We keep going and going and going...

Day 3 - Put new batteries in our toys night!

I can often remember telling the boys that the toy isn't working anymore because the batteries are dead but I don't have very many memories of replacing the batteries for them. Tonight's advent calendar plan was to replace batteries in all of their toys that weren't working. Reid seemed a little down at first when we explained it but once we started getting replacements in and "new" toys going we had a lot of fun. The majority of the toys were remote control - cars, space shuttles, 4 wheelers, tractors, zamboni's - we've got them all.

Once we (dad and the boys) had replaced all the batteries that we could find needed replacing we took all the remote control vehicles upstairs and the boys had races around the kitchen island with them. It was way past time for baths and bed before we even realized it.

Twice the fun on Day #2

Today was Ryan's turn to open the door for the advent calendar.

Day 2 - Make Rice Krispy Treats!

We had a lot of fun! We made a bit of a mess but we really let the boys be hands on. Both boys helped measure out the cereal and dump it in a bowl. Reid got to stand at the stove and stir the marshmallows and butter (and then peanut butter) - pretty scary but he did a good job listening. He left one hand on the handle and stirred with the other hand. I was pretty proud of him. Ryan got to butter the dish the treats were going in. He got into it after just a second. Both boys helped stir the cereal into the melted "goo." Three spoons trying to stir wasn't the easiest but we got it all stirred up, dumped them out and smashed them down with wax paper. After we got our jammies on (while dad cleaned up the kitchen) and they had time to cool - we all enjoyed one before we went to bed.

Tomorrow night dad comes out from behind the camera and leads the event - I hope I can get as many great pics as he does...

Pics from the evening -

On the first day of Christmas...

We started our Advent Calendar last night. It's finally all painted - as well as we could do :) Reid got to open door number 1 because he cleaned his plate first and ate really well (tilapia, rice, peas and carrots).

We had really hyped up the Advent calendar so I was afraid that the simplicity of day one might have been a let down but they were really excited for it:

Day 1 - Read books by the fireplace

We did baths and put their flannel pajamas on and then they popped popcorn with dad and we all snuggled up by the fireplace and read some Christmas/Winter books. We read "Bear Stays Up for Christmas", "Snow what Fun" and "The Day Daddy Stayed Home." The Day Daddy Stayed Home had a note inside it from Grandma Cella. She gave this book to Reid a few years ago before Ryan was born and it said that some day he may have a brother or sister to share it with but it was her favorite book from when she was little - it was copyrighted 1959! After we finished the three Christmas books we read a handful of our other normal nighttime books and off to bed they went. It was a great start to our Advent calendar and the boys were already talking this morning about opening door number 2 tonight! (tonight is Ryan's turn to open the door)

Here are some pictures from the night - we had lots of favorites!

Opening the Door and waiting on the popcorn with Dad

Bear Stays Up for Christmas

Getting cozy and The Day Daddy Stayed Home

I am thankful...

...That my boys have each other and are really bonding. That they actually WANT to sit next to each other at dinner time - and NEXT to each other at our house means your chairs have to be touching.

It's coming...

Ok, for those of you that I've told. I'm hoping to get more posts done on my blog in 2009 and what a better way to do it then by overkill :) My goal for December is to post 25 times! The boys and I have been working on an advent calendar and I plan to blog each night about what they do from their advent calendar. We don't plan on spending any money - I've come up with some super simple ideas that they will love. Lucky for me, my kids are usually easy to please! So... stay tuned - many, many updates to come.

Reid's 5 year checkup

Well, we didn't get any pictures but Reid did have his 5 year checkup yesterday - which included 5 shots - poor guy! He screamed while they gave them to him but he did recover pretty quickly. He would milk it when asked but he didn't really complain much. He got an Ironman sticker from the lady at the drs office, a dum dum sucker, a milkshake from Sonic and then a toy from Toys R Us. I guess we did plenty to reward him for being such a big boy.

And a big boy he is! He weighed 41 pounds. He was in the 50th percentile on height and 75th on weight. He answered every question on the developmental questionaire just fine (and they seemed SUPER easy for a 5 year old!) He had to know 4 basic colors, 5 basic animals, stand on one leg, etc... I almost laughed when the nurse asked us if he could count to 10 - he's been showing off by counting to 100 a lot lately.

Ryan got the flu vaccine as the nasal mist which was nice and mom took a flu shot in the arm like a champ (but it is a bit sore)...

Halloween 2008

We had a fabulous Halloween! The weather was perfect, the boys were way into it, and they were very well behaved. Reid was a marine and Ryan was a fighter pilot but said he was a marine. The Star Wars guy is our new neighbor, Eli, whom the boys absolutely love. The Power Ranger is our neighbor, Jack, who was over visiting with the boys before the trick or treating began. Eli's dad, Matt, sat in the driveway with Russ and handed out candy while Carmen took the three boys Trick or Treating. Attached are some pictures of the jack-o-lantern Russ did "with" the boys, some of the boys posing (although Ryan wasn't into a group picture unfortunately), and one of the boys in the bath with their sugar high at the end of the night. It was the most PG bath picture I had but they were crazy!