Backyard Fun

With in-ground pools costing upwards of $20,000, we opted to have backyard fun during this steamy weather in our own way. The boys had a blast, and Jeremy even tried to show the boys a thing or two (not caught on video).

Obligatory Easter "Front Step" Pictures

"Mooooooooooooooooom, Can we PUHLEASE be done?"

It takes a lot of effort to make a 2-year-old and an Almost-5-year-old look sparkly, so, darn it, I need to document this day. Stand still and smile!

Santa Was Here

I know, I know...Santa was here in December and it is now February. Where has the time gone? Well, yesterday the groundhog (which Brady called a beaver...Justin Beaver, to be exact. What is he learning at school?!) saw his shadow, so we have another few weeks of winter. If it's still winter, I'm off the hook for lateness. Did you follow my logic?

Anyway, here are a few picture of the boys enjoying some of the same rituals and traditions that we enjoyed as children. Well, I think they enjoyed the cookies, but waiting on the steps while I took all of the pictures I wanted to take might not have been as much fun. Consider it a lesson in patience!

A Carson story: As soon as the boys came downstairs on Christmas morning, they ran to see if Santa had eaten the cookies they left. Santa ate everything except one piece of cookie, which Carson happily grabbed and shoved into his mouth. We all laughed so hard that he got startled and it scared him. He ran and jumped in my lap, hiding his face. It took a while to coax him into opening presents. Poor little guy, he just didn't want to waste a perfectly good piece of cookie!

Stay tuned for more.

Christmas in Pennsylvania, 2010

As usual, we packed a million fun things into our trip home for the holidays. Brady guilted the family into going to cut down a real Christmas tree, Aunt Boo and Poppy took the boys on the Polar Express where they met Santa, we visited Aunt Jenny's 3rd-grade classroom, made homemade cinnamon rolls, went to Great-Grandma Sara's nursing home, fed the horses on Grammy and Pap's farm, ate dinner at a ski slope, built a snowman, decorated cookies for Santa, went to the Please Touch Museum, opened tons of presents, and stayed up to greet the New Year (well, Brady did). We were sad to leave Nonni and Poppy's house. Now that we are back in Humble, the boys are very disgruntled by the lack of attention they receive!

More pictures to come.

Boy Story

When Brady picked out his new "Buzz Lightyear" PJ's, we thought that Carson could have "Woody", but they didn't have his size, so we got them both "Buzz" instead. Hmmm...these two "Buzzes" could not be more different. Short, tall. Chubby, skinny. Goofy, tough. But the little one ALWAYS tries to copy what the big one does. We laughed so hard when they started posing for these photos...Carson with his hands on his hips, Brady flexing his biceps...where do they learn this stuff?!

Be Very Quiet...

We're hiding!

When I found the boys "hiding" with their little bums in the air, I had to get a picture. As Carson gets older, they get nothing but funnier together. Even though they fight like, well, brothers, it's completely obvious that they love each other.

Super Kids

Even kids with super powers would have a hard time cleaning up the mess in that playroom. So, needless to say, they had a lot of help from "the help" (mom and dad).

Imma Be a Big Boy

I am almost speechless...almost. Carson, who is just beginning to speak more and more, and is usually difficult to understand, asked us, plain-as-day, to turn on the song "Imma" for him. Obviously, he was referring to Imma Be by the Black Eyed Peas, one of Brady's current faves. We had him repeat the scene for the camera. Before we guessed the correct song, he was outwardly despondent. When we finally turned the song on for him, he was overjoyed...and you will be too when you watch this video (unless you are a cold-hearted b*%ch, like I have been accused of being).

Summer Fun in PA

I can't imagine why the boys have returned from our visit home exhausted. In adddition to everything I already mentioned doing, we also took an amazing day trip to the beach, where we spent the day with Jenny's thoughtful and fun family. AND, we went to Dutch Wonderland where we had a great time helping Aunt Jenny overcome her fear of fast rides and log flumes. Factor in the days at friends' pools and visiting family, and we barely caught our breath on the whole trip! We had such a great time, and are still recovering with long naps every afternoon!

Let's Do Some Catching Up

Where have we been, you ask? The boys and I flew home to PA so that my parents could spend some quality time with them while Jeremy and I met to go to a wedding in Jamaica. The wedding was awesome, the time away was awesome, and the traveling sans kids was awesome, but I honestly think that they might have had more fun that we did. The visited Thomas the train, ate like they had no parents, and, in short, they got spoiled to pieces. Well, good for them, we all deserved it!

The day after I returned to PA, Regan came along with me and the boys to do a little tour of Virginia. We visited my teaching buddies, and Aunt Stephanie, who was bursting with baby. By the way, John Robert was born healthy a few days ago...Congrats Rasamny Family! Emelyn is such a lovely little girl, we really can't wait to meet JR.

Upon our return from VA we did a ton of other fun things that will be discussed in future blog posts.

Do the Truffle Shuffle...DO IT!

If you have ever seen The Goonies, you get this video. Otherwise, I don't really know what else to say. Is my parenting questionable?

The Touchdown Dance

My quirky children: Brady has taken to naming animals after other animals. For example, the horse on the way home from school has been lovingly (albeit confusingly) named Goldfish, while his goldfish are named Cat and Dog (Mrs. Wishy-washy passed away last week, God rest her little fishy soul). Carson says no, even when he means yes, and his arms look like a football coach giving orders from the sideline every time I ask him to say please (he doesn't like to miss out on a snack just because he finds sign language confusing). But, no one can ever accuse my children of not being All-American. They love to play football around the house, and they have learned, from a young age, the importance of...The Touchdown Dance.

Family is the Name of the Game

Christmas this year was really everything it should be. It's nice to think about the memories that Brady is starting to form...he really loves being around family, and Carson latched right on to that, and has jumped in to being comfortable with everyone, too. Actually, when we're home, they really don't need me around anymore!

Oh, and by the way, who is that little old man in the plaid pajamas?!

"Santa?...I Know Him!!!!"

After his performance at home, I expected Brady to be ripping open presents with little regard to anyone around him, but I was surprised to see that he actually took his time inspecting each gift and requesting that it be opened so he could play with it immediately. The only "rude" moment he had was on Christmas eve, when he opened his giant new pirate ship from Aunt Reggie and Uncle Eric. He pushed it aside, looking confused, and said "No thank you". Hmmmm...really?! I honestly think that he didn't understand what was in the box because he LOVES the pirate ship now, but his reaction was hilarious (to most people).

Carson, on the other hand, had little interest in opening gifts. Santa (and Santa's Grandma, as Brady called Mrs. Clause) should have saved his money because the only thing that Carson really wanted to play with was a toothbrush that he found in his stocking.

Here Comes Christmas!

Before Christmas, we had a great time visiting grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. Then, it was time to zip up this year's Christmas PJ's and get down to business. Once Santa's cookies and milk were placed on the mantle, Tootsie the Elf disappeared to update Santa with Brady and Carson's good behavior, and the boys were allowed to open one present each, it was finally bed time for 2 hopeful boys...

Did I Mention that it Snowed?

Guess who enjoyed playing in the snow and who would rather watch?!