merry, merry christmas

its beginning to look a lot like christmas

only 3 days to go and i am checking off my list. tree in stand and decorated. check. christmas cards in the mail. check. presents bought and hidden. check. snow. check to the tune of 20+ inches!! all that is left to do is wrap gifts which is proving to be a challenge because the snow has brought the holiday break to us by express delivery as opposed to the ground delivery that i selected. here is hoping that school is in session tomorrow!! in the meantime, here are some recent pics to keep you entertained.

m.

im pul sive

--adjective

1. actuated by or prone to act on impulse.

2. inclined to act on impulse, rather than thought.

3. acctuated or swayed by emotional or involuntary impulses.

REF: see pic below

happy 3rd birthday sweet boys!!

i can not believe that 3 years have passed since i was wheeled into the operating room, preparing to meet you. i can not believe that we once weighed you boys in grams, celebrating every miniscule increase! i can not believe that even though you joined us 9 weeks early, you have made such tremendous strides and are now attending preschool and riding the school bus like big boys. i can not believe that today you are three years old. look how big you have gotten...

"because i said so"

i think we have all heard the phrase "because i said so" snarled our direction through gritted teeth at one point or another in our childhood. as a child i know i didnt realize the frustration level the adult must have been experiencing and the control it took for them to utter that phrase and not something else. these last few weeks, my six year old has been pushing me to the brink and i have found myself snarling clever things like "because i said so" or "because i am your mother and i make the rules!" what is it about being 6 years old that is soo rough i am wondering?!

this morning at the busstop went something like this:

me: gee, i am glad it finally stopped raining.
f.: me too, now i can play tag today.
me: well, its pretty muddy and slippery out there from all the rain, i dont think that playing tag is a good idea today. maybe you can play something else, like rock, paper, scissors with your friends.
f.: i have to play tag, its the only fun thing i get to do every morning.
me: f. i really dont think its a good idea.
f.: fine, i will play zombie tag, we will walk like zombies. but i am still playing tag.
me: (sigh)

then i proceed to get everyone out of the car, get m. and k. all ready with their backpacks and waiting for the bus. it is such a busy intersection and busstop that i stand there holding m&k hands. f. runs off to play with his friends.

f: (in tears) moooommm, i cant go to school today.
me: why not?
f: look at me
me: (now noticing he is covered from head to toe in mud) well, go wait in the car, after the little boys get on the bus, i will take you home to change

finish waiting for bus and get the little boys on the bus. return to the car and prepare to take fin home to get him changed.

f: mmmooommm, why didnt you tell me not to play tag???!!!

top 10 things i want to remember about our trip to disney

we had a fantastic trip, pictures to follow. but before the memories start to slip into the oblivion of my mostly useless brain, i wanted to record some of the things i want to remember:

1. f., who sometimes gets carsick on the 20 minute trip to granny and pops only got carsick twice in the 30+ hours we spent in the car. thank you dramamine.
2. getting some special mommy, daddy and f. time to spend one night at the t-rex restaurant at downtown disney and f. wanting to do a bit of shopping for his brothers.
3. our first ride with the whole family, the safari ride in animal kingdom. m. was way more interested in the other jeeps full of passengers than the animals strategically placed along the way.
4. m. and k. enjoying the tram ride from the parking lots just as much as any of the other rides in disney.
5. m. falling asleep in the "finding nemo" musical in his daddy's arms.
6. m. and k. being a bit more brave then their older brother in any show that included 3D glasses.
7. going to the nighttime parade and fireworks and listening to m. say "the hurrade is coming sooooon!" fivehundredandtwentysix times.
8. the character breakfast with all my family. k. loves characters soo much, but apparently not soo much after his food has been delivered. i think he thought pooh was trying to eat his fruit.
9. skipping through the magic kingdom listening to christmas music with my family all wearing shorts.
10. listening to f. giggle uncontrollably while m. shouted "this is lots of funny" when we were trying to get everyone to fall asleep in the hotel on the way home.
11. floating around the lazy river at the townhouse resort with my whole family. (ok, i know thats 11, but deal people, it was super cute!)