December 10th, 2008
Not really, but the picture screams it.
On our busy Saturday this past weekend, after the Army vs. Navy game, we went to a birthday party at our nextdoor neighbor’s house. Their son was turning 8 and had a Batman themed party with Games2U at their house.
Games2U is a company that brings this huge trailer that is air-conditioned and has all sorts of game consoles setup inside. Xbox, Wii, etc. Outside they had 2 Guitar Hero stations.
Since Katie really has no interest in video games yet, she ended up running around our front yard. At one point I helped her climb one of our trees. I thought she looked so cute hanging on like a little koala bear… I had to take a picture. 
Posted in 2008, Katie | 1 Comment »
December 9th, 2008
The words Katie comes up with are known and loved by many. I thought I’d include three new ones introduced this season:
Candy Cans
Runedeers
Glubs
Posted in 2008, Holidays, Katie | 2 Comments »
December 9th, 2008
…and if you don’t know who that is… I’m not Martha Stewart either.
I just re-read my holiday letter that went out with our Christmas cards. I have a typo. Poo.
So to all of you who read holiday letters as if you were editor of a newspaper or magazine (like me… I just can’t help it), I say, “yes. I know there is a typo.”
It says William lost is first tooth instead of his first tooth. Oh well. I am human. And I’m not gonna spend the time and money on more paper & printer toner to fix it. Yea me for being practical and frugal!
Posted in 2008, Holidays, Seriously, Shannon | 3 Comments »
December 8th, 2008
As you may already know, we had breakfast with Santa on Saturday morning. After that I took the kids to a friend’s house to watch the Army vs. Navy football game. My friend has kids around the same age that enjoy playing with William & Katie.
It was a good time. My friend dressed in her husband’s BDUs. I thought about it but Chris’s have been in the attic for years & I was afraid of attic creepy crawlies. I wore my Army 1775 shirt instead. Alas Army did not fare well. Oh well.
On the way home I noticed the kids were awful quiet. Guess they had had a great day so far. This is what I saw:
Posted in 2008, Katie, William | 1 Comment »
December 8th, 2008
Saturday morning William’s school had a fun-filled event including breakfast with Santa. It started at 8am. I took the kids at about 9:30 in the morning. Turns out it was a good thing I went later. Apparently the Santa line was *really* long earlier.
As soon as we arrived we got in line, avoiding the vendors with tempting treats & gifts available for purchase. The kids were pretty good & patient standing in line… only messing with the decorations a few times. William loved that his teacher was right behind us with her little boy. He showed off the gap in his teeth to her.
It was finally our turn. This is the first time they both went willingly & no one cried. William asked for Mario Party for the Wii & Bakugan. Katie asked for a pink Christmas tree. The school provided free pictures. What, no over-priced photo with a cheap cardboard frame you feel you have to buy because it’s a memory? That was a nice surprise.
After that, we went to get breakfast tacos, donuts & weak, watery, extra hot hot chocolate. They devoured their food. When we finished the kids looked at the vendor booths. There was a Bakugan booth… right across from a “julies” booth. The kids each spent $8 of their own money. William got his first ever Bakugan & has not put it down since. Katie got a bracelet.
It was a fun time!
Posted in 2008, Holidays, Katie, William | 4 Comments »
December 6th, 2008
Last night we had a babysitter while we went to a little shindig at our friends’ house. We actually got home a little early. As we walked through the front door at 11:30, we heard the upstairs bath running and a child crying. “Oh no!” we thought. Immediately we thought someone threw up. As we run up the stairs, the smell makes it apparent it was the other end of the child that had the issue. The babysitter informed us that William had a poopoo accident. Really??? William??? That must mean he’s sick. I walk the babysitter home while Chris finishes cleaning up the situation. We tuck William in bed and head the same way ourselves.
Just 5 minutes later William comes downstairs with the most pitiful look on his face. He informs us that his wiggle tooth is really “boverin” him. We know it’s time for it to come out. Chris sits William on the kitchen counter. Mommy gets a paper towel to “clean the tooth off” for him. That didn’t work. I figured while I was cleaning/drying it, I could just give it a little tug. Those baby teeth are so freaking tiny!!! Chris gives it a try, but his “meat hooks” couldn’t get a grip either. At this point Daddy is talking William through wiggling it back & forth so he can pull it himself. He almost did!
After about 20 minutes of the 3 of us taking turns… talking about how amazing the tooth fairy is… promising ice cream & he can do whatever he wants with what he gets from the tooth fairy (that was his idea & he wants to use it at Chuck E. Cheese), Mommy finally got it out!!
Next we put it in an envelope and William addressed it to the “Toof fere”. Awwwww. We gave him a scoop of Breyer’s mint chocolate chip ice cream then tucked him back into bed.
I waited about 30 minutes then snuck back upstairs, removed the tooth-filled envelope and replaced it with a magical one addressed to William, containing $5 and 25 Chuck E. Cheese coins. (Hey! I talked Daddy down from $10!) You should have heard his amazement this morning! And to top it all off… we overheard him telling Katie the whole story at 6:15am this morning. He showed her what he got and proceeded to SHARE IT WITH HER! He counted out the coins… one for you… one for me… and when he got to the end and realized there was 1 extra… HE LET HER HAVE IT! Is he angling for Santa or what!?!?!
As I write this, I am filled with pride for our big boy. But my heart is a tiny bit sad for that little tooth that I first felt coming out of his gums one day while I was home alone with him. On October 29, 2003 he got his first tooth. At 12:15am December 6, 2008, it fell out. It served him well for 5 years. And as I recalled last night… I think when they came in, they gave him tummy issues too. I guess it’s only fitting they did the same on their way out.
I love you, Buddy.
Posted in 2008, Firsts, William | 7 Comments »
December 3rd, 2008
William is really into drawing winter scenes lately. I just love how he changes the color of flame in the fireplace… and he really takes his time to cover every bit of sky/air with snow flurries.
This time I noticed the entire page wasn’t covered in snow and there was some writing in the bottom left-hand corner that was definitely not his name. I had to have him tell me what it said. And now it makes perfect sense!
Cnnet fensh = couldn’t finish
Posted in 2008, William | 2 Comments »
November 29th, 2008
That is what my Alaskan cousins would say. I honestly do not remember a time Katie has ever fallen asleep watching tv. Poor thing had a double ear infection & upper respiratory infection earlier in the week. I guess that & the excitement of the holidays finally caught up to her.
Blessum hearty.
Posted in 2008, Katie | 4 Comments »
November 22nd, 2008
This girl loves her tinker toys! And she’s so creative!!! Everytime I turn around she has taken her last invention & turned it into something new.
This is the “marshmallow 3000″
Posted in 2008, Katie | 4 Comments »
November 17th, 2008
I think not. It’s funny how a tedious task to a parent seems like the ultimate fun to a child.
Chris was getting ready to go target shooting with a buddy. He uses paper plates with bright orange target stickers placed (almost) in the middle. Who would want to spend time placing a hundred or few hundred stickers on paper plates? Our kids!
They thorougly enjoy helping daddy with this task. And as long as he doesn’t mind a few being slightly out of place… I say go for it. Work hard kids!!
Posted in 2008, Chris, Katie, William | 3 Comments »
