Dad's Dream.....

......4 and a half years in the making! For as long as Everett has been alive, Billy has talked about snuggling on the couch with him Sunday afternoons, watching football. This has yet to happen, not for lack of trying. Today, Everett said, "Dadda, I'm going to come sit on the couch and watch football with you, but no snuggling." Good enough.

Swing Those Hips, Boy!

A local radio station was playing music and had a bunch of hula hoops for the kids at the festival. Everett jumped right in, but didn't quite know what to do. Lionel sat in my arms for about 5 minutes and then asked to get down, grabbed a hula hoop, and entered his own little world. I love it!

Hot Air Balloon Festival

Hot Air Balloon Festival

Here are a few shots from the balloon festival this weekend. I have to say, it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen and even more fun to watch the boys' amazement. It was terribly windy though, so the balloons couldn't stay up very long, but it was still amazing to watch them being blown up. And how neat it was to do it at dusk and see the bright light of the fire!

Who Needs a Daughter?

Both boys are slightly obsessed with me. It's a blessing and a curse. I always assumed that since I had 2 boys, I could spend a large amount of time doing girly stuff on my own. Well, not just yet. Maybe around high school?

Here's my best bud while we were doing pedicures. The best part is how impressed he was when he took his feet out. "Mama, they are so clean and shiny!" Lionel and I also did facials, but I didn't grab the camera in time. He needed one since he loves wearing my make-up. I'm always amazed at how much trouble he can get into in approximately 1 minute.

Not Tucked in Too Well

My children move a mile a minute when they are awake, so it seems fitting that they change positions a hundred times a night. Checking on them before I go to sleep always brings me joy and, of course, a giggle. This particular night, I saw Everett's feet right away - sticking out the side of his tent. Forget that's the end where his head should be, forget that he is completely horizontal on his twin bed, but focus on how skillfully he got his feet out of the tent. I couldn't resist a photo.

Ohio, Here We Come!

Everything worked out great as we had our own family Christmas and then, made our way to the airport and flew to Ohio. When we landed, we started the craziness of seeing so many family members! I think this was the boys' favorite part. We don't get to visit very often, so it was fun to always have people around to play with and perform for.

The Opening

The boys were excited to open presents. But I have to say there were few surprises for Everett. We asked him what he wanted too many times and he got everything he wanted. Next year, I'd like it to be more of a surprise. He did freak out when he saw a pack of Skittles in his stocking....."How did Santa know I like Skittles?"

Christmas Morning 2011

It was, of course, Christmas morning that Lionel chose to sleep in. Not the weeks before when he was rising at 4:45am, but Christmas morning. Everett came running into our room and I quickly woke up and gave him a big "Merry Christmas!" and he said, "Mama, my pajamas are lighting up!" He was getting sparks from the static electricity in his jammies. I had to laugh. Here's the kid who has been counting down to Christmas since Halloween and his first thought on Christmas morning wasn't even Christmas! He begged me to wake up Lionel, but we waited. And at 6:30am, we ventured downstairs....

The first present opened was....a sword! What was Santa thinking??? Everett has a smile on his face as he opens a train from Papa and Grandma.

Christmas Eve 2011

This year, Christmas Eve involved a lot of packing for our trip to Ohio, but we also managed to have our traditional Cheesecake Factory dinner. The boys had to say goodbye to our elf, Finn. He had been with us since Halloween and would be heading back to the North Pole with Santa. We left cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph, of course. And while we were reading books before bed, we heard some noises up on the roof. This terrified Lionel. I think he expected Santa to be in his room. Both boys were asleep in minutes!