Snack Time

 I love it when everyday tasks turn into memorable family moments. 

A simple thing like snack time usually passes by without us taking notice.

But every now and then I am impressed with how easily the ordinary can become extraordinary.

I find myself overcome with gratitude at how blessed I am to have these special boys to call my own.

 

Spitting

Bracken loves brushing his teeth. 

He especially loves brushing his teeth with Nathan.

In true little brother fashion he copies everything Nathan does.



Christmas Tree Picnic for Breakfast

Saturday morning Bracken woke up extra early so he and I had fun snuggling and playing in the living room with all the Christmas lights on.  We were having so much fun I decided that we needed to take advantage of this easy going morning, so when Nathan eventually made his way into the living room too I figured it was time to wake up Papi and get some backup to pull off my plan. 

Curtis took over playing with the boys and I whipped up some waffles with bacon for breakfast. We were all enjoying our Christmas tree lights so much that I didn't want to stop the magic and make everyone come to the table. I pulled out some serving trays and we ate our breakfast in the living room surrounded by twinkling lights. It was a special morning. 

  

  

Tables, Curtains and Balls

Today was one of those days where I felt like MONSTER MOM, a lot.  Both Nathan and Bracken had several trying moments today and I probably didn't handle them as well as I should have.  The morning was rough, Nathan had already had 2 tantrums and it wasn't even 10am (that's when I usually let him watch a show) and Bracken was extra clingy and needy.  The poor little guy must be having some MAJOR teething issues right now because he has a runny nose, over active drool gland, loose diapers, picky appetite, and over all moody disposition.  Then to top it off Bracken's morning nap was cut short by some inconsiderate sales person who called my cell phone, which I could not find so it rang a ton and woke Bracken up.  Needless to say by lunch time I was not a happy camper myself.

I knew something had to give or things were going to get ugly and fast.  It didn't look like Nathan or Bracken were going to suddenly become angel children so that meant I needed the attitude adjustment. Since I had been trying to finish up the Chrismas decorations for that last 2 days I decided that some jolly Christmas tunes were the thing I needed.  A little pandora Christmas station, and all of a sudden I was nice Mommy again.

Here we are decking our halls.

Now wonder it has taken me 2 days to get the decorations up, these guys are just so much help.

By evening our day had completely turned around.   After dinner and baths, the boys started doing laps around our table.  Bracken did about 30; he was like the energizer bunny he just kept going and going.

Eventually our jumbo balls made their way out and lots of bouncing, rolling and catching added to the fun.  Here Bracken is trying to herd both balls with is 2 little arms.  It was very entertaining.

And this is what Nathan gave me when I asked him to look at the camera.

And to round off our night of fun some curtain hidin' n' runnin'

Natey and Bracky went behind the curtain, then ran out from under the curtain and landed on our couch.  They were giggling up a storm for 20 minutes.  But the fun came to an end when Bracken forgot to stop running on his way back to the curtain.  Let's just say Bracken 0, Wall 1.

He was fine, he just needed some lovin' from Mom with his special blankey.

By the time I snuggled them into their beds my children loved me again and they had completely forgotten about the visit from Monster Mom earlier this morning.

That's one of the beauties of children, they easily forgive and forget.

Goodnight my loves!

Family, Nicknames & Turkey

This year we hosted our very first Thanksgiving dinner at our home.

I was nervous about the turkey, mostly that it wouldn't be defrosted all the way or that I would not wake up early enough to get it cooking on time.  I cooked the turkey in a turkey size oven bag and I am totally a believer in those things.  The turkey cooked perfectly and the clean up was minimal.

Our party included Grandma and Grandpa Kleinman, Great Grandma Kleinman, Curtis's brother Eric and his wife Karly, my sister Marci and her friend Bryndee.

I made name cards for the place settings, and while I was filling out the names Curtis decided it would be fun to put everyone's real name on one side and a nickname on the other.  His idea was that the side with the nickname would be facing forward so everyone had to find their seat by figuring out what their nickname was.  If he had suggested something like this back when we were first married (when I was more uptight about life) I would never have let it fly.  But now I appreciate his zest for life a bit more and I thought "Why not! It could be fun!"  So he proceeded to declare a nickname for every one of our guests for me to write on the name cards.

Here is what we ended up with:

Great Grandma - Stretch

(You have to know Curtis's Grandmother to know how funny this name is, she was so tickled with her nickname she even took her name card home with her.)

Grandpa Kleinman - Daddy Rabbit

Grandma Kleinman - Cherri

Curtis - Thrasher

Courtney - Holliday Hard Core

Eric - Paul Bunyan

Karly - Karlsbad

Marci - Marcos

Bryndee - Lou Sue

Nathan - Disaster Nater

Bracken - Brack Attack

Everyone had a blast finding their seat and it was a great start to a delicious meal with our friends and family.

Bracken was sitting really close to me, too close.  He kept wacking me on my back shoulder with his fork.  It hurt and it made my shirt dirty.

 Nathan was in heaven.  He had friends galore to play with him.  He loves his Tia Marci, Tio Eric and Tia Karly.  On Thanksgiving morning he even got to go on a little Road Runner hunt with Marci's airsoft guns.  Our neighborhood is plagued by a pair of Road Runners that torment local wildlife, eat our gardens, and leave large birdie poops all over the place.  Curtis and Natey have been trying to matar el corre camino malo for a very long time.  I spotted him in our yard while I was preparing the turkey and sent the troops after him.  Unfortunately it escaped again, but it made for a fun Thanksgiving Day activity and memory.

 

Marci enjoying her drumstick. 

 Here is Bracken with that darn fork.  The roll didn't fair as well as I did.

This was taken Friday evening for Family Movie Night.  We made pizza and ate it picnic style in the living room while we watched How to Train a Dragon.  Here the boys are enjoying some R&R with Tia Marci, notice how Bracken is lounging just like Nathan.  Brack was so tickled getting to snuggle with Marci and Nathan like a big boy. 

One Sunday Morning

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Nathan.

He loved his Papi very much.

He wanted to be just like his Papi.

So one Sunday morning he decided to try on Papi's glasses

and see what the world looked like through Papi's eyes.

Things were a bit blury but the little boy named Nathan

discovered how much he did look like his Papi.

And that really made his day.

The End

Swords

 Oh the things we get to enjoy because we're the parents of two little boys!