Here we have Little Dude playing with Munchkin while he's in the Jolly Jumper. He does jump in it too...one of these days I'll capture that on film...but this was unexpected and quite funny to watch. :)

Oh what fun...

Little Dude bustin' a move. He had a blast.

Parties and messes

What a weekend. Friday night was our ward Christmas bash. It was a bash all right...lovely dinner (very yummy) and a dance to follow. Now, I can't resist commenting on something I saw. The family dances I remember attending with my family were dances where the men often sat around the edge while women and children danced (well, not ALL men were around the edge...but many were) and then couples went to the dance floor together on slow songs. There was a good mix of fast and slow. The dance on Friday had both parents sitting around the edges while the children danced in the centre. The DJ wasn't going to play any slow songs it seemed, until I requested some. Then he played a couple and there were maybe 10 couples up to dance. Now, I kinda miss the way I remember the dances and I think that children need to see their parents or other parents on a dance floor so they know how to behave. It is one way you can show kids an appropriate way to display affection in public. It's not that the way they do a family dance here is wrong, I just think they're missing out...kids and parents respectively. So, enough of that I will step down from my soap box. :) Thanks for listening. The boys had fun...neither cried when sitting on Santa's knee which is a step up from last year. Here they are.

Little Dude LOVED dancing and he had 2 little people to dance with.
Here's a picture of him with one, these two would jump all over the place.


Saturday we did our shopping and finally set up Little Dude in his own room and his own bed. We have been pretty flexible with our bedtime routine and because Little Dude slept with us he mostly stayed up until one or both of us headed to sleep. Our new routine has him getting into bed by 8:30pm. The first night it took 2 hours before he slept, tonight it took 30 minutes. Definately headed in the right direction.


Munchkin has decided that food is the best thing in the world...he still nurses but it doesn't look like he will continue much past his first birthday...and with 2 bottom teeth, 1 top tooth and more on the way I can't say that I'll be terribly disappointed. :) Here he is with his first cookie:


And then came Sunday...and the messes. Big E and I had had a wonderful lunch (soup called Caldo...Big E made it himself...yum!) and were relaxing at the table with a rousing game of Phase 10. We thought Little Dude was fully occupied in the livingroom watching Thomas the Train. Munchkin was in the kitchen with us. Then Little Dude came into the kitchen with stuff all over his shirt and pants. It was diaper cream...so we headed into the livingroom...the following is photo proof of the carnage we encountered...




What you can't see (what we couldn't either until we stepped in it) was the gobs of strawberry kids shampoo...Little Dude had emptied the entire bottle in various spots. Oh what fun...me and a wet rag scrubbing out the carpet. :) Oh well, really if I'd been a 2 yr old who had found calamine lotion, diaper cream, shampoo and lotion I would have loved to do the same. He was just fortunate that both his parents stayed occupied long enough for him to finish his project. What a guy.

Please notice our beautiful new banner. Big E sacrificed his Sunday nap to create it. THANKS!
Here we are in our backyard. Just us, our camera with its time delay and a tripod. I'm pretty happy with the results and am thinking of making a habit of doing my own family photos. I will be starting a new business in the new year teaching Baby Sign Language classes. I'm hoping that it will be successful enough to purchase a new camera one day. Then I can take even MORE pictures!!!




Hello! Halloween is done, Fall is gradually getting colder and turning into Winter. We are busy with Christmas preparations, plans for skating and sledding with the boys. Latest funny story: One evening Little Dude left the livingroom while we were watching a movie...Munchkin followed and then all was quiet.....(That's the danger indicator!)
I went into the hallway to discover Munchkin sitting on the floor while Little Dude had opened my sugar container and poured sugar all over his brother...poor Munchkin had a little pile of sugar on top of his head. I laughed, had Big E come over to see and then we had bath time.

Halloween and Halloween prep!

We were so excited for Halloween!!! Be prepared for lots of pictures!!

Munchkin getting in on the paint action...that was started by his brother.
Little Dude just couldn't resist the paint that was on the table for his costume...he felt the floor was a bit bland and wanted to remedy that deficiency!

Here are some of the 'in progress' pictures of Little Dude's costume. It took awhile, but looked pretty good when it was done. Big E did the train wheels for me. :)


Here we are trying it out...looks good...only problem...it doesn't actually roll on the ground. Little Dude isn't impressed with that.









Sorry for the blurry picture...this is the pumpkin that Big E carved just for Little Dude, who was suitably impressed.

If you want to know how unimpressed Munchkin was with that skunk hood...you only have to know how much he doesn't like that green soother. But he was willing to accept it if he had to have the hood! :)
Trick or Treating with friends. He enjoyed things once he realised that people would hand out candy at EVERY door!

Latest funny story...last Sunday just as the Sacrament prayer is going to be said...
Mommy- "Little Dude, put your toys up. Sit down and fold your arms, it's prayer time."
Little Dude obediently puts down his toys and prepares to get up onto the bench so he can sit and fold his arms. He is not fast enough and the prayer begins before he's ready.
Little Dude- "no, WAIT!"

:) I had my arms folded and eyes closed...but I still chuckled.