My Little Boys

The other day we did a "craft." I do not consider myself to be very crafty but I can manage if it's mostly store-bought stuff. So here were my store-bought items: one box on Easter egg ornaments (bought after Easter last year) and two Dollar Store "trees." I was fortunate to have bought one for each boy because I realized early in the game that their craft styles are very different. Do you see the intense focus on this child's face?? Incredible, right?? Well, it lasted for about five seconds at a time and then he was off to other things.

The result: a precious little tree with only a couple of ornaments (his brother took the majority of them). Connor not only learned how to put ornaments on a tree, but he also learned that playing "kick the tree" is not an effective way to keep your tree adorned.
Robert was focused and determined, too. Some of this was definitely driven by a desire to acquire as many ornaments as possible before his brother could. Mission accomplished.
So proud of his final product!
I've wanted to capture them doing typical Robert and Connor activities and climbing up and sliding down the stairs is definitely one of them.

As is riding bikes up and down our driveway - never mind the rain!

Today the boys found mommy shoes and tried them on. Daddy would be so proud...

Joke's on Us!

I have to confess that while I've been trying hard to remain positive about northern winters, I've neared the end of my rope. Earlier this week I thought the weather channel was pulling one over on us. They were predicting snow for Friday. "Ha!," I thought, it can't snow on Friday, Friday is the first day of APRIL. Spring was suppose to start a month ago...or so I wished...

We indeed awoke to snow falling and, though it did not come down for long, it came down hard. There was enough to make snowball snacks! The good news is that the boys loved it and didn't think it was abnormal in the slightest!

To alleviate some of my winter blues, I took the boys to the train station and they shared one of the most gigantic cookies I have ever seen served at a place like this. Even split in two, there was an enormous portion for each little guy. It was worth dealing with the aftermath of the sugar load to see the delight on their faces!
Waiting for the train to come...
Braving the cold to wait for another train. Mommy wasn't so brave, so we ended up heading home shortly after this shot.

Spring, we're SO ready for you! :)

Lately We've Been...

Getting ready for next year's football season. Connor's still working on the three-point stance. Fortunately, we still have some time...

Wrestling with Daddy. This is one of the boys' favorite activities.
Sliding with mommy and cousin Katie.
Running through the Atlanta arboretum with our cousin, Jack. (Which was precious until Connor face-planted just seconds after this shot was taken. Still needs some months under his belt before he's up to the big boys' speed.)
Sliding again...
Riding around with cousin Katie in a small basket.
Practicing our oratory skills. (Preacher's son?)
And climbing high.

It's Sunny, but Freezing, in Philadelphia!

I'm remembering now what I'd clearly forgotten since college - just because it's sunny outside, doesn't mean that it's warm! We're getting our fair share of snow and cold weather, but we're managing in large part due to the wonderful people whom we've gotten to be with!

This pic is from a quick visit to see my dear friend, Jess, and her darling girls, Carolina and Gracie, in NYC.

And with another precious friend, Sonya, and her little darling, Connor!
And now I will begin a long tale of our Christmas journey around the world (or from here to Texas) in just 15 days!

First stop - on the road - West Virginia! The boys were GREAT on our long drive to Atlanta and the only time they were really fussy is when we put them back in the car after enjoying snow at a gas station in WV.
We stopped in Charlotte to see some of our favorite people. Robert is pictured here with his betrothed, little Elizabeth. How sweet will it be to pull this out at their rehearsal dinner? :)
And Christmas in Atlanta! Fast, furious and so much fun! Connor and Katie got floor pianos - a huge hit for these musical darlings!
And for the big boys - guns! We are starting with the Nerf dart variety. A great gift to be enjoyed by boys, brothers, mommies and daddies alike! :)
Cutest gift I opened on Christmas morning...
Next stop - Dallas! What a sweet time with friends we miss and love so much! We've decided not to reveal how we always get our children to sit perfectly still and to smile directly at the camera all at the same time. Sorry.
Here's proof that you can take the boys out of Texas, but you can't take the Texas out of the boys!

Next stop - Houston! We had a blast getting to play with grandparents and cousins. Our trip to the zoo was a highlight. It was such a blessing to get some cousin time in!
Robert and Ross - PRECIOUS together!
And back home again! Instead of gearing down after our big trip, we geared up for the snow that kept coming and coming (and is still coming!). If you're thinking that it's odd to be in a swing on a cold, snowy day, you're right, it is.
Robert got his first dose of hot chocolate. He insisted that is was "coffee" - a clear nod to his grandparents' love for the stuff!
My snow bunnies!
First trip sledding. I think I can say with certainty that Mom and Dad had the most fun. Robert had a great time, but there were three kids participating in the sledding festivities that day (two just happened to be over thirty)...
Connor opted for the car instead...
After sledding and hot chocolate, we headed to the dentist. Robert had so much fun and we have Dr. Erik to thank for that! He was amazing and now Robert asks if certain foods are good for his teeth before he gets a snack (Because apparently all of the snacks that he was getting beforehand were not good for his teeth. Oops...Mommy's fault.).

Happy and Merry!

I haven't posted in a while, so there's a lot to catch up on. First of all, my BABY turned THREE! I can not believe it. Part of me feels like he was just born yesterday and another part can't believe that he's only been out in the world for three years. We can't imagine life without you little buddy! We love, love, love ya!!

To celebrate, we had a gingerbread cookie and house decorating party. The kids, a small group of friends from our church, were introduced to more varieties of sugar than they had ever been before - much to the other mommies dismay, I'm sure!

Here's the whole gang! I was so pleasantly surprised with how well it went. Earlier in the day I was sure that the houses would collapse as the first piece of candy was laid on, but none did!! Hopefully more candy went on the houses than in the mouths, it's hard to say...
Making cookies...

To commemorate his last day as a two-year-old, Robert lounged lazily in the hammock and reminded us that he is still a wee little one!
The birthday trio! What a blessing it was to celebrate our birthdays together again this year! Precious, precious Uncle Zack woke up with the chickens to take us to the airport early, early on his birthday!
Balloons for the birthday boy and an indoor riding toy - somebody in High Point knows how to make little boys happy!
How do you dress a three-year-old for the freezing cold? We don't really know, but we're learning! It was pretty sweet to hear him ask, "is the train here yet?" in a muffled voice at least twenty times through his scarf.
Last year we were likely in shorts and wearing sunscreen this time of year (embellishment, big time), my have things changed...
Cita and Connor enjoying the entertainment prior to the light show at the downtown Macy's. If you've seen the circulating video on YouTube of the Hallelujah chorus accompanied by the Wanamaker organ - look it up if you haven't seen it, it's amazing! - this is the place.
Pretty incredible. If you can't tell, this is about four stories high (the organ is hidden behind the lights)!
Robert is commencing a walk through "Dicken's Village," which is an elaborate puppet show-like display of the Christmas Carol at the same Macy's.
Notice that only one of my children is with Santa. For the second year in a row, my eldest does not trust the stranger with the red hat and long white beard. Connor, our bundle of smiles and joy, sat on his lap, but did not crack a smile (not even the slightest) the entire time - pretty hilarious!
We received a package, Mommy left the room for two seconds and when I returned...surprise! It snowed!