twas the day before Christmas

We began the day with our traditional pancake breakfast. There was no lack of enthusiam for breakfast.

After breakfast, we headed to the family church service. The five year old class (Neland's in the four year old class) presents the story of Christmas. I think Neland enjoyed watching his friends. After the service they have animals on the lawn to pet. It was pouring, but we were the first ones out there. Neland was determined. Teague and I were also the last ones out there, after some cake and lemonade in the fellowship hall.

We made a trip to Whole Foods to purchase a brining bag (a brining bag incident had our kitchen covered in 2 gallons of veggie stock and water, 20 minutes before our friends arrived the night before). The employee who heard my story offered me a free one as they only had kits left, and all I needed was a bag (and another gallon of veggie stock).

Finally home, the boys played until bedtime and our annual reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Neland left a note for Santa, and we had to talk him into leaving 2 cookies, not 1. He was very concerned Santa would eat all the cookies. We really need to work on sharing sweets.

"Santa We left some cookies Neland Teague"

A few pictures in front of the tree in matching pjs before a final goodnight (at 6:15!!). These boys really do love each other.

twas the week before Christmas

A pizza birthday party - each kid got to create a pizza.

I loved Neland's.

Teague slept through most of the party. He was ready to play when he woke up.

The party was right on the light rail line, a huge party hit. My boys are train obsessed.

We headed to church for Lessons and Carols after the party. It was a great way to get in the Christmas spirit (the real Christmas spirit).

Santa also visited church. Neland was very happy to be able to tell him that he'd changed his mind about a Polar Express train. Instead Neland decided he wanted a Playmobil hospital and ambulance. Teague told him he wanted a turn table. Santa got a good laugh out of that one. I love that our boys don't have a long list of wishes. I know it won't always be like that, but I'm going to cherish it and try my best to encourage it.

Teague and I participated in our first library storytime. This was a Christmas themed one, it was crowded and loud. Teague is so shy in big groups though, he stayed in my lap most of the time. If he couldn't see, he'd get up. Once the bubbles came out, he was all over the place.

I love waking up to this snuggly guy in our bed. Both of our boys still sleep with their arms over their heads. I wonder when that will stop. It reminds me so much of them being babies.

The boys were supposed to be making sticker pictures. Apparently Teague decided he wanted to paint. I think I was folding laundry.

We have two ballerina ornaments on the tree (the other is similar to this one) and they are both the boys 'favorites. I find it so interesting that they like the ballerinas the best. There are robots, Charlie Brown, animals, so many others, but these are their favorites. They love to watch them spin. Chris bought these ornaments for me when we were engaged. My graduation gift had been a year's membership to the Dance Theatre, we didn't buy them at the Nutcracker, but a performance a month before. They are one of my favorites too.

The boys received Chanukah treats from Chris' boss. They were very excited and sang Driedel, Driedel, Driedel and Chanukah, Oh Chanukah over and over (from our holiday music class).

Speaking of music class, there is one song, one song, that plays (we never sang it, it's just on the CD we received) "Jingle Bells, Batman smells, Robin laid an egg..." and of course that is what Teague chose to sing over and over. It was by far his favorite part.

Our growing nutcracker collection.

Chris and I teach Sunday school in Teague's class once a month. We love it. This time we had the story of the shepherds so the kids became sheep and looked up into a starry sky we'd made with glue and glitter (what 2 year old doesn't love glue and glitter).

The boys were convinced Auntie Olivia sent them fake snow when a package arrived for all of us. There were a lot of giggles and a HUGE mess, but it did inspire an art project.

Teague's snowy day. Neland made one as well. I cut the shapes for Teague, Neland cut his own.

The boys had class parties on the same day (I didn't get a chance to sneak into Neland's room - parents weren't invited). Teague's class had to find three stars with their name on them. Once they found their three stars they could get a treat bag. Teague had a blast.

Our tree, with multi-colored lights. We may be one of the few people who still use them, but I LOVE them. They fit so well with our tree full of memories, or ornaments in the form of memories.

There is always time for a little work on high frequency words, and to dream about home schooling. I just want to keep them with me forever.

A trip to Discovery Place with friends.

I surprised the boys and after their friends left, we had lunch uptown and then saw the singing bears in Founders Hall. Lunch at Showmars is a treat, and to be able to order a hot dog is an even bigger treat. Neland had no problem finishing his off (yuck)!

Teague would have watched the entire show. Neland was ready to leave after a few songs.

We walked to the Ritz Carlton to see the life size organic gingerbread house, but they'd make a white chocolate tree instead. Definitely not as impressive.

We walked back through Discovery Place to get to our car and met this guy. Teague would have taken him home.

On the way back, Teague fell asleep. I asked Neland to color a page from the singing bears. He sat for at least twenty minutes and worked so hard to keep his coloring in the lines. I was so proud of him - it was a record.

Neland wanted to meet the Santa cow.

Neland learned how to climb a tree. Chris was on kid duty. I heard he got pretty high up in the tree. I'm glad I wasn't watching.

Okay so this included a little more than just a week before Christmas (but most of it was the week before). The boys are growing and changing so fast and I want to capture it all. 

last week, this week, what week

I have no clue where our time is going, but it is going, and fast. I find it harder and harder to catch little moments. Just to document, here are a few snippets of sayings and happenings, with pictures that may or may not relate.

Neland told me the other day that he kind of likes the way daddy smells. I said, "oh really," and he replied, "He kind of smells like chocolate".

Yesterday we were watching a Christmas movie and Neland learned about the naughty or nice list. He all the sudden became very concerned. He probably asked me three times in five minutes if he was on the nice list. And he was very serious. Teague, completely unbothered, declared he was on the nice list. And there was no second thought (which there most definitely should have been).

Last Thursday Chris woke up in extreme pain, so extreme that after two hours we took him to the ER. Chris was very nervous about scaring the kids, but they were actually pretty excited to be at a hospital (Neland wants a playmobil hospital for Christmas). It turned out Chris had a kidney stone. When I picked Neland up from school, he'd told his teacher that his daddy had some sand in his stomach and it was really scratchy and made him pee a lot. A couple days later we were talking about it and Neland asked where the sand came from, when I gave him a very unresearched answer he said, "Oh I thought Daddy swallowed some sand at the beach and that's how he got it."
Today, we had to drive Chris into work because he was in pain and had taken medicine that makes him a bit dizzy. I rolled down the windows so the kids could say good bye as he was heading to the building and Neland yelled out, "Don't forget to pee in that thing"(meaning a strainer to catch the stone). I'd only wished there were twelve people walking into the building at that time. I laughed so hard.

I have circle once a month at church. They provide childcare. Last month Teague didn't say a word, in fact he hid and closed his eyes every time the nurse (who watches the kids) spoke to him (and she's known him since he was at least six months old). I had circle again on Monday and Teague still chose not to speak, he did however make animal sounds. They told me they heard quacking from the corner and then went through the list of animals and he'd make the sounds. That child loves to keep me on my toes.

We had our last music class today and Neland was able to come as well. The teacher is the same one he had two years ago. She asked him where he went to preschool and he answered, Chapel Hill.

We've visited with Santa again, had class parties, a birthday party, taught Teague's Sunday school class, and a puppy playdate for the boys (if we could put in a doggie door I think the kids would be entertained for days), and did a little Christmas shopping, all which I need to upload pictures from... hopefully before Christmas.

stories and outtakes

I've been trying to remember random stories to post... here a few with some card pics that didn't make the cut.

Whenever one of the boys wants to swing, I'd put them on the swing, pull it back and say, "Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall" and then let go as I say fall. It's a huge hit, they ask for it over and over. (There's also a rocket ship one, but Humpty Dumpty is most popular). One day over the summer the boys were watching Sesame Street and they did the story of Humpty Dumpty. Neland knows the whole rhyme from kid's music CDs or from swinging, but actually watching the story added a whole new element. The rest of the week he went around saying, "Humpty Dumpty's an EGG" "Mom did you know Humpty Dumpty is an EGG" - it was an "ah ha" moment for him. With only hearing the rhyme, I'm guessing it didn't make much sense, with his new understanding it all came together (unlike Humpty Dumpty).

We were walking into Target recently and a My Gym employee was outside handing out balloons and free passes. Both boys chose their favorite color (Teague - blue, Neland - orange) and said thank you. I tied the balloon strings around their wrists and told them to hold on. The balloons made it through pretzels, icees, shopping, toys, the bathroom, and then... while Teague was hopping, his favorite mode of transportation, his balloon slid right off. He asked me to get it, which of course I couldn't. I was sure there was going to be a huge, laying on the floor, meltdown but instead Teague just stared at it. We started to walk off, but Teague kept asking for his balloon back. To the rescue, like so many times before, Neland chimes in, "Teague I'll share mine with you".

In the car, stopped at a light, Neland noticed the car in front of us had brake lights that looked like circles. I told him I thought they looked like number 8s. He decided that must be the number 8 car. Then he said, "Our car must be the first car." I asked him why and he said, "Because it looks old, like the first car made".

When the Tennesse football team fired their coach, Chris was talking about it to Neland. Neland asked, "Will I be an adult next week?" and Chris answered no. Neland looked disappointed and said he wanted to be an adult so he could coach Tennessee next week.