The BEST Gift

I just thought I would share what the best gift EVER is....it may not look like much to anyone, but to me it's the best gift!

My new and improved refrigerator magnet!!!! It is a sturdy clothespin, hand colored by my talented son, with a little bit of frill glued to it for extra flair and his beautiful face on it for that final touch! I'm sorry he isn't mass producing this year, so you can not order one....but you can stop by anytime and admire mine!!

And this was my card that went with it! I know he will miss going to school and all the little projects he gets to make...I guess I'll have to start doing our own art projects on the weekends!

Christmas 2008

Well we had a busy and exciting Christmas!

Christmas eve we went to the annual party, and of course we didn't get a single picture of that night! It's hard work running around after Thomas and trying to keep Christopher happy! But we had a great time and the boys both got a lot of really nice things! And of course Thomas was a hit! Throwing wrapping paper and saying YAY!!!!

Christmas eve was so busy that he was just pooped! So we came home and Thomas and Christopher crashed and Grandma S and Daddy stayed at home and I went to mass with Mom! And Thomas slept all night until 8 the next morning, and even then he was groggy! But he did get up and come out to see all that he got!

He got a lot of really nice things, some elmo's, some learning toys, some books, puzzles, balls, a trike, and a quad, and a little lookout tree house for the yard with a "whee" or a "slide" for the layman! Christopher got a few stuffed animals to bite on....a froggie from daddy and an eeyore from Aunt Tami and Uncle Dean! He got a music toy for his crib and some things to grab and play with on his car seat, a little learning and talking doggie. And both boys got some great clothes and some money for their savings account!

We didn't get as many pics as we would have liked because Mommy was busy helping open gifts and Daddy was busy putting things together and cooking our turkey! We hosted our first Christmas, and it turned out just great!!! We deep fried a turkey and we had ham and everything that goes with it! We can't wait for next year!


So check out some of our Christmas Pics

What is it all about?

A Revelation of a sort, but the holiday season, as a mother, means something entirely different than ever before. I don't know what brought it on, maybe hearing of the passing of a little girl's daddy, maybe hearing "it's all about the children", or maybe just the fact that I want to teach my boys to have love in their hearts, to realize that Christmas is about family, and friends, and giving. Sure it's all about the children, and I hope they always have fun at Christmas, but it's also about giving to others, and I want that to be important to them too. I want them to think of others at Christmas time and not just themselves. So as I was sitting here today reflecting on trying to be a good mother and what Christmas really does mean I read the following....and it's the message I am trying to convey. So read on....

Christmas is a season of joy and peace and yet I am sure all of us must admit that the lead up to this special day brings stress into our lives.
To help relieve some of that stress, I pass on to you the following reflection...

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows,

strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls,

but do not show love to my family

I am just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen,

baking dozens of Christmas cookies,

preparing gourmet meals

and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime,

but do not show love to my friends and family,

I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen,

carol in the nursing home

and give all that I have to charity,

but do not show love to my friends and loved ones,

it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels

and crocheted snowflakes,

attend a myriad of holiday parties

and sing in the choir's cantata,

but do not focus on Christ,

I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug a child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has

coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return,

but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, Believes all things,

Hopes all things, Love never fails.

Video games will break,

pearl necklaces will be lost,

golf clubs will rust;

but giving the gift of love....will endure forever.

~Father O'Dwyer~

May your Christmas be joyful, peaceful, and full of love....from our family to yours!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Holiday Cheer

Well we had our play date that we planned for a month, unfortunately two of our playdate friends were sick and couldn't come. So Thomas didn't have to fight much for the attention of the fair madien!!

We had a good time, despite Milana and Jayden not being able to come, we hope they are feeling much better now! We had a ton of food, Chicken enchiladas, a ton of rice, beans, chips and salsa, some yummy cookies and some excellent chex type stuff with nuts and chocolate and stuff like that, I forgot the name of it....but Theresa made it and it was yummy, Thomas LOVED it!

So thanks for everyone coming, we had a great time!

Thomas grabbing Macayla's attention with his pretzel fishies......And you know what...it worked! HA He knows how to get the girls attention!
Thomas being a gentleman and sharing his fishies....he did feed her one, and it was so adorable but I didn't get it on camera!! And now Macayla has her choice of an older boy, Thomas.....or a younger one, Christopher!! What a tough choice!!!

What I learn at school....

Today Mommy was given all the things from Thomas' "file". File? I said, I didn't realize he had a "file". Yes he does and it's full of all the things he makes and learn at school. So I was so proud that of course I took pics of them all and I'm going to post them!!!

They learned about leaves and got to go out in the play yard and collect them to put into their work of art!
Here he is working very hard to make the perfect piece of art!!

TADA!!! Isn't it beautiful???

What a colorful house!! I can tell he's already so talented! Look at that use of color!!! :)

Doctor's visit

Well both boys had yet another checkup. Let's see, we'll start with Christopher since he's easy. He is 3 months now and growing like a weed!!! He's already 14.5 lbs and 24 inches tall! The doctor said that he is doing great. His only "issue" is a flap that has to do with the lungs that is supposed to open and close and in Christopher, it doesn't. Which is why when he is not at rest he is a loud and fast breather. But the doc says that should fix itself. It all has to do with him being a premie!

Now on to Thomas....his is 34 inches tall and 25lbs. Thomas came home from school on Monday with a few little scrapes on his nose, the teacher said that he and another child were fighting for a toy and apparently it got a little rough! So then later that night, he had some gooping of his eye and he kept rubbing it, and then come Tuesday night, his other eye started.....so when he got up on Wednesday morning, he looked like a fighter who just did several rounds the night before. But when I got the camera he did still manage a smile! Poor little guy! He got pink eye in BOTH eyes and he got two more shots and he doesn't have to go back until he is 21 months! I can't believe he is just shy of 19 months already! Time flies!!!

REAL Girls

I don't have girls, and I am glad for that, for many reasons....but for those of you that do have girls, I think it's really important to talk to them about "keeping it real" for lack of a better saying. I was reading through all my favorite blogs the other morning as I always do, and I came across my cousin's blog, and anyone with girls really should go and read her last few postings, Click HERE to go to her blog. If you have the time, go to the website link on her blog, check out the videos, you will be amazed! And all I have to say is I agree with what she says 100%

Put it this way, I went through the whole site and read all the info about this movement and what it stands for, I made a donation in honor of my cousin's daughters for Christmas, and I know they will appreciate it and what it will do for them and their self esteem!

I love being a Mom!

Yesterday, when I went in to get Thomas in the morning like I always do, I get in his room and think to myself What is that SMELL??? I walk over to this crib and my little boy proceeds to stand up and his hair is all crusty and he looks at me like, yeah this is great. He had barfed sometime throughout the night, and from the looks of his hair he obviously laid in it. Well the night before we had given him some of that McDonald's orange HiC drink they make for kids....yeah well, don't give it to your kids, it was like drinking orange syrup and I am sure that is what made him sick. So we got him up and bathed and dressed and he went to school like normal and he was fine. The teacher said he ate breakfast and lunch and everything.

So he came home from school and it was nap time, had a nice long nap, I had to wake him at 4, he woke up and his cheeks were all flushed and pink and he felt really warm and he didn't want me to put him down. So okay, I bring him out to the living room and we are sitting on the chair together and I turn on the TV and gave him a bottle of milk. So he drinks all the milk...all 8 oz of it...and he still looks flushed and feels warm so I was a little concerned. So we are sitting on the chair and he is kind of goofing around and he gets down off my lap....he turns around and faces me and he coughs and is trying to get back on my lap...and he starts barfing like curdled milk on me......and he is crying....so I pick him up and stand up and he proceeds to literally, I kid you not, open his mouth and literally SPRAY me with barf....and he is crying. So I am telling him it's okay..it's okay....and he barfs again!! So at this point I am just trying to get him off the carpet and over to the sink! Well I got him off the carpet, and when I leaned him over to barf in the sink he turned towards me and barfed all over the front of me....nice, warm, curdled milk, right down the front of me!!! It was so nasty!!!

Well at this time Christopher decided it would be a good time to wake up from his nap and demand to be fed! NICE!!! And I am covered in this white crud that smells and is just nasty. So I am trying to wipe off my chest becuz I am wearing a tank top with a vneck sweater over it, and I am trying to get the sweater off without getting it all in my hair....It has soaked into everything all the way to the skin, and for the life of me I could not get rid of that nasty spoiled milk smell!!! I can still smell it this morning and am just going nuts trying to find out what I didn't get wiped up or steam cleaned!

So I just thought I would share and hope that you guys got a visual of that pretty picture! And then this morning Christopher decided that 3:30 sounded like a good time to be awake....so he was awake from 3:30 until 5:40 before he finally went to sleep and I climb back into bed and guess who wakes up at 6!!!! So needless to say I am going on 4 hours of sleep. God I love being a mom!!!

Reading to Mommy

Thomas just loves his books, he'd rather read a book than play with a toy, so he often will sit down and read a book to mommy or Christopher, I just so happen to get it on Video! Enjoy!