I couldn't have done this if I tried........

The day before yesterday I went to unload my dishwasher. As I opened the door I stopped, looked down, and just stared. Then I shut it and went in the den to get Oren. I said "Okay, I think I'm going to crazy here and I just need you to see something. My dishwasher is purple - right?"

And sure enough.....

Apparently Jackson put a black ink pen in the dishwasher which in turn turned everything a lovely shade of lilac. Multiple washes later, it appears the color is here to stay. At least it wasn't a brown pen!

After Christmas Brunch

It's become an annual tradition for us Maury grads to meet for brunch the day after Christmas. This year was no exception. After running Jackson to the pediatrician (yes, ear infection), Mom watched the boys for me. I met up with Emily, Diogo, Ivan, and Patty at Baker's Crust and had a fun lunch. It's always nice to catch up with old friends! Love you!

Mixed Christmas...

There was a little of this:



















And a lot if this:















Christmas began promptly at 6:30am. Jackson woke up and immediately wanted to see whether Santa had eaten his cookies or not. I could hear in his voice how excited he was! He ran straight for the plate - not even looking to see if there were presents under the tree. Things went well until I noticed that my camera batteries were dead and my charger was missing....a mom's worst nightmare! I got exactly four very quick photos before it died. I wanted to cry but I reasoned with myself that it wouldn't have helped the situation to get upset about it. We had the video camera going so it wasn't a total loss. I still had a great time watchign Jackson and Drew open gifts.

Fast forward to 9:30am. We're getting ready to go to my parent's house and Jackson says he doesn't feel good. As soon as we get there he rapidly declines - saying his ear hurts, crying, and so on. It was sad. From there I went to take Jackson and Drew to see their other side of the family. Jackson fell apart and said he didn't want to stay. He wouldn't even open gifts. Luckily they understood so Andrew had his first visit alone. Durign that time Jackson came home and took a nap so it actualyl worked out well.

Fast forward to 2:40. I'm walking into my grandparent's house with green bean casserole, diaper bag, and kids in tow (I'm late of course). We had a blast visiting, eating, and playing games. Although he still wasn't interested in openign any more gifts, between the Tylenol and Scott's mere presence, Jackson perked up. By 6:30 we were heading home, happy but exhausted.

Fast forward to 8:00-9:30. Andrew is crying hysterically. From the drool pouring out of his mouth I can only assume he's cutting another molar. He would not be consoled. I tried walking, bouncing, rocking. Oren tried flying him around, bouncing, etc. Nothing worked. It was so upsetting. Suddenly I remembered that with Jackson I would have to drive him to get him to sleep (see - Drew really IS a good baby - I haven't have to try to driving trick until now!). After a few loops around the neighborhood he fell asleep.

So like I said - it was a mixed Christmas. I'm sure in a couple years we'll forget the tears and only rememebr the smiles! We hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads....

I just got up to check on my babies and they're both knocked out. Not bad for 8:51pm! I have a busy night ahead of me but I just love how sweet they look when sleeping....

Christmas morning - here we come!!

P.S. Notice Jackson's "art" on Drew's crib? When I asked him if he wrote his name on his brother's bed he said:

"No! I only got to J - A - C - K!"

Pre-K Holiday Fun

It's been a busy week at Willard! Tuesday Jackson's class was in a super cute musical number where they dressed as mice. I didn't load the video to prove it, but........he actually participated! Sure, the treat we bribed him with may have helped, but I'll take what I can get :) Here is my little gray mouse:
















Wednesday each class took turns rotating from one room to the next, completing a fun activity in each classroom. In Jackson's room I helped paint various holiday scenes on (mostly) cute kids (I know - that was bad!). Thursday the class wore p.j.'s to school to watch Polar Express, complete with hot chocolate! And finally today they had a very impressive Christmas party! It was almost two hours long and included crafts, a gift exchange, and of course loads of yummy treats. Andrew was even treated to his first lollipop by Mrs. Clanton (I have trouble saying no sometimes!). It was such a fun week and I'm so appreciative that am able to be with Jackson and share in his excitement!

Baby Feet

Even though Andrew continues to resist walking, I thought it was time to buy him some soft and comfortable shoes. Who knows, maybe it will encourage him! I found these cute little faux crocs at Wal-Mart. I love that they're soft inside and have a little strap in the back for easy access. Best of all, Drew loves them too! The first time he wore them he sat in his carseat and twirled his little feet around in circles. Apparently new shoes are fun to watch too! :) I don't know about you - but I think he looks adorable. :)

O Christmas Tree

This year we decided to have two trees. Jackson named the smaller tree "Mommy's Tree" because it's pretty and has a few breakables. Our tree in the den (the "Kid Tree") is all either paper or plastic and anything goes. Scott and Zoe came over yesterday to help us decorate the big tree. Jackson and Scott seemed to enjoy being able to hang ornaments wherever they wanted.




















Side note: I can't wait until holiday items are on sale because I have my eye on these cute ornaments!

Early Christmas

For Christmas this year Mom and Dad helped us out with great tickets to see the Nutcracker! We went to the 2pm show today at Chrysler Hall. It was my first time seeing that ballet and I really enjoyed the dancing and music. Thanks Mom for babysitting Drew and Jackson :)

For the record, I now know what zero body fat looks like and it's pretty impressive!

2 cute 2 pass up

2 cute 2 pass up - passed on from Marie!

Here is a "kid tag". Ask your kids the following questions. You can not encourage any answers! Here we go...

What does Mom always say to you?
Go to bed

What makes Mom happy?
If I get a treat at school

What makes Mom sad?
If I take candy and I steal it and I don't ask

How does Mom make you laugh?
If she laughs

How old is Mom?
1

How tall is Mom?
2

What does Mom like to do?
Watch basketball on tv

What is Mom's job?
To work

What is Mom's favorite food?
Chocolate (he DOES know me!)

How do you know Mom loves you?
She tells me it

Grown-ups like to play too!

So was Oren was telling me about a dream he had last night about playing skeeball at Jillian's and using some new technique that launched the ball into the 10,000 hole every time! (It also involved P.Diddy but I'll leave that part out :))

We both thought it was really important to test out this theory so we decided to go up to Waterside for lunch today. We've only been with Jackson before so it was fun to be selfish with all the points!

Of course I won (MINE is the one on the left - guess the dream was wrong!)

















With our tickets (265) we bought some candy...

















...and I was a happy camper :)

Little Explorer

So I looked over from my den today and found that Drew had climbed up into a storage bin filled with food (Long story short - water heater broke - we had to clear out the pantry, blah, blah, blah). I wish I had caught him right away because it was so cute. When I ran to get the camera he somehow found his way down. He took one look at me with the camera and decided to give me an encore performance! I soon saw just how graceful his exit was :)



Also, please, please turn down your volume! I don't know why I have to blab on like that when I record!

A valid excuse for a messy floor

Sweet, adorable Andrew... Not much makes this little man unhappy. Dirty diapers, an empty tummy, the usual. And there are even times when, gross as it sounds, he appears to actually have fun bouncing around in a dirty diaper.
















So, you might ask, what could possibly evoke the fear seen in this poor child's eyes? (And yes - he is actually flailing his arms, begging me to pick him up and save his young life!)


Here is the culprit:
Seems pretty innocent - right? Andrew is soooo afraid of vacuums! I tried waiting until he was asleep but it always woke him up - which seemed even worse to me. So now I've turned into a speed vacuumer. I can clear the dining/den in 3 minutes flat (which most likely means I still have dirty floors.) However, until his fears subside I have the perfect excuse for why I'm out eating lunch with friends instead of vacuuming!

(Disclaimer - I did actually vacuum the floors this morning - I didn't terrorize my son just to take a few photos :))

Do you think he likes Scott??

Jackson gave me a couple minutes of his time to answer a few questions today. I learned some new things such as: he collects rocks (now I just have to find the mysterious collection!), he needs quiet as much as I do sometimes, and even though I already knew it - he really loves his cousin!

1. What is your favorite after-school activity? GO TO SCOTT’S
2. Where do you go when you want to be alone? A PLACE THAT’S REALLY QUIET
3. Do you collect anything? If so, what? YES, ROCKS
4. If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be? DARTH VADER
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner? MEAT
6. What do you love most about your neighborhood? SCOTT
7. What is your most treasured possession? DINOSAURS
8. If you could have one superpower, what would it be? BREAK A BAD GUYS BUILDING DOWN
9. What is your favorite thing to do with your family? PLAY ON THE COMPUTER WITH THEM
10. If you could plan the next family vacation, where would you go? TO SCOTT’S HOUSE

"Mommy - I'm corn!"

Today Jackson had a Thanksgiving performance at his school. He was the cutest corn there! As usual he was nothing if not entertaining. At first he was swinging his arms all around like a mad man. Then, EXACTLY 1:55 seconds into the first song his little face goes from excited to totally OVER it! It was so funny! He grimaced. He scowled. He managed to keep in together for this song and then spends the majority of the next two he turned completely around backwards. Typical Jackson! My adorable nephew Scott in the red shirt standing beside Jackson did such a great job performing his part - I was a proud aunt and a proud mommy today.

Joining the club....

I wish I could say that I'm starting this blog to keep in touch with family and friends, but it's only partially true. I'm hoping that it encouranges me to write down some of the seemingly boring, everyday events in our lives. I know that they will soon be forgotten. My boys are growing up so fast and I don't want to forget a thing!