New Years Eve

Noah came over in the morning & spent a good part of it racing Dylan up & down the hall, & helping him learn how to walk. He certainly seems to be a good big brother/cousin.
Damon, LeAnn & the kids came over later for games & the ball drop! Popcorn, confetti, & empty champagne bottles filled our home! Brooklyn had her latest night yet going to bed at 1, & Dylan, going to bed at 11, slept thru all the blowing horns. It was a great night. Bring it on 2012!!

Nearing the end of family week

Headed to the Children's Museum today with our friends & Daddy! This has been a fantastic week with just the family, & we're looking forward to starting off the new year. This just summarizes how we spent most of our week together: in our new pj's/robes hanging & playing with our new toys/games. Yes, Brooklyn, just so you know, your dad played Dora wii dance with you. (I was forbidden from taking digital proof.)

Now THIS is an avacado! Jungle Jim size.

It's a little wobbly, but still helps a guy learn to walk!

Ok, so maybe we've ignored that little rule of NOT trying new recipes the day of a big event! Our ham that according to directions was to be done at 1pm, wasn't ready until closer to 3. The rest of our new dishes: succotash, apple/fennel straws, & green beans with exotic mushrooms all turned out great, just took a few extra chefs in the kitchen to get everything prepared on time (well, for that 1pm we were planning on!) Luckily, Sean had made a big batch of vegetable soup & others brought appetizers so that held everyone over. I can't believe how good all the kids were considering we didn't open gifts until after our late lunch!
With 17 of us here were were spread out everywhere. Granny & Papa Obie were able to Skype with cousin Tracy, Mere showed off her volleyball skills on Kinect again (beating me!) & the two youngest boys seemed to enjoy their first Christmas. Dylan was given a tool set from The Evans gang & he could have cared less to open anything else afterwards, playing with it continuously. Tents & Tunnels, cars, microphones, scooters, phones, toy story characters, plates/cups, calendars & books were some of the fun things the kids received.

Doing Wii Dora Dance while waiting for Christmas guests to arrive

SANTA CAME!

As usual, Dylan woke at 6am to come & snuggle with mom & dad for a bit solo. Around 8:15, a hear the dragging of a blanket across the floor & the footsteps of Brooklyn coming down the hallway. No shrills of excitement out of her, but instead, calmly comes into our room & says "Mommy, Santa left us 1 present, lets go see what it is."
Amazed as to why she says "ONE present," we got up to head into the living room. She heads right for the tree, bypassing all of the unwrapped presents in the middle of the living room, to get the one present wrapped in Tinkerbell Bell paper. "Lets open it & see what it is!" I told her to turn around, that I think Santa left her all those over there. She turns & gives a big OH WOW!!!! Lets go tell Dylan because Santa did leave something for him too! LOL (No Dora kitchen, but she did get a pink computer of sorts...a Leappad).
We played for a little while but had to quickly get ready for Mimi & Grampers who were coming over for a late morning pajama breakfast of a waffle station with various syrups- VT maple, & homemade orange & blueberry plus eggnog butter. A nice big tropical fruit bowl to accompany & I was ready to start the day off great!

Prepping the country ham for!Christmas lunch!

Our neighbors came over tonight too, with a little train for Dylan, a UK jersey & some new barbies for Brooklyn. The train was a big hit, until she found one of the barbies she could go online with her own secret code & make into a ballerina barbie!

The famous JK arrives

Dylan's godmother came out for a visit bearing her famous cookies, & a gift for both the kids. Brooklyn was super excited to put together her new grinch puzzle & also received a pair of ballerina pj's. Dylan received a pair of sports pj's & a super snuggly soccer outfit. (which he might be in all the time!)

Brooklyn went to school for a special 2 hr Christmas party today, which meant mommy got to get a little extra shopping done. Note my orders to make sure blankie & kitty were in the photo too! She brought home some new holiday pencils, erasers, & a puzzle & Dylan was given a new train.
After school, we went out to Florence Mall to take Dylan to see Santa. Our first sighting of Santa was impromptu @ The Children's Museum. Brooklyn wouldn't sit on his lap & Dylan was sleeping. Up until now, she kept saying she'd send Santa a letter because she didn't want to see him! LOL The only thing she has asked for (Thank You TARGET ads for putting on the front page of everyone of your ads the last few weeks!) was a Dora Kitchen. We tried telling her that she already has a kitchen & that there were so many other things she could ask for. Finally, last night, she realized that mom & dad share a kitchen so it was ok for her & Dylan to share that one. When we asked what she would like instead, she said "a computer!" Finally adding that it should be pink, because she loves pink. In fact, she wanted everything to be pink.
Sooo......back to us standing in line for Santa......we're up next & she's now hiding behind my legs. Dylan, clueless is just staring at Brooklyn. A wonderful elf comes over & asks me her name quietly. Then bends down & asks if her name is Brooklyn. Amazed, she says it is & the elf tells her that Santa has been waiting for her to come. Just like that, she takes the elf's' hand & heads up to Santa, sits on his lap, & when he asks what she would like for Christmas yells "A DORA KITCHEN!! and Dylan needs an Elmo potty seat so he'll stop poopin in his diaper!"

Aqua babies- splishin & spashin! Can't wait for next pool season!!

Helping mommy bake some chocolate crackle cookies!

NEW TOOTH!!

Top right tooth finally broke thru!

not one to want to be in the walking toys, but does like to push them around.

Working on standing up by himself & teething on some asparagus. YUMMY.

We headed up for what we thought was The Grinch play with Aydan, but turns out, it was his Christmas Chorus. Green tie, & front row, & the entire time, Brooklyn kept looking for him!

Coloring together

And sometimes taste testing them.

Cousin Slumber Party

Brooklyn has been a bit hestitant to spend the night anywhere besides her home, but the idea of a cousin sleepover got her interest! She brought her pink sleeping bag, fave blanket & kitty & was ready for fun! They played dress up, help put together the grandkids tree, roasted marshmellows by the fire & watched the Smurfs movie. After pancakes for breakfast, dad arrived for pick-up & she didn't want to leave! LOL Isnt' that the way it always goes? :-)

I already have everything I need Santa.....

DADDY'S REMOTE!

what the?

Brooklyn didn't agree with the way I fixed her hair with a green ponytail holder to match her outfit, so she went back to the bathroom & found the butterflies that she wanted. Now I can't believe she actually got them cliped into her hair, but how she managed to get one strand so that it would be perfectly 'floating' on her forehead made it picture-worthy! She was so proud.

Grinch singin'

The tree is up & decorated. I had a helper this year with the ornaments, who asked lots of Q's as to where each ornament came from or whom. Her ornament for her 3rd year was Dora, that we found hand crafted at the Woolfest. Dylan has a Hallmark of Oh the Places you'll Go. Every night, the GRINCH is on in the house. We're at #7, and we're barely thru the first week of Dec. She heads over to the tree & sings the songs with all the Who's when they do.

Being a great dad!

Playing in a Dora tent with his kiddos!

Dylan LOVES playing kitchen more than Brooklyn it seems. His first task every morning is to dump all the food onto the floor. Then he'll pick up a few pieces, put them in the cart & start walking around! We took him to the childrens' museaum & he purshed around a Kroger cart there too. Several other moms were crackin up laughing at our little guy; it really was cute. Sean said I should have taken video & sent it in to Kroger. They could have made a "E-trade" baby comercial out of it..... D: "so, you been shopping here long?" to another baby pushing a cart. :-)

X baptism

Headed up towards Dayton this morning to celebrate Baby Xavier's baptism.
Dylan hung out with Grampers & fought out X for Uncle Steve time. B played with her friend Grace & all the little kittens!

We got to babysit baby Xavier!

Brooklyn made sure he received plenty of stimulation with conversation, & Sean helped with naptime!

practicing with our first sippy cup

In the mail today

Sean's certificate arrived. Only 7,368 people have passed the test! Congrats again Babe!

Practicing ballet with Angelina

Dylan's first tooth has just broke thru!!

comments

Brooklyn comments (that I can remember) over the last month:

"Mommy, why do we only sing some of the colors names if all the colors that we know live up in the rainbow? I think we should sing about Pink, and Brown, and black & our other crayons too."

"Wasn't me, the baby did it!" .....says this after she farts! lol

She wanted to take her flip cards of states & capitals in the car. She read Mississippi & told me the capital was Jackson. Then asked me what its lower case was.

Yep, this is my REAL life! I have a dirty kitchen & 2 kids pulling on my leg. And I wouldn't change a thing!! :-)

Official big girl bed!

We've been switching all week between her sleeping bag, Dora couch, & big girl bed. But she's been doing a great job. Twice she has woke around 11 to go to the bathroom, and comes into the living room once "the sun comes up!"

I see leotards & a recital in our future

Since he birthday, every night after dinner she wants to put on her ballet shoes, skirt & "do ballet." We're asked to hold her little broom up b/c its her ballet bar, & she changes in her dressing room (the bathroom!) I did call today to find out about ballet & tumbling lessons. Enrollment doesn't start until January so we've got some time, but she can go in for a 1 day class to see if she'd participate.

And now's Dylan's added "uh-oh" to his vocab! (dada, mama, & uh-oh thus far) He doesn't seem to say many words but he & Brooklyn have "discussions." A series of squeels & noises she makes & he repeats! It's pretty darn cute.

Mommy's from scratch Apple pie has everyone wanting to try it!