Santa

We got a visit from old St. Nick at our house the other day.  I think Jason wins the prize for the most excited kid.  He just kept saying "Santa!" and giving him hugs.

 Nate asked for a "new toy"...okay.  Done.

Jake asked for Lego's...done.

 Allie asked for a guinea pig...sorry girl...not going to happen.

I hope Santa can forget the way they were acting 5 minutes before he walked in the door, because they were all headed to the naughty list for sure.  Sometimes it's so hard to be good.

Shanty Town

A little while ago, I gave Mike the go ahead to get rid of some wood that I had been saving in the garage for craft projects.  It's been a long time since I have been able to make anything, and my saw got broken anyway.  Allie and Lily were out in the back yard and asked if they could use the wood to make a hut.  They ended up making a pretty great hut.  Mike helped them screw in a few supporting screws, but the decorating was all them.

"We are up for adventures"

"no shoes" because they have a white floor.

They used the extra pine boughs from our Christmas tree to make some wreaths and a spray over their entrance.

Carson and Jake were a little jealous of their hut, so they got going on one of their own.  Mike was calling it Shanty Town.

"The shanty town workshop.  Jake and Carson"

"if you spend $50000.00 you get a free creation"

"Shanty town workshop and town hall"

I loved their list of prices...
  

 It's quite the view isn't it?

 Jake and Carson were quickly discouraged about how hard it was to build something that wouldn't collapse on them, so they knocked it all down and started over in a new spot.  I'll have to post pictures of that one because it's much better constructed and has more room for them to move around.  I guess if we aren't going to get snow, at least they have Shanty Town to hang out in.

A Christmas Story

If you have been around me over the last few weeks, you have already heard this story.  I am adding it to the blog though because I want Jason and Nate to read this in a few years and have a good laugh with me.
Over Thanksgiving, I bought some things at Kmart's site to store.  That means I bought something and then just have to pick it up at the store.  Those kind of purchases are the way to go these days because that means I don't have to drag my crazy beasts into the store with me.  Well, I do have to drag them in...just not for long.  Anyway, I had a really not so good cashier and we waited, and waited, and waited.  Nate had brought Dusty Crophopper in and was flying everywhere, and Jason was screaming to be let loose.  When I'd give into his pleas, it always resulted in him running as far and as fast as he could go.  I'd capture him again, see all the kind smiles of the other people waiting in line, and get back into place, red faced and embarrassed at my wild beast of a child.
Anyway, we finally got through the line and as soon as I picked up my bag to go, Nate said "I gotta go poo".  Of course the bathrooms are at the way back end of the store.  We got there at a meandering pace...Jason had to veer off in every crazy direction possible.  (You might ask why I didn't carry him, or put him in a cart, and I'll remind you that he screams like a child possessed if I am carrying him and he wants to walk.  I'll also remind you that this was supposed to be a quick in and out, so I didn't plan for a cart.)  As we walked in the door, Nate tells me he doesn't have to go anymore.  I said "No way, dude.  You're going."  In the mean time, I had to hold onto Jason with a death grip so he wouldn't swirl his hands in the toilet or lay on the filthy floor doing snow angels.  Nate took his sweet time pooping and I was in a full sweat...totally regretting my stupid crayon black Friday purchase.
We got out of the bathroom without much else to write about.  Nate saw a Planes display and asked if we could look for Dipper.  She's a plane he's been looking for.  I agreed (stupidly) and off we went into the toy section.  That was also just as expected..."Mom!  Can I get that for my birfday?"  Over and over, and over.
I dragged them away from the toys.  I had Jason in my arms and was avoiding the squirming flailing arms as he yelled "help! help!"  Nate wasn't even on my naughty radar because he's been so good lately.  Next thing I know, he has karate chopped the 14 foot Frosty the Snowman blowup display.  It deflated and was knocked over before I could even figure out what happened.  Horrified, I set Jason down and went to get Frosty back up.  It wasn't working out as planned, and I could hear a suspicious plink....plink...plink.... "Ball!" coming from behind me.  I set Frosty up as good as I could (totally crooked) and turned around to find Jason and Nate stripping the ornaments from the display tree and throwing them down the aisle.  They were so happy about things and I was so horrified!  I couldn't pick the ornaments up fast enough.  Luckily they were shatterproof.  The boys were both happily watching those balls roll and they just couldn't stop.  I couldn't get them back on the tree because there weren't any hooks and I was too flustered to get it figured out.  Things were just getting worse with the boys and I knew I just had to get out of there.  I gathered up as many ornaments as I could and put them in a pile...then I grabbed those boys and made a beeline for the exit.  The whole way there, I was thinking of the surveillance cameras that had recorded that episode...I think it could have made it onto Super Nanny.  The walk to the door was long enough that I was trying to decide if it was worth the fight a few minutes longer to let employees know of the disaster we were leaving in our wake...common sense won out and I just left.  I figured they would see it all soon enough.
At the time, I wanted to go home and never leave the house again. It wasn't until much later that I could laugh about it.  And now, it's my favorite story.  I guess if I can't laugh at these things, there won't be much laughter in my life.
The thing that just keeps coming back to me though is the fact that these boys run all over me.  What is wrong with me that I can't control these kids?  Do I really need Super Nanny?  Jake and Allie didn't walk all over me, but I was also a different kind of parent before I had Sam.  So, in a way, this is all fine and dandy, but I hate the out of control feeling they leave me with.
Allie and I were watching The Little Couple on TLC the other day and we were thinking Will and Zoey were just so cute they made Allie giggle.  Then she said "that little girl is just sitting in that chair!  She's so cute!"  I was thinking the same thing.  She was just sitting in a chair at the beach looking at the birds and the waves.  Later on, the boy sat in a chair and watched his dad fish.  They walked side by side by their parents and were just so well behaved.  Jason and Nate just did not come that way.  Their natural instinct when we come to a new place is to run and look into every corner, jump on every piece of furniture, and scream shrilly as they avoid my grasping arms.  It is a natural instinct to dart into traffic in a parking lot.  It's a natural instinct to climb, and jump, and scream, and squeal.  I certainly don't want to beat it out of them, but I am also jealous of the well behaved children at the grocery store who aren't trying to break free of the shopping cart buckles.  I am not kidding when I say that Jason can break free of almost every store's shopping cart buckles.  He strains and grunts and pushes his body so far that the buckle pops free.  I have since learned to cinch it down so tight that he can't even wiggle.  Then he can't get the leverage to pop it free, but he also complains that it is too tight.
I guess I just need to quit comparing.  These boys aren't the well behaved calm kids that follow me and stay close as we go shopping, but they have their merits.  They are hilarious and they are smart.  I love them more than I could have ever imagined loving children before I had my own.  I am grateful to Sam (and really, each one of my kids) for teaching me to be a mother who cherishes all the things about my children.  I know I cherished them before, but he changed me for sure.  He made me think twice about what really matters.  He made me be more of a "yes" mom than I was before.  I think he paved the way for the strong willed Jason and Nate.  I know I am far from perfect as a parent, but I also know that I love my kids and they know that I love them.  I am learning every day and I sure hope these kids realize that even if I lose my patience now and then, overall, I try to treat them with love and kindness.  Heavenly Father entrusted me and Mike with some of his amazing children.  They have such potential in their little bodies and I look forward to seeing the great things they do with their time on this earth.  So when they act like the children that they are, I hope I can continue to have patience and see the humor in things.  And I hope all the people around me witnessing the chaos will just continue to smile and see my children for what they are...some of God's loved children.

The Celebration of Jake

Jake got to rock the halls again on the Friday after his birthday.  

 I'm pretty proud of these reading nerds of mine.

Then Grandma took him shopping for his birthday gift.  Then it was time for dinner.  Since he got steak on his actual birthday, he wanted nachos for this birthday meal.  No one complained.  In fact, Allie said "I just might have to change my birthday meal to something besides stroganoff.  It's not fun to watch people be sad about dinner on your birthday.  I want to see people eat it and be happy."  It's actually a bummer when people don't like any dinner unless it is junk food...

 Jake also decided this year that he doesn't like cake.  So we built a doughnut tower instead.
It was a fun change.

 These kids think they are pretty hot stuff now that they can light matches.

It was a fun week of celebrating Jake.  It seems like I can't start thinking about Christmas until his birthday is out of the way.  He was due on New Year's Day and then came 4 weeks early.  I'm glad he was healthy, and I'm also glad he's at the beginning of the month.  It makes things a little less stressful.
I sure do love you Jake.  I'm grateful that you are such a happy, easy going kid.  You are a great brother and a fun kid to be around.

Box Fun

There is nothing more fun that playing in a big box...right?

The UPS man has brought us all sorts of fun boxes to play with at home these days...

Jake's Birthday

Jake's birthday was a week long event.  He got to open his gifts early in the morning because it was going to be a busy evening.  

He got an RC plane and was really happy about it and excited to try it out.

He got scrambled eggs for breakfast (complete with ketchup)...Gross.

He went off to piano and I got his lunch ready for the day.  I wrapped his lunch in wrapping paper and he thought that was fun.

Then, as soon as school got out, he was out testing the plane.  The whole family thought it was pretty cool.  It was broken by the end of the night.  What do you do?

He got some lego's and candy too.

The young women had volunteered to watch the littles for the night, so we were able to take Jake and Allie out to dinner without the chaos that follows us when Nate and Jason are there too.  We went to Texas Roadhouse and he got his favorite meal...steak.  It was a nice dinner.  The party continued throughout the week, so we'll have to share those details next...

Backyard Deer

A while ago, I heard Jason yelling at the top of his lungs "go way! ge-out RRR!!!"  I went to see what was up, and found that he was yelling at the deer that were using our back hill as an outdoor restaurant.  I also found Allie, with her bow and arrow set, trying to get the deer.  

First of all, if they don't care when air-soft bullets hit them, they aren't going to care about a Nerf bullet, but it's worth a shot.  Second, we are terrible people!  Most people love deer and love to get a look at their elusive beauty.  What is wrong with me, that I have taught my two year old baby to yell at deer?
To tell you the truth, I didn't mind them at all until they started eating my apple tree.  It was a beautiful fall day with all sorts of other things to munch on, and some pack of stupid deer decided that the branches of my apple tree would taste better than anything else the canyon had to offer.  Now it's all deformed and lame.  You do that to me and my tree and you just don't get forgiveness.  So, deer, I don't care if it wasn't you who munched on my tree.  If you come into my yard, be prepared for some angry two year old babble and Nerf bullets to wiz by your ears.

Redneck ski slope

Remember our summertime redneck water slide?  Well, it's making a come back for the winter months, only now it's a ski slope.  

Or, just a sledding hill...

The boys think this is pretty awesome and can hardly wait for some deep snow to come.  It goes pretty fast and they have to duck down on the sled at the end because they go under the deck and it would hurt pretty bad if they didn't duck.

Allie tried catching snow flakes.  Then asked if I could take pictures of them.

It doesn't show the beauty, but it was worth a try.

Snow

These are old pictures by now and we still haven't gotten a huge snowstorm, but these are pictures of one of the small storms we got. The kids were out there early and looking forward to fun in the snow. Really, it's just a skiff, but Nate doesn't remember deep snow, so he was impressed.

So was Jason.

These boys aren't going to be the type that stay in when it's cold outside.  They'll be out there playing, I'm sure of it.  I guess we just keep hoping there will be lots of snow to play in.

Book Club Helpers

This is an old event, but still worth talking about.  I had book club at my house on a night when Mike was out of town last month.  I asked the kids to help me get the boys in bed and pick up things a bit.  They were really excited to help and we got things done in record time.  Jason and Nate were snoozing and they got the food set out on the table.  I made fudge for that night (as a special request from Allie and Jake who crave it all year round.)  I also made caramel popcorn and pumpkin cookies.  The kids set things up and even remembered to get my chair out because they have seen it out in that room after previous book clubs.  Then, it was a waiting game.  I had told them that people would be there at 8.  So when 8:00 came and went, they were outside looking down the street and asking me every thirty seconds when people were going to show up.  They didn't realize that the ladies hardly ever show up on time (me included.)  They always show up though and we did have a great time.

I love my book club and the friends that I have there.  We've been going strong for 9 years now.  I still feel like a traitor when I think of the year that I didn't come to this book club.  I had too many things on my plate and I let this book club be the thing that I took off.  Never again.  I need my book club friends too much. We've chatted through all sorts of issues and read so many great books.  I love book club!