Some Cole and Tommy-isms of 2010!!

- Cole smells everything.  Before he eats something, it goes up to the nose for a LONG sniff.  He can actually tell the difference between regular and whole wheat saltines this way.  The smelling cracks us up.  He smells crayons, play-doh, gloves...anything and everything.

- Tommy starts off every story with "One morning..."  He can come downstairs and say to me, "Mommy, one morning I did pee pees in my bed."  Does he mean THIS morning?  You never know!  It could be...or it could be a day last week.  Or it could just be a story he is making up.  All stories happen in the morning apparently.

- Potty training has given us lot's to laugh about.  When we put the boys to bed - whether for naps or bedtime, sometimes Cole gets the urge to "go".  It is often a ploy to stay up longer, but when he says, "poo-poo is coming out of my bum!"  You know he means business.  Tommy kicks his feet and likes to chat.  "Sometimes, poo-poo takes time." he explains.  Then, "Mommy, ask me how my day was."

- "No daddy!  Two more minutes!  Okay....FIVE more minutes!  Two, four, five more minutes!"  This is the nightly negotiation with Cole before bedtime.

- Tommy: "Mommy, sometimes accidents happen.  I don't want you to see it."  

- "We have a house car!!!"

- Somehow, they've decided that orange juice is what they drink when "the sun's out" and milk when it's "dark out".  When you try to reverse this...the conversations and questions are non-stop.  But mommy?  The SUN is out!  How come we drinking milk?

- Tommy, "I am a robot.  I am a robot."  Just writing that makes me laugh.  This is said in a monotone voice and is complete with robotic jerky hand and head movements.  Tommy's motto?  When in doubt?  Do the robot!

- Earlier this year, this always cracked us up.  Cole: "That's MY dum fuk!  (dump truck),  This is Tommy's dum fuk!  Where is the dum fuk?"

I'm sure we'll remember more in the morning.  For now...time for bed!  Happy New Year!!!

Blizzard 2010

Is there anything better than being snowed in for the two days following Christmas?  It was SO nice to relax at home...watch the snow fall...wear our cozy jammies all day and play with our new toys.  Tommy was really into making "groovy smoothies" (as he called them) which consisted of fresh snow and kool-aid mixed together.  We just chilled out as a family by the fire...watched Disney movies...played games and polished off all our holiday cookies.

Yesterday, we ventured out into the snow to play.  With mommy being 8 months pregnant, it took FOREVER to get everyone suited up.  (As I mentioned on Facebook, the hardest part was putting on my own boots!)  But it was well worth the wait.  The boys and I had a blast making snow angels, digging out our fort in "Kid Town" and having snow ball fights.  Cole was a VERY good shot - and I mean it!  He really got me good a few times!!  Tommy wanted to make a snowman, but I just couldn't bend over to roll the balls so we settled for snow angels. 

It was fun exploring the yard with the fresh fallen snow.  We probably got about 8 inches in total...and that combined with the snow we got just before Christmas transformed the yard into a winter wonderland!

All about Christmas!

Our Christmas was nothing short of amazing.  Mommy got a new camera that takes about 8 photos per second, so I literally had hundreds of photos to sift through.  :)  But I have a few goodies to share.  We also used my video camera to get some footage of the morning, but I'll need to transfer it from miniDV to my computer, so you might have to wait a bit for that.  I'll let you all know as soon as it's ready!

In the meantime, here is a brief overview of our holiday.  Christmas Eve is a big night for our extended family and we all gather at my mom's for food, festivities and a visit from Santa.  The boys were terrified of Santa this year and only Tommy was brave enough to get within 3 feet of him to get his gift.  I don't have any photos of this as I was trying to soothe Cole who was watching from the safety of the stairs, but I'm sure someone will have a few to share with me in the days ahead (hint! hint!)  Of course, AFTER Santa left they got very brave and even cried that he was gone.  But they had a blast with their cousins and were really excited to go to bed and wait for Santa's arrival.

We did Christmas morning at my parents house (Nana and Papa's) which the boys love.  Santa brings all their big presents there and stops by our house to leave them their stockings.  It's twice the work for Santa, but we made him LOTS of cookies so he can't complain.  :)  We had a great morning opening gifts and relaxing.  The first thing they noticed...out of the WHOLE pile of gifts...was the Starbursts.  lol Pretty funny!  Here are some photos...

I woke up pretty early and found a camera from Santa under the tree for me!  Here is my first shot off the deck.  Sun rising...christmas tree still lit on the dock down the way.  Beautiful.

Santa Claus must have thought these two were REALLY nice this year!

Here come my sleepy heads.  Still weren't fully awake.

We got these awesome PJ's with the button up bum flaps with their names on them.  Made identifying them a lot easier when they were head down playing.  :)

On the porch we found eaten carrots and a bell that must have fallen off Santa's sleigh!  Cole was so excited.  Tommy was impressed for a minute...then was too cold to care.  Back to the toys!  

Cole was a little overwhelmed when Tommy attempted to swipe his doctor's outfit.

No worries!  Here he is moments later fully suited up.  My future surgeon.

In the afternoon we returned home to our stockings and to prepare for our annual theme dinner with friends.  This year was "Feliz Navidad" and everyone brought a spanish inspired dish to the dinner.  We had so much fun and the boys kept us all entertained with their new toys.  A successful holiday filled with blessings beyond compare.  The love of family and friends paired with incredible food and lots of laughter made this our best Christmas holiday yet!!

This years commemorative ornament.

Home again!  Look...stockings!

Our beautiful table complete with Peruvian table cloth courtesy of Beth's world travels.

Joe - ole!

Beth and Ash posing in front of Beth's insanely yummy homemade guacamole and shrimp empanadas.

Peter prepping the salad.

Beth enjoying Joe and Peter's incredible avocado salad with mango salsa vinaigrette.

Mmmm....paella with chicken, shrimp, clams and lobster tail!

Ashley's incredible Flan

It was a blast from start to finish.  Thank you to everyone for making our holiday so special.  From Christmas Eve...to our special morning and incredible dinner...to our gifts and notes from friends and family all over.  The boys feel the love from everyone and as parents we couldn't be happier to see it shine in their sweet little faces.  

Next stop...Blizzard 2010 and New Years!  (Oh...and how on earth are we going to keep these boys in line without the threat of Santa Claus watching their every move?  Any and all ideas welcome. :)    

Hope everyone had an amazing holiday with their families!

Merry Christmas!!!!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!!  We are so excited for our visit from Santa tomorrow night. The boys have been talking about reindeer and Santa landing on the roof.  I even found Cole sitting in front of the tree *talking* to Santa.  Too cute.  This is going to be the best Christmas yet!!  Ho! Ho! Ho!

Holiday fun!

Today the boys had their best friend over for a Christmas play date.  We had so much fun!  My friend Alison and I found a creative way to use marshmallows and pretzels to make snowmen and reindeer...the boys loved it!  Here are some pictures...

Tommy and his best pal Gavin

Our marshmallow masterpieces!!

Dog days of December...

I just have to add this this little blurb about the boys because I don't want to forget it!  For the past few weeks, the boys having been playing "puppy".  One of them acts like a dog and the other takes care of him.  They roll-over, sit-up, beg for food and drink water from a bowl.  Who ever is the "mommy" pats the dog, takes him for walks and they even have a dog house which is basically the little alcove behind the couch.  It's so funny...and completely random.

Whenever someone gets in trouble, it's SO much easier to blame the puppy!

Singing our ABC's

It's a lazy Wednesday!  The snow is falling, the Christmas music is playing and mommy is busy baking.  The boys have decided to stay in their PJ's today and I couldn't be happier.  It's such a cozy scene!  We took a short break to sing our ABC's -- our new favorite song.  So happy to have our camera back!

If the above doesn't play, just follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIa-GArLbLo

SNOW!!!

Yesterday, we woke up to snowflakes coming down and a light coating on the ground.  The boys went crazy!!  "Mommy!  SNOW!  Put my shoes on!!!"  Cole was ready to go outside immediately and play.  Tommy was jumping up and down yelling, "Snow! Snow!" And told me he didn't have to go to school.   This child is three-years old.  Did we really start dreaming of snow days that early?!?

Anyway, after school, our "flurries" turned into a full blown snowstorm.  We watched from the windows and seeing it through the boys eyes was nothing short of magical.  They were mesmerized.  Cole told me it was beautiful.  Tommy wanted to know if the animals would be cold.  We took the time stuck indoors to play Christmas music and make cookies for Santa.  It was perfect!  The boys used their new rolling pins and proclaimed their cookies were delicious.  However, they decided that the cookies would be for the reindeer and poor Santa would go hungry.

That night, the snow continued well into the night and we promised the boys that when they woke and the snow stopped, they could play outside.  Around 12:30am, Tommy woke up and when he looked out his window it had apparently stopped snowing.  He was on his way downstairs with his blankie and animals when Kevin intercepted him.  "Daddy!  The snow stopped and I awake.  I want to put my boots on!"

Holiday Showcase

The boys had a "Holiday Showcase" at school this year and all the parents were invited to attend.  The spent weeks making decorations and practicing their songs.  While the boys were aware of it...I'm not sure they really *got* it this year.  As they all paraded up on the stage and started to sing, Cole took one look at Kevin, myself and my parents in the audience and wanted to come and sit with us.  After he made his way off the stage, guess who followed!!  We ended up watching the rest of the kids in the show, with Cole and Tommy in our laps.  Tommy wanted to go back up...but you could see he didn't want to separate from his brother.  Oh well, there's always next year!

After we were invited back to the classroom for snacks and to see all their artwork.  It was really cute and I just love their school so much.

7 more weeks!!!! The date has been set....

So today we learned the date of my scheduled c-section.  It's February 3, 2011 at 11am.  Wow.  So official!!  Now, baby boy may decide to make his debut earlier than that...but at least I know that he'll be here by the 3rd for sure.

These final weeks are really going by fast!!!

Polar Express

Last weekend we took the kids on the Polar Express.  It's a local fundraiser where they transform the commuter line for the kiddos.  The trains are decorated and filled with "elves" who do all sorts of fun things with the kids.  They sing Christmas carols, hand out chocolate milk and cookies, give "tattoos" and more.  Halfway during the train ride, the train stops and they read the book Polar Express to the kids.  Then...as the train starts to make it's way to the station, Santa Claus himself walks through every car handing each child a silver bell.  The boys had a blast.  Wearing their PJ's and hanging with their pals, they enjoyed all the decorations, treats and probably the train ride most of all!

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

We had a great birthday celebration for Kevin today.  The boys were so sweet...and REALLY excited that it was daddy's birthday.  They made a gingerbread house for him with Nana during their sleepover this week.  (Kevin and I escaped to NYC for a quick getaway.)   And today we baked him a gigantic "brownie/cookie" in the shape of a heart.  We had a "fancy" dinner in the dining room, blew party horns and the boys sang him songs (Twinkle, Twinkle and ABC's) while we ate dinner.  It was really cute.

After dinner we had our special cake which spelled out "DAD" in red frosting.  Cole took the opportunity to take a blob of red frosting and rub it on his nose.  "Look!  I'm Rudolph!"  He said proudly.  :)  Such a ham.

Happy birthday to my best friend and the world's greatest daddy!  You make everyday fun...we love you so much!  Let the weekend of festivities begin!!

Camera's in the shop !

Well it's another photo hiatus.  We dropped our camera a few months ago and broke a little wheel on the camera.  It's under warranty until the end of the month, so it was time to end the procrastinating.  Looks like the repair might take two to three weeks.  Thank goodness for those protection plans!  Best Buy was amazing...they've replaced this camera once already.  And even though we dropped it?  They'll fix it!

So while we may be dry with photos for awhile, we should have it back in time for the holiday.  And if not?  No worries!  Santa bought us a new digital SLR for Christmas, so we'll be sure to get some good shots Christmas morning.  :)

I still have some photos to upload from our trip on the Polar Express last weekend.  So stay tuned for those.  And during the hiatus, I'll be sure to update you with detailed accountings of the boys antics.  :)

Our Gingerbread House

The boys are VERY proud of the gingerbread house they made at Nana's house yesterday.  It was their special surprise for daddy when we walked in the door to pick them up.  "Surprise!" Tommy yelled.  He was SO excited for us to see it...and even more excited to eat all the candies off of it!  Here are my proud little artists with their gingerbread creation.

Emotional Nesting

I've been getting ready for the new baby for awhile now.  The nursery is painted and decorated.  Clothes are almost done being washed and baby gear is pulled down, washed and ready to go.  Tonight - for some unknown reason that could only be hormonal - I started cleaning out my email inbox.  This is something I never do.  As a result, I got caught up reading emails dating back to 2006.

So many memories came rushing back.  Buried in there were emails between Kevin and I when we found out we were pregnant with our first.  Followed by emails from family and friends when we made the announcement...then again when we found out there were twins!  Even one that I sent the morning of my delivery to my best friend.  I was terrified and excited at the same time...and knew life would be forever changing.  (Holy understatement.)

As I sifted through emails congratulating us on the birth of our boys, I came across one from my cousin.  It had a simple poem in it about being a mom.  It just really hit home and made me well up.  My boys are my universe...and this new little guy is going to add a whole new dimension to that.  I can't wait to hold him...breathe in that sweet smell...and lose myself in this perfect little person we created.

As the weeks are winding down and my due date fast approaches...I can't help but feel nervous and excited all over again. Here is the poem.  For all those mommies out there...enjoy!

---

Before I was a Mom
I never tripped over toys or remembered words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom - I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Chewed on. Peed on.

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't
want to put him down.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my
life so much.

I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom -
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me
feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom -
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to
make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the
wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.

I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much, before I was a Mom.

"Thanksgiving is fun!"

Those were Tommy's exact words on the car ride home from our holiday weekend.  And he was right...it IS fun!  We had such a great time with Kevin's family and had a relaxing stay at Grandma's.  The boys loved sleeping there and told me repeatedly how "com-forable" their beds were.  Uncle Tom and Auntie Vicki spoiled them with awesome books about firemen, trucks, trains, airplanes and diggers. They were in their glory!  And cousin Maureen became their new obsession.  (We are still talking about her!)

But of course, nothing can beat Uncle Steve and Auntie Patti's house.  Scenic Greenwich, beautiful wooded setting, warm fires burning inside and out, amazing food and...for the boys...one amazing red tractor for climbing and exploring and two "tool boxes" waiting for them in their seats.  These worker men had lots to do around the yard!  Here they are in their glory:

With Kevin being the youngest of seven children...any family gathering is a sizeable one!  Here are some photos from our day.  Thank you to everyone for making our holiday so special.  The boys had such a great time and so did we.  Hard to believe next year there will be another little one around the table!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!