Sucking It All In, The Christmas Edition

This year something hit me hard.  I really know now that you guys are getting older and I am acutely aware that the Christmas season we enjoy now is going to change as you both grow.  A couple years back Christmas was filled with crafting, wrapping, and baking.  Certainly these activities are still well enjoyed by you both but I detect a change in the excitement level.

Paper snowflake making just does not make you bounce off the walls the way it used to.  One year Ben, you made paper snowflakes for hours.  We covered the basement with them...this year you did it for a half hour before asking to stop.

Of course with this change in Benny brings change to Jack as well who this year mastered the art of snowflake making.  It was very exciting to see you open each snowflake with excitement to see what you had created.  You were also the one to roll about 50 shortbread cookies all by yourself...not bad for a five year old!

Perhaps this is where tradition takes over?  What we used to do because it was beyond exciting becomes the things we do each year to carry on our own little unique set of Christmas rules and regulations.  Yes, there is a movement towards the understanding of tradition and activities that occur each year as part of that.  This brings some comfort because even if the uncontrollable excitement is gone I can handle it as long as we still retain the group spirit in making Christmas happen.

So this year I am totally sucking the marrow from each step of Christmas preparation so my barrel of memories of the two of you will be full full full.  I have it all planned...paper snowflakes, foam houses (4 different varieties), baking, decorating, wrapping, Christmas bags for your school friends, gingerbread decorating party with your friends from the street, Play clay Christmas ornaments, foam ornaments...

Just promise you will let me do this for the years to come even if it does get a little lame.  In exchange I will stop planning parties to decorate gingerbread ornaments well before you are fifteen years old...because that isn't cool right?

Things I Know for Sure...I Think...

Time for another installment of things I know for sure.  It is good to have a few things you know for sure to offset the many things you haven't a clue about.  When questioning myself about the job I do as a mother so often I focus on the stuff I don't know.  Sometimes instead of tearing oneself down it is much wiser to build yourself up.  So lets focus on what I know...here are the things I know for sure.

1. A Friday night party followed by a Saturday night sleepover are a sure recipe for tired and cranky boys.

2. Tired and cranky boys do not make good playmates and should not be left in the bathtub alone with one another along with a spray bottle full of cold water.

3.  This mother of tired and cranky boys will eventually lose her cool and look up at the ceiling while calling out "Santa did you just hear what "insert child's name here" said?" in a vain attempt to shock the boys.

4.  Tired boys (once calmed down) make THE BEST cuddlers in the world.

5.  I do not know how Whoville fits into a snowflake or exactly what 100 times the weight of an ant feels like.

Letter to Jack

Dear Jack,

I must make a confession.  I haven't taught you that number 13 exists yet.  Why?  Not because I am superstitious.  Simply because when I hear you count

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16....

it is just too cute and I don't want to lose this little bit of little that is left in you.

My sincere apologies and I promise that by the time you need 13 I will tell you all about it.

Mom

AC (Anatomically Correct)

And here is a lovely photo of Jackie working away on his Sponge Bob sandcastle.  We were hanging out with a new little friend and his parents.  Chit chatting in the ocean.  We stopped to watch the kids put the finishing touches on their work.  A seemingly lovely moment until you listen in to the conversation occurring right after this photo was taken....

Jack: "I am making a penis on Sponge Bob!"
Mom: "No thank you Jack"
Jack: "Hehehehehehehe I am MAKING a PENIS for Sponge Bob!"
Mom: "NO Thank you Jack!"
Jack: "Hehehehehehe"
Mom: "Take it off NOW Jack!"

Letter to Ben

Hi Benny boy,

Did you know we are both the oldest child in our family?  This means we both got to be the first to do most things in our families which is kind of cool.  This also means that our parents got to experience most of the firsts with us.  This means that my parents and your parents (me and Dad) were new at each experience.  Not yet seasoned with each stage a child goes through.

I know that sometimes I expect too much of you and that I don't always understand what exactly it is that I should expect from a seven year old boy but I'm trying my best.  Trying my best to be open to learning with you and trying my best to give you just what you need.  I know though that I don't always do the best job with this.

I hope one day you will look back and know that the times I pushed too hard or expected you to be too grown up were because you are my first and I am learning just like you.  Not because I was mean or because there was anything wrong with you.

I want to be the best mom I can be for you and I know you always try to be the best boy you can be for me.  It might not always feel like it but I think we are the best partners for each in other in this land of firsts.  I can't think of any other boy I would rather do it with, you are my first forever and always.

Your Crazy Momma

Machine Gun Kisses

A new twist on the old.  You know how you blow a kiss to someone?  Well these two monkey's have figured out a much cooler way...instead of just blowing the kiss with one blow you do several short blows turning the kiss into a machine gun kiss.  Oh how I love these boys!

Daddy Adventures, The Sandcastle Edition

After spending a few days in Cuba we seemed to hit our stride, find our groove, or like old cows follow the same path each day-completely content to do so.  Our path was usually the beach in the morning followed by some pool time in the afternoon.  Not a bad way to live I gotta say.

Daddy loves to dig in the sand just as much (maybe even possibly sometimes more) as Benny and Jackie so each day involved some sort of building.  Think we garnered a bit of a reputation on the beach because people would pass and ask what we were building that day or comment on how big the castle had grown from the day before!

Pedicure a la Jack and Ben

Who has been asking me to paint my nails???  My Benny boy and how could I resist?  So I didn't!  Of course it helps a wee bit that the cold weather is here so no matter if I walk around with crazy toes for a season.  Benny worked very hard and his brother assisted.

 I think the end result was just perfect.

Spoooooky!!!!!

One thing this family loves is some Halloween fun! Every year we decorate the house inside and out. We started a few years back because we really wanted to have one of those houses that all the trick or treaters remember from year to year and look forward to going to year after year.

When I was a little girl no one really decorated the way they do now but there was this one house that had spooky music and I could not wait to get to it. I think that we are one of those houses in our neighborhood now. I say ONE of those houses because the competition is pretty hot and heavy in this sub-division. Though we were one of the first to decorate in a grand way we have most certainly been surpassed at this point!

I have to say that my two boys have definitely taken to this season just as we have. The spirit that fills this house is incredible. Picture two little boys ripping through boxes of decorations and setting up their own little spooky places. This year both of you even worked with us to choose the spooky background music giving thumbs up and thumbs down to the final selections.

I can picture you both doing the same with your children when you becomes fathers. Ahh what fathers you will be. Wonderful.