Santa Claus came to town--big time!

Birthday Girl!!!

Family photo time--never an easy task.

Owen was digging his new Duplo Fire Station

Baking Christmas cookies on our snow day(s)

We survived another Christmas season. Just when you think it won't all get done, the presents are tucked under the tree, the stockings are hung and full and you are ready to turn out the lights to sleep soundly till little feet pitter pat their way to your bedside to announce that "Santa did NOT fill our stockings with candy, mama!" at 7:30 AM. :) Nick had checked on a few of the decoration stockings and, no, they did not have candy in them. SO--we dragged ourselves out of bed and proceeded down to the family room and he was very pleased to find lots of presents and FULL stocking hung above the OPENED fireplace doors (usually closed by a baby lock...) I remembered that detail AFTER I had crawled in to bed at midnight....He took down and emptied his stocking in no time and pulled out 2 presents to open while we waited for Owen. He was very cute and very patient. Even Owen did his stocking and only 1 toy--which was 4 new Cars themed cars, and he was very happy to play with those till Oma, Opa, Uncle Ben and Aunt Alia came at 10 AM!! I have such good boys!!!! Eveyone was impressed that the presents were still sitting there. Then the festivities began and we all got some very nice things. The boys loved ripping open the packages and moving on to the next thing with the perfunctory "thank yous" attached! We had a lovely brunch and some nice quiet time when the boys napped. Nick actually put himself to bed--what a busy morning we had! Christmas really is so much more fun with kids. I missed my family--mom and John would have had fun watching the commotion and hearing the commentary. It is these traditions that we have to create and continue. Such is the cycle of life. Now Andy and the rest of the Duda's are off to Egypt for Ben and Alia's reception there. 7 whole days without my trusty husband and best friend. If nothing else, I might lose weight for all the cereal and popcorn I will be eating for dinner!!! Wish me luck!

Appreciation

You know, you really can't appreciate the goodness of family until you are literally stuck inside with them and you can spend ALL that quality time together. What a fun weekend. We were supposed to be really, really busy. Gone all day and night Saturday and most of Sunday with a surprise wedding on Saturday and the festivities at church on Sunday. Well, Mother Nature knows what we need more than we do and we all got snowed in!!! No wedding, no church, nothing but good old fashioned hanging out. I used to think, when Nick was really little, that that was all we did. And we do do a good bit of it now, but we are getting busier and busier and I find that that causes tempers to flare and annoyances to arise. This weekend though, we all hung in there. Forging ahead with baking cookies, playing in the snow, drinking hot cocoa w/ extra marshmallows, baking some more, watching movies, playing playdoh, etc etc. We just had FUN. You can really appreciate each other alot more when you slow down and spend time together. Someone said that the biggest thing in being a parent is to "just show up" and I think we all did that this weekend. Now when they announced that schools would be CLOSED today, I did a loud Oshkosh West High Indians CHEER and danced around the kitchen cuz, don't get me wrong, I love and adore my children, but it was time for a change of scenery!!!! So off to daycare they went, in full snowpant/boot gear, and they should have a great day with their buddies and I will have a great day puttering around the house cleaning up, getting out the Holiday dishes for Christmas Eve, doing last minute shopping and getting to the gym. Mommy needed a SNOW DAY!!!!

time flies

Two handsome guys. Daddy and Owen

CHEEEEEEESE or in Owen's case "jelly beeeeeans!"

FINALLY--good snow--the kind that packs up for a snowman!!!

Wow--time is just ticking away isn't it?? Here we were waiting and waiting for Andy's brother Ben to finally marry his long time girlfriend Alia, and POOF!! It is done and over with and they are getting ready to whisk everyone (except me and the kids) to Egypt to celebrate as only Egyptians can!! (insert "walk like an Egyptian" song) :) So--it is mid December, most presents have been bought, none wrapped and no cookies made. Soon, I tell myself, soon. Then the day passes, the week passes and good G-d half a month is gone and I best get crackin' or Santa will be eating dry Rice Krispies on Christmas night!

The boys continue to challenge and amaze us. They are both so darn cute I could burst and they are funny as all get outs. Thankfully I laugh more than I want to cry, so that keeps us going. Owen has a fierce independent/defiant trend that drives us all crazy. Nick is pretty compliant--so this takes some getting used to. If you say come here--he turns on a dime and runs that way. Get in the car?? Run down the hill and fall flat on your face in the mud....This is how it goes at our house. I have gotten both very fast and smart and can manhandle that lug of a child, albeit flaring my carpal tunnel each time I grab and carry his 35 pounds around...but I get the job done. We are trying to find ways to catch him being good--a phrase people will use on you when you have a darling demon spawn. So, we give high 5s for putting something in the trash, coming when called, or keeping his cup in the kitchen....Really mundane, repetitive and dumb, and we are open to all suggestions. Again, he is so darn cute and comes up with really cute things to say and we love him to death, but he can really drive us up a wall. I love being a mom, but it can be a drag sometimes. AND SO TIRING!!!!! My lovely "Mother in love" says I have to be consistent and it will turn out all right eventually. Man do I hope so.

In other news, we had to find new daycare for Jan--June. Found a lovely yoga instructor/fine arts major super mom who loves to bake, take nature walks and do yoga with the kids. YIPPEE. The boys will be happy there and go to another lady in June. Nick will be starting two day /week preschool in Jan as well. WOW. A preschooler, not just a toddler. It is flying by. It just does not slow down for anything. Hang on tight all you new moms, it is a wild ride. Nick is potty trained for pee, not for poo. Still uses the pull up to push one out, gets changed and takes his nap. Totally Pavlovian. Not sure where to go from here....how does one MAKE one do something?????

work is great, very busy, but very good. Really neat families with very real issues and really neat kids. So much progress in so little time and it is really rewarding. I am blessed to cherish my job in all ways.

We got an early snow storm last week. So super duper fun especially since Owen did not cry the whole time holding on to my leg. He actually played. Till his hands hurt so badly because he had tossed his mittens to the side to eat the snow and they were FROZEN!!!! He would NOT keep them on, so he KEPT getting cold and complaining. This is life as Owen. Love him.