Sunday, December 19, 2010

Santa vist

This year Santa once again made a stop at our neighborhood clubhouse to visit with the kids. I am happy to report that both of my boys were happy to see Santa this year. Our friend Lucas was another story, but he is the youngest of the bunch. Alex & Zachary both ran up to Santa and jumped on his lap at the same time. Poor Santa! Zachary did go back to see him one more time after they all had a cookie snack but he mostly just sat on his lap and looked at him.




We told the boys that once we were done visiting with Santa that we'd go and visit the duck pond. I even remember to bring a duck snack. Lucas got such a big kick out of feeding the ducks. He was so funny! Zachary throws his bread so hard that he nearly knocks himself down every time. Maybe he should have been a little farther away from the water??


We had a fun afternoon and I'm glad it went well with Santa. Santa, we'll see you again soon!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

I pledge allegiance


Zachary found the little USA flag in with some toy soldiers and just started walking around the living room last night saying the pledge. I had no idea that he knew it. They must say it at school every day. I especially love the "I love Texas" part at the end. Funny!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Randomness

Today's post is going to be a random collection of pictures and things going on. I know that since his deployment that Chris checks out this blog so this is for you babe!
One of my sisters gave me these cute nutcrackers for my birthday. I'd never seen them before but the boys thought hey, one for Alex and one for Zachary.
I said no way and put them on top of the entertainment center where they can't be reached. I think they look very nice up there.
Zachary is still dressing up in his "daddy clothes" regularly and now pretends that he's going to work in Iraq or sometimes Washington (where daddy was before going overseas). He usually tells me he loves me, he'll miss me, and gives me a kiss. Then he says he'll be home for dinner. That's my kind of deployment! Don't you dig the goggles? He must have been flying that day - lol!
And when ones gets a picture taken well the other one must have one too! My handsome Alex.
Last weekend the boys and I went to visit some friends that I went to high school and college with. I hadn't seen my friend Cheryl in over five years although we email on occasion. Her brother, who rode there with us, I've run into a few times over the years. It was great to catch up with them both!

Jumping back to before Chris left....we had at least one nice day and the guys went out to do a little yard work, picking up rocks and spreading some rye grass seed (which I think froze because it never came up).
Zachary loves riding on the "tractor" with daddy.
Alex chose to walk instead of ride and followed behind them singing "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go!"
Today is the last day of school and an early release day. I'm planning a visit to Santa this weekend so we'll see how that goes. I hope Alex is more friendly with his this year. I'd like at least one good picture!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Two little monkeys

I mean gorillas jumping on the bed......

I've been told that the jammies are not monkeys mom, they are gorillas. Alex has had his gorilla jammies awhile but I just got Zachary's yesterday. Poor guy never gets new pajamas, only what Alex outgrows. I thought I'd pick him up a new pair (it was actually a two pack) and he was over the moon excited. I should have saved them for Christmas.

Monday, December 13, 2010

So tired

Poor little Zachary must have been worn out from school last Thursday. He came home, had a snack, and fell asleep on the living room floor in the middle of playing with some cards.
So sweet. Too bad he was a monster today - at school and at home.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Getting Christmasy

Early last week we put up our Christmas tree and other indoor decorations. It was nice to have Chris here to help get all the boxes out of the attic. I don't know how I'm going to get them back up there again! The boys had a blast even though they only got to decorate the bottom half of the tree. They were extra excited because Grandma left Christmas presents when she was here at Thanksgiving so the tree didn't have to sit there empty.

The little tree is all mine. It's not super little I guess, maybe 4 feet but it's only in two pieces so it's really easy to set up. I got it one year when Chris was deployed at Christmas and I was going to visit him over Christmas so there was no point in getting everything out. I decided that year to make it a patriotic themed tree. It has blue lights, a red tree skirt, all red, white, and blue ornaments, and then hubby is the star on the top in his uniform. I love it! I always seemed to have a perfect spot for it too until this year. This year we purchased a bench for our entryway which is exactly where this tree went for the last two years. I did find a fairly suitable spot though, in my dining room. Now I'm thinking that if it stays there next year the theme might have to change to a cooking/baking theme. That could be fun. I love it as is though......decisions, decisions.

This morning we squeezed in one last fun holiday event before taking Chris to the airport this evening. I decided to try gingerbread houses with the boys. I bought the pre-cooked, ready to decorate kind. The particular box I got had 5 little houses to make a village instead of one big house. I figured this way everyone could have their own and it would cut down on fighting. This is the first time I've ever made gingerbread houses. It was harder than it looked! Since the box had so many little houses in it Chris couldn't figure out which pieces went with which houses. We only ended up making four of them because we didn't have enough pieces left over for the last one! Alex was the first one done. There was no messing around for him. I put icing where he wanted, he stuck some candy on and was gone to play or watch t.v. Zachary on the other hand......he loved it. He kept wanting to ad more and more. Then he wanted to help daddy with his and help me with mine. Not to mention the fact that he probably ate twice as much candy and frosting as was on his little house. (We did supplement the candy that was included with some of our own. If you notice the teddy grahams at the front of the houses, that's ours too!)




None of us were that great at it. It's hard to tell which ones are the kids and which are the adults!

Friday, December 3, 2010

When kids dress themselves

Thankfully we were staying home this day!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

and now I know my ABC's

The boys are really coming along in learning things at school. I can't believe that Zachary knows almost all the the alphabet (upper & lower case) by sight. Alex is getting there too. Last night, while stilled dressed as superheros of course, they lined up these alphabet books in order. They did have to stop every once in awhile to sing the ABC song but they got them all right!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

I am thankful

I am thankful that my husband got to come home for Thanksgiving. Even if he has to leave again soon.
I am thankful for my dad and my brother-in-law cooking the turkey so I didn't have too! They deep fried it for the first time and it was yum-o.

I am thankful for all of my family that got to come and share this holiday with us and for all the wonderful women that helped out with the food. I could have never done it all on my own!

I am thankful that my family has a roof over our heads and enough food to eat every day. (Post turkey naps for the guys.)
I am thankful that we got to celebrate 5th & 6th birthdays for two special November babies (and the best of friends).
I am thankful for the super protection that the youngest five kiddos gave us over the weekend.

I am so thankful.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Cleaning out the fridge



We had to eat all that jello to make room for Thanksgiving food!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Lunch conversation

Alex: "You know what I love the very best? Mom!"

Zachary: "You know what I love best? Grapes."

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What is a Veteran?

What Is A Veteran?

Some veterans bear visible signs of their service: a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry the evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg – or perhaps another sort of inner steel: the soul’s ally forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can’t tell a vet just by looking. What is a vet?

He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day making sure the armored personnel carriers didn’t run out of fuel.

He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat-boy behavior is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel.

She – or he – is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep sobbing every night for two solid years in DaNang.

He is the POW who went away one person and came back another – or didn’t come back AT ALL.

He is the Quantico drill instructor that has never seen combat – but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no-account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each other’s backs.

He is the parade-riding Legionnaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand.

He is the career quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by.

He is the three anonymous heroes in The Tomb Of The Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heroes whose valor dies unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean’s sunless deep.

He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket – palsied now and aggravatingly slow – who helped liberate a Nazi death camp and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when the nightmares come.

He is an ordinary and yet an extraordinary human being, a person who offered some of his life’s most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs. He is a soldier and a savior and a sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation ever known.

So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, just lean over and say Thank You. That’s all most people need, and in most cases it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded or were awarded.

-Author Unknown

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Another unwanted visitor


This silly mouse is in the exact same place at the snake was a few weeks ago. Can you believe it? I went out to let the dog go potty and saw the mouse run across the porch and under the plant stand. I wanted it away from my front door because it doesn't seal really well so I started scooting around my door mat to try to scare it out. I stepped in for a closer look and there it was perched up on the top level by the pot. I went in the house and grabbed a flashlight and my camera and it stayed still for me to take pictures. I found two glue traps and put those suckers outside to try to catch it. When I checked a little bit ago I had only caught bugs and didn't see the mouse at all. I just want it gone one way or another and not near my door!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Five is fantastic!


Happy birthday to my sweet Alex!

Monday, November 8, 2010

Pre-K pictures

I'm glad that I've recently got some cute pictures of the boys because although they aren't awful these aren't the best.

Can we say fake smiles? Plus Zachary could really use a haircut and maybe even a comb.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Air Show


Some friends invited the boys and I to go to an air show today. It seems like Chris and I had talked about going to this same air show last year but he ended up working. I had never been to one and I knew the boys would think all the planes were cool so off we went. Here are some of the things we saw:


Of course after the first big plane flew overhead we had to run to a tent to buy earplugs for the boys. The first really big boom made Alex cry. Zachary smiled and laughed for the first one but hated every loud one after that no matter if he had the earplugs in or not. Poor guy had to hand me his hotdog so he could cover his ears.

There was a nice little kids section with some rides. We had a great view of the planes from anywhere we were so we decided to let the kids play instead of trying to make them sit and watch the whole thing. There were so many cool planes that I didn't get pictures of. They were "bombing" the ground and "shooting" each other so there was lots of smoke at one point. I got lots of pictures of the kids though!










We had a good day. Even if I did forget the sunblock.