Lucas comes to me with a plastic pool toy, so proud that he has written on it with a marker. I looked at him disapprovingly and said that we aren't supposed to use this markers on toys.

He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "don't be bossy about this, mom. It's actually quite wonderful. I wrote my own name and I did a really good job."

Pause ( because I could not speak)

He says "you know that? So really don't be bossy, ok?" Exits room.

Wow.

Merry Christmas!!!

Hello my darlings!

I have so many fun things to fill you in on with my littles.  Elliott really has a tooth.  A bona fide tooth.  A sure sign he is growing up.  Sigh. 

Elliott is also so very close to crawling.  I mean it, so very close.  Lucas thinks he is teaching his brother to crawl and to talk, and it is hysterical to watch him get on all fours and really try to coach him.  So funny.

We had a marvelous Christmas.  Lucas really 'got' Christmas this year, and feels pretty confident that Santa is watching him ALL THE TIME, but not in a creepy way. 

Photos coming up!!

Photos to brighten a very ugly day.

And Elliott sleeps....peacefully!

I haven't been posting because I have been tired.  Really, really tired.  Elliott had decided that we were so fun, he wanted to play with us every 45 minutes every night.  It was awesome......for him.  So we did the dreaded Cry It Out, which we swore we would never ever ever do.  But we were just so desperate.  The good news is that he is happily going to bed each night and puts himself to sleep without a tear.  No kidding, just like 'they' say.  It really only took 3 or 4 nights, and he sleeps through with only one feeding.  Supreeeeeme!!

He has also started waving, and it is the cutest ever.  Still no teeth, but don't tell his next meal that.  He is eating like a boss. 

Lucas is doing great!  He is getting taller every day, and pants that I thought I needed to hem last month are just right now.  It looks like his shirts are shrinking in the night.  His favorite thing to say is that he can do something by his own self, and he isn't kidding.  He can do so much these days.  Like pick out the letters in his name out in the world, make his brother smile, set the table, he hates to leave a job undone.  We are reading the Little House books, just finished Little House in the Big Woods and are now on Little House on the Prairie.  He loves it!  What a nut.

Blah, blah, blah.....photos up next!!!

Visit soon!!!

More photos

Baking with Lucas

Some cut out cookies. And some bread!

He really likes eating dough.

What a week!

I am so thrilled that today is almost over.  My little Lucas got a shiner today.  Some horrible, awful, mean, icky big kid socked him one at the park today.  I am not taking it as well as Lucas is.  I feel so terrible, and I can only imagine what other bumps and bruises and tragedies large and small will befall him.  I hope I can weather those storms better than this one.

When Elliott had to stay at the hospital because of his jaundice, I literally thought I would never survive without him.  I stayed in the hospital with him, with no real clothes and no real food and no husband and no big brother.  It was awful.  Elaine came to the hospital in the middle of the night and made sure the nurses brought me food and compression socks.  Yes, my ankles were that big. 

I think sometimes about how lucky we are that we are so happy and healthy, and that it really does take these moments of discomfort and pain to remind ourselves how good we've really got it.  Ben and I say every day that we've really got it made, and we really do know it's true.

We are so fortunate to have our families, and to know that a kind word is never more than a phone call away.  We've got food to eat and share and an overabundance of 'extras'.  I am so grateful for all of this.

But my heart does ache when bad things happen to my good people.  I just hope this week takes it easy on us, I'd like to slow down and enjoy all these good times.  My guys are growing up so fast.