Lets call this day done...

So its just been a day. I finally to the relief of my mother, husband and girlfriends took sweet crabby Christopher (oxymoron I know) to the Dr. He has a really bad ear infection which is nice to know since now we are assured that he isn't suffering from bi polar disorder....We are also treating his breathing problems with allergy prescriptions and reflux medicine... Hopefully this will help him. He can be so enjoyable with his contagious laugh and gorgeous smile. However, he can be challenging at times too, so time to cure him up so we can have his gregarious personality all the time. He's so fantastic to cuddle. He is like a warm soft teddy bear, and his growl is fun. GRRRRRR...

Ella told him today at the height of his fussiness, Christopher I don't know what you're going to do about this but you are draining me of all my energy!!! She is so mature.

NO HANDS!

Ella is so pleased with herself that she can ride her bike with NO HANDS. Everything she does is picture worthy in her eyes. All day I hear "take a picture of this..." Riding her bike with no hands is cool so she makes the blog with yet another video of her brilliant abilities!

At dinner tonight the boys were chatting to each other. Really cute. I have to have my camera more accessible. By the time I get it the moment is gone. I would love to have a video camera in their room. When you put them to bed at night thats when the party really begins.

Funny thing Ella said...

At preschool chapel Pastor Mark was talking about God. I don't know the full context but apparently he said something to her about the beginning so she comes home and tells me that God is the beginning and I say yes and the end. NO she says he's not the end. I say well who is?

She replies, I don't know - maybe Jack...

I have to agree, in this family Jack is the end.

NEW RUG

This is the new rug the kids had so much fun playing on. Ella loves when the boys bug her. One of her favorite things to say is WATCH YOUR BACK HERE COMES A JACK ATTACK. Jack loves it and says JA ATTA... That's as good as he can say it for now...

We have neighborhood cat named Simba that the kids love. Jack has no fear of animals which is surprising since he is the only one that's been bitten. Good boy... Gets right back up on that horse!

Thursday

Here are the kids eating breakfast. They think its so fun to have a better vantage point. A little risque too!

I have no idea what the boys were doing they both think its fun to play on the coffee table. Jack laid down and Christopher followed suit. They copy each other all the time.

The new train table is a HIT. They play at it a lot and happily together so thats a plus. One problem we have is Ella keeps packing all the trains up and we can never find enough... She needs to go on Oprah's show about hoarding.

The kids enjoying a few minutes with Daddy before he goes to the artic... I mean Chicago. Same thing for us Texans.

Today was just a normal day. Ella went to school and the boys had a morning nap. This was good since the house was a mess after mom was sick yesterday. Nothing gets done when Mom is sick. After Ella came home the boys took another nap and we played. The weather was amazing today so we went to the park with our friends where Jack fell down and broke his crown... Actually he fell and got a bloody nose - but that doesn't rhyme! John called and told us he was coming home early and we were excited but our excitement faded when he told us he was going back to Chicago. Its just for a short time - since he wouldn't miss being home on his birthday. Ella already has it all planned for him.

TEXAS SNOWFALL

Ella and the boys think its fun to play with our Christmas decorations. I am pretty sure that in a couple weeks (I'm optimistic) the tree will be completely rearranged.

Our very own version of MR. T. John loved Mr T. He saw him at Toys R US when he was 10ish... We are foggy on all the details. It was on the QEW he notes.

The moment all children (especially those born to Canadians) wait for. SNOW! Grandma and Grandpa Hoy bought the kids a new train set for Christmas and it came packed with Styrofoam. So as ingenious as my children are they shredded it. Ella loved having snow. I had fun vacuuming it since it blows everywhere and has static... All clean now.

John wants me to add a caveat. The kids train was for Christmas but since there was no other adult supervision I had to make the call. So naturally I decided to enhance their lives now and live in the present. So many people live for the future or the past. Nope not us....

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

It seems like this year, as with every year it flies by. Neighbors already had Christmas lights up and on before Thanksgiving. So if you can't beat them join them... We put our tree and some decorations up on Thanksgiving morning. It was a great day. Auntie Barbara was here to spend time with us and she was so great with the kids. They love her.

So I will rewind to when she arrived and give y'all chronological events...
Tuesday night my lover boy husband finally arrived home. YEAH it has been a long 10 weeks and he was exhausted from this project. ME TOO. He also brought home with him a stray we picked up at the airport. Just so happens Auntie Barb was there too and looking for some Turkey dinner. We obliged.
Wednesday morning the kids woke up early (as always), we had breakfast and then the trickery began. Ella had an appointment with the Orthopedic Surgeon for a follow up on her leg. Well Ella gets very emotional at the thought of Doctors. She doesn't like them. Since we were going downtown we thought we would take them to the ZOO. Everyone is ready and excited for the ZOO just one pit stop. We get to the Dr's office and I tell her we just have to talk to a man for a few minutes and then we are off. Well this man wants to take pictures of her leg to which she gets hysterical. Who can blame her - last time they did it, it took hours, needles and she was literally taped to a machine AKA moving bed in her words.
None of that required today. Just x-rays.

It was appropriate to be Thanksgiving since Dr. Gerow told us she is fine. YEAH. Good news. All clear to go the ZOO.

Here are some pictures of everyone enjoying the animals.

Here are the kids getting excited for Christmas...

After some decorating and a nap we went to Erin and Chads for dinner. You'll notice in the photo of the little ones eating that Jack and Christopher have their matchbox cars with them. Auntie Barb brought them and the boys even sleep with them. They think they are the greatest present ever.
All in all it was a fun holiday. Too short. We took Barb to the airport this morning and as she left Ella looked a little forlorn and said "So who is going to talk to me now?"

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night!

Thanksgiving Feast

Today was Ella's Thanksgiving feast at preschool. She was so excited that me and the boys were coming to have lunch with her. The boys took a late nap so I had to wake them up to make it and we were a few minutes late. The teacher said she kept asking when I was coming so its a good thing we went. She said the kids whose mommies didn't come were sad. The feast of chicken nuggets was fantastic and cupcakes instead of pumpkin pie were a treat. Here are some pictures of her on her big day.

Sarah and Ella

Dylan and Ella - two dual citizens celebrating American Thanksgiving.

After the feast Jennifer and I took the kids to the park.

We were leaving the school and Jack was chatty so I thought I could get more of him on video but here is his famous Ba Bye. He's so Texan.

Ella told me tonight that she wants to get married. I told her she had to wait to be a bit older so she asked me how old. I said 25... then she says NO I think I am going to marry Daddy when I am 11, to which I replied Sorry Sugar he's taken!!!

MR. DRESS UP

Christopher, Jack and Ella played dress up. Ella always asks for a sister - who needs a sister when you have brothers like this?

MONDAY

Ella in her usual apparel. She doesn't go anywhere without plenty of things. She loves to take pictures so this is a classic Ella picture. Camera, jewelry and purse - We are ready for the day.

Today was just another regular day at our house. We went to the Y. Dylan and Jennifer came over to play briefly - oh and she does have news... SHE'S PREGNANT. I called it. I am so smart. The heating and air conditioning guy came for the yearly maintenance. Then we went for a walk to the park. Ella and Tyler rode their bikes. We had fun except for those Texas mosquitoes. They never leave us alone.

Jack saw a squirrel and followed it around. I am not sure exactly what he was calling it but he had fun looking at it. He's an animal lover - makes his mommy and sister proud!

MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO

The kids loved having John home this weekend. Today we went to the grocery store and Ella was holding John's hand and told him, "Daddy I am so glad you are not in Chicago." I think his heart melted. He was soon brought back to reality when Christopher is crying in the cart. We look over and Jack has a big smile on his face - he has his brother in a HEADLOCK. Poor Christopher couldn't move and he was just balling...
At dinner tonight - I made pizza (I have to since Christopher would go into shock if he ate the real stuff) anyways back on topic Lynnette...
Ok so Jack thought it was so funny to put the plate to his face. He laughed and laughed. Well all of them had to give it a go then. So here they are doing everything together. The last one is Jack with the messiest face. (Make sure you click on the picture to see the close up of apple sauce and pizza face!) He's so sweet. When you take out the camera to snap photos Jack sits down to pose and then out of the blue - clear as day he says CHEESE. I almost died. They all surprise me everyday and make me laugh. I can't remember what life was like before them, way more boring although we definitely slept better and longer. That I do miss!!! Oh well.
Ella told us tonight that the reason she doesn't like to nap at preschool is because no one will sleep beside her. So we have been enlightened.

Jack has earned the nickname THE SILENT ASSASSIN. He looks so innocent playing quietly with a truck and then out of nowhere he is standing behind Christopher, Ella or me and hitting you in the head. OUCH. Now when Christopher sees Jack with a toy he ducks. Wise move of his part. So we are working on Jack hitting and throwing everything. Ella says Jack hits and Christopher bites. Nice way to describe the brothers. They do however give big wet kisses and bear hugs.

Rub a dub dub 3 in a tub

Here are the kids playing in the bath. Jack and Christopher were having a stand off over a water can. Jack hits Christopher in the head with it and Christopher cries, then he takes the can and pours water on Jack and he cries so in the end I won. I took the watering can away but unfortunately no one was pleased with my executive decisions. Its tough being the boss!

Just some pics of the boys. Just a regular day at our house today.

PRETTY GOOD PIE

I made pie today and here is the recipe for sugar shock pie. Its very sweet!

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

1 t. vanilla extract

1 stick real butter

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

Pie crust (unbaked)

Melt butter. Add other ingredients and stir together. Pour into pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

HIDE AND SEEK

One of the favorite things the kids love to do is play hide and seek. Ella normally hides in the cabinet and wants the boys to find her. We have to count and she loves it. They always know where to look for her and they stand outside the cabinet and bang on it saying ELLA ELLA ELLA - fun times. Well today the boys decided they had had enough of being on the outside looking in and they wanted in on the action. Here is a short clip from me finding them!!!

SMARTY PANTS

Ella was telling me at dinner tonight that if you have 3 and you add 3 it makes 6. I immediately called John to tell him how brilliant she is since she can add... Well when he called us back later she told him that she knows her numbers which "makes me intelligent" Straight from her. This little girl has no self esteem issues.

Ella and Christopher were running around the house wreaking havoc - laughing and yelling and racing dumptrucks around and I look up from the chaos and see sweet Jack in his own world reading books. It was the cutest thing. He was totally oblivious to the other two and was just enjoying his book. He's too cute for words. In my best Southern voice "Bless his heart"

Girls Just wanna have fun!

Got a babysitter and the girls went out. Jennifer looks tired. hmmm maybe she has some news??????

LUPES

Our favorite eatery in Texas is Lupe Tortilla's. Today Shelley and Linda brought the kids and we all ate dinner there. The 3 musketeers had fun playing in the sand box. It seems a good portion of that sand is in my car now and Jacks diaper. Ouch - that can't be comfortable!Ella loves all the statues there and every few minutes I heard her famous words. "Mommy take a picture of this"Jack and Ella playing with the animals. You may wonder where is Christopher? Well he was having a snooze - missing all the fun. He did wake up in time for food though. He's a smart guy.
Christopher and Jack playing on the stairs - having an intense conversation. Who knows what they are saying. I guess that's TWIN TALK . They seem to be having fun.

Christopher getting ready for bed. If Jack is tired he will say baaa baa for his bear. He then finds his bear and goes and sits down by his crib. Christopher on the other hand starts running in the opposite direction and then throws the biggest fit all the way back to his bed. They are soooo different. However they are all so cute.