To gift or not to gift...

So I've come up with a problem with Christmas presents for the boys.  I just found an adorable set of china for Ewan.  I know, most people won't understand this, china for kids??  Jack has the Peter Rabbit set from Royal Doulton, a baby gift from his dear Emmie M.  Anyway, he loves to use it, especially the mug for his hot tea.  So now Ewan is using regular cups too and he doesn't have a mug for his hot tea.  He uses Jack's other cup, a plastic mug with "Jack" on it.

Needless to say it's time for Ewan to get his own china set.  The problem is that I've already gotten each of the boys their two gifts, one from Mommy and Daddy and one from Santa.  So do I get Ewan another one?  Do I get Jack another one too?  Such issues!!!  I'm sure this wouldn't be an issue for most people, go ahead and get it.  But we really are trying to limit their presents and I've gotten my share and already given lists to family for the boys.  I'll have to figure this one out because I really do want him to have it.....anyone who knows me knows that I'm a china freak!!

Yes, I love china.  I have three sets myself.  BUT....I do USE all of my china.  I just don't understand people who have china, whether everyday or fine china, and just let it sit in a cabinet.  That is insane!!  For that matter, why own anything and not use it (speaking of which....any chance I can finally get rid of those National Geographics when we move??!!).  Lately I've had the itch to get new china, not that I will, but I want some!!  I love my everyday china, nice blue and white pattern, but I just want a change.  Nothing much, probably still blue and white or just white.  I've also got my grandma's china which I love to use.  I never used it as a child, only because there wasn't enough for all the grandkids.  I've also got a piece of Josh's grandma's china....now that's one I NEVER saw used.  For that matter, my first Christmas with his family they used paper plates!!  What a shock to a china person!!  I've managed to change him now, though he still likes to use papertowels for napkins.  Guess I can't have it all!

So I've gone off on a tangent again, china will do that do me!  Anyway I'll figure it out soon, Christmas is after all just around the corner!!

Thanksgiving 2010

We just returned from a fabulous Thanksgiving get-away.  This year we spent the holiday with my family in Atlanta, and as always, we had TONS of fun!!!  I LOVE spending the holiday with family, and the Weitzels have been doing it ever since I can remember.  When we lived in Wisconsin we trekked (most years) to Ohio.  Now that we have more family in the South it's been in South Carolina and Georgia for over 10 years. 

This year it was Greg and Nancy's turn to host and they did an outstanding job!  All the food was incredibly yummy and we had so much fun with the family.  Jack and Ewan LOVE spending time with their second cousins.  Some of their highlights were impressing everyone with the daredevil skills on the zip line (both rode it ALONE), cruising down a hill in the jeep ("faster Daddy"), playing in the basement with all the exciting toys, EATING (aka, Jack stealing brownies), a trip to the aquarium.....

Big Boys AGAIN

Yesterday Ewan and Sean had their 2 year and 2 month checkups.  I still seem to be the mother to monsterous children!!

Ewan is 37.5" (off the charts again) and weighs 30lb (75th percentile).  I got out Jack's book and at this same age Jack was 2.5 pounds HEAVIER and half and inch SHORTER!!  That's right, Ewan is taller and leaner than Jack.

Speaking of Jack, seems I forgot to post his three year stats....and seems I forgot to put them in his baby book.  Thus, I've got no clue!  Well, I know he is 36 pounds, has been for some time now.  I'll have to measure again how tall he is.

And then Sean....at two months he weights 13lb 11.5oz (90-95th percentile) and is 24.75 inches long (95th percentile).  My heaviest yet at this age (Ewan is number two at 13lb 7oz)!!  Ewan was tallest though at 25.25 inches!!  Why do I have such monsterous children??!!

Will post birthday pics soon.  So much to do and never enough time.  I'm just now updating baby books, dating back nearly a year or so!!

Fun in the Fall

Yesterday mo.rning was just gorgeous fall weather.  The boys and I all headed outside....Sean in the stroller, Josh working in the yard and me raking piles of leaves for Jack and Ewan to play in.  I always had such fun playing in the leaves as a child, it's great to see Jack and Ewan having so much fun too!  They even got out their bucket and shovels and played with the leaves like they were at the beach!!!   Ewan had a blast swinging on the tire swing too.  Fun was had by all, even if Sean did nap most of the time!

These pics are dedicated to Emmie M3...the boys just LOVE their Packer football jerseys!!!  Jack asked to wear his again this morning.  He was disappointed to find out it was in the wash. 

More to come soon....Ewan and Sean's stats from the 2 year and 2 month checkups today as well as celebrating Ewan's birthday.

Ewan now.....

 and last year!!





Glutton for Punishment

I wanted to take the boys to Vista Lights last night...well Josh gets home late AND needed to work on his dirt bike last night.  So glutton for punishment that I am I decided to take all three boys myself.  Traffic was already bad as soon as we got into town.  Luckily we found a parking spot about three blocks from Mellow Mushroom.  So I put Sean in the stroller and Jack and Ewan held onto the sides.  We did pretty well (except that I forgot their coats, went back for them after dinner).  We even didn't have to wait for a table at the Shroom, yeah.  First we journeyed to the bathroom, all three boys, stroller and me.  Quite the sight!!  Then Sean needed to be fed ASAP.  So picture me feeding Sean and trying to keep Jack and Ewan out of trouble....   Then feeding Jack and Ewan and trying to eat myself while Sean cried in his stroller (fussy for some reason).  Luckily it's a noisy place and nobody really noticed Sean being so loud!!  Somehow we made it through dinner and headed for one more trip to the bathroom.

After picking up the boys' coats after dinner we headed to the Christmas tree.  Jack and Ewan liked looking at it and playing with the berries (obviously not an evergreen tree)!!  Sean didn't care for the LOUD speaker right by the tree.  Then we headed to Cupcake, a bakery I've been wanting to go to for ages.  It was yummy!!  The line was long, and it was crowded for all of us and a stroller, but we braved it and the reward was worth it.  Jack and Ewan shared a white chocolate raspberry cupcake (I had a bite too) which was yummy.  I enjoyed mine at home later (mocha cupcake).  After that we walked past some more lights and enjoyed the sights and headed home.  Sean was extremely fussy, but we all lived through it.  It was an extremely long day for Mommy!!

Here are a couple pictures from last night and a couple of Sean....the last one taken by Jack.  He does so love the camera.  He looks forward to telling Santa he wants his own camera!!

Birthday Fun

Saturday Jack and Ewan had their birthday party with friends.  Everyone had a great time, especially the birthday boys!  They all ate well (especially cake of course) and played hard.  The personalized M&Ms on the cake and as favors were a huge hit....Jack and Ewan ask for them all the time.  Sunday Jack had a piece of cake after dinner and complained because that slice didn't have an M&M on it!!!

Ewan the sous chef licking the cake batter!

Sous chef Jack testing it out too!

Double the help (or should I say trouble)!!

Best behaved sous chef Sean!!!

Somehow everyone finds it fun to push stools all over the place.

Chow time.

Singing "Happy Birthday"

Jack laughed the entire time everyone sang "Happy Birthday"!

Let's dig in!

Is this bite big enough??!

Well, we're moving on out.....

.....to the countryside!  We just got a contract on a house!!!!!!  Assuming the inspections go well and we have no other unexpected problems, we close on January 14.  The house is in Dalzell, SC.  That would be hickville country!!

The house itself is all right.  It need a lot of work, especially a new kitchen and bathrooms.  It is an all brick house built in 1973 (a fabulous year if I do say so myself) and has not had anything done to it since then.  So needless to say the kitchen and baths are very dated.  We plan to gut the kitchen and redo that before we move in, along with finishing the hardwood floors, paint...  The rest can wait and be done slowly.  Should be interesting....getting all this done with 3 little kiddos!   We'll be needing Oma and Opa a lot!!

Why did we pick this house if it isn't great.....because the house (also had a pump house which we plan to fix up and rent out) is on over 20 acres!!  And with two ponds to boot!!  The land is great and some day we'd like to build our dream house by the ponds.  The boys are going to love it....just imagine all the running, hiding, climbing, skinned knees, blood....  I forsee some wild mountain biking too (Jack just recently perfected riding his bike with training wheels and already likes going down dirt hills)!!

So wish us luck, we're going to be extremely busy.  And of course we hope to sell our house soon!!

Me Time

Today I enjoyed some long awaited and deserved "mommy time".  AKA....time alone without any kids.  Nobody under my feet, yelling, screaming, whining, fussing, crying, needing to be fed....  It was wonderful.  So what did I do you ask.

I went to the gym!!  I left Sean with Oma and the boys went to the gym daycare.  It wasn't even a long time, only an hour.  It felt great though!  I enjoyed working out again, it's been a while now.  Sean turned 6 weeks last week so I'm allowed to exercise again. 

I've decided I need to get to the gym as much as possible.  I'll go during the day when I can, otherwise I'll try to go in the evening and leave the boys with Josh.  I need some time to myself.  Besides, what better excuse than taking care of myself and getting back into shape!!  Besides, time is limited.  We'll be moving before you know it and I won't be able to keep my gym membership since we'll be too far away.

Halloween

So to say it was a busy day is putting is mildly.  I painted our bathroom that day and Josh was doing other home repairs getting the house ready to put on the market.  The boys got their naps late because the water to the house was off (to fix a leak) and didn't get turned on in time for nap.  Normally not a problem, but the boys were outside with Josh and got covered from head to toe in dirt!!  They were not allowed in the house until they could have a bath.

Our neighborhood was having a parade and get together at 4PM.....so we ended up having to wake up Jack and Ewan from their naps.  Never a good thing to do!!  I got Jack in his costume and discovered Ewan's needed a quick repair.  While I was upstairs getting a needle and thread Jack took off his costume and decided he no longer wanted to wear it.  So he melted down and refused to wear his costume.  He picked out a different outfit to wear.  That's our independent boy!  By the time everyone was ready we finally headed to the front of the neighborhood and for the first time they actually started on time.  We missed the parade (it's very short) but still got to see everyone and get cookies and other treats.  Jack wasn't the only one not in costume, his buddy Christian also refused to wear his (also awakened from his nap too)!

After the parade we headed over for trunk or treat at a nearby church with two other families from the neighborhood.  Jack and Ewan had fun getting candy, playing games and going on a hayride with Daddy.

Then it was dinner time at home.  It wasn't long after dinner that Jack and Ewan went trick or treating in the neighborhood with Christian and his parents.  The plan was to go to just a few houses.  It's not like they need much candy.  Well nearly two hours later they still weren't home....I thought they may have gone to Christian's house to play.  It was about 9:15PM by the time they got home....over two hours out!!  They were among the last people still out.  Seems Jack got really into the swing of thing....liked pointing out which porch lights were on and where they could go!  So they kept going....  They came home with tons of candy.

Jack asks if he can go trick or treating again!!  I tell him he has to wait until next year....he doesn't think so!

Christian and Jack, the costume rebels!!

Three guys running and having fun!

Sean chillin during his first Halloween.

 Dinosaur Ewan

Christian and Jack are now in costume!!  My penguin and dinosaur...

Madness

The insanity has officially begun....we listed our house the other day!!  That means trying to keep the place clean and organized with three kiddos, NOT an easy task.  It also means trying to finish a long to do list of things to do to the house to help it sell better.  Also NOT an easy task with the boys around!!

I look forward to the day the house is sold and we move....a day I can breath again!!  Or at least if we move before it sells and I don't have to tidy up every waking moment!  Should be an interesting holiday season to say the least.  At least they boys have somewhat minimal toys and we really limit what they get, advantages of a smaller family I guess.  It's all about quality, not quantity.

In other news....Sean is recovery from Rotavirus.  The only problem really was the diarrhea, resulting in an extremely bad diaper rash.  He got put on some prescription creams and his little tushie is doing better.  Sean is also growing up.....yesterday I had to graduate him to the "big" bottles.  He's been consistently eating 6 oz. at a time.  Easy enough at home, a 4 oz. meal with a 2 oz. followup snack/dessert bottle.  Out and about, however, the 4 oz. bottle just didn't cut it anymore!!

Jack and Ewan LOVED Halloween.  It was an extremely busy day...neighborhood parade, trunk or treat, trick or treat....  I'll upload photos soon.

Gotta run, Sean hungry again!!