Ode to Pajama Pirates

Costumes are fun!

Christmas 2011

It's be a wonderful and busy Christmas holiday. I can't believe that we start to get back to normal life tomorrow. Here are a few snippets from the holiday. My quick synopsis is that it is so much fun to see the boys discover all that the holidays mean. Daniel is fully into the small manipulatives and can follow a Lego or Playmobil pattern like a champ. It's really cool to watch. Christopher is all in on the trains and is fully experiencing what it means to be 2. Yeah for Mom and Dad ;) We've really enjoyed having Maggie here for the holiday in addition to Dan and Peggy. Christopher is in love with her dog, Tate, and usually greets him with, "I love Tate."

Proceed with caution. Lots of sprinkles straight into the mouth.

Daniel loved this activity.

Cheering on the Badgers with Non.

Christopher really enjoyed the game. When we asked him if he wanted to go to the Badger basketball game, he quickly recited, "Go Bucky, Big Red W, On Wisconsin, Down the Line."

Daniel working on the marble maze that Santa brought.

Boys at play.

Watch out world here we come!

Unfortunately this is the only picture of the three boys that I got from Christmas Day.

Teacher's Comments

Today when I picked up the boys at school, they were helping the teacher assemble the castle gift we had given the class. The castle had many, many pieces that had to be put together to create the finished product. I commented on her bravery taking on that challenge with four little helpers. She said, "It would have been easier if Daniel did not keep telling me that I needed to do it differently because it did not look like the picture on the box." Then she said, "but we do have all these leftover parts." Me being of the engineer mindset glanced at the box and then looked at the castle and assessed that she had, in fact, constructed the castle incorrectly. At that very same moment, she said that she had been telling Daniel that there was probably more than one way to put it together. Then it dawned on me... Is Daniel inherently like this, or did I create it? I'm guessing it is the latter because my reaction to her very nice, although not exactly like the picture on the box, castle was exactly the same as his. Luckily I'll have my chance to do much assembly in the coming days. Christmas with small children results in lots of assembly.

In that moment when I heard my words being echoed back from my son's mouth I realized that I just needed to let it go. Let it go, Rachel, let it go. I've known this for years, or at least I've been told that I focus on some of the smaller details, but I've never seen such a great example of it. I guess she is right, it's ok if all of the pieces are not in the exact right spot. Good thing is, I'm working on finding inner peace. I've taken up yoga, and I love it! So on those really trying days, I just head over to Dragonfly Hot Yoga and sweat it out ;)

We are putting together our last gifts for Christmas, and can't wait for the big day. Too bad it's likely going to be a brown Christmas this year. The little snow we had melted. Ok, must hit the hay and get a little sleep before tomorrow. Here's to hoping your Mother passes on her best qualities to you!

And just for reading, here is a cute picture of the boys.

Christopher-isms

Christopher is a very verbal child. He talks a lot about everything. He also mimics so much of what he hears. It is quite entertaining listening to him. He also has quite a few funny things that he likes to say and do. It all started with tricky several months ago. Anyway, here are a few for your enjoyment:

- When he sings the alphabet, he says "ooo" instead of "u."
- When we start pulling into the driveway he announces, "We're at Mommy's house ... Mommy."
- Most sentences are followed by ...(dramatic pause)... Mommy.
- His name is slowly gaining all of its letters. It started as "Kiffer," but will occasionally come out as, "Chrispher" now.
- Back in September or October when the days started getting much shorter, Christopher learned that it could be dark outside and it was such a novelty (he's been going to bed at 7 pm for as long as I can remember), he would run to the window and point and say, "dark outside" repeatedly until we would acknowledge that it was, in fact, dark outside.
- Christohper loves all the Christmas decorations, he has been pointing out all the "tiny balls" in the neighborhood on the way home. He likes to do that after he tells me, "I found it, Mommy. I found the moon, Mommy."
- Everytime he sees the phone out he says, "Talk to Gigi, Mommy?" and tries to talk to her even though no one is there.
- At every meal, no matter what we are having, he always asks Matt for a, "bite please."
- Christopher is also very interested in cooking. He always comes into the kitchen and asks if he can, "See it, Mommy. See it please?" Then he insists that he look in each pot and in the oven just so that he is in the loop about what's cooking. Hilarious if you ask me.