Don't Make Us Leave!

Now that the holidays are over and the family is healthy again, we are back to our normal routine. The boys were not happy about waking up, getting dressed immediately, eating breakfast then leaving the house. There was no leasure time and they didin't like it! This picture perfectly describes how our morning went today! By the afternoon, they eased back into the routine and everyone was happy!

Not Feeling Well!

We had a very sick household this past weekend! Landon got a stomach bug and threw up all night on Thursday. He shared his germs with the caregiver and I got sick on Saturday morning. Bryce then got it on Saturday night. Thankfully, John escaped the misery of this virus and was forced to assume the role of "Nurse John" during the last few days. He was very busy this weekend gathering buckets for us and cleaning sheets and blankets....definatley not a fun time for him! These pictures describe our household over the last five days....

Pump It Up!

We went to Maryland today to visit cousins Hunter and Wyatt. We joined them at a fundraiser being held for their school at Pump It Up, a kids place featuring blow up machines. Bryce is pictured here going down one of the two big slides. Bryce and Landon both enjoyed playing in this toy car. Landon enjoyed the blow up machines just as much as Bryce did. In this picture, Aunt Lynne is playing with him. As we expected, Landon was very busy climbing and tried hard to keep up with the big boys. Mommy was tired at the end of the day from running after him!

Landon's Favorite Gifts

Landon's favorite Christmas gifts....a $4 battery operated toothbrush and a $2 Micky Mouse ball! It doesn't take much to please a one year-old!

A Future Chef

Santa brought Bryce an apron and chef hat so Bryce was anxious to wear it in the kitchen this morning. He did a great job helping Mommy make omlets for breakfast.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! Here are a few photos from Christmas Day at our house!

Snacks For Santa And His Reindeer

On Christmas Eve, Bryce placed cookies and milk on the table next to the Christmas tree for Santa. He sampled a few of the cookies first, as you can see from the red and green icing on his mouth! Bryce also left a few carrots on the front porch for Santa's reindeer to eat! Bryce also left

Rocky Ridge Light Display

We visited Rocky Ridge, a local park decorated with holiday lights and displays. Bryce and Landon enjoyed being there with their cousins and loved all of the bright lights. The boys took a break from the lights and played on the playground. Landon was very warm and cozy during our trip to Rocky Ridge. He was all bundled up didn't fuss much about being confined to the stroller.

Visiting Santa...Again

The boys visited Santa on Friday for the second time this holiday season. Bryce reluctantly sat on his lap again and told him he wanted a Christmas tree truck and a reindeer truck. Landon HATES visiting Santa! He again cried hysterically when we placed him on Santa's lap.

Computer Time

John recently fixed and enhanced one of his old laptops from work so that Bryce can use it to play computer games. We are shocked at how much he is enjoying it! He is quickly mastering how to use the mouse and is learning quite a bit from the educational games. He has very little interest in learning letters and numbers with Mom and Dad so we are thankful he is allowing us to teach him through the use of the computer.

All By Myself

Developmentally, Landon is at the stage where he wants to feed himself and sometimes refuses food unless he puts it in his mouth by himself. We are trying to embrace his independance while still being patient enough to clean up the mess he creates!

Daddy Time

John had special "daddy time" with the boys yesterday evening and took them to an indoor gym to play. They had a lot of fun runnig, climbing and sliding. Brcye loves to climb to the very top of the gym set. He played hard and was EXHAUSTED when they got home! Landon had a great time too. He was a busy boy, running everywhere.

We're Making A Gingerbread House!

Bryce made his first gingerbread house tonight. He had a great time doing it! Bryce did a great job attaching the candy with the icing. I did catch him trying to sneak a few pieces of candy and a couple of licks of the icing. Here is our finished product.

Admiring The Tree

Landon was sitting on his own special chair today and decided that he wanted to stand instead and admire the Christmas tree. There were many fun ornaments for him to reach from his new perspective. After being redirected from standing, Landon sat and posed for a photo in front of the tree.

Meeting Santa

Santa Claus was at Bryce's preschool party today. As you can see in the photo, this is not a realistic Santa. When we got home, Bryce said, "That wasn't the REAL Santa. It was just a costume!" I think its time for a new Santa when a four year old knows he isn't real!! Landon did not enjoy Santa! We were very surprised at his reaction because Landon loves people and is not afraid to interact with someone he doesn't know.

Bryce's Preschool Christmas Program

Bryce's preschool held their annual Christmas program today. Bryce did a great job and we were very proud of him for not crying! He had the special honor of holding the flag while his friends sang, "God Bless America." Some of Bryce's friends were overwhelmed by the audience and cried. After the program, we went to the cafeteria for cookies and drinks. This is Bryce's preschool teacher, Ms. Kim. This is the assistant teacher, Ms. Paula. Bryce has a "special crush" on Ms. Paula!

Baking Cookies

Bryce made a few Christmas cookies this evening. We were going to give them to his friends, but after Bryce sneezed on the cookies we decided to keep them at home. Bryce's favorite part of baking was decorating the cookies.

Afternoon Play

We played yesterday in Landon's room when he woke up from his nap. I tried to read books to the boys, but Landon was more interested in climbing on chairs and throwing balls. Bryce wanted to look at his photo album with pictures of him as a baby. We looked at each page and I had to give him a detailed description of every picture.

Donut, Please!

Landon and Bryce both love donuts. Landon recently acquired a taste for the treat and is pictured here enjoying a powder donut.

Playing With Cousins

We had dinner yesterday with The Stefanos. Bryce had a great time playing with his cousins and all of their toys. Bryce loved playing on this swing yesterday. Landon wondered around Becky's house as if it was his home! It was his first time there since he has been walking so he explored everywhere!

My Newest Trick

This past week, Landon learned how to flush the toilet. When he is in the bathroom, he runs over to the toilet and flushes as many times as he can before we redirect him. He gets very angry when we take him away from his fun new activity!