Merry Christmas

We were once again abundantly blessed the whole year through and are very thankful for all of our friends and family.

We had a wonderful Christmas with our families. We have had company staying at our house every weekend in december. We have loved every minute of it. I just love the holidays and the feeling that you get from hearing Christmas songs and the smell of live Christmas trees.

The boys are both up at about 6:30 every morning. Bobby and I were expecting to be up and opening presents by 7:00 a.m. Christmas morning was the only morning this year that the kids have slept in. We ended up waking them about about 7:00. They were so excited. Santa brought them a Power Wheel truck.

Jake drives it and Will sits in the passenger seat and plays with the real FM radio. We are going to have to strap Will in the truck because Jake needs to go to driving school. He just goes straight and runs into whatever is in his way.

We had so much fun for Christmas. We stayed in our pajamas and cooked breakfast and nibbled on sausage balls (our family favorite). We cooked lunch and stayed outside with the new toy most of the afternoon. We hope each and every Christmas is as merry as 2007.

Looking Back....

Jake 1 day old
Jake as a newborn
Jake 11 months (he would always turn his head to listen to what you were saying)
Will as a newborn
Will 10 months old

Will 1st birthday party

Jake and Will playing Christmas Card 2007

Wow time really does start to fly when you have children. I love spending every minute possible with them because I no it will not be like this forever!! I know our home is loud, toys scattered, diapers to change, and someone is always whining it seems like but I LOVE IT!!

The boys are getting a little older so it is much easier to throw them in the car and go. Don't get me wrong it still takes at least 45 minutes to actually get out the door, but it is better than it was when Will was a baby. It would take me all day to get ready to go somewhere and by that time I was so exhausted I did not even feel like going.

Since Jake just had his third birthday it has really had me thinking how fast they grow up. Looking back here are some pictures of the kids when they were a little younger than they are today!!!

Table Manners

For Christmas Papa and Nanny gave the boys a small table and chairs. They love it and so do we. It is so funny though because Jake sits down cleans his plate drinks his milk and then will get up. Will takes one bite runs around the couch then comes back to the table and takes another bite and does the samething. Will is going to be a work in progress on the table.

We are going to have a wait a few months before we begin teaching them table manners. They have to sit at the table and eat.

Jake also loves to sit at the table and color.

Thanks again papa and nanny for the table. We love it!!

The More the Merrier....

We have celebrated the Christmas holiday twice this year already and December 25th is still a week away. We love it though. It is really beginning to feel like Christmas time here now too. It has finally turned cold (at least to me, but I am always cold).

Papa and Nanny came this weekend to celebrate Jake's birthday and to celebrate Christmas with us. We had so much fun with them. We hated when it was time for them to leave. We went and ate lunch at Lambert's on Saturday where they throw the rolls. It was fun and Jake even caught a roll. He grinned from ear to ear the rest of the day.

We miss you already Nanny and Papa. When are you coming back?? We hope sooner rather than later!!! Thanks again for everything, you both are so sweet and we love you!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time..... of the Day!!

Awww... NAPTIME. Some days it can not get here fast enough. Today was one of those days. The boys got up a few minutes before seven this morning and by 7:07 I was counting down the minutes. The kids were both throwing fits. Jake was laying on the floor crying because he wanted Will's cup of chocolate milk. Will was whining and wanting me to hold him for hours on end. He is just too heavy to hold longer than 10 minutes at a time.

By 11:00 they were eating lunch, took an early bath, and both kids were snoozing by noon. Actually, I took me a little nap with them. I figured my housework,etc would still be waiting on me when I wake up.

Wish everyone was required to stop and take a nap for a hour everyday. Wouldn't that be great?

Priceless....

The other night after we celebrated Christmas with Gaga and family. The girls were picking up the house while Daddy and the boys were playing with the new toys. I could not decide who likes the new toys more Daddy or the kids.

When I walked into the playroom this is what I saw...


This is priceless. Bobby was on the floor helping Jake build his new train track. He is just a great dad!! My boys are very lucky.

Happy 3rd Birthday Jake!!

I can not believe that my baby is 3 years old today!! He says, "no want to be three, I two." I don't argue with that because I am not ready for him to be three either.

However, I do say, "no baby, you are three now!!"

We celebrated his birthday with our family and a few close friends on saturday. He had a Thomas the Train cake that he picked out and got lots of fun toys. Time sure does fly when you realize you have a three year old. I absolutely love his age right now. He is talking and saying very funny things to Bobby and I.

Tonight we ate pizza (per Jake's request) and played outside since it was so warm. It was very fun. Jake kept tackling Will whenever he had the football in his hand. It was fun family time!!

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY JACOB BENJAMIN!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

This Is Not A Democracy!!

Trying to raise two toddlers is no easy task. Well let me qualify that statement. If all I had to do was keep them fed and watered, it might be easier than trying to teach them manners, to have respect for others, to play nicely with each other and generally to be good little citizens. I love John Rosemond's description of toddlers ~ they are sociopaths! I'm not being ugly here folks, just stating the truth. Some days I feel like I'm just shoveling snow in the middle of a snowstorm, making no progress. But then I have moments of realization that maybe I'm getting through and doing an ok job.

Like the other night. Jake's bedtime is 8:30 and usually never later than 9:00. He started pitching a fit the other night though, crying, not wanting to go to bed and saying he was hungry. He wanted chips. He was screaming out loud that he wanted chips. I stood in the door of his bedroom and told him if he was truly hungry he could have a banana. Otherwise he could go to sleep. More crying, more begging for the chips. I listened for about 2.3 seconds and turned to walk out. As the door was closing he quickly hollers out "ok Mama a nana!" Keeping my word, I got him a banana, watched him eat it, took the peeling away, kissed him and said Goodnight. More crying, but it didn't last long. At least I don't think it did. I went to the back of the house where I could find a quiet place.

Anyway...next night, same scene. Crying at bedtime, saying he was hungry, blah blah blah. Bobby was putting him to bed so in a just a minute Bobby comes in the kitchen and tells me that Jake asked him for chips, and when Bobby told him he would have to ask me Jake said...No Daddy, no ask Mama. I eat a nana and go nite nite!

HA! Success! But of course I had a different kind of realization earlier today when Jake and Will were playing and, apparently in response to the theft of his juice cup by his brother, Jake yelled "NO WILL, NO! YOU. NOT. HAVE. MY. JUICE. YOU GET A SPANKING."

Hey, Chemical Ali. I'm the only Dictator around here and I don't need an assistant!

A Big Thanks

We had so much fun this weekend. We had a full house. Gaga, Granny, Aunt Janet (CiCi),Katelyn, and Yaya came in town for Jake's birthday. It was so sweet of them to take off work and drive down from Atlanta. Needless to say Jake and Will were spoiled rotten.

We went to a Christmas parade on Friday night. We didn't stop the whole weekend.We even celebrated an early christmas with them while they were in town. It was so good to see them. It broke my heart when my mom, who jake calls gaga, was leaving on sunday and Jake was hugging her and alligator tears were streaming down his face. He wanted to go home with Gaga. Please, go home with gaga was what he kept saying to Bobby and I.

We think it is so neat that Jake has such a close relationship with all of them with them living in another state. Jake keeps saying, "gaga r you?"

Here are some pictures from this weekend. We miss you guys... come back!!!!

How to Melt Mommy's Heart

I love the little conversations that Jake and I have these days. They can just make me smile thinking about it.

However, some days as a parent, and mom especially, you feel as though you are shoveling snow in a snow storm or treading water and only being able to keep your head above the water. It becomes the little things that matter to you.

If you overhear your child ask for something and say, "Please" or say, "Thank you" when receiving what they want it really makes you smile as a parent.

Jake and I were laying on the couch today trying to take a nap before I was suppposed to work tonight. I have to at least get a little nap before working all night long.

He was watching Stuart Little on DVD and kept moving around, flopping up and then laying down, turning from side to side, taking all the covers.... you get the picture. After about an hour of this and knowing if I didn't get to sleep soon that Will would be waking up and naptime today would only be a dream.

After the accidental elbow in the face I told Jake to please go cut the tv and dvd off we were going to lay down for a little while.

He turned everything off and returned to the couch. When he layed down he put his arm over me and whispered, "I wud you mommma."

"I love you too Jake." I replied.

I just layed there and smiled until the time that Will woke up while Jake ended up falling asleep.

It made my heart melt. That one little sentence makes the endless job of being mommy to two toddlers all the worth while.

I am still walking on cloud nine......

Bobby said I wish when I told you that I love you it made your day like Jake did today. I replied, "It does honey but you have been telling me that for about ten years now."

Storytime

Last night Bobby and Jake were helping someone move while Will and I went out shopping. Wow, what a difference there is with one child and two. Anyways, when we got home we ate dinner and I gave Will a bath. When I got him out of the tub I sat him on the rug while I went to get a towel. When I came back he was gone.

I turned and went into their bedroom.... No Will.

I started to panic. I walked into the living room and just around the corner this is what I saw......

Weekend With Uncle Wes

This weekend we had Uncle Wes come and visit us. It was actually a surprise. He called on friday morning to see if we had any plans this weekend. We didn't so he came down to see us. It was so much fun!!! He hung out with bobby and played with the boys.

We watched football on Saturday and decided to load up the troops to go eat that night. Everyone did great and fun was had by all.

We were sad to see Wes go home. We wanted him to stay and play with us another day. It was so good to see him and we miss him already. Bobby was trying to recruit him to come work for him at one of his stores. Needless to say, he didn't take the offer.

Maybe I should have tried to recruit him to stay and babysit??

Just a thought...

Power in Numbers

From this day forward I am a firm believer in the power of numbers. I will have to admit that I have not always given bobby credit where credit is due with the kids. I always felt like I did more, he could help with this that and the other, etc.

I have realized there is power in numbers because the nights that bobby works past dinner time our house is total and utter chaos. However, when bobby is home before we eat things seem to run much smoother. He plays with the kids while I cook dinner and we each have one child that we are in charge of at the time.

He may not always clean up, give a bath, read books, or just snuggle the way I do with the kids but he is a great dad and we love him dearly.

Maybe one day he could stay home and he could be mr. mom..... actually I don't think I could leave my babies to be a career woman at this point in my life.