A big hienie and a balding head

I'm 37!  On December 19 Mike will be 39.  As a woman I really feel like I aged the most after age 35.  And Yes I know "the best is yet to come," but when you're in your twenties and early thirties you usually don't have any aging factors and then it kind of hits you like a freight train after age 35.  It's like an unwanted reality check.  This time of year doesn't really agree with me either.  My skin gets white and dry.  I tend to add a few pounds onto my exterior and it takes a whole lot of Clinique make up to get out the door.  The other day I was laying face down on my bed.  I probably looked like road kill but I was just resting before I went to my next task.  Jay walked in and said, "Mom, when you lay like that your butt looks huge!"  You gotta just love kids for telling you like it is!  Often times I've felt like the mom in "The Incredibles."  She was a super hero in her younger days and when she had to put her super hero uniform back on (after 3 kids) it fit but just barely.  I've mentioned in my blog that Mike is starting to lose his hair.  Well this weekend he shaved it all off and he's bald!  It takes a little getting use to but it really did confirm to me how much we love each other because him going bald didn't effect the way I see him one bit.  He's still the rock solid husband I've had for 13 years.  And he's never mentioned that my hienie is bigger than it once was.  Now that's true love at its finest.

Thanksgiving and a W.T. Christmas

We had a really nice Thanksgiving and weekend.  We visited with my mom and my grandparents and then we went to Mike's parents for the day where we ate too much and laid around like slugs!

Switching gears to my title of W.T. Christmas.  I took some pictures of some of my decorations around my house.  Nearly 50% of them are ornaments and decorations the boys made which I really do love.  The above Sants Jay made in 3rd grade. 

The trashiest sight in our house!  Our fireplace/mantle which isn't done yet.  I didn't care.  I used tacs and hung our stockings and even put some snow globes up.  But the best part is Jay's nerf gun.  He props himself up on that ledge like a shooter in a clock tower and takes aim at Mike and I as we come out of our bedroom at whatever hour that may be!

One of my favorite homemade ornaments from Jay.  Notice how he spelled our last name wrong.  He was in 2nd grade.

 I have no idea how this picture got in this group of W.T. Christmas pictures but I could see the humor in it - W.T. Family to go along with a W.T. Christmas so I kept the picture in. 

Something that is not W.T. is the lego city Mike puts together and displays every year.  Don't gasp, he does not take it apart at the end of Christmas.  He just buys a new building every Christmas and adds to it.  I have no idea where we'll display it next year since we are out of room on our desk area. 

Communication "styles"

The other night I was driving in the car with Jay.  We were driving through the college campus where I went to college.  I was taking a walk down memory lane and pointing out the buildings I had taken classes in.  Jay asked me what kind of classes I took.  I replied that since my major was communications...........and that is where the conversation ended and switched gears.  Jay immediately gave a big, "EWWWWWWW, why would anyone want to take classes where you had to talk to people?"  And that's my Jay!  On the flip side, in another vehicle across town Mike and Nick were together in Mike's truck.  Keep in mind Mike hadn't been in  car with just Nick in quite some time and Mike did not know about Nick's new "let's spell every word" game that he saves for playing in the car.  When Mike walked into the house that evening he looked like a deer caught in headlights.  I asked him, "So I take it Nick quizzed you on how you spell everything under the sun?"  Mike was exhausted by the time he got home and Mike is so intelligent but he's a bad speller so I'm sure trying to keep up with Nick just about put him over the edge.  I mean picture being trapped in a car with a 5 year old and since we live out of town there are never 5 minute drives!  Everything Nick sees he asks how to spell.  Mike said the two of them had stopped at a gas station and while Mike pumped gas he could hear Nick inside the truck quizzing him relentlessly!  And that my friends is the different communication styles each of my boys possess - God love them and God bless me!  LOL. 

The disappearing act

I had a habit growing up that just about drove my mom crazy.  I would borrow her things and somehow those things never made it back to where I found them.  Remember when Fred Flintstone would come home from work and yell......."WILMA!"  Well that is how my mom sounded when she discovered her things missing.  I'd be all cozy somewhere in the house when I'd hear........"AMY!"  I didn't intentionally take my mom's things and not put them back.  I'm just a very "Good enough" kind of gal (still am).  When I went to put her things back if something were to go in the bathroom cabinet, I'd return it to the banister - right outside the bathroom thinking.......Well that's close enough to the bathroom cabinet, good enough!  Fast forward my life 20 years and I am raising a son who does the same thing to me!  Pay back is a real pain.  Just the other night Jay wanted to borrow my scrapbook markers.  I showed him where I kept them and gave him explicit instructions to put them back right where he found them when he was finished.  At the end of the night I found them about 10 feet away from where I kept them, sitting on a table.  When I got after Jay he looked baffled, like putting them in the vincinity should have been good enough.  I did give him a taste of his own medicine, however.  I "borrowed" his toothbrush and placed it in the same spot he put my markers. That evening when he went to brush his teeth he didn't know where his toothbrush was.  I used the opportunity to show him how it feels when you go to get something that is yours and it's not there!  I think I proved my point but I know I still have a long road ahead of me.

Nick's quirks

Nick has three things that he's absolutely obsessed about right now.
*Coloring.  He loves it!  My mom got him hooked on the big, giant coloring books.  Any opportunity he has to color for homework assignments, he's all over it.
*Words.  Kindergarten has opened a whole new word world for Nick.  I feel like I'm the new Spelling Bee champion - in Nick's world.  Everywhere we go he's constantly quizzing me on how you spell this or that.  And often times he's spelling things himself.  He sings the color songs in the car - which sends his brother over the edge but I love hearing the innocence of a little 5 year old sing Y-E-L-L-O-W spells yellow.  I spend a lot of time getting quizzed in the car on how to spell all the kid's names in his class.  And easy names he can spell right along with me.   
*Lastly Nick is obsessed with cuffing his jeans - hence the picture above.  Every morning he meticulously cuffs his pants so they are just right.  Often times he leaves for school looking like he's ready for  a flood but I don't have the heart to tell him it looks ridiculous.  However, his brother has but even Jay has given up.  Nick's cuffed pants are just a part of who he is and what he likes so we've all grown to accept it. 
Just tonight I was with Nick in the car when he announced to me he wasn't wearing any underwear!  I knew he was but I decided to play along........."What do you mean you aren't wearing any underwear.  I certaily hope you had underwear on when you went to school this morning."  Nick replied and insisted he didn't have any underwear on and he had told everyone in his class and they too did not believe him.  I'm sure the substitute teacher Nick had today was glad he shared that information with the entire class.  Whether or not he's wearing underwear remains to be seen. 
Last week there was an incident between my boys at school that made me laugh out loud.  Apparently Nick and Jay were passing each other in the hall.  I don't know if Nick was with his class but Jay was with all his friends.  Jay reached out to give Nick's head a pat as he passed by and just when Jay did that...........Nick let the big one rip!  As Jay told it, Nick broke out in gales of laughter, finding it hysterical that he cut the cheese in front of a bunch of 4th grade boys and Jay was mortified!  If I were to guess I would bet there were a few 4th grade girls that were subjected to Nick's big bomb and although Jay wouldn't admit it, girls are starting to get his attention.   As is always the case with Nick, you just never know what he'll do or say next!

Just me and my boys

Penguin jammies

Last weekend my mom,sister and I went shopping.  I had specific orders from Nick.  I was to find him jammies with feet.  Imagine my excitement when I found the jammies above.  I knew the penguin was the perfect touch and sure enough, Nick loved them! 

It's all about shoe size

Recently Jay needed new basketball shoes.  We took him out and got his feet measured so he could get a shoe that fit properly.  I about fell over when the sales clerk told us Jay is one size away from being in a man's size shoe!!  I guess I should have figured that out when just this week he slipped on my tennis shoes and they fit.  There is something else that correlates with a bigger shoe size and that is more money especially when you're trying to keep a 9 year old fitted for different seasons of sports.  I have officially crossed over from affordable shoes to insanely expensive athletic shoes!  And the fact that Jay is almost wearing a man's size shoe is just another reminder he's getting older.  On the night we went shoe shopping we also went out for dinner.  I told Jay he needed to change before we went out which translates to put on something decent.  The picture above is what he came down in.  He was sporting his new rugby, his Levi's jeans with a belt and that killer smile with his big brown eyes!

My boy statements

Often times I say things to my boys and immediately after I have said them I stop myself and ask, "Did I actually just say that?"  Having boys has caused me to say things I never thought I would say.  I've made a list of some of the things I've said or asked lately.  Some of them are gross.  Some of them are just a little funny but trust me I get so tired of saying them and a few of them are pretty entertaining.  Enjoy.

*Keep your toothbrush off your P*****
*Is it safe to get in the tub or did you guys pee in it? 
*What smells in here?  (Jay's most recent response to my question was......."Savor the flavor, mom."  Nice!)
*Get the pumpkin out of your underwear
*Don't drink from the gerbils water bottle
*Next time whittle your stick outside.......not in your bedroom (I recall finding stick shavings all over Jay's room one morning)
*Focus on what I've asked you to do  (I must say this phrase until I'm blue in the face in the mornings.  My boys want to play and wrestle more than they want to get dressed for school)  This phrase isn't all that funny but I say it constantly! 
*Do not stuff all that food in your mouth

The last Halloween picture.........I promise

Okay I'm done with Halloween now, I promise.  I just wanted to post the picture of the boys this year for my own documentation but now I'm getting into the Christmas spirit.  I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet but I'm pumped about Christmas this year.  I'm pumped about it every year but this year I have a plan.  I'll post more on that later.  Anyway, getting back to Halloween.  Nick wanted to be a Navy Seal - certainly a very honorable choice but not cute especially if you compare it to his cute giraffe last year.  Jay decided to be a skeleton!  We went trick or treating with two families in our small town.  We had a really good time and the weather cooperated.  However, as I write this we still have that stinking candy sitting around my house.  I convince myself it "doesn't hurt" to partake in a small packet of M&M's......daily!  Oh boy!

Pumpkin patch delight

The other night Mike and Jay had a camp out with Jay's Cub Scout troop so I took Nick to the pumpkin patch. He loved it!

Buried in corn!

My attempt at getting a picture of Nick and I.  I don't think it turned out too bad!

Jay excited.........say it aint so!

If I haven't blogged it before I've said it before, giving birth to Jay was easier than getting information out of him!  And to be quite honest it takes a lot to get Jay really excited.  That is not to say he's lazy because trust me you've never met such an energetic kid.  He is just like his dad.  He appreciates things, likes being with his family but doesn't get too excited - like the jumping up and down and talking about it constantly excited.  The boy is almost 10 and I've seen him really excited twice.  The first time was when he got his four wheeler.  He was 8!  The second time was just a few months ago when we told him he we we're going to get a dog.  I think I actually got a squeal of delight from that one.  I remember the weeks leading up to our Disney trip (Jay was 7, almost 8), Jay would occassionally ask questions and don't get me wrong he was counting down the days but he slept just fine the night before we left and there was never any jumping up and down with excitement - even when we showed up at the park!  But that's my Jay.
To give you an ide of where Jay gets this trait from.  Flashback 13 years ago to my wedding day.  On the day of our wedding people asked Mike several times, "Aren't you so excited for your big day?"  Mike's response always was clear and concise, "I'm happy I'm getting married but honestly at the end of the day all I care about is the prime rib I ate and my wife."  No jumping up and down I'm so excited in that response but it doesn't lessen how Mike felt that day.  He enjoyed himself but when it was all said and done all he cared about was the prime rib on his plate and making sure he went home with his new bride.  Switching gears back to Jay.  When I picked him up from school today he bounced into the car.  He had so much bounce I thought of Tigger - a comparison I make more with Nick than Jay!  He was all smiles and proudly announced he had scored 100% on his timed multipication test!  The kids take this test everyday and Jay has always fallen short.  He either can't get them all done in the time allowed or if he does get them done, some of them are wrong!  Jay was so excited (did I actually write that?).  I was proud of him and told him so.  He was beaming!  He even admitted to giving his teacher a high - five!  So even though Jay's level of excitement is sometimes minimal at best....you just just never know what curve ball your kids will throw at you and certainly I savor those moments. 

Pumpkin carving