Vacation: Week 1

So much fun we've had this past week, especially since Christmas was just a few days ago.  Here are some updates!

On Christmas Eve, my parents came over to spend the night with us.  On our agenda was enjoying a ham dinner, making sugar cookies, and watching a movie while staying warm with a fire.  The boys were of course excited to see Grandma and Grandpa but weren't too keen on all the "activities" we had planned.  Grandma and I ended up making the cookies ourselves.

Then, the boys were off to bed and Santa came!

Once the boys woke up, they immediately ran to the gifts that were all set up for them to play with.  And in hindsight it looks like Santa wasted a lot of time wrapping gifts this year.  The boys had no desire to open gifts - they just wanted to play with them.  Then after they found a few they really liked from the first couple they opened, they really didn't are too much about the rest.  Let's just say that I think they were a bit overwhelmed with the whole process.  All in all, they got lots of fun toys and it was awesome watching them play with them all!

Another lesson learned - do not attempt a family photo after all the gifts are opened.  After all, who wants to stop playing in order to sit and smile for a photo?!?  Not these boys!  I was a bit jealous after seeing all the cute photos all my FB and IG friends posted with their family around the tree or with another festive setting, but it is what it is, and this is what we got!

After the boys took a much needed nap, we headed to the Reaves' house to finish Christmas evening there.  Lots more fun toys and wouldn't you know that Ellis' favorite toy was one that Parker got!  I will have to keep that toy on my radar for their birthday in March!

Note the yellow transformer he wouldn't put down.  Nope, that's not his toy, it was Parker's.

Still has that transformer in his hands despite opening new gifts!

Now that they boys are older, they were quite mesmerized by the train around their tree too.  Looks like we'll have to find one next year for our tree.

It doesn' t surprise you that they don't have clothes on, does it?

The rest of the week I spent some time cleaning up the Christmas decorations and putting them away for another year.  As much as I love the holiday's, I'm also usually very ready to put them away after the month is over.  With all the snow we got, I ventured out with the boys yesterday for some fun in the snow, but since their sled was in the garage attic, we waited until today to get that out.  Since Troy is still fighting a cough, I thought it was only appropriate that I pull them around the yard.  Boy oh boy, what a feat!  I knew I wasn't in the best shape, but damn, I really need to get my ass in gear again.  Despite the gasps for air after each trip around the yard, seeing the smiles on their faces (mainly Ellis), I had to keep going.

Then it was time to make a snowman - okay, time for me to make a snowman.  They just ran around in the snow acting crazy while I built him.  When I was done though, they walked up to him and started talking to him like he was real, so that was cute!

How long will it take before they will sit still for a picture, for goodness sakes?

As for the rest of the weekend, no major plans here.  Although I feel like I should get ahead with some things on my to-do list, I'm totally slacking right now and enjoying my relaxation time.  Have a great end of 2013 everyone!

Recent festivities

Our current happenings:

Last weekend, my mom, Nicole, Morgan and I had our annual cookie-making day.  My mom made Pecan Pralines, Nicole made rolo cookies, Morgan made frosted sugar cookies, and I made white chocolate cherry shortbread cookies.  I also dipped some pretzels in white chocolate and sprinkled them with red or green dots or rolled them in candy cane.  Lots of fun and plenty of cookies to take home!

On Thursday, the boys had their last day of daycare with Seema, the current woman they were going to. If you read any of the last few posts, I might have put something about it in there.  I don't want to make it much of a big deal anymore, but we have a place lined up starting in January.  For next week, they will be spending the days with Grandma Frahm again, just like old times.  They are going to LOVE it (and I hope they don't wear her out too much).  Anyways, Seema gave them a little Christmas gift as they left that they opened when they got home.  Each got a little blanket and a book, which I thought was very kind of her to give them!

That night we made salt dough ornaments.  They LOVED doing this, but I was not very happy with how they turned out after they were baked.  We always do their handprint along with other festive shapes, but their handprint (which is what I liked the most) was all bubbled up, so I think we are going to try a different recipe some time this week.  I'm sure the boys won't mind considering how much fun they had...

On Friday, I stayed home with the boys.  Long story short, but Seema was taking 3 weeks of vacation, which started on Friday, which is why Thursday was their last day and why my mom is watching them next week.  I figured there was no sense in having them start a new day care for one week before Christmas.  Unfortunately I got hit like a ton of bricks with a lovely cold, but we still did a few fun things.  First I made some pancakes.  Logan has been particularly clinging with me and had to be right next to me while I cooked so I set him up on the stool and he "helped" me take the pancakes off the griddle.  He loved using the turner and must have figured, why wait until you cut it up for me and dug right in.  I couldn't believe it!

Then we went to drop all their paperwork off at their new day care.  They played in the room they will be in and actually screamed (picture Logan limp on the ground when I told him we had to leave and I was trying to put his coat on - not helpful at all!).  I guess it is a good sign that they like the place though.  Then we went to a little show that the Rochester Public Library was having.  It was a little winter-themed magic-type show and the boys seemed to like it and did a good job sitting down with me for about the first 15 minutes.

He was showing "invisible" lights and how lights just appeared out of no where.  It's hard to see, but the boys were eating a snack at the time so this picture shows him taking a light out of Logan's snack cup.

Then when he called some kids up to volunteer to do things, Logan and Ellis thought they were allowed to go up there too and then they just started running laps around everyone.

Ellis apparently wanted to volunteer too!

At first it wasn't too big of a deal until Ellis started laughing uncontrollably and distracting a lot of people as he kept running.  Needless to say, I didn't want to continue being that mom that couldn't control her kids so after a few minutes where they weren't sitting back down with me, we took off.

That night, I headed to the Reaves' house to watch Morgan and Parker while Nicole and Mark went out to Mark's holiday party.  I can't remember the last time I've watched them on my own, and actually I'm not sure if I ever have since Parker was born, so it was nice just spending time with both of them without the distractions of my own kids.  We had "Morgan Art School" and I even showed her how to make old school cootie catchers.  Fun stuff!!

Today we finally headed out to see Santa.  Bass Pro Shops has a whole set-up there, including free pictures with Santa so we checked that out.  The boys loved it (well, they loved all the activities and seeing all the big fish in the fish tank).  I will let you determine how much the boys actually loved Santa.

Love this picture.  Looks like Logan is really thinking carefully of what to tell Santa.  In reality I think he was trying to muster up the courage to get closer to him.  Both boys were nice enough to give high fives though!

Ellis didn't have a major meltdown but was not very happy.  Logan just seemed to go along with it, sans tears for the first year!

We rode the Wildlife carousel...

Daddy and Ellis with the moose..

and me with Logan on a bear.  I think he was more mesmerized by the flashing lights!

Saw Frosty....

Saw a huge elk (and was shocked that they were okay with getting so close to it considering how life-like it was)...

Watched a short part of "Elf on the Shelf" which was playing right next to the line to see Santa..

Found a great Christmas gift for anyone who hasn't gotten us something yet (LOL!)...

and of course saw the fish...

I wanted to look around at a few stores for something for the boys to wear for Christmas and the boys thought it was a major free-for-all and started running sprinting down the center of the mall.  There was once a day that we kept up with them but those days are over.  Seriously I think Ellis will be the next champion marathoner.  The kid never gets tired running!  So, we put our own shopping on hold and went to the play area, which of course they loved (and they still had tons of energy to burn).

Then Logan caught a glimpse of some cars, trucks, and a bus to play in just outside the play area so we went over there.

All Logan would say is "bus - beep beep"  Love it!!!

Major drama once it was time to go, of but overall they loved every bit of it.  Troy and I just couldn't believe how exhausted we both were when we got home.

After a short visit from my parents on their way home from up north (to get the car seats for the week), I took a trip to Target.  Between that trip, yet another amazon order, and a pending target.com order (couldn't believe how picked over their shelves were today - VERY low selection of toys...should I be surprised?), our Christmas shopping is officially complete.  PHEW!

I seriously thought that with having an extra day off of work, giving me a longer weekend that I would actually have time to relax, but that didn't happen.  Only 5 more working days though and I'll have 2 weeks of that!

Okay, Troy is telling me my blogging time is up.  Time to watch our DVR'd Parenthood from last Thursday.