Baby Eva's First Christmas

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Definitely a White Christmas

Guitar Playing Hockey Man

Despite the fact that neither of the kids slept particularly well during our three nights in Green Bay, all three of us loved being with family.

The Girls

The Boys

Sam was so excited to bake with TT and to follow Sarah around and to wonder at what games Zachary was playing and to listen to Scott talk about jellyfish and boating in Florida and to dance and sing with Auntie Annie. It's been too long since we were all together for Christmas.

Brother and Sister

I wish I had the energy to write down all the details, but Eva IS still only 10 weeks old and my 3-year-old has recently started resisting sleep also. When the babies don't sleep, Mommy doesn't sleep. I'm lucky I can form coherent thoughts, so writing eloquently about our family holiday would be pushing it.

Our Family

But there are pictures. Lots of pictures here.

And these two cute videos...

I Like He

Guitar Hero

Lego Carousel

“Don’t go in there,” Sam said. “It’s messy.”

He was standing in the hallway in front of my bedroom in his alligator pajama top and his penguin pajama bottom. I had put him down for a nap in his own room half an hour before, and I had just awoken from 20 minutes of sleep on the couch, Eva snoozing on my chest.

I looked in my bedroom and it looked exactly as it had when I left it an hour ago.

“Not there,” he said. “There.”

He pointed to the sliding walk-in closet door, and I pushed it open.

What I found were dozens of important papers strewn about, the cardboard box that used to contain a small portable sewing machine torn to pieces, clothes throw all over the place (not all his fault), hundreds of little pieces of shredded Styrofoam, and the plastic parts and bobbins and other pieces that somehow fit together to work the sewing machine that I bought years ago and have never used.

I have to say this was perhaps the first time since I have become a parent that I was completely speechless. I had spent nearly an hour and a half patiently putting him back in to his bed when he fought his nap earlier in the day, telling him over and over again that if he didn’t lay down and nap we were not going to go to my friend’s house, my friend with the Legos.

“I guess we’ll have to stay home,” I had told him, knowing that I didn’t dare bring him to Dave and Stacy’s if he didn’t nap. That had finally worked and he had settled down to nap.

Or so I had thought.

As I stood there looking at the mess, I really didn’t know what to say. I took a deep breath.

“Sammy,” I said as I looked at him, my voice conveying my disappointment.

“It’s messy,” he said.

“That was naughty,” I said. And I calmly sent him to his room… where he stayed while I cleaned it all up cursing under my sleep-deprived breath.

Sam's Christmas Present

Considering that’s how the afternoon started, and considering Sam didn’t actually nap, it’s a wonder that our evening at The Lego Lair turned out to be so successful. I don’t know if Dave and Stacy enjoyed having us there, but Mommy enjoyed a break from the monotonous battle-with-a-three-year-old weekend, and Sammy found a new BFF. Legos. Trains. Nerf Guns. Guitar Hero. Fraggle Rock. Sponge Bob. What more could any 3-year-old ask for? My favorite moment was watching Sam sit behind Dave with his hands up over Dave’s shoulders as they watched Sponge Bob on the flat screen. I had a hard time getting Sam to leave. (I’m having a hard time getting Sam to do anything these days.)

Nerf Gun Heaven

In the end it was Dave that convinced Sam to get his coat and boots on so he could help take Ali (their dog) outside.

Sam's New BFF

“I like he,” Sam said after I had him buckled into his car seat and we were pulling out of the driveway. “Can we go there again?”

Oh Dave, if only you knew what you have done.

How Sam spent his Sunday morning, post visit

THREE!

Dec 17, 2010

Dec 17, 2009

Dec 17, 2008

Dec 17, 2007

The Big Storm

Things that came out of Sam's mouth during our weekend in Green Bay:

"Don't. Talk. At. Me. Like. That!"

"No!"

"You're being naughty, Mommy. I'm telling Santa. Don't be naughty at me."

"No!"

"I have told you a hundred times not to do that, Mommy! Listen. To. Me."

"No!"

"Why don't you just listen to me, Mommy? I am really tired of you not listening to me. I'm telling Santa that you're not listening to me."

"No!"

"Focus, Mommy. Focus."

"How many times do I have to tell you no?!"

"Get your butt over here, Mommy James!"

"Don't talk at me like that. I do not like it when you talk at me like that. You will go on the naughty mat if you talk at me like that again."

"I said NO!"

"You are not the boss of me!"

Making cupcakes

Sammy's first 3-year-old birthday celebration (a few days early)

Helping with TT's tree

I was prepared for the weekend trip to TT's house to be a little challenging, our first trip to her house with Baby Eva, the first weekend in which Sam would test the boundaries with the new family, the first weekend in which Sam would see just how much he could get away with. But I really wasn't prepared for how constantly he would challenge me and how exhausted I would get by it all. Thank God his Baby Sister was relatively content.


And, oh yah, it snowed. A lot!

TT and Sam watch Roger clear out the driveway

Sam tries to get in the front door

No comment

Creating Spaghetti Dialogue

Get in the pink thing.
No, I don't want to get in the pink thing!
Come on, you will like it.
No I won't.
Yes you will.
I can't.
Yes, you can.
I can't.
Try it. You can do it. You will like it. Try it.
She tries it, and...
and...
and...
she did it YAY!!!!

This is the dialogue that Sam enacted with two strands of spaghetti and a pink bowl while he was alone at the dinner table earlier this week.

Winter Wonderland

"Don't eat yellow snow, Sammy. Only the white snow. Yellow snow means a doggie peed there."

"Where is the doggie snow, Mommy?"

"There isn't any in our yard. We don't have a doggie. But just don't eat it when you see it."

"Where is it? I want to see the doggie snow."

"We don't have any."

"I want to see it. Now!"

"Hey - look at the snowplow!"


Our weekend started with a package delivered to our door, an unexpected Welcome-to-the-World present for Eva and a You're-a-Big-Brother present for Sammy. Sammy tore off the wrapping paper ("I do Baby Sister's cuz she's too little.") and was very excited to play Don't Break The Ice, a Cootie Game in which you pound away at blocks of ice and hope the polar bear doesn't fall through on your turn. It turns out the wintry gift was just the beginning of a wonderful winter weekend.

"Let's play again! Let's play again!"

Friday night we had over 8 inches of snow, and we spent the rest of the weekend playing in it. Thanks to two special aunts that made all this possible.... Aunt Bev who sent the wonderful toys, and Aunt Judy who gave us the swing that kept Eva happy while Sammy and Mommy had a blast playing in a beautiful winter wonderland. Anyone who doesn't like winter should rent a 3-year-old. I have never had so much fun in the snow.

Sam's Snow Removal Service

And of course, we came in and warmed up with hot cocoa and cheered for The Pack.

Eva, Not So Happy During the First Half :)