Say it Ain't So

Ok, let's try this again. The other day Brenna and I were talking about a party she is having. We needed to get the invitations out. What is that saying, "Out of the mouths of babes..."
As we were discussing mailing the invitations, Brenna says, "Mommy, we wouldn't want to mail the invitations. The mailman already has so much to carry on his shoulders. We wouldn't want to make it any heavier for him. I really think we should hand deliver them ourselves. It would be much nicer that way." Brenna really wanted to give the invitations out in school and I really felt they should be mailed.
Now maybe this doesn't mean much to you and maybe it shouldn't mean much to me, but I can't help it. Do you see the logic? This is Andy's logic through and through!! Putting what you want from the persective of being in somebody else's best interest. Hard to argue. For the first few years of our married life, I would have to doggedly repeat to myself, "I know I'm right, I know that my reasons make sense." Andy has the unique and utterly tragic (this is completely my perspective) gift of putting into perspective what he wants in just such a way that you feel you completely wanted it too and why have you been so silly, holding on to some ridiculous notion that it should have been any other way. I have been amazed at Andy's gift throughout our married life. I revel when he turns his talent onto some unsuspecting salesman or our children's classroom teacher. They really have no idea what hit them and they walk away certainly thinking that they now want what Andy wanted all along. However, when that talent is turned on me...I can only stand helpless as I know I am not a good debator and end up fighting to implement the very thing I was fighting against. I only wish I had this talent myself.
But to think that my children may have the ability to do this very same things! What am I in for? I must say that I have come to really appreciate Andy's talent. When we were first married, I simply couldn't see it for what it was: part of him. (Sappy, I know, but so true).

Say it ain't so

Bringing me back to reality

Do you see how cute these pictures are? I love these pictures!! They show so much of Noah and Brenna. I feel like if I looked at these pictures in a 100 years, I would know exactly the things that they were thinking and feeling.

So, let me begin the story of the last few days. We have been without heat on our top level for the last four days so Noah and Brenna have been sleeping together in Noah's room. (Many of you know that Brenna would have broken the heat herself for this to happen.) Last night when I went in to check on the kids, I saw that B and N were spooning each other. It was the cutest thing. Even in sleep Brenna wants to be close to her brothers.

As these pictures were taken Brenna was asking Noah if she could sleep with him tonight even though the heat was fixed. She kept telling him he was her "best brother ever." So, Noah agreed.

Fast forward to bedtime....I was just asking Noah what he wanted for a treat tomorrow b/c he had done so well in responding to me when I had to interrupt his Harry Potter movie watching (which he has been trying to watch for the last two days). And he did it without throwing a fit. I couldn't believe it! My Noah not throw a fit when I interrupt something he is doing. Anyway I digress. So, Brenna was asking what Noah had done to deserve a treat (one would think Noah would be reminded of his greatness and respond accordingly). I was reaching over to cover Noah up with his blanket when I accidentally scratched him. He immediately did what he does best: he became my overdramatic Noah and began to screech "Brenna, that hurt!" When I told Noah it was me, he immediately calmed down and was fine! Just when I thought he was overcoming his reaction to his sister! At least he decided to let her stay in his trundle so that Andy and I will get a good night's sleep! (Yes, there is some self-interest and some self-preservation guiding me here in encouraging Noah to be nice to his sister).

She can do it!

I can hardly believe that Brenna can read. What is amazing about this is that yesterday, either she couldn't or I didn't know she could, read. I sat down to work with her on her reading (I do have to admit that I have been a little lax for the past month or so); I was ready to roll my sleeves up and get down to business. I feel like Brenna really just has to make the decision to read and she will. I have been sounding out sounds and letters with her since... since she was watching me do it with Noah. So, as we sat down and she read, I was amazed and sooo proud of my little girl. She is growing up so fast and this is definitely a milestone. It was one of those mom moments where you get choked up at the tenderness of it all.

Side effects from Christmas vacation

Do you know when you have one of those moments where you're proven right? And the little child in you wants to gloat about it, but the grown-up adult side of you says to let it go? Well, the little child in me is winning.
All during Christmas break our children stayed up late. How late? Let's just say I'm embarrassed to tell you how late late. My children seemed to take it in stride and I realized exactly how much of a night owl my Noah really is which is so foreign to my own bio-rhythms that it just doesn't make sense. Now staying up late is only half of it. If they slept in that might have been one thing, but oh no, they continued to get up early, hardly later than during the week for school.
I remember having a conversation with my good friend Katie where the same thing was happening in her household. And yes, we agreed that the late night antics had more to do with our husbands than with us. When you say it out loud, it just sounds wrong (to me), an eight year old should not be staying up to midnight. Brenna was battling a cold and needed her sleep. But our husbands felt like it was "vacation" and they wanted to make it fun for them. We lamented what the next week would be like and we would be lucky if no one got sick.
Luckily we only had three days of school to go back to. Andy and I tried to do our part: our children were in bed by 8:30. Tobin (of course) was asleep by 8:45, but our littler munchkins were still coming out of their beds at 10:30. I can tell you that I am not sympathetic mom at even 9:30, so can't you imagine that my kids would have thought the safety and sanction of their beds were better than facing the wrath of mom? No, they didn't get it at first. I think at the 10:30 sighting, they finally got the message that mom was not happy about them being awake. But the wide-awake antics still continued from Wednesday night to Thursday night and then on Friday.....
In school, Brenna begins to not feel so well. She is achy and pale. So, her teacher sends her to the health room only to find out that she also has a temperature! Wonder why..... And as she is laying down resting while the nurse tries to find her information to call us so we can pick her up, who walks in through the health room door, into Brenna's line of vision? Yep.....Noah!!!! Noah has a headache and says he needs to go to the health room. Again, hmm........how can this be? (At this point I must digress and say how healthy my kids are. Between Noah's 3 year check up and his 4 year check up he didn't go to the doctor's once! They rarely have colds or mundane things like that.) And now to have them both in the health room at once.....Is there a lesson here?

New Year's Eve

Happy 2008 everyone. Here are a few pics. of our bringing in the new year. We had fun with our friends Katie and Mannish and their children. We always spend New Year's Eve together and hope the tradition continues for a long time to come. Although, Mannish told us on the way over to our house that Delaney put on lip gloss so that she could look cute for T. OK- so the plan is working. Our next step will be to separate them until their 18!! Just kidding!!! We had dinner and a fun night of playing on the Wii. We ended the night with karoake and watching the ball drop. I know, pretty tame compared to years past, but right now I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope 2008 brings everyone what they wish.

Christmas 2007

Christmas was a wonderful affair. The children slept in til about 6:56 which I consider a great gift given their excitement of the past few days. And with the stockings on the end of their bed as Santa's parting gift, we were able to get another 30 minutes from it. Finally, the children were ready to sit on the steps while Andy and I got everything ready: the tree lights on, the x-mas music on, orange juice poured, and the cameras ready. Christmas was so much fun; I


love watching the children open their presents. I also love when I can surprise Andy with things he really wants too. After opening presents we had a few hours to get ready for my family to come over. We had a great time. It's so much fun to be with family and enjoy one another's company. And the children pretty much play all night long with only a few needed kisses. Dinner was wonderful and Andy made a Maple roasted turkey. It was great! Merry Christmas.