Hot off the Presses...

...Our boys being super cute together...

Did I catch ya just waiting? Ha ha ha!! Our sweet LM has kept us moving and shaking these last few weeks -- it is incredible, just incredible, to watch development and almost 3 year old sillies reveal themselves at such a rapid pace -- how do other parents keep up? :)

Here are a few scenes from the life and times of our LM...

As a sign of submission to Father Frost and Winter Solstice (speaking of, did anyone see the full lunar eclipse? We actually dragged ourselves out of bed around 3:15am to look -- completely INCREDIBLE)... Anyway, so we took the boat out of the water (sigh) with one last 2010 "hoo-ra" ride...

... Mama and her Little Men enjoy a final sunny sunset cruise for 2010...
... I think Ashton is the only one happy to see the boat docked...
... He's not a big fan of the river outings...

LM is in his 3rd month of school and truly is just a sponge. His teachers are kind, and they tell us regularly what a great kid he is (we know, but come on parents out there, you have to admit it is REALLY nice to get some re-enforcement from someone else). Things they told me this month about him include:

• He is the most polite boy they've ever met for a kid his age -- he asks regularly "May I please do this?" or, "Could I please have another snack?" and "Thank you so much, Mrs. Howels (pronounced "house" --another embarrassing story in itself -- I thought all this time it was HOUSE. to the point that I wrote "Mrs. House" on his Christmas card present to her... Man, do I have some apologizing to do!)...
• He is really good at sharing -- There was a little friend who wanted a toy that he had, and apparently they found the 2 of them in a power struggle over it. Mrs. House reported she said "now, children we do not behave that way. What can you do here?" (truly, she talks this way - she will be 80 on March 3 and she is a pistol of a woman!) And apparently, LM said to his friend "Here, i will go get another one, you can have this one and I will get another one and then we will play together when we each have one".
• He loves his snack & juice (ha ha ha. probably because that is where he does get 100% juice!) But, whatever keeps him happy at school works for me -- I am sure that someday when he goes to college he'll enjoy the "juice" he didn't get at home all that often, too. Ha ha.
• He is really good at the story and book time -- She has told me over and over how she is floored with his ability to recall from books. They will read a story one time, and then ask about the story, and he can answer almost all the questions. That is our detail boy -- he never forgets anything he sees or hears even one time...
  

..."It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Home, November 2010 Month End Mug Shot!...
...Yes, while lots of growing up is happening, no worries....
... the Woobie is still in the scene...

We are working on it, tho... I taught him this little "Woobie Woobie, thanks for the smiles, see you in, a little while" mantra to chant as he puts it in his bed -- and we are trying to limit his time with it -- It is so hard. Does anyone else have a child who is oddly fixed on their security object? And yet, while at one moment it is all that will calm him, the next minute it is (literally) thrown to the wind and laying on the floor as he's found something else to catch his fancy... So, it is cute now because we will be, say, in the kitchen, and I'll say "LM, it is time for breakfast/lunch/playdoh/etc, I want Woobie to stay clean and not end up on the floor, please go put it away".. and 9 out of 10 times he'll run to his room and I'll hear him saying his "good bye Woobie" mantra...

And, of course, the parting of November means preparing for Christmas...
We went to the big magic tree fields (ie: Local Dairy Queen Parking lot) to fetch our little tree... and have our annual holiday tree tradition... Neither of us have a lot of traditions that we still follow from our childhood, so I am happy that in year 2 of Christmas together, we actually managed to do something similar to last year in our "Tradition"... I am publicly apologizing to my mom because I wrote it meaning that, as adults, we don't still do some of what we did when we were kids... as a kid, my family had lots of traditions, and I am sure Jeff's did as well... I simply mean that it is fun to start our own family traditions and keep them going. I am so sorry Mom that you may have read it another way -- I would never ever try to say or write something that would hurt anyone. It was quite simply that childhood traditions do not still happen and it's fun to start new childhood ones for our little ones.

... Ashton is Happy to Get to Come along again! Lick Lick...

...LM decided the heat wave of above 35* weather helped grow the grass...
... and so he was cutting it...

...New this year -- Wagon Rides up and down the Hill...
A quarter/ride. We cashed in and earned back some of his chore money. Ha ha

...My Men enjoying...
Hot Cocoa (& Baileys, of course) with Whipped Cream and a Fire...
...Yum yum yummo...

... Decorating the tree...

For the first few days, we'd periodically find "gaps" in the tree and a little pile of ornaments -- so we'd get the joy of re-decorating each night after he went to sleep :) It was really cute, actually...

... Giving new meaning to the phrase "Stockings"...
...He thought it was hilarious that the "stockings" could be socks...
..."Hopping around the Christmas Tree"...

We also headed up to "New York, Mama?" -- well, not really, it was far north jersey to hang with Sarah, my college roommate, and her little boy, W. who is just 1 month younger than our LM... We played in the indoor pool, had pizza, and enjoyed the best we could each other's company... I felt terrible as LM had a rough behavior weekend -- we tried to take him off the zantac. Word of advice: When trialing a child OFF meds, do not go away over a weekend unless you bring said meds with you -- it was obvious that he needed them, felt horrible, and as a result, we had a rough weekend. But it was great to see Sarah and her little boy is awesome and she is a great mom! We also got to visit Gail, a dear friend and work colleague, and spend Sunday morning and early afternoon with her and her family... I hadn't seen her in months and just love her presence -- even in the most insane of circumstances, Gail's calm aura is amazing... I am also really thankful because she saw a meal, his tummy bloating, and the ensuant burping and farting machine he can become... and said "he needs doubling up".. we had been saying that for months, and so we got a pediatrician locally to agree with us -- knock on wood, since he has been on prevacid and zantac cocktail a couple days, this child has slept EVERY SINGLE NIGHT but 1 ALL THE WAY THROUGH. We are going on 4 weeks now. this has not happened ever in our time together as a family. And I am not discounting this as a huge contributor to the overall learning and height growth he's made - truly, he was one of the "shorter" kids in his class.. and on the last day of school, I noticed that he is now the tallest. 1 month of solid sleep: priceless.

...Future G'Burg Alums...

LM also turns/turned 3 just before Christmas -- at School, the kid who's birthday it is brings in snack all week and a special snack on birthday celebration day.... We decided to make little fishies in mini-aquariums... ie: blue jello that, once partially solidified, we dunked red swedish fishies... They turned out super cute... Here are a few shots of us making them together...

...Should've gotten a close up of his BLUE tongue...
...from "tasting" it to make sure it was "ok"...

Which it was, that night. But apparently during snack, not so much. Half the kids loved it, and half the kids spit it out. Starting with our LM. Good thing I sent in "real fishies" too. :)

"It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere" Early December 2010

Dear LM -- you are such a funny, happy little boy... We love you so much and you are learning and teaching us so much every day -- I am happy when you are so happy, and I keep trying to scratch my head and figure out what you want/need/are so mad about when you are not happy... You are so smart and crack us up!! And sometimes your own smarts lead to frustration for all sides -- you are struggling with the idea of wanting to be fiercely independent one moment, but not wanting to let go of being a baby, which leaves us all in a state of confusing, head scratching situations at times.... You very much way over balance those raging moments with so many more in which you say and do things that show us what a kind, giving, thoughtful little person you are growing into.... You are also so compassionate to others -- the other day you said "Mama, that man is riding his bike and he doesn't have a helmet on. That is not safe. I hope he will be OK"...
The other day I was standing on a chair to get something from the top cabinet and you said "Mama, be careful, please be safe, I want you to stay OK"... It is really funny to hear you generalize things we say to you back at us from your sweet little mouth.... And, the way you generalize things is just so so funny... The other morning, we were having a gorgeous sunrise over the river, and it was steamy off the water, with a beautiful pink/purplish sky... You said "mama, look -- Smoke on the water... and fire in the sky".... Just like the crazy old song Papa has been teaching you!! Thanks for being such a hilarious, gorgeous, amazing, wonderful, super little boy!!
Love! M & P