Joshua's Insight

Josh made Dan and I cry just a few nights ago and I wanted to write it down so we didn't forget it. I was putting away clothes and Dan was chatting with them on our bed. Dan was quizzing them to see if he knew the family tree, "Who's MY daddy?" and all the way up to great-grandparents. Joshua asked, "Where is Grandpa Lyle?" Dan repeated the question to clarify and Josh said, "Is Grandpa Lyle with Grandpa Don?" Grandpa Lyle is the boys only living great-grandfather, grandpa Don passed away just before the boys were conceived, but his pictures are up throughout the house and when the boys were little they would tell me that they could see him in a specific corner of the house and that he was here with us. It's very touching. Anyway, Dan explained to Josh that Grandpa Don is with Grandma Dolly in heaven. Josh said, "I like Grandma Dolly, we played the piano together." This happened once about a month before she passed away on a random stop to her apartment. It surprised us so much that he remembered. It shouldn't have. The minute Grandma Dolly passed away, Josh looked at Dan and said, "Bye bye Grandma Dolly." And a few minutes later we got the call. He's always been so insightful, but we are so proud of him for remembering not only the great grandparents he's met, but also those he has not met (in person).
Josh with great grandpa Lyle.


















The boys with great grandma Dolly.

Finally Out of the House

It's about time! The sun was shining, we had plans, it was time to get out of the house! Dad came over this morning and used the snow blower to clean up the driveway and parking spots. Then the boys and I TOOK OFF! First we met some of my highschool friends (whom I have actually known since I was 2 or 3 years old) and had lunch. It was so great to get together with lifelong friends and just sit and chat...of course it helps that our friends Korry and Suzy have 5 year old twins to keep the boys busy! :) After lunch we ran to Home Depot to look for screws for the changing table (long story short---when we took it apart, we managed to lose the screws...ugh). Home Depot didn't have any matches, so they sent us to Fasteners. This place is GREAT! They not only had a match, but the other guys working could see that my boys were losing it so close to naptime and offered them a cookie. The boys were happy from then on out! :) After securing the screws I promised the boys that if we COULD get to Northwest Seed and Pet, we WOULD. Last time I said this, the plows were in front of us creating huge berms, so we had to go home. This time, I attempted and succeeded! HOORAY! The boys were in hog heaven with a pig running around the store, seeing the alligator, and petting the doggies and kitties. It made me feel like a good mom because they were just SO happy! We then ran home and dad took my van and got me snow tires. Thanks dad! It was a great day! You forget how much you take for granted the ability to just leave the house and do errands until it's gone. We had a fantastic day!

Christmas Extravaganza!

Crazy crazy holidays! Our days have been busy with multiple family gatherings, playing with all the new toys, and playing in the snow!

On the 26th we enjoyed a family party with the Domrese grandparents and aunts and uncles. The boys had a great time playing Wii and we adults enjoyed some quick chatting time. That night I even got out to see 4 Christmases with some girlfriends. Hooray!

On the 27th Dan and I planned a date night! We figured one a year should be the minimum, so we snuck one in at the last minute! Dan's parents were gracious enough to come up and watch the boys while Dan and I enjoyed a quiet dinner and saw Valkyerie. Dinner was fabulous and I discovered my new favorite drink (found at TGI Fridays----Strawberry Lemonade Slushy) and the movie was great as well. The only problem was that Dan's car didn't start after the movie. Ugh. After multiple tries, we got it jumped and got home at a reasonable hour.

Today was a day with my family. My brother, Eric, is in town with his family from Seattle. We met in the morning after getting Dan's car fixed (bad battery terminals, quick and easy fix...thank God!) and got pictures taken of all the cousins. No small feat with 8 kids ages 5 and under! Then after a brief rest, we went over to Adam's for dinner. It was a great night and the kids had a ton of fun with their 6 cousins!

Here are some snow pictures, a video of Josh on his new drum set, and the cousin pajama picture. Oh, and a bonus picture of Dan getting his stitches out. Thomas thought it was so interesting and got up close and personal during the removal. Yuck!

Merry Christmas!

It's always such a crazy time of year, but this darned snow has really put a pinch on life!

Last night we hosted my parents for dinner and opened presents with them. This makes me really happy as Christmas Eve was present opening night for us growing up, so it felt right once again. The boys were super thrilled to get a cash register from grandma and grandpa and play-doh from greatma!

We were SO thankful to make it out this morning and make it to my in-laws! It only snowed around 10 inches, so Dan was able to shovel us out and get us on plowed roads quickly. My in-laws however haven't been plowed in who knows how long, so that road was rather treacherous. We got there just in time for the traditional Christmas breakfast. His siblings will tell you the best part is the home-made hollendaise (sp) sauce, I will tell you it's the tradition of having Cinnabons at breakfast! :) After breakfast the boys were itching to open presents. I knew some of what was coming, so I was excited to see their faces. Among Geo Trax, games, and stickers, there was the one present they've wanted forever. A drum set. Yes, a drum set. I knew they were getting it from Auntie Angie, Uncle J and Cousin Kierra, but they were so happy to open that thing! A highlight for Dan and I was getting Grandma Don and Grandma Dolly's old backgammon set. Hooray! We stayed and rested (both boys even took a nap!!!!!). The boys played a little "Tim Ton"=ping pong. Dan ran to Walgreens to refill my inhaler since I had regrettably left my purse containing it at home. We all sat down to an awesome dinner and enjoyed great company. Afterwards several people (not including myself) played Guesstures. Thomas and Joshua joined in on the fun and took several turns as well. Nothing cuter than watching a 3-year old try to get someone to say "triangle" or "belly button."

The holiday festivities are not even close to over yet. We will still see another side of Dan's family tomorrow, visit with some of my friends from high school on Saturday, and have my big family celebration (assuming my brother and family make it over from Seattle) on Sunday. Should be a fun, crazy weekend!

Snowed In Pictures

Shocking, I know, we're snowed in again. Here are pictures of the boys in their ugly sweaters (their 38 month picture) and snow pictures. They enjoyed the snow way more than I did this afternoon and really burned off some energy. Looking forward to a 7:30 bedtime!

Ugly Sweater Party

Well, the ugly sweater party was a lot of fun! Some people were snowed in and unable to attend, but the kids seemed to have a blast. I hope next year we can make it larger and really see the ugly sweaters roll in! AND, as we were pulling in, the graters were plowing our street! HOORAY! It will be so much easier for Dan to get in and out now. The van is still buried. If anyone wants to come help us by digging out the van, we'd be VERY appreciative! Dan has been outside for an hour now shoveling where the graters created big berms behind his car.

Out of the HOUSE!

We finally got out today! My dad stopped by and took us to McDonald's for lunch. Dan even got out in his car, so we are finally free! The boys were grateful to leave the house for a period of time and loved running through McDonald's. After that we took them on a brief trip to Shopko where the boys got to get each other presents. CUTE! We got home and I was contracting, so I rested while Dan took Joshua to return a movie to Blockbuster. We then made a quick jaunt to the hospital to get me checked out (see pregnancy blog- domresefamily.blogspot.com). After the hospital we went to the annual Ball Family Christmas Party (about 2 1/2 hours late) where I sat on the couch and the kids ran around with all their 2nd cousins (I think). We're home. I'm going to drink some juice and water and we're all going to bed. I'm just happy we finally got out of the house!

We Got Plowed!

I'm not sure if it was a city plow or just a neighbor, but our street has been plowed! And after Adam did the driveway last night, we're looking better and better. Our stinkin' neighbors are doing the least amount of work possible and unloaded the snow that was blocking their car back into the spot Adam cleared last night so they could get out. That's pretty peeving. I could vent for a long time, but I'm trying to be better and let things go. I'm officially done shoveling as of 5 minutes ago. I'm contracting pretty good and taking that as a sign that it's time for me to quit. I think we're close enough to getting out though. Hooray!

A Big Thanks To My Brother ADAM!

My brother stopped by tonight and shoveled a TON of snow out of our driveway! AND, I forgot to give him cookies! Darn it, I even had his favorite kind made! Anyway, it made a HUGE difference and now if we ever get Dan's car home, he has a spot to park it. Adam was amazing in his Tahoe plowing through all the snow and then shoveling it all out of the way. Thanks so much big brother.

Adam and I were probably close as kids, but as always I remember fighting with him the most. When he went away to college, I realized how much I loved and missed him. We were close from then on out. Adam drove me and waited for hours while I broke up with my high school first love, Adam was there while I cried on the floor when Dan was told he was being deployed for 6 months (luckily the orders were canceled), Adam was there when I freaked out the boys weren't moving enough in-utero and took care of my worries, and he was here to drive me to the hospital while I puked in his car from a kidney stone. The point? He's always here when I need him. And I'm so grateful. I'm grateful he married someone wonderful that is there for me too and that I can call one of my best friends. Thanks for being such a great big brother, I appreciate you more than you'll ever know...especially since neither you nor your wife read this.

Do We Have Enough Snow Yet?

Wow! Talk about tons of snow! Dan's car never made it home last night. It's parked at a friend's house awaiting the snow plows.....that won't arrive for days and days. I went out this morning and shoveled again. There is so much snow! I did as much as I could before starting to contract and having to quit. The boys came out and reveled in the amount of snow and crawled through the yard waist-high in snow. Everything was fine until at one end of the yard, Thomas lost a mitten and on the other end Josh lost a boot. To make matters worse, I signed "help" to Dan who was watching out the window and when he came out he fell down the stairs. Talk about a stellar moment of the morning. Dan is fine, just rapped his wrist on the metal railing and traumatized the sutures in his back a little bit. The boys are happily hanging out with mommy and daddy. We know of only one person attempting a drive to work this morning (Greg you are CRAZY!). 32nd street is eerily quiet, I've not seen a car on it all morning. This is an improvement from last year when we ALL attempted to leave and everyone one of us on the block took turns pushing each other out. Even Perry, which I believe is plowed, is only being driven on by 4-wheel trucks and some SUV's with chains. Here are a few pictures!

Daily Trials, Tribulations, and Joys

Yesterday we were so tired of being cooped up we went to Mobius for the morning. The boys had an absolute blast and it was so empty that I was able to just sit and watch them run from thing to thing. We were there nearly two hours...a record for us!

This morning was one of those mornings where I left a message with Dan on his phone stating that I was getting a job. Not that I'm real employable right now! : ) While helping Joshua in another room Thomas managed to totally destroy a silver ball ornament. He had a long session in the naughty chair while he watched me clean and vacuum it up. Not even minutes later I walk back in to find another ornament destroyed. This one was way worse. The boys' friend Harry had taken clear ornament balls and poured paint in them making a really neat design. Apparently Thomas decided "tapping" them with the extending wand of the vacuum cleaner would be neat. This caused the ornament to explode across the living room leaving dripping pink and white paint on the tv, carpet, Christmas tree, you name it. AUGH!

Luckily, we had an appointment downtown so we quickly packed up to get out. Getting to the appointment was no problem. By the time we left, however, it was heartily snowing. The office is about 10 minutes from our house. It took us just over an hour to get home, and we barely made it. NOTHING had been plowed or sanded so we slid everywhere. I promised the boys a candy cane if they would pray with me up Thor that we made it. The guy in front of me, reveling in his 4-wheel drive, took the hill at an even 20 mph. I, in my all-season wheeled van, rode his tail sliding up the whole way. It was a total mess.

Dan had his mole removed today. It was quite traumatic but he seems to have survived. His dad and uncle picked him up and drove his car home for him since he was drugged fairly well. It took them a good long while to get him home too. I think it's a combination of the mass traffic today with the weather.

The boys and I played in the snow and had a lot of time playing together. After our morning fiasco, it ended up being a really nice day! And no naps means they are both in bed crashed right now! Dan had to go to the store (I refuse to even try until I either get snow tires or the snow is cleared more) to get milk and bread to last a few days in case we can't get out like last year. I look out the window and he's shoveling under his car. Ok, neither of us should be shoveling, but I can control the contractions if I'm good, I cannot handle it if his stitches tear. Yuck! We shoveled and maneuvered the car. And I learned a trick from the news that newspaper is good traction...it works!! Dan got out! I have shoveled the rest of his spot so that when he gets back he'll have a huge spot to park in with little/no snow. Hopefully it helps in the morning...and hopefully he can get back home!

Tomorrow we are making cookies and playing in the snow. Maybe a short walk to the library, but that's our plans for the day. So far we have just over 8 inches outside. Our neighbor has shoveled once and I've now shoveled twice. Crazy Snow!

Snow Worries

Thought I'd post it out here as well as chatting with family and friends. We realized today that we are in trouble for shoveling this snow for the next 7-10 days. I can shovel a little bit, but start contracting after a fairly short period of time. Dan will have stitches in his back for 7-10 days and will be unable to shovel until they are removed. The doctor stated that sutures in the back tear easily and are painful to repair. Nice.

Here's my plea: If anyone wants to stop by and shovel our sidewalks/path to the garbage and car, we would be most thankful! Our upstairs neighbors shoveled for us today, but somewhat begrudgingly (I will keep asking them though until they flat out tell me no since they use the sidewalk too). My brother will come snow blow if absolutely needed as well. Give me a call in advance so I make sure I have cookies ready for you to take home in thanks! I can bake, I just can't shovel! :)

A Fulfilling End To A Day

Man it is COLD outside! Our sliding glass door now has ice caked on the inside of the door. The kitchen remains at a freezing 52 degrees. YIKES! We are working on solutions to fix this problem as it's COLD!

We had a great day. I attempted to more activities, reading, and cooking with the boys than normal. It definitely wore me out and by the time Dan got home I needed a couple hours to get the contractions to stop. No worries, the contractions are simply Braxton-Hicks and exactly the same as last time with the boys. They are a sign that I need to slow down and I listen to them religiously so it's easy to control. The boys both took a nap (although they tag-teamed it again meaning that Thomas slept from 1-3 and Josh slept from 3-5), but it was a nice quiet break. We discovered a Dora computer game online and since it's educational, both boys took quite a while exploring and playing. It was fun to hear them laughing together while playing computer.

When Dan got his new job I scheduled several appointments for him that he hadn't/wouldn't do in the past. He had a dermatology appointment last week just to get all his moles checked. At that appointment, they immediately did a biopsy on one. This completely freaked Dan out. He announced that in order to return to this doctor, he would need a reward (Scotch). Today I got a call with his results and a trip to the liquor store was then in order. Dan goes back in on Wednesday to get the entire mole removed. The biopsy came back atypical. Basically she told me that it is not yet cancerous, but left there it will become cancerous. They want it off now. I arrnaged his appointment for Monday as well as his prescription for Valium. Dan will seriously pass out on the table without some kind of medication on board. After this, we are hoping his dermatology days take a long vacation.

When Dan got home tonight it was Christmas tree time! The boys were ecstatic! It took several trips to the store (first for replacement bulbs, then just plain new sets of lights), but we finally got it all on. I think my favorite moment was watching Dan's eyes light up watching the boys. The boys had an absolute blast but it was Dan watching them that touched my heart the most.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

Yup. It's snowing alright. It started snowing while I was at the doctor's office today. As I pulled into our driveway, a car turned onto our street, lost control and totally hit my neighbor's parked car. It was at that point that we decided we should probably stay in for the night. As soon as I walked in the door, the boys started in, "Can we play in the snow? Can we go outside?" Happy to run off some of their energy we bundled up and headed out. They had an absolute blast! I finally went inside and stood at the sliding door and watched them because I was freezing! It was only when I spotted a stray boot in the yard that I knew shoeless Thomas needed to come in. They were happy to oblige as long as we make Frosty tomorrow. :)

Smart Kids Or Too Much TV????

Josh just looked at me, "Mommy, where are my sharp teeth?" I pointed to his sharp teeth. "These are my canines?" I definitely did not teach him that. Cute though.

Do These People Not Know Me?

Seriously, ok not seriously, but still. A website I get a regular e-mail from sent me a weekly menu. I usually get some great stuff. This one, obviously they don't know me at all. Here is the menu for the week:
Monday: Alpine Sausage and Cabbage Sauté
Tuesday: Salsa Chicken, Italian-Style
Wednesday: Onion Chopped Steak and Gravy
Thursday: Chicken Stroganoff
Friday: Caribbean Chicken Sauté with Steamed Zucchini

*Yeah, I won't eat even one thing off that list. Yuck. Guess I'll have to wait for the next e-mail. It better have plain noodles with Parmesan cheese.

Sick Week

Apparently we just decided that this week would be sick week. I started feeling awful on Saturday afternoon. The boys quickly followed on Sunday. And Dan kept pace coming down with it Monday. Basically it's just a fever for a couple days and then an awful head cold. Dan, with his lightning quick recoveries, is fine. The boys and I are still coping. We have been fever-free, but continue to have runny noses, sore throats, and just a yucky feeling. I went to the doctor today because my ear was about to explode. I'm hoping the boys don't follow. This is my first ear infection ever, and (knock on wood) the boys have never had one. We'll just keep hydrating!

No pictures for now. We have more recovering to do first!

What A Rotten Week

It has just been a rotten week. I think the babies are growing, which means I'm not only expanding but exhausted as well. The boys have refused naps every single day, making for a mean mommy by the time daddy gets home. Instead of focusing on the grumpiness, here are some fun things we've done this week:

*We rode bikes to the library (meaning the boys rode bikes and then got tired about halfway home)
*We watched Christmas movies
*We made special home-made gifts to attach to Christmas presents (this included painting with acrylic paint which by the way does NOT come off seat cushions or the carpet very easily)
*We raked leaves outside and cleaned up the front yard
*We made gingerbread houses with our friends
*I introduced the boys to the world of Lite Brite. Ok, maybe I enjoyed it a little more, but it was fun!
*We watched a backhoe unload in front of the house. This might not mean much to the anyone else, but we spent nearly an hour watching the guys get it unloaded and move it around. It was a definite highlight of the day!

Enjoy the pictures from this week. My Christmas present arrived in the mail today, so I can finally give Jenn her camera back now that I have my own!

Santa Pictures and Family Fun

As is the holiday tradition, this morning we met the Domrese side of the family and did a family photo with Santa. They started this back in the 1970's and we've continued the tradition with the whole family. The boys, while they sat very nicely, gave the cheesiest smiles. Oh well!

My family arrived shortly after as we've carried the tradition into my family as well. My brother and his family are in town visiting from Seattle so it was the perfect timing. This picture is only with the cousins. It is SOOOOO difficult getting 8 kids ages 5 and under to take a picture and all look at the camera. I can only imagine next year will be a nightmare with 10 kids. :) Again, cheesy smiles, but cute with all the cousins. You can definitely tell who belongs to whom!

We went to Mobius briefly afterwards to run off some steam and then ran home for a rest time...meaning mommy took a 2 hour nap while the boys played with daddy. Thanks Dan! We then went out to my brother's house for dinner and visiting while all the cousins ran around together. I imagine my mom, dad, and grandma thought their houses were pretty quiet after this experience. :) Like the day wasn't long enough we managed to stop by Dan's uncle house where it is "Game Night." This happens on a regular basis where all available cousins, aunts, uncles, etc gather for games. It's such a great family bonding experience. The boys and I stayed for a bit and watched a game of Trivial Pursuit and Liar's Dice before leaving daddy and heading home for bed. I'm pretty sure I'm more tired than the boys at this point, but I hear their movie ending, so it's off to bed we all go!
Joshua, Thomas (red plaid shirts)
Taylor (black dress w/ red dots), Sawyer (Santa's lap), Jamison (far right red shirt)----belong to my brother Eric
Macey (front left, white shirt), Natalie (Santa's lap), Abby (white shirt on right)----belong to my brother Adam

Raptor Reef

We started the day off on the wrong foot. After a long Thanksgiving Day, both boys were ready to stay in bed and watch movies all day. The good news is that we were getting out of bed for a birthday party at Raptor Reef. This is a favorite for the boys. It's an indoor water park with water slides, a wave pool, hot tub, and more. After we finally got them in the car, they seemed to realize that life would once again be ok.

Raptor Reef was a real blast. I, of course, didn't do too much except follow the boys around and watch from the sidelines. I did the wave pool a few times with the boys, but Dan did most of the running around. Joshua enjoyed seeing how far he could walk in the wave pool even if his head was not above water. Thomas did the water slides over and over and over again. Thanks for inviting us. Happy birthday Harry!

Afterwards, we managed to have well-behaved kids during a 1:30 PM lunch at Tomato Street. Not only is this invading rest/nap time, but they'd been so active we were sure we'd see meltdowns. They did great, but only managed about 4 minutes in the car before crashing.

The ride home was definitely quiet...and enjoyable! It's been a great family day! The boys are all currently sleeping in our bed. It's snowing like crazy outside. If it's light enough when the boys wake up, we'll go for a walk and enjoy the fresh snow.

Thanksgiving and the First Snow!

Today was Thanksgiving. A day where Dan and I run around crazy trying to clean, cook, and play with the boys all at the same time. Nearly impossible, but enjoyable in the end. The highlight of the morning was the snow. The boys had sat in front of the tv or played independently all morning, so we decided to put on some coats and gloves and enjoy the snow. The boys were so thrilled to play in the snow and immediately asked to make snowmen and shovel. Aaaaah, the sweet memories of last winter. There was enough on the ground that Thomas was able to form snowballs and chase Dan around the yard. It was very entertaining and really ran some energy out of the boys. Hooray!

People began arriving around 3:00 PM and we ate at 4:00 PM. The food was fabulous and the company great. I can say that when I am a mother-in-law I hope to have the same traits as my mother-in-law. She is fabulous. She sits, chats, plays with the kids, helps me clean up my kitchen, and is always praising the family. It makes Dan and I feel successful as parents, and leaves us feeling as though we are very blessed in family. Some great friends arrived as well and I hope all had a good time and enjoyed the good food. Speaking of which, I think there is some yummy moon cake in my fridge, I'm off to have another piece.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends!

Thomas & Joshua's Christmas Lists

This is what they are telling me:

Thomas wants:
2 Ho Ho Treats (candy)----
Mountains---- No idea where this came from :)
Volcanoes---- Again, no idea :)
Green Drums (the boys have both expressed interest in a drum set, but our only concern is where to put it)
Fur Real Animal

Joshua wants:
Drums
Fur Real Animal (but not the monkey, apparently it scares him) :)

Mommy & Daddy's list for the boys:
Anything GeoTrax
Leap Pad Books/Cartridge
Pretend Cash Register
Play-Doh
V-Tech Digital Camera
16" Bikes (they rode their bikes today and are too long all the sudden) :)

A Fun-Filled Weekend

What a great weekend! Having Dan gone from Wednesday to Friday made my departure on Saturday super easy. It's the first time I've ever left the boys overnight. I went with a group of friends from the Mommy & Me Group to Tacoma for the New Kids on the Block concert and some fantastic shopping! The concert was actually really good. It's amazing how songs come back to you so quickly! I got some great deals and some gifts for the boys for Christmas. Dan seemed to have a good time with the boys! They spent Saturday out at the river winterizing and then did the Sunday tradition of doughnuts. The boys were in good moods when I got home, although I don't think they'll let me out of their sights for a while! I'll get some concert pics up when Kari e-mails them to me!

37 Months

The boys are 37 months as of yesterday. Here is their monthly photo. This morning it was beautiful out, but by the time we got home from our playdate, the rain was starting to pour down. We enjoyed a nice quiet afternoon and then ran to the store one last time before dinner. I am slacking on the November photos, and will work on being better. This whole exhausted pregnant thing isn't really working with my photo abilities. The no napping doesn't really help either.

3 Year Dentist Appointment

Today was the boys' three year dentist appointment. This visit, they got a full cleaning. They did great! They sat back in the chair and watched the movie on the ceiling. A great life!

Joshua- Nearly fell asleep in the chair. His arms were hanging limply off the chair, it was pretty cute. Joshua has a cross-bite. Sorry kiddo, you got your teeth from mommy. He had some stains on his teeth, so we'll be doing a better job brushing. As for the cross-bite, he gets to follow in mommy's footsteps. Sorry bud. In middle school, they'll give him a retainer and every week we'll expand it in an effort to expand his jaw. Josh got everything from Dan, but got my teeth and height. Poor kid.

Thomas- Teeth are perfect.Welcome to daddy's world. They line up perfectly and had no stains.

Overall, the dentist was happy. We go back in 6 months for a cleaning and some x-rays. Unfortunately our new insurance is a tiered plan. This year, we are covered 70%, next year 80% and so on. So we'll be paying about $150 per visit next time and then hopefully 10% less every year. Ugh. Good thing we'll be at 100% by the time they actually need work done! :)

Getting Caught Up

Because it was so crazy around their birthday, I neglected to do the regular birthday appointments. The 3-year check-up, 3-year pictures, and a dentist appointment.

On Tuesday (because Dan was off) we went and got their pictures taken. They turned out alright. Joshua, generally very photogenic, decided to be squirmy and was difficult to get a good picture. Thomas, generally camera-shy, decided to follow directions and flash his pearly whites. I guess I'll never totally figure out my kids.

This morning, we had the boys 3-year check-up. Thomas weighs 33 pounds (55%) and is 40 1/4" tall (above 95%). Joshua is 31 pounds (50%) and 38 3/4" tall (75%). Thomas is slowly creeping away from Joshua, but based solely on eating habits, I'd say Josh might be about to go through a little growth spurt. The boys did great during the appointment. Thomas never shut up. That kid just talked and talked the poor doctor's ear off. It happened to be their favorite doctor, so Thomas took the whole appointment to tell him everything he ever needed to know. The doctor at one point asked me if Joshua even talked because Thomas wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise. It was pretty cute. We will make an appointment shortly for Joshua to get checked for color-blindness. My dad is 100% colorblind and sees only grays. Joshua responds to some colors the same way as dad, so I figure it's better to know before he goes to school and gets in trouble for not knowing his colors.

Both boys got the flu shot. This was a big discussion in our house this year. Dan got the flu shot when he was just under 2 and became very very sick (as in paralyzed from the neck down). They can't say whether it was that strain of the flu shot or not, but he was, at the time, the youngest person to survive Guillain Barre syndrome. We decided that the flu shot has evolved and that because I'm pregnant and they are so young, we all need the flu shot this year. The boys did great. Thomas went first and cried and cried. Then walked out in the hall with the nurse to get a sticker while Joshua got his. Joshua looked at me, "Mommy, someone poked me." I nearly burst out laughing. The nurse could not find the injection site because Joshua had stayed so still and calm through the whole shot. He never cried, just was ticked that someone had poked him without first getting his consent. Both boys got stickers and a goody bag and were perfectly happy.

Next week we go to the dentist. Last time they really liked it. We'll see if it's the same this year.

A Day at Endicott School

What a great day! We got a late start, but overall, we had a great time. We drove down to Endicott (for those of you who don't know, that's where I use to teach) and started by visiting with some friends. Hannah is 4 and Issac is 2, the boys had a blast playing with them and almost opted to stay there instead of going to school with me! For lunch we had sloppy joes, one of my favorite school lunches. The boys enjoyed the apples and cookies a bit more. They then got to go to recess with all the "big kids." Then I got to visit alone with some of my good friends! HOORAY! After lunch we went back to Katie's room for some buddy reading. The boys were trying so hard to be a part of the class and generally followed directions. After that the 1st & 2nd graders did a book share. Thomas watched about 3 and then grabbed a math book from someone's desk and decided he wanted to do a book share too. :) He showed the cover (like the big kids) and explained the picture on the front. When asked his favorite part, he opened to a page with dominos and showed the class. It was REALLY cute! I had a hard time convincing them that they weren't old enough to join the K-2 music class and that it was time to head home. They were sure it was time for them to continue schooling! :) It makes me think that they might do ok in preschool if I decide to put them in in January. Thanks for visiting with us!!!!

Happy Halloween!

It's been a crazy week of Halloween playdates and busy activities. Both kids are under the weather, and I've just joined them. Hopefully we spend the weekend at home recuperating.

The boys had a great Halloween (I think). :) We started this morning with a doctor appointment for Thomas. Thomas has whatever Josh had last week. We went directly to Grandma Patti's office and made the rounds in costume. Joshua is the cutest skunk ever. Thomas could be cute if he kept his costume on for more than 30 seconds at a time! We then went to Ba's office (Aunt Kim) and got MORE candy! Thomas was feeling pretty crummy at this point. We ran to daddy's office and had lunch with him. During lunch, daddy and Thomas ran to Walgreens and got some Motrin...THEN Thomas felt better! After lunch, the boys and mommy had a pleasant (and by that I mean irritating) unscheduled stop for a blood draw for mommy. This was the longest hour wait EVER! Luckily the boys did alright, but at the end, we were all losing it. This meant we could go home for a nice long rest time...right? WRONG! No nap! The boys refused to even sit still. So I gave up and we just played. Then at 4:00 (20 minutes before going to pick up daddy) both boys passed out. I managed to dress them both and get them in the car while still sleeping. They both took a nice long nap on the way to pick up daddy. We visited greatma during her dinner, great-grandma and great-grandpa (during their dinner) and then went to the mall for some quick indoor trick or treating. We ended with a short jaunt around our neighborhood to the people we knew would want to see the boys. We are now home and exhausted. It's time for Halloween to be over!

A Busy Weekend...Do I Always Say That???

I took Josh into the doctor on Friday. His fever took place from Tuesday to Thursday. The rash started on Wednesday. When I called early in the week about the rash, they said it was probably heat rash from the fever. After it spread across his face, I began to worry more. Turns out, he wasn't contagious and it was just part of the virus he had. We figure Thomas and Joshua (and cousins) all had it and just reacted differently. Josh is doing better, the rash is long gone. Now he's moved on to a cough and runny nose. Neat.

Another busy weekend has passed us by. Unfortunately, this is just the beginning of the holiday season, so the busy weekends are just beginning. On Saturday, I was exhausted after getting up at 5:30 AM with cranky boys. I let Dan sleep in, so in repayment, he took the boys to Manito where they gathered chestnuts and ran out all that energy. A short nap later, we went to cousin Macey's 3rd birthday party. Macey was born 6 days after the boys, so it's been really fun to watch them grow together. The highlight of the party for the boys was getting a motorcylcle ride with Uncle Adam. This was a reward we had promised for pooping on the potty. My thought was that they would ride in FRONT of Adam. You can imagine our shock when he placed the boys (one at a time) behind him and took off. Dan finally said, "I am super freaked out, and I can tell by looking at you that you are more freaked out than I am!" Hehehehe. I have to say that we are pretty loose parents when it comes to letting our kids explore new things, but this one had us both on edge. Both boys did great and said they really enjoyed the ride.

Today was yet another busy day. We started off with the usual rush to get to church. We tried to get the boys to vary from routine and go to the pancake feed afterwards, but they insisted we get our usual doughnuts and juice. We gave in and the boys were further encouraged when we pulled into Albertsons (with the best doughnuts on the South Hill) and a fire truck pulled in next to us. The boys ran right over to the fire fighters, shook their hands and promptly got put on to the firetruck. They were in heaven. After doughnuts, the boys and daddy went outside to rake leaves. Joshua was obviously feeling crummy, so we all took naps...I napped with Joshua for 2 hours, Dan napped with Joshua for two hours. Joshua took a 4 hour nap!!! Thomas decided he didn't need a nap today and played all afternoon. After naptime, we went to the Shefflers for dinner and cards. The boys always love playing with their twins (Ethan and Eva- age 5) and Spencer (age 1). They even pet Buddy the dog!!! A first, since they normally scream and cry at the sight of this little weiner dog. :) Halfway through the second game of pinochle (a game in which we girls were kicking some booty!), Joshua's breathing took a turn for the worse and we packed up and headed home. After a breathing treatment, Joshua is doing fine. This always happens when he gets a cold. We just need to carry the nebulizer a little better.

This week shall prove to be busy with Halloween parties and lots of fun activities! It's fun (yet exhausting) having three year olds!

Sick Kids= Tired Mommy

Well, the past few days have just been a blur. Tuesday evening the boys woke up from naps all weird and funky. Thomas was really lethargic and wouldn't wake up. When I took his temperature (about 100 times) it showed 93.4 degrees. I quickly warmed him up and gave him Motrin and his temp went straight to 101 degrees. This prompted me to check Joshua who was at 101 degrees also. Ugh. Joshua has since woken up every 2 hours crying from dreams or just from being sweaty from the fever. This has made for a very tired mommy. I think/hope the fevers finally broke today. The boys are both still crabby and unhappy, but hopefully we are on the road to recovery. I, on the other hand, needed a nice break and received one this evening. I left around 7:00 and went to dessert with my good friend, Jenn. We then walked around the mall (a rare treat for me) and enjoyed chatting and shopping. Woo-hoo! I just walked in the door, the kids are asleep and my shows are taped. I'm off to catch up on Survivor and Grey's Anatomy (both of which Dan watched without me which means he is officially HOOKED!). :)

6 Kids...1 Living Room

Tonight was our scheduled night to hang with the nieces (Abby-5, Macey-3, Natlalie- 6 months) while her parents played some Volleyball. Our friend, Jenn, also called needing someone for Harry (3) as well. Everyone arrived at the same time, and wow, 6 kids in one living room. The good thing is that we still had all the birthday toys out, so the kids were all thoroughly entertained with the new toys. However, Dan and I have decided that 4 is enough. We are exhausted. And the idea of that constant activity and noise is just a little too overwhelming. :) Here's the best picture I could get of all 6 kids tonight.

My Babies Turned 3!!!!

Today was the boys' birthday. The morning was typical as we started with church. The boys began to realize it was a special day when instead of getting cake doughnuts after church we allowed them to get doughnuts with frosting AND sprinkles! They felt pretty special! The afternoon was a flurry of getting ready for the party. The house was packed with about 30 members of our family and long-time friends. It was so great to see everyone and really makes us thankful for the support we have so close to home. The boys had a blast and enjoyed playing with cousins and friends alike. Dan and I are totally exhausted. Here are a few pictures before we both crash! :)

**A quick thanks to my friends Kim and Suzy who let me know so nicely that it is time for me to give up the regular pants and move into maternity pants. Thanks girls! :)