

At the same time, my Gran and sister have been here. I really enjoyed seeing them and spending time with them, but there comes a time when a girl just wants to be at home.

And it's almost here. Merk and I are going to a Marriage Retreat this weekend (again, I know it will be fun, but right now it seems like more running).

Soon though, we will be home and I plan to stay here for a good long while. I plan to cook meals for my family, watch my kids play and get reacquainted with my house.

I've got so much to write about the past couple of weeks, but it's just going to have to wait. Bear with me. I'll be back soon and I promise not to be so overwhelmed and bitter.

A Few More Pics

We spent out last afternoon visiting my Dad's friend Karen (such a sweet, warm lady). Here's Luke driving her boat on the lake.


Max was tired and a little frustrated with his life jacket. He wasn't even amused by the family of ducks that trailed us the entire way.


Grandpa Joe and Karen gave the boys a few dancing lessons.



Luke and Max had so much fun playing with my Dad. The testosterone level was a little high for me, but they all loved it.

Thanks Dad. We had a wonderful trip. We love you and miss you a lot.
xoxoxo

The National Zoo

While we were in DC, we made a visit to the National Zoo. This was our third trip to a zoo in four months. We’re four for four if you count Sea World (which I do because it’s very zoo-like).

Not all zoos are alike and lucky for us the National Zoo is one of the better ones. For starters, it’s free. A personal thank you to all our fellow taxpayers. We had a wonderful time!!!!

The zoo also one of the few with panda bears. This was definitely a highlight for all of us. They were taking a nap while we were there, but it was amazing to see them.

The best feature about the zoo was by far the web-cams. We have been watching these animals for months now. We know all about them, their names, their habits and their personalities. It was neat to see them in person after stalking them via computer.

With all the animals and cool stuff, the kids had the most fun in the misters. It wasn’t even that hot by Texas standards, but they jumped into the water every time we saw one – which was about every 10 minutes.

We also got to experience the DC Metro system. The kids are still talking about riding the train. On the way there, they were constantly changing seats and looking out different windows to get a better view. The way back was during rush hour and a totally different experience. People aren’t nearly as nice or accommodating towards the end of the day.

Great day, great zoo and a great time was had by all. If you’re ever in DC, this is an awesome thing to do.

Lessons Learned

Things we learned on the plane...
(the kid in the hat is not ours)





You can never have too many snacks.

Play-doh and airplanes do not mix well.

Skimping on the time needed to charge the DVD battery is an unforgivable mistake.

Benedryl is not always a good thing.

Putting a two-year old, who is scared of heights, in a window seat means you have to make the whole trip in the dark.

Don't order a Dr. Pepper unless you plan on wearing at least half of it.

Just because you lug a car seat onto a plane, doesn't guarantee the child will sit in it.

All newly potty-trained kids will need to go as soon as the fasten seat belt sign comes on.

Those seat pockets hold an incredible amount of stuff, but don't stick your hand all the way to the bottom to dig out a crayon. It's best to sacrifice the crayon.