Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Boys and toys

Let's just say the boys got a LOT of new things to entertain themselves with this Christmas (and a big YAHOO from me!). Thankfully, big bro is totally okay with sharing his loot with his smaller sibling, though he occasionally yells out a "YUCK!" when he picks up a wet and slimy item. Poor Wyatt. But he's got two teeth now! What was I saying? Oh yeah! Whether it's Henry showing Wyatt how to use his toys properly ("No Wyatt! You push this button!") or Henry dictating what cars can go down which ramp on his new car garage and which can go in Wyatt's mouth, he wants Wyatt to be playing with him (us) all of the time. It's pretty cute. And sweet. He has asked me many times when they can have bunk beds. Please he still feels that way in a couple years...

Anyhow, yes there are some Christmas pics to post (though not many) but that will have to wait. For now, I bring you...

Some random pictures of my kids playing!



Henry actually just smiled for me in this next pic...it makes him almost unrecognizable.



Mmmm...something to chew on...



Dinosaurs take over the parking garage!! Run for your lives!



I told you it was random. For good measure, here is a video of Wyatt, doing what he does best:



You know you want to squeeze his thighs!!! They are so yummy, I want to eat them!
Aaaaand before I sound too crazy, I shall bid you adieu.
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Blink! ... all about Henry

Something is different. It happened so fast, we hardly noticed it was happening at all. The past 6 months have been a time of change for our family. We welcomed sweet, happy Wyatt into our family at the end of May and what a significant and life-changing event! I am constantly amazed at how wonderfully he completes our family. He is growing and changing so fast, it's crazy! However, the change that has me most puzzled right now is the growth we're seeing in our firstborn.
It's like we blinked and Henry was no longer a toddler. He is a talkative, smart, funny little boy who loves to entertain and play with his baby brother. At nearly 3 1/2, he is constantly surprising us with the workings of his mind, like when we were listening to a song recently and he said, "Hey! Those words rhyme!" When did he learn what a rhyme is? Now we are constantly playing the rhyming game and let me tell you, he is totally out to win!
We have been so blessed by the instruction Henry is getting in Preschool and Sunday School and get so excited when he asks new questions about God and Jesus. The way his little mind comprehends God's love is a precious gift that I treasure with all my heart. I often giggle at the things Henry wants to thank God for (blankie, doggie, his boxers...) but truly am just overjoyed that he knows where our thanks is due.
While he is a wonderful, sweet little boy, he is also a sensitive, emotional being and Jim and I are still figuring out how to best discipline and love our child, without breaking the spirit that God put in him. He feels things very strongly -- something that he might have gotten from his mother, I'm not sure -- and so battles are often loud and long. As frustrating as those moments (often daily) can be, the resolve at the end and eventual improvement and understanding (as little as they may be!) are so worth it.
Anyhow!!! One of the awesome parts of having a child grow up is that he starts going to school and having Christmas programs and Christmas parties!!! If you've actually read this far, thank you! It's been a while since I've really sat down and talked about my Henry and how proud we are of him. He has gone above and beyond anything we expected from him as a big brother and as impossible as it seems, making us love him more and more every day.
***
And now...here are pictures of the newest performer in the family!
TA-DA!!!
Isn't he handsome?
Here he is (with Nate!) on stage whilst hundreds of parents and grandparents took thousands of pictures of all the kids
They are obviously totally into their performance
So, these next videos are very pixelated and probably only enjoyable for grandparents, but they crack me up as they give a great look at Henry's personality.
Here is when he discovered where we were amid the ginormous crowd:
Don't ask me what they are singing about. All I know is that most of the other kids are doing similar hand motions while Henry does his own thing in this next clip.
This next video is actually hysterical. Henry is displaying his interest in the story being narrated by his teacher, and though he misses the part where they are supposed to say something, he is nevertheless excited about it.
And here is where he had his wardrobe malfunction:


Darn clip-on ties! How cute is he trying to put it back on, though?? Hee!
***
These next pics are from Henry's class Christmas party. We have a terrific group of kids with moms who are all very involved. We were all there at the party with wee ones in tow, and we all had a blast!
Here is Henry and Nate doing what else?? Playing with trains. :)
The chimes ring! Attention class!!!

It must be someone really important on the phone...

Here is Henry paying close attention during class time. It was almost too much for me to see how well behaved he was in the class. He even raised his hand to talk! What?!?!

I helped out at a craft station making Christmas party hats with the kids. Henry was amused that I was there at the little tables doing crafts with them. Here is Henry in all his bobbled glory:

Nate and Henry making gingerbread houses, which they got to eat for snack time!!!
(I won't lie -- I wanted to make one, too...and eat it)

Here is Mr. Line Leader, about to lead the class to some play time in the gym.

What a happy day! What a great group of kids!

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

He is King, after all

Henry: Whose birthday is it?

Me: (getting into car with cake for Christmas potluck) Well, actually, it's Jesus' birthday. Won't it be fun to celebrate when Jesus was born with our friends?

Henry: Yeah.

***A few moments of silence***

Henry: But, where is Jesus?

Jim: Jesus is everywhere! And He's in our hearts.

Me: Yeah! Jesus is always with us and he watches over us and protects us. Isn't that great?

Henry: But Mommy, where's your heart?

Me: (hand on chest) Right here baby.

Henry: (with a look of skepticism) No, mommy. Your heart is on your back!

Me: (realizing he is talking about my teeny tiny super cute heart tattoo ON MY BACK) Oh. Yeah. Well, that's not my real heart.

Jim: (Very snarky-like) Mmhmm. Someone just drew that heart on mommy.

Me: (ahem) My real heart is right here and yours is, too.

***A few more moments of silence***

Henry: But, no. Jesus lives in a castle!

Me: (looking at Jim, both of us full of joy in our little boy) Why yes, Henry. Yes he does. :)

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The Christmas Card That Wasn't

You have hopes. You dream big. Everyone's in a great mood. Joyful sounds of the children playing fill the house. This is it. The time has come. It's going to be soooo good. Everyone is going to ask how you did it. You are going to smile and think "My children are perfect."



***
And then...
this:


Okay, the wee one doesn't seem happy there. Move him.

Youngest is now smiling, oldest is... what are you doing Henry?

nevermind.

Let's change location!

What kind of face is that, Henry?

Wyatt?!?!

There's nothing like bows and ribbons to make a mom feel a little lower on the totem pole.

Wow. So he really wanted to play with his bow.
I know! Catch them off guard!!!
That didn't quite work. Cheese?

Good try, Henry. Can you smile a little more normal?

That.Is.Not.Normal.
Let's lay Wyatt down.
Henry, make him smile!
MmmHmm.

Nevermind, Henry. Thanks for trying buddy. Wyatt's just not in the mood I guess.
*3 seconds after Henry leaves the picture*

Are you kidding me?

Of course you're smiling now. HENRY!!! COME BACK! QUICK!!!

FOR THE LOVE!!!!
Let's go to the couch!

Oh, honestly. Forget about it.
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Monday, December 07, 2009

Behold! I bring you good tidings of GREAT health!

Well, people. It can officially be said that Jim and I have bred future professional athletes. If you can even believe it, at 6 months, our sweet little Wyatt has met his brother in height and surpassed him in weight!!! What?!?! I know.

6 months
29 1/2 inches
21.5 lbs

So as I said, great health. :) I love that one day, I am going to be the smallest person in my house by a long shot. Henry has just gone through another growth spurt, too, and we just can't believe how tall he is. All those 5T pants we got him in August are getting short! Wyatt did fantastic at his doctor appointment today - wailed a bit when the nurse shot him full of vaccinations and flu goodness, but got over it quickly. He had lots of smiles for his Dr and nurse, and that makes a mama proud! We apparently need to be working more on getting him to roll over, which he's really only done a handful of times. He seems content to just lay there and watch the rest of us do our thing. I'm not too worried about it though. Henry took a million years to crawl and now he runs circles around us.

I will end this post with some brother pictures. Henry and I couldn't figure out what happened with his poor baby brother, but I'm glad I captured the hilarity. Another thing Wyatt has in common with his big brother is the ability to make great sad faces. Enjoy!





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Saturday, December 05, 2009

O Christmas Tree, We Decorate Thee

I know what you're thinking...two posts in two days?!?! She's crazy!
Anyhow. We didn't take much, but here are a few pics from our tree decorating this year. Henry was SO excited and we could NOT put the ornaments on fast enough for him. "What about this one? Where does this one go?" Truly, it is a spectacular thing when your children begin to remember traditions and are excited to participate in things that you love and treasure. We are, of course, talking a lot about Jesus and his gift to us and in his 3 year old way, Henry understands that Christmas is important because Christ was born. I love that. On the other hand, he is also majorly pumped about Santa Claus making his way to our house.
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*****
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Do you see what I did there? Just call me talented.
Here's little punky, just around for observation

I just think this next picture is cool
Concentration is the key...

Can you say HAPPY?

Doin' his Christmas jig

Me and my first baby (sob!)


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Friday, December 04, 2009

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy! (and a little crazy)

This is Wyatt. It takes approximately .01 seconds to make him smile.

Sometimes, he might need a quick blink break,

but then quickly resumes his smiling cuteness.

Occasionally, he likes to go for the "I'm having SO much fun!" smile.

Sometimes it's the "Don't you think my outfit is cute?" smile.

Then there is the "Does this mean you're going to play with me?" smile.

No really. Are we going to play?

And here is the "She's getting closer, I'm getting excited!" smile.


Which brings us to....

just a little bit crazy smile.


This is when you know you better bring on the playtime or he might burst.
T-shirt profanity brought to you by Daddy.
Spikey hair brought to you by Mommy.

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