Christmas Portraits

Papa Neb gave the kids a digital camera for Christmas. Not only is it durable, but it's easy to upload. We're trying out flickr for posting the kids pictures.
They took most of these themselves. Enjoy!

More bad words

One thing that cracks me up so much that I have yet to correct it is when Tyler says "That scared the crap out of me." Like last week playing at Toys R Us' playground when it was freezing outside and a cute little bored girl was chasing Tyler & Gavin around, trying to get in on the little game of chase they were playing. Tyler yelled from the third story of the playstructure, about 20 feet over my head, "Mama, that girl scared the crap out of me." Yep, I'm pretty sure anyone and everyone in the store, all of whom you can count on being parents or guardians of kids, heard him. He said it again tonight when I blasted my new favorite song on the radio and it ended, faded in to clapping for the next song. "That sound scared the crap out of me." By the time I've wiped the tears off my eyes from laughing so hard, I can't find it in me to reprimand him so I just let it go for now. Note to self: before he starts kindergarten, inform Tyler that's not okay to say in public. Thehehehe

Echo Echo

Tyler's got the most annoying new habit. He's copying us. As annoying as it is have him repeat my words as I'm correcting him or Gavin, he's taken copying to a whole new level. Whether he's watching TV, someone is talking to him, or talking on the phone, whatever he hears, he repeats under his breath. I'm already constantly analyzing the very words I hear coming out of my mouth because I know they could potentially have a significant impact on my kids, but I certainly don't need to hear them repeated in a whisper as if he's really processing them. Is this a five year old's form of word processing? I hope it stops soon. Shawn's close to putting him on time outs for the copying. We both remember being annoying or annoyed by copying when we were young, but I'm thinking we were older than almost five.

Charlotte's Web

Somehow I had never read or seen Charlotte's Web so when I took the boys to the matinee yesterday, I really enjoyed myself. Next time I'll have to do it on a non-holiday (MLK) because the theater was packed but the boys didn't mind sitting in the third row. This movie was so sweet and smart, I loved it. Until Charlotte began "languishing" and the tears started streaming. Tyler asked me why Wilbur was crying. Then he turned to look at me and loudly asked "Mommy, why are you crying?" I don't know what age those emotions get turned on...maybe for boys/men they never do. For me, I can say I cry at just about every cartoon/Disney movie. But since having kids of my own, I cry at just about everything. Tyler spent the rest of the day, including Gavin's three-hour nap, asking questions about dying. When will this obsession end? Had I known the story, I probably would have skipped this movie but I guess we can't avoid the topic forever.

Almost out of gas

Yesterday I left for work when the boys were still sleep. Shawn was in charge of dropping them off at Kindercare and I was going to be home in time to pick them up. That afternoon, when I picked them up, Tyler announced that they almost ran out of gas. Well random conversations come up frequently at pick up but why is it significant for Tyler and Gavin both to be jumping up and down in front of me telling me they "Almost ran out of gas.?" So I probed a little and then got, "Yeah and so we watched TV with A.J." A.J. is our next door neighbor. I began filling in the gaps and asking some questions.

Me: Did you run out of gas, or did you almost run out of gas?
T&G: We almost ran out of gas. Daddy said we might and we did!
Me: Where?
T&G: Well we were near where we walk when we go to the Clubhouse. Then we got out of Daddy's truck and walked home!
Me: By the Clubhouse? When you walked home did A.J. come over?
T&G: Well, we got home and Daddy turned on the TV and then A.J. came over. He said Daddy had to go get some gas.
Me: Did you get to school late?
T&G: Well, when I got to school, Roger said "You're late, Tyler!"

Goals for 2007

We've set some goals for 2007. One of mine is to blog more regularly. You can always tell when I'm really busy because I'm not blogging. Funny how I had more time back when I worked full time and had two kids under two than I do now.

One of Tyler's goals is to get a red light saber because when he got his blue one, he didn't realize Darth Vadar only uses a red one. Another goal is to become Annikin Skywalker ("Darth Vadar before he was bad"). And another still is to have a costume party for his birthday.

And while Gavin doesn't know what his goals are, I can tell you we're going to get him to learn to ride a bike this year and to recognize his letters. Poor second child is lightyears behind where Tyler was at same age.

Shawn, he's financially focused this year so his big goal is to relieve some of the anxiety as we realize college is now just 13 years away and it's time to get really serious about saving. With the exception of Tyler's Darth Vadar obsession, may all our resolutions come true, and yours too.