The Tables Have Turned... (& Merry Christmas!)

For months, years really, we have been trying to teach Norah how to be patient and cooperative and to not whine or yell.  Most of the way we felt as though we were talking to a brick wall :) Lately we have resorted to a sticker chart, which has been working rather well. Now, the tables have turned... 


As we are getting ready to leave the house in the morning for school:

   Me (a little frustrated): Norah, please hurry up and zip up your jacket!!

   Norah: Hold on Mom! I'm working on it! Just like I have to wait for you to make your coffee, 
               you have to wait for me to zip up my coat! OK?

   Me (laughing): OK Norah, I am sorry, I will try to be more patient.

Later that day as we are driving home from school:

   Norah: Mom, can I please have a snack when we get home?

   Me: We'll see what we have when we get there honey.

   Norah: What? Can I please have a snack Mom?

   Me: I said we'll see what we have Norah.

   Norah: What Mom? Can I have a snack or not?

   Me: Yes Norah! I said Yes, you can have a snack!

   Norah: Then don't tell me "we'll see what we have" mom! Just say YES!

   Me (laughing again): Does it make you frustrated when I don't give clear answers?

   Norah: Yes!

I guess maybe I need a sticker chart of my own :)

Clark has been doing a little growing up of his own. He now says "Hello -insert name here-" to almost everyone he knows including all the kids in the infant room and his favorite teacher! It seems like it was just overnight that he learned how to say all these names! He sometimes starts his day by walking around the infant room looking for the babies saying "where baby?" over and over. (Imagine all this in the most super high-pitched baby voice possible - I die every time he talks!) He loves to "ROAAAAAAR" like a dinosaur and make his Air Force One jet (thanks Auntie Leesie!) fly around as he makes whooshing noises for it. Oh, and if he sees something he wants he says "Uh Ohhhhh" and points to it. That means "Hand that to me please!" 

So that's the synopsis of our life at the moment. I have not been great at taking my camera out a lot lately. If it's not within eyesight, then I tend to not think about. I'm just distracted by everything else around me.

So here's some photos from the last few weeks...


Making Christmas Cookies

Yes - She totally needed a haircut here!









Christmas Eve at Nona's & Grandpa's House












Christmas Morning at Home... Santa Came!!!

















And this year we spent Christmas Day first with my Aunts & Uncles and Cousins, and then went on to spend the rest of the night with Grandma Renee & Grumpa at their house with Auntie Leesie and Uncle Joe. It was such a fun day that I forgot to take any pictures! Oops :) We will sure have it locked away in our memories though... we even had a magical drive home; As the kids were sleeping, we drove around looking at Christmas lights all around the neighborhood while listening to Christmas music. What a perfect ending to a Merry Christmas :)


Love ~ Renee

The Many Faces of Clark

These were all taken within 3 minutes of each other...



















Love ~ Renee

Happy 1st Birthday My Little Man!

You are one year old today my sweet boy... you came into this world so very fast and the first year of your life has already come and gone! You and your sister are quite a pair and together you fill this house with laughter and oh so much love. You love to cuddle, grunt and dance. You copy everything that your big sister does. When you smile at me with those big blue eyes and a tilt of the head, I melt. When there is something that you want, really want, you are sure to let everyone within a few mile radius know by belting out your manly scream. It makes me cringe every time! I love how you giggle when I chase you, and when you walk right up to me and wrap your arms around my legs for a hug :)

Your party was the most fun! Our little house was overflowing with family and friends. Grumpa played the accordion while you and all the other kids were dancing and clapping and singing happy birthday. You grunted your way through an entire piece of lasagna and dug right into your monster cake. You played ring around the rosy and red light green light out front with all the big kids, and ooed and awed at all the balloons we decorated the house with for you! Yet again, we are so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends to celebrate with.

Love ~ Renee

Halloween! (wait... what month is it?)

The last time I had a chance to sit down and post a new entry was just after Norah's birthday party. Now all of a sudden it's chilly out and the days are short again. I'm still beyond amazed at just how busy we are with every day life and how fast that makes time fly by. Really.

This past weekend was supposed to be the same... On Saturday there was to be a costume party in the morning at Norah's friend from preschool's house, pumpkin carving with the kids and a chance to hang with girlfriends in the afternoon. On Sunday there was a trick or treat trolley ride that we were one of the very lucky ticket holders for and plans to have my family over to celebrate my little brother's 21st birthday party. Oh, and of course the usual chores and errands. We are always stuck with those :)

But our weekend was nearly canceled this time. We spent the days leading up to the weekend giving middle of the night baths, washing every set of bedding that we own and trying to comfort our miserable sick babies. They spent all day Saturday lying around the house watching movies while they recovered, and as our luck would have it, Colin and I got sick just as they got better! It could have been worse. We could have all been sick at once and that would have been a real disaster... Nona & Grandpa ended up taking Norah on the trolley ride, and we actually made it out for trick-or-treating!

Halloween on our block is straight out of a movie. Neighbors sitting on their front lawns with bon fires, houses decorated with cob webs, spiders and goblins, strings of orange and purple lights scattered all along the block. One of our neighbors even throws an annual Halloween party for everyone on the block. So after everyone's all trick-or-treated out they all meet up at the party with the kids to chow down on some warm yummy chili and chat with neighbors. That was the most fun I've had on Halloween since I was a kid :)

I was in no shape to snap any photos this weekend, but Colin managed to one with both of them all dressed up together! This year Norah dressed up as Dora and Clark as Boots the Monkey (Dora's side kick):



As for the last couple of months, let's see if I can remember what happened...

Vacation! We went up north to the cabin for a week with the Landers. We all had a blast, especially Norah who spent all her time cooking with Nona, swimming in the pool or fishing with Grandpa. Every time we asked her what she wanted to do she said "Fish with Grandpa!!" Grandpa bought her her very own Dora fishing pole and she was in heaven. She caught more than Grandpa and daddy combined I think. She grabs those slippery fish, holds them like a pro and even digs those little squirmy mealworms out of the dish to bates her own hook (with a little help)! I am so proud :) There is no way I would do that myself!









There were visits to apple orchards; one with Grandma Renee & "Grumpa" and one on a field trip with school. We went to the pumpkin patch with friends, took a couple of epic bike rides, and did lots of playing in leaves and trips to the park.




























Love ~ Renee