Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!!!

SuRPriSe!!

We had an early surprise Christmas this year!!

We got a call from some volunteers at the Festival of Trees and they said that some people had bought a tree on our behalf and they'd like to deliver it to us. Thirteen people showed up at the house with a moving truck! They were so excited and we even more so!! The first woman in said, "You were so excited on the phone - it just makes this oh so fun! And you know that it is more than just a tree." Sure enough it was a georgious tree, a darling bench with a quilt and pillows, a red rug, a beautiful buffet and a "humongous" (as Ammon said) HD, 3-D, amazing t.v. Yousef ran over to his friends - Cabhan and Ciaran, 3 times to tell them about it! It was an astonishing Sunday morning!!! Such kind people who decorated and donated the tree in honor of Lorne Smuck, those who bought it, and those who delivered it. WoW!! We are overwhelmed!!

Happy Birthday Ammy!! 2010

October 30th 2010 - My little baby turned 3 years old! Slow down Ammon!

We did lots of celebrating all week long. We had a family party at Aunt Lizzie's earlier, went to Incredible Pizza, went to the Halloween Fest at Wheeler farm, had a fun party with the Homer family, and went trick or treating with our cousins for Halloween on his actual birthday! Little Party Animal!

I just found these cute videos from 2010 - Ammon was 3 and Yousef just turned 6.

Gettin' Down!

Shake your bootie!

And He's Off!

How did it happen so quickly?! My little 2 lb 13 oz baby is now a kindergartner! Life is whizzing by way too fast for my liking! There was so much I was going to do with him before he started school, so many adventures, so much to explore, so much to teach and learn.....

But look - here he is - a full-time kindergartner in Mrs. Dahlgren's class at Sandy Elementary! And he's doing really well. He would rather be playing all the live long day but he is liking school "pretty well". Last Friday, as he was begging "just to have a day off", he exclaimed, "I just don't want to have to go to school every day forever!"

He loves recess - of course! He likes his teacher and making new friends. He thinks it's pretty cool to eat in the lunch room and thinks the cafeteria food is yummy. He's already started trading at lunch. He even likes doing the school work and homework! Yeah! If we can just keep that attitude for the next 16-18 years!! When I asked him if there is anything he doesn't like he told me, "I hate that we can never go on a walk to a store and that I can't just take a day off whenever I want!"

Overall I think he's doing great and I'm excited to start volunteering - although I'm afraid I've overwhelmed his teacher with my enthusiasm! I just don't want my boys growing up so fast!!

They Lighten My Days

Yousef wanted to throw something away and I told him to put it in the recycle bin. He asked what that was and I explained that then it can be turned into something else. He put the garbage in the bin, waited a few minutes then opened the bin with anticipation. "Mom it's still the same thing!" I told him it would take a while before it would be changed. Bright and early the next morning he jumped out of bed and said excitedly, "Come on Mom! Let's see what it turned into!"

Ammon was changing from his swimsuit and started swinging his hips and singing, "I'm shaking my naked booty!"

We went to the Arts Festival and Yousef had to use the port-a-potty for the first time. When he was done he threw open the door and said, "I love this! Can we get one?"

Yousef was telling me about playing Mario Cart and said that whenever he played his guy always cried at the end. He then explained to me that, "Sometimes you're just so happy you have to cry!"

When Good Parenting Backfires

Today I was trying so diligently to keep a happy spirit in our home and my patience intact while trying to get everyone ready for church. Ammon distracted me while I was getting dressed and then I noticed Yousef had only got as far as his underwear and was not doing anything else to get dressed. Feeling very in control of things, I decided to do a little “Love and Logic” with him and I sweetly said, “We are leaving for church and it’s up to you how you go – either you can quickly get dressed or I will take you like that.” He gets a little smirk on his face, giggles and says, “So we are both going to church in our undies?” I look down and realize I’m only wearing a slip!