Sammy-Says #1

I have always loved keeping track of all the funny, strange and cute things Bo says and now it is time to start doing the same for Sam. Sam has been talking for quite awhile now and is usually the one who has me laughing all day but more from the things he does rather than the things he says. However, he's still a kid and spurts out some pretty fun stuff every now and then so from here on out I will do my best to capture them.

1) Sam: (While squinting) I need go to eye doctor.
Me: The eye doctor? How come?
Sam: Because my leg hurts.

And while I'm thinking about Sam, here are a few things that define Sam lately:

-always walking around with his shoes on the wrong feet and quite often un-matching ones (typically one rain boot and one snow boot)

-prefers to be naked
-always slightly awkward but in a really cute way

-has the personality and smile to light up a room

-never wants to be left behind. If anyone goes down stairs, or outside, or leaves our house, he wants to go too. Grass is always greener. "go too! me go tooooo!"
-loves to tell stories with tons of sound effects. Sometimes it's only sound effects and arm motions, especially when talking on the phone, and generally an airplane is involved.

Mmmmmm....Lego Soup

They worked on this soup for over an hour. Scooping. Stirring. Dumping. It was awesome. One pot eventually turned in to three and then, like with everything, the spoons became weapons and we had to clean up.

Brigitte Is Snow Much Fun!

Can I just say, Brigitte is AWESOME!

Today when I came home from running errands I opened the garage door to go inside and then heard some giggling down in the woods. I turned around and sure enough, out popped 2 little snow rats and their fearless leader. All bundled up, covered in snow and smiles from ear to ear.

Brigitte grew up in Alaska and loves being outside. She understands the weather and embraces it; something I am still struggling with after 9 years of living up here. To her, the snow and cold is an exciting change and opens up new wintery things to do while I am completely opposite and see it as an end to summer.

Goodbye bike riding and playing outside for hours. Goodbye soccer games in the front yard and sidewalk chalk roads on the driveway. Hello play-doh, toys everywhere and forts, forts, forts. Hello daily trips to Fred Meyer and hello cooped up energy.

So why? Why can't I think more like Brigitte? Why can't this Texan think like an Alaskan? It sure would be nice. I know the boys would love it. I know it would help the winter go by faster. And I know it would help keep the house cleaner.
But until then, until I learn to love the cold, until I fully appreciate the wonders of winter, thank goodness the boys have "Aunt Brigitte"

Cupcakes For Grandma

Yesterday was Grandma's birthday so the boys and I surprised her with homemade cupcakes. Sam helped me make them and then he and Bo decorated them all. And boy were they DECORATED!!!

I feel like an idiot for not taking any pictures of the boys giving them to her. It was priceless. They were so excited and Grandma was shocked. I think she really enjoyed the surprise.

Bo also gave her a book on 'Scats and Tracks" of Alaska. He and Grandma always talk about the animal tracks in the yard so this way they can learn to identify them. And by the time we left last night they had decided a fox and a vole were the two most frequent culprits.

Happy Birthday, Grandma. Hope it was a great day.

Just Some Cute Pics From October

Playing at Grandma & Grandpa's
Bo on a fire truck at Fire Safety Day at his school

A tub of funWinter is hereBuilding food forts

You're Fired!

I just read one of my friends' blogs (http://flapyap.blogspot.com) and really got to thinking. What if I had a boss? A mommy boss. A boss for my full time child wrangling, house scrubbing, bill paying, grocery shopping, diaper applying, laundry sorting, meal planning, question answering, sleep training, and household harmonizing.

Would I do things differently? Would there be less crap that goes undone? Would the trash get taken out before it overflows to the point you can't physically slide it out of the can without it ripping and tearing and busting all over the floor? Would I not walk past the same alphabet magnet on the floor for 2 days without picking it up? Would I really be sitting here blogging with my elbow resting on a big ass pile of unopened mail, magazines and other random papers that need to be filed thinking about my stomach rolling over the top of my pants and wondering why the damn dryer won't stop buzzing at me?

Or would I have everything alphabetized in color coded files, the laundry folded and put away, and a self-help book in my hand while diligently doing sit-ups? I don't know. But what I do know is there is ALWAYS something that needs to be done around here and ALWAYS something I'd rather be doing. I have no problem watching Project Runway or an episode of The Office after the kids go to bed but can never quite find the time to scrub the stove.

Hmmmm . . .Interesting . . .

So one might conclude that I am lazy or just don't care, but I think the real problem lies not with me, but rather the job at hand. Think about it. Every other job I have had as an adult, which granted has not been many, has been one in a position of authority. And I kicked ass! I really did. And yes, if you are wondering what that sound is, don't worry, it is just my own horn.

toot toot!

So you see, the problem is definitely NOT me. Not me at all. The problem is my employees. They are just too damn young. If anyone should be fired, it is them.

Now, if only I could get a raise . . .

A Party Is Still A Party Even If It's 3 Weeks Late

Since Wes and I were in Seattle on Max's actual birthday (sorry Maxy) we decided to push it off even a few more weeks and wait to celebrate when Opa and Nana were here. So last Sunday we did just that.

It was really nice. I cooked a ham, Nana made potato salad, Grandma came over (Grandpa was working on the house) and we had a mini Max party. We opened presents (mainly all pajamas) and then let Max go to town on his cake. I made a Devil's Food cake with vanilla icing and he devoured it!

Finally Slowing Down

I knew he was shoveling and shoveling and the cake was disappearing but I thought most of it was missing his mouth and falling into his lap. But I was wrong. I felt horr-i-ble. Horrible, I tell you! The kid ate an ENTIRE loaf of cake. An entire loaf of cake, folks. I thought he might explode. Or puke. Or pass-out. Or have the most ginormous cakepoop ever. But nothing. The kid took it like a champ. 'Man vs. Food' has nothing on him.

Oooh, so FULL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAX!! I love you.