Gingerbread houses and Archery

Christmas week is here!  The boys come back home Christmas Eve night :)  We've been busy making gingerbread houses and watching Frosty the Snowman about a million times... Quinn wakes up asking to watch it, and then wants to watch it three or more times after that.  I don't know why he's fascinated with him, but it's his favorite show right now.

Another picture from Deborah's Christmas get together.  Alesha, Madison, and Deborah

The boys and the tree

We made a Nativity scene out of playdoh. ha ha!

One night Bella brought over some gingerbread houses for her and Ronin to make.  Quinn and I made a big one from a kit I had in the cupboard from last year.

Our house :)

Bella and Ronin's houses.  They just wanted to eat the candy and gingerbread.

I taught them how to play the "Lose your marbles" puzzle game...

The house a few streets away

And their neighbor... ha ha

A couple Friday's ago Ronin got his "Bobcat" badge... whatever that is.. and they had a Christmas party for the kids at the Cub Scout meeting.

Quinn liked the cookies the best

Ronin getting his badge (on the far right with me)

Santa at cub scouts

Selfie

Birdhouse in a tree by my office - it survived the wind storms!

Egon drinking syrup, hanging like spiderman, and graffiti-ing our family picture.

Two Sundays ago we got our family pictures taken by my friend Kim.  She hasn't finished editing them, and the boys were taking turns being in rotten moods, but she sent me a couple of sneak peaks.

They had a bulldog at the house where Kim's picture studio was set up- so cute!

We brought Kiera to try to get pictures, she's actually looking at the camera here.

This pretty much sums up how the photo shoot went - and depicts their personalities pretty well. ha ha!

We went to my department Christmas party after work last week with Robert. :)

My friend Julie had Madison and I over to practice shooting arrows-- SO MUCH FUN!

Madison looks pretty bad ass. haha

Not much going on other than waiting for Christmas Eve to see the boys again, wake up to Santa presents and watch them unwrap gifts.  2015 is so close! Hoping to have a less stressful year next year!  

Merry Christmas :)

C

Turkey Day, Egon the Elf, and stuff

Quinn had his 3-year-old check up right after his birthday.  He kept asking if he was getting a shot, even though I told him he wouldn't.  His doctor explained to him how it's time to get potty trained and for a while he was really excited to get potty trained, but lately it seems like a lot of work so I have to set a timer every 30 minutes to ask him to go... he's doing okay, lots of accidents still and if he's really into playing with something he will tell me he doesn't have to go even when he does.  Stubborn boy!

Sad face boy "I don't want to get shots!"

The boys spent Thanksgiving with their dad so I spent mine with Robert and his offspring.  He made game hens instead of a big turkey - they were pretty yummy! 

Robert with his hand in a hen...

Robert's chicken giving me the eye...

The weekend after Thanksgiving we had our Thanksgiving at our house.  Lots of food and people, Quinn even skipped a nap and was mostly on his best behavior.

30 minutes after everyone left- he crashed on my bed.

We got the Christmas Decorations out that weekend and we watched A Christmas Story - the boys actually liked watching it.  Ronin want's ear muffs like Ralph and his little brother. haha

Quinn zoning out to Ralphie wanting a Red Rider BB gun

Ronin in a large stocking 

  We had Bella take our picture before heading to the library.

Thursday we saw Santa!  Except I got in trouble for trying to take my own pictures... but it didn't stop me, plus I got to make a small scene yelling at Santa's helpers that their picture policy is stupid.  Quinn asked Santa for presents and candy.  Ronin asked Santa for a creeper mask (from MineCraft), his two front teeth, and something else.

Quinn didn't want to sit by Santa, but he talked to him.

Ronin and Santa

Ronin's drawing of Santa :)

Out Christmas shopping, found the perfect sweater... haha

Someone brought us coffee at work!

Last night my friend Deborah had a Christmas get together at her house with some of our friends. She set up a little photo booth in one of her rooms- it was super cute!

My Friend Deborah's party - Byrekka and me

Alesha and Madison - could they be any cuter?

Look!  I'm Godzilla!

The boys and I are going to get a Christmas tree this week- hopefully it will stay alive until Christmas!  Quinn is still learning who Santa is and we read "The Night Before Christmas" each night before bed.  Our "Elf on a Shelf" changes locations every morning and it's a race to see who can find him first.  One morning he made a swing out of a toilet paper roll.  He might run out of ideas before Christmas though...  

Egon, the Elf on the shelf

Ronin has been reading to me every night before I read to him.  He's doing really well, although he fights it and doesn't want to read - he can sound out most of the words on his own or look at the picture and figure out what the word is.  I think he'll be reading like a pro by the end of the school year.  He and Bella are pretty much inseparable as soon as they get home from school.  She's almost like their super-fun sister or something.  Quinn even asks "is Bella going to come over?".  We take her with us on errands now, and I hate to say it but I'm pretty fond of her too, we even bought her Christmas gifts.  But shhh... don't tell the other neighbor kids...

The sucky thing about this time of the year is that it's sooo busy!  So many get-togethers and the shopping...  I have to put in my community involvement tomorrow after work.  I'm sad that I won't see the boys but it gets me extra time off with them another day.  :)

Lot's of love,
C

Quinn turns 3!

Quinny turned 3 last week!  Veteran's day holiday on his birthday came in handy - we didn't have to wait for the weekend to celebrate!  His theme was Bubble Guppies, since he loves to watch that cartoon on Netflix, although lately he's more of a Jake and the Neverland Pirates fan- but there was no changing it!  

When he woke up in the morning he said "It's my birthday! Can I open presents now?!"

Playing with some of his birthday gifts :)

Airplane mechanic

After presents we went to IHOP for a birthday breakfast and then to the party store to pick out a balloon.  I pointed out Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh, but he had his mind made up to get a Dora the Explorer balloon.  haha

Momma and the birthday boy :)

He really wanted hair stuff in his hair to spike it up.

Birthday pancakes

Quinn and the neighbor-girl, Shilo, eating goldfish crackers and Swedish fish for snack

Julie and Quinn playing with Play Doh.

The cake - Byrekka and I worked hard making the characters out of "color-flow" icing.

Decorations 

Singing Happy Birthday

Blowing out the candles 

Neighbors and Quinn :)

Blowing out the candles!

Unwrapping gifts

Aw, everyone was so nice with gifts :)

He gave Kiera a birthday boy hug :)

After his birthday we really starting hitting on potty training - and he's done amazing!  He gets so excited he wants a high-five and then he dances in a circle singing about how he went potty in the toilet. haha!  Part of the deal was that he could have his own underwear instead of hand-me-downs, so we have Mickey Mouse underwear on their way from Amazon.  

One day when I was turning off "Finding Nemo" I looked at Quinn and said "I'm turning Nemo off, okay?   okay?         okay??" and he looked at me and said "I'm not going to say OKAY."  haha! smart guy....

Ronin has had Mindcraft on the mind, watching endless YouTube videos with hints and secrets on how to play.  He and his friend, Bella, are addicted... So this is the beginning of video games and I'm sure it won't get better... only worse.  So I make him practice reading/writing in between videos so he's doing something productive.

Not much more going on that I can think of!  Thanksgiving is coming, I won't have the boys but at least we'll get to celebrate the weekend after :)

Lots of love,

C