Holiday Craziness

As if life weren't hectic enough with three active boys, it gets even wilder at Christmas time.  Last Wednesday Jack had his Christmas show at school.  He didn't sing as much as he did at the Thanksgiving program, but he still had fun and was a handsome young man.  Sean was extremely into the show as well.  He walked up the aisle to get a closer look and didn't even care that we weren't with him!!  Pictures are at the end of this post, though I must admit it is difficult to get any good ones with the madhouse of parents hovering trying to take pictures.  I had an aisle seat up close, but with everyone swarming in my view was rather obstructed!  Jack and Ewan had fun seeing Santa there; Sean ran away again!!

Right after the Christmas show we headed to a friend's house for a Christmas party with our playgroup.  We had lunch, played hard and enjoyed each other's company.  It was nearly 3:30 by the time we got home and all three boys were asleep in the car!  The big boys didn't not nap once they got out of the car though, and Sean only an hour.  Needless to say they were still exhausted so they were in bed by 7:30...a nice peaceful and quiet evening for Mommy and Daddy!!

Friday Jack had his class party at school.  We also dropped off his gifts for his teachers.  Sean and Ewan did not want to leave the classroom.  They made themselves at home and wanted to stay!!  I managed to get them out and we were off to a Christmas craft playdate.  We had fun making Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer and playing.  A busy couple days of Christmas activities!!

Saturday evening Jack and Ewan's buddies came over for dinner and play time.  It got wild as always!  We all had lots of fun eating, socializing and playing.  Sunday I went to the Nutcracker with a friend.

Monday Jack was thrilled he got to go to MyGym with his brothers.  He usually has school when we go.  After that it was off to Mommy's gym for a workout.  After lunch and playing outside it was naptime.  While they napped I made another batch of Christmas cookies for the cookie exchange at our house today.

THEN plans changed!!  At the dinner table, just before I was about to clean up Sean, he did a massive vomit.  He hadn't eaten much all day.  Apparently he wasn't feeling well.  By this time he had a slight fever.  I rushed him upstairs for a bath and Josh cleaned up the mess.  Then I had to call a friend to move the cookie exchange to her house.  Called the gym to cancel my reservation (can't afford to miss workouts this time of year)!

All the boys went to bed relatively early.  I wrapped presents upstairs and that wrapped up another hectic holiday day!!

So this morning Sean seems just about normal. No fever, just the usual snot.  Oma will come watch him while I take the other kids to the cookie exchange.  And the will wrap up most of our holiday madness.  Only a couple more presents to buy and wrap.  Two cakes to bake.  Grocery shopping to do.....  Tomorrow I can get most of the errands done while Jack and Ewan spend the morning with Oma.  Jack is beyond thrilled to FINALLY go to hot chocolate with Oma (Ewan goes with her nearly every Wednesday to Drip downtown while Jack is in school)!!

Happy Holiday Madness to One and All!!!!!

Flashback Friday - December 24, 2010

Christmas Eve at Oma and Opa's house

Another Project Crossed Off The List

This past weekend Josh finished the powder room.  Most of it was already done.  He just needed to put the trim back on, paint it, caulk and seal the grout.

Now the biggest problem is getting the boys to keep it clean.  How hard is it to keep their pee in the toilet????  Apparently more difficult than I imagined!!!  I seem to need to escort them to the bathroom every single time or there is a mess.  I'm constantly reminding them to LIFT the seat and WATCH what they are doing, keep every last drop in the toilet.

You would think I learned my lesson by now, but every now and then I sit in pee because they don't put the seat up and don't pay attention.  What I wouldn't give for girls at times like that!!  Oh well, at least the tile will hold up to their messes better than the wood did.  Until then I just have to keep reminding them and watching closely.  Wish me luck!!!!!!

This is what I clean ALL THE TIME!!!

The new time is blue and green.  Really lightens the bathroom; it may

need a darker vanity someday.

Another Checkup Passed

This one was painless though....our annual financial checkup!  The main reason for our visit with our financial planner was to get Sean his 529 college fund and life insurance as well as make our lump sum payment to both of our Roth IRAs.

The joys of being adults and parents.  We now have three college funds, endless insurance policies on everyone and lots of different retirement funds.  Life can get complicated!  It's difficult to imagine retirement with three little guys running around, yet I look forward to the day it is quiet again and Josh and I can spend some time alone.

At least we passed with flying colors.  Our financial gave us the thumbs up.  We are way ahead of the game for a family our age, so at least that feels good.  Our little guys will be taken care of.  Of course they will be geniuses and get full academic and athletic scholarships, right?!

Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

and he has been VERY BUSY today, as were we!!  This morning we all headed to Jack's preschool for breakfast with Santa.  We had pancakes, cheese grits and sausage/bacon.  The boys all ate pretty well as always.  Jack enjoyed seeing his friends there; Ewan enjoyed meeting Jack's friends (he hears Jack talk about them all the time).  Then it was time for pictures with Santa.  We were nearly last in line, though the wait was fine.  Sean had fun dancing up  by the stage, then it time to go up.  Sean already got upset when Santa's elf tried to pick him up.  Then he got upset when I put him in Santa's lap.  He reached out and wanted down.  He never truly screamed or cried, which is an improvement from his big brothers in years past!  We managed to get a couple pictures in before we got down.  Then they made frames for their photos, got Christmas tattoos and sang while playing musical instruments.  The guys headed home and I volunteered for the second sitting.

We had lunch at home, played for a while, did laundry....Then it was off to Winnsboro for the train ride with Santa.  It was tricky since it was nap time when we left.  Sean and Jack got short naps on the way there.  They all did pretty well though considering it was naptime.  We toured some trains and then the train to ride on arrived and Jack saw some of his friends and chatted for a while.  They had fun playing around and then it was time to board.  Sean was quite intrigued and enjoyed the ride.  He loved it when they blew the whistle.  He was rather wiggly and definitely tired, especially near the end.  They liked seeing Santa again.  Jack and Ewan told him what they wanted (Cars II stuff of course) and Sean wanted nothing to do with him!  He managed to get Sean's picture with him by Santa sneaking to the seat behind him!!

All in all a busy and exciting day for the boys.  I'm exhausted as are they!!

Follow the progression of panic...just placing Sean in Santa's lap...

just stepping back from Sean...

get me outta here!!!

The two cooperative boys.

Enjoying craft time.

The boys waiting to board the train.

Sean enjoying the ride!

Ewan enjoying the ride too.

Jack after telling Santa what he wants.

Sean checking out Santa from afar!!

Ewan telling Santa what he wants.

Flashback Friday - Montana, August 2008

Ahh, such fond memories of our family trip out West.  We had so much fun, even with a walking 9.5 month old and pregnant with baby two!  Great hikes, beautiful scenery, yummy food, cool break from the South Carolina summer and tons of fun with the family.  Looking forward to another family trip out West again next year, this time Oregon.

Sean's Robot Room

I finally took a couple pictures of Sean's room today.  He still loves it.  He likes to point to the robots and rockets on his walls every time he walks in there!  We're waiting on a canvas robot print that is in the mail, otherwise his room is done (well except for of course the fact that the ceiling and trim need to be painted, but that could take forever and isn't highly critical).