I love me some Christmas

The trees are decorated, the halls are decked, the cookies are started, and the kids looked extra handsome for a whole afternoon for the Santa Train today...why can't we have more Christmas time??

When can we eat some?

We started our Christmas cookies yesterday. Around here, this is a process that pretty much lasts all month long. I've continued my mom's tradition of abundant Christmas cookies, baking at least six varieties (usually more). The staple of the tradition, though, is sugar cookies. I've never had a sugar cookie I've liked more, although I do realize I'm biased!

The best part of the process:

Good morning!

Rudy generally plays in his room for a while every morning before he calls me in (which he does by shouting MOMMMMEEEEE).

I went in to get him one day last week and he had taken his striped Cookie Monster socks off his feet and put them on his hands. He had also found two wooden hammers in his bed and was using them to build a boat (or so he told me).

Thank you, Adam Sandler

Of all the Christmas songs we've been listening to lately, this is the line my two year old picks to sing over and over and over:

One fine looking Jew.

As in "Paul Newman is half Jewish. Goldie Hawn is half too. Put them together...what a fine looking Jew" from the Hanukkah Song, by Adam Sandler.

For what it's worth, at least it sounds a little like funny looking shoe when he says it, so if anyone else asks we'll just tell them that's what he's saying!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We've been very busy getting ready for Christmas around here! I'm feeling a bit of pressure because of the short Christmas season this year, but I LOVE Christmas and I'm determined not to get grumpy or stressed about it.

We have decorated four Christmas trees so far (2 at my parents and 2 here) and finally finished decorating the house (after a frustrating search for my favorite tablecloth!). We start my favorite part today - baking Christmas cookies!

We broke down and bought an artificial tree this year. James HATES putting lights on the trees. He thought he was spared that misery this year with our new pre-lit LED tree, but our white artificial tree in the office had a bunch of lights out and our outside light strands were half out, so he still got to have the fully holiday experience!

We had extra colored lights since we didn't need them on the tree, so we wrapped them around the trunks of our big pine trees in the side yard. That looks truly classy, let me tell you!

More chuckles

A few more laughs we've had the last few weeks...

-Rudy was awake for several hours one night last week. I was also asleep and apparently very out of it, because it didn't occur to me in the middle of the night that he might not be feeling well. It was the next morning, that it started to register. He was in a good mood and eating his breakfast, but he kept telling me (very matter-of-factly) that his tummy hurt. Except he was pointing at his ear. I would ask him if his ear hurt. "No, Mommy, it's my tummy." And he'd point to his ear again. In any case, he had a terrible ear infection and you'll be glad to know that his "tummy" is better now!

-Since my birthday, Rudy has been impressed with the concept of surprise. He loves bringing me gifts or hiding and then jumping out and yelling "PURPRISE!"

-Remember last week, when I wrote about a good way to bring tears to my eyes (when the boys act like they love each other)? Well, we had a new way to make Mom want to cry this week. We had friends over and all the kids were upstairs playing. I overheard this lovely snippet:

Brady: Rudy, do you wanna get hit? [spoken in a voice like Ru was about to get a treat]
Rudy: No.
B: Do you wanna get hit? Do you want me to hit you?
R: Nope.
B: Then give me that jet or I'm going to hit you!

Oh. my.

The many faces of Ru...

OK...only three of the many faces...

Thanksgiving fun

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week...lots of time with my family and TONS of excellent food!

We were tasked with table decor for Thanksgiving, so Brady and Rudy helped me make these pinecone turkey place cards. My SIL made the very cute mini-bouquets behind them.

James was able to take off almost the whole week and the kids really loved having him around.

Dessert with Oma...

Any time you want to make me cry, just give me an example of my boys lovin' on each other. It's pretty much guaranteed to bring tears to my eyes anytime I see them being extra nice to each other. I love knowing that they're buddies, and I really hope it stays that way forever. This is what Brady told his teachers he is most thankful for this year:



We seem to be having some challenges with our camera batteries holding a charge, so we only caught a portion of Brady's performance at preschool. My favorite part (of course, the part not on 'film' was the Mayflower song sung to the tune of My Bonnie lies over the ocean).

For Daddy!

James had an unexpected trip out of town this week, which seems to be harder on the boys than the trips that are planned in advance. Brady was pretty sad this afternoon because he had it in his head that James was coming back late tonight (rather than late Saturday night).

So, after the first attempt at bike riding this afternoon, the first thing Brady said was, "Wow, Mom, I love it! It's so much fun!" followed immediately by, "Can you take a movie so we can send it to Daddy so he can see how much gooder I did?"

As requested...here's the latest movie. I know...it's really not that different than the last one :)

What's making us laugh...

We've kind of had a mental list of funny things the kids have said lately that we keep meaning to write down...here's what I can remember at this moment...

• Chicken week - I sometimes call Thanksgiving "Turkey day". He can't seem to keep it straight that it's turkeys that are Thanksgiving-like and keeps referring to chicken week at Oma and Papa's house, our chicken craft project, and the Thanksgiving chicken.

• Potatoes and grapes - We were all playing on the jungle gym. Apparently, the top was our fort, from which we were fighting the bad guys. Brady decided we needed to have dinner up there and asked Rudy what we should eat. Rudy's response: Potatoes and grapes. (At least it's healthy, right?)

• Jazz - We got into the car and my Christmas music (yes, I am already listening to Christmas songs!) started. It was a big band version of some holiday classic. Brady asked, "Is this jazz?" Who knew I was raising such cultured kids??

• Just bubblin' - *Potty humor warning* - Rudy was a little stinky. James asked him if he needed to poop. Rudy said, "Nope. Just bubblin' Dad." Gross, but funny...

• Recipes - Somehow, Brady and I got talking about cooking today. I asked him how he would cook the Thanksgiving turkey...apparently, you put the turkey in a pan and then put some salt and pepper on the top. Then, you put the turkey in the oven at one or two degrees and bake it for about 20 minutes.

• Career plans - We just watched Madagascar 2 with the kids last weekend. The "king" (a lemur) talks about how he would love to be a professional whistler because he's so good at it, after which he "whistles" which is really just blowing raspberries. Brady has adopted that as his favorite movie line and keeps telling us that he wants to be "a professional whistler...pppbbbttt..." (followed by fits of giggles). Rudy can't quite keep the movie plot straight and keeps telling people that he wants to be a penguin when he grows up, after which he blows a raspberry and laughs hysterically.
  

Getting closer...

Brady has been working really hard at his bike riding...

Motherhood geometry

I used to love geometry in school. It all seemed so logical. In my world, a geometry proof might look something like this:

Clean house = Housecleaning
Housecleaning = mommy's busy cleaning
Mommy's busy = unhappy kids

Therefore...
Clean house = unhappy kids

And, conversely,
Unclean house = happy kids

And happy kids is what we're all about in this household!!

This thought process came about after Bunco last week. After we had finished playing, we were all sitting around chatting, about housekeeping of all things.

My friend, Amy, said that she cleans her house every day. I believe her...she's one of those moms where we don't even help clean up after play dates because we know that she's going to go back and reorganize all the toys anyway.

I confessed that I rarely clean my house. Our cleaning routine generally consists of sweeping and dusting (largely because of our profusely-shedding dog), picking up one toy before getting out another, pushing the button on the automatic shower cleaner, and LOTS of laundry. If I'm feeling productive, I might swipe some of the dust off a piece of furniture with the palm of my hand. I mop before company. We run the dishwasher a lot.

I don't really see the point of regular mopping because our irritating matte-surface hardwood just shows footprints within 10 minutes. Marion commented that it does get rid of the germs. But, I rationalized (I have a rationalization for everything!), the germs help build my children's immunity!

Amy's comment? "But your house isn't dirty..." (as if the unsaid part of the sentence was "but it's not really clean either...). She didn't mean it that way. At least, I don't think she did...

But really, it's in the best interest of my happy, healthy children to avoid housework. Right?!?

Thankful

Brady had his first "homework assignment" this week. He was supposed to draw a picture of what he is thankful for for a class book they are creating. He drew a picture of his family and his house. I, apparently, am the tallest one...with the long hair and purple shirt. Maggie, with her three legs (each set counts as one leg, I guess) is between my legs. James is beside me and Brady is beside him. He included his extra finger on one hand. Rudy is closest to the house with a hat and his hair sticking (way) out of his hat.

Not to be outdone, Rudy also wanted to draw a picture. James asked him what he was thankful for. "Uh...snakes."

Are you sure?

"Yes. This is Brady." (The purple design in the middle).

He also added "jungle guy" - the design in the lower right.

Then he drew the snakes (the rest of the lines) because "they're my best" (his alternate word for favorite).

Mayflower

Brady is learning in school! I'm not sure why this is SO thrilling for me...he's been learning at an amazing pace his whole life, but somehow it's just so exciting when he comes home from school and can tell me all the new things that he's learned.

Last year at preschool, I think he was learning more of the intangibles (following directions, manners, etc.), although one of his teachers did work with him to use the th sound. This year, though, he's learning so much...he already knew his letters and sounds, but he's also shared with us some letter combinations and I can see the about-to-start-really-reading-wheels turning in his head!

Yesterday, he came home with this "map" that he had painted and a bottle cap ship:

Without prompting, he shared all of the details of the voyage. This video doesn't really do his newly-acquired knowledge justice because we had to prompt him a lot. In the original telling, he rambled it all out, almost in one breath! (I think the camera is a bit of pressure!)

Rudy's ABCs

The silly version:



The real version:

Growing up...

I gave Rudy his third ever haircut this week. It makes him look pretty grown up.

Rudy has figured out how to pedal Brady's Big Wheels...now if he could only learn how to steer...

Chilly superheroes

It was a little chilly out this evening, but that doesn't stop my superheroes! (Someone still has to chase the bad aliens, right?)

Oh no...the bad guys got them...

Look at that smile!

We get so many compliments on Rudy's great smile...what a grin!!

Brotherly love

Brady was visiting my parents all last week. I think Rudy was happy to have us all to himself, but he was thrilled when Brady came home. In fact, Rudy was going to be napping when Brady arrived so Rudy specifically asked that I send Brady to wake him up.

This morning (two days after Brady's return), the boys were playing with the new and very popular parking garage. Rudy started crying and yelling "NOOOooo." I look in and Rudy is sitting on the floor and Brady is right up next to him.

I asked Brady what was going on and he told me he "just wanted to sit close to Rudy." I went in and Brady is trying to hold Rudy's hand, which Rudy is using to hoard about a dozen cars between his legs. I explained to Brady that Rudy thought he was trying to take his cars and maybe he should put his arm around his shoulders, rather than trying to hold his hand.

I explained to Rudy that Brady just missed him and wants to hug him.

Sure enough - Brady puts his arm around Rudy's shoulders and Rudy does the same. Cute, cute!

Parent conference

I had my parent-teacher conference at Brady's school last week. They had so many nice things to say about Brady (such a nice change after a bit of a rough start last year). They said that he is a leader, often initiating soccer games on the playground when the kids are outside. They said that he's a great friend to his classmates.

And...they couldn't say enough how wonderful his work is. Apparently, they do a class journal and Brady is very careful with his. I think the exact quote was "superb attention to detail."

Poor kid...I took that as "he's going to have his mother's anal-retentive organizational skills" :)

But, seriously, he seems to have turned a big corner this past summer. The meltdowns are fewer and shorter; he's starting to morph out of the unhappy, stressed out 4 year old into a fun, funny, and silly 5 year old.

Parking garage

Last week, Rudy and I were studying the toy catalog and he was showing me what he wanted to put on his Christmas list. (I want dis. I have dat.)

He pointed out a wood parking garage for toy cars: "I like this." I said it looked pretty fun and that it was made out of wood.

"It's made out of wood?"
"Daddy make that! I help him." [said with great authority and finality!]

So, sure enough, when James got back into town this week, the parking garage was the first item on the agenda.

Planning and design:

Gluing and stapling:


Adding the guardrails:


Rudy told me this was his excited face:


Construction supervisor:


And, finally, getting to play with it:

Where do they come up with these things?

R: Maggie have three legs!
K: Yup, Maggie has three legs.
R: Why? [Rudy has recently discovered the wonder of why and no.]
K: One was sick.
R: I not have three legs.
K: Nope.
R: I use-ta-have three legs.
K: Oh really?
R: Yes. [long pause] One fell off in my garage. [long pause] Crabby chomped it off. Now it's all gone in the garage.

On a roll...

It's Monday, right? And so far this week, I've...

*Cleaned out the hall closet. Instead of a mess of coats on the floor, I sorted out the too small and too big kids' coats, hung up the right sized-coats, made a box for accessories (hats, gloves, etc) for each kid, and organized the adult coats.

*Completely rearranged the bonus room into a play area and a craft area. I was very tired of using my dining room as a craft room...now once we start a craft we don't have to clean up in the middle. We can just leave our mess in the bonus room and close the door!

*Finished my buckeye wreaths. This is kind of cheating because they've been a work in progress for a few weeks, but now they're done and shipped off to their appropriate Ohio-State-Fan homes. (Of course mine has a seasonal ribbon rather than the scarlet and gray OSU colors.)

*Reclaimed my dining room. For the past, oh, year or so it's been a craft-disaster-area. Now, it's finally presentable again. So nice to walk into the house and see it looking neat and fall-festive :)

*Finished a very-cute-if-I-do-say-so-myself Halloween craft. I found this spooky wall hanging on clearance at Michaels. The frames are the super cheap $1 unfinished frames, which I spraypainted black and then the kids decorated. Then James just attached some hooks for me and I added my shutterfly prints...so cool to be able to see the kids costumes for the past 5 Halloweens.

Oh yeah - and we went to playgroup and met an old college friend for lunch. (It helps that Brady is at my parents and Rudy took a really long nap!)

I guess this doesn't have much to do with "my two superheroes"...but I'm just so stinkin' proud of myself that I had to share :)

Trouble with the bad guys

Brady is at my parents all week, so we're looking forward to some quality time with Rudy. It's amazing how different his personality is when his big brother isn't around. (We tend to get a little less "bad guy" trouble and a lot more typical 2-year old play...animals, cars, etc.)

Rudy did have some funny bad guy stories today though:

Rudy: I take my socks off.
James: Why are you taking your socks off?
Rudy (very matter-of-fact): No more bad guys.

*****
Rudy (attacking James at the breakfast table): You a bad guy.
James: No, I'm not a bad guy.
Rudy: Yeah, you a bad guy.
James: No, I'm not a bad guy.
Rudy (confused): Where all de bad guys den?

Guess how many...

We went apple picking yesterday. 4 adults, two kids, and a whole lot of very fruitful trees. An hour later, we had 81 pounds of apples. We had both crockpots going all day yesterday making applesauce and made a pretty good dent in our new stash.

Cool dude with his apple:

The golden delicious were at kid height, but Brady needed a "little" boost to
reach the pink ladies...

Oma and Papa's version of American Gothic:

Apple crisp anyone?!?