What are the chances???

Me drying my hair with the vents.
Jumping Kelli and Brent's van.
Just waiting for some help.
Jumping our van.

On Friday, Kelli called me to come get her, Brent, Aaron and Isaac from Sportsmen's Warehouse at Hamburg because their van died. Shaun took our van to go get them. Getting the car-seats out of her vehicle and into ours is no little feat but they managed. Well, guess what? Our van wouldn't start either!!! What are the chances that BOTH vehicles would have dead batteries at the same time. So they called me to bring jumper cables so we could at least get to Sam's to get new batteries installed. I had just gotten out of the shower when they called so I had wet hair and no make-up on. Not a pretty sight but she is my sister so I went out to get them. They mentioned that we could look around Sam's while the vehicles were getting worked on so I was not too happy about having to go in public with wet hair and no make-up. I went into panic mode and decided that I could at least have dry hair if I had to go out and see people so I cranked the heat up in the van and dried my hair with the air conditioning vents. Kelli was laughing so hard, but there was no way I was going in a store with wet hair. So, after taking the time to dry my hair, the men decided to just buy batteries and take them back to our house to put them in themselves. Crazy day.

Samuel's 8th Birthday

Opening up one of his birthday presents! Look how excited he is.

Lego Batman for the PlayStation. Thanks Grammy and Uncle Brett.

Samuel with his birthday cake. It says "Dude, Samuel Rocks".

Among all of the Christmas celebrations, we also have Samuel's birthday to celebrate. If you don't remember, his birthday is on Christmas Day so that makes it difficult to make sure it doesn't get lost in all of the other celebrations. We already had a small family party down in Mt. Vernon for him with all of his cousins BUT I like to acknowledge it on the actual day too. After all of the Christmas activities are out of the way that day, we then do his birthday celebration. We just had a small cake that we doctored up with blue icing (his favorite color). Notice what he wanted me to write on the cake in the pictures above. He got a couple of presents but is not getting his real birthday present from us until later this week when we can take him out with us to pick it up. He has always wanted to go to Build A Bear and make a bear so since this will be the last year he will probably want to do something like that, we decided to take him. I'll post some pics of that later in the week.

Christmas Day

The boys actually slept in on Christmas morning until around 8:30. Not too shabby. They were really excited about going down stairs to see what they got. Santa brings 4 gifts for each of them and, of course, the stockings. Harrison got Louisville items (sweatshirt, hat, etc), Bakugan and a Ripstick (basically a skateboard with only one wheel in the front and one in the back). Believe it or not, he can already ride it. Samuel got 2 Indiana Jones Lego sets and a paint set (complete with some canvas boards, new acrylic paints, paint tray and new brushes. He was really excited about the art set. Then they got a joint gift of a PlayStation. I think they had a great Christmas. I love to watch their reactions when they open their presents. Lots of screaming in excitement. It was a wonderful Christmas. Here are some pictures for you to see.

Did I ever mention.....

I hate wrapping presents. I really, Really, REALLY hate doing it!!! Typically, I put it off and put it off until Christmas Eve. Then, on Christmas Eve, we are running around like maniacs to Margie's house for lunch and then off to Rockcastle for the VanWinkle family Christmas for dinner. Then back to the house to put the kids to bed (sometime around 10:00 or 11:00 since they are so excited). THEN, I begin wrapping the presents. I end up staying up until around 3:00 a.m. and am exhausted the next day. BUT NOT THIS YEAR!!!!!! I have almost everything already wrapped. Now I'm off to Margie's house to wrap the gifts I hid down there. I have no clue how I will get them in the house but I'll do it. I might have to leave them in the van and sneak them in after the kids are fast asleep. I won't know what to do with myself on Christmas day after getting a full nights sleep. No grouchiness, no falling asleep on the couch; I'm a little freaked out.

1st Annual Cromer Cousin Christmas Extravaganza!!!

On Saturday Kim, Kelli and I got our children together for a Christmas party instead of buying tons of presents that they don't really need anyway. The kids painted salt dough ornaments, had a 12 days of Christmas scavenger hunt, ate lunch and decorated a gingerbread house or gingerbread tree (the little ones made ice cream cone Christmas trees). They had a blast and didn't even get the bead ornaments or the painted glass ornament crafts I had plans for.

SNOW DAY!!!

We woke up this morning to snow and ice so NO SCHOOL FOR US TODAY!! We all slept in and are having a lazy day at home today. Here are a couple pictures of the boys eating their pancakes (a special treat on snow days). Samuel loves, Loves, LOVES whipped cream on his and went a little overboard. When they get outside and play in the snow, I'll post more pictures.

On a different note, Samuel made his First Reconciliation on Sunday night. He was so nervous but did great. He wrote down what he wanted to say in case he got nervous and forgot what to say but I told him he could also say anything else he wanted to once he was in there with the priest. He was really happy when he came out and said it really wasn't that hard. He was bummed that he couldn't take his candle home with him that night but I think they get them on Wednesday at their class so he is fine with that. We're proud of you Samuel!!

Harrison gets a new class

Harrison got a surprise today when he went to school. The principal pulled him out of class and explained that she wanted to move him to the other class on the same 4th grade team (so he would still have the same teachers). He was really nervous but ended up REALLY loving the other class. We asked him why he loved the class so much and he said it was much quieter and easier to pay attention. I think that was also the reason they decided to move him. His original class had some trouble makers in it and made it very difficult for him to concentrate (and easy to goof off). Ms. Bell, the principal, told him to "try" it for a week and let her know how he feels about it. He told us tonight, he doesn't want to go back to the other class at all and will tell her tomorrow. I'm proud of him for recognizing that this is the better class for him to be in rather than wanting to stay in the other class with all of the clowns.

I'm so STUFFED

We had a great Thanksgiving this year and have lots to be thankful for. At my mother-in-law's house, Shaun's Aunt Joanie and Uncle Sonnie came down from PA. Turkey, stuffing, perogi's, ham, sweet potatoes and green bean casserole. ALL YUMMY! Then off to Kelli's for my families Thanksgiving. Chicken n Dumplings, turkey dressing, shuck beans, rolls, mashed potatoes/gravy and Aunt Sue's famous salad (Ok, probably only famous in our family but we LOVE it). I'M SOOOOOO STUFFED but it was nice. Now, tonight we are back at my in laws for left overs (probably for the whole weekend). I will need to get on the treadmill and do lots of sit ups after this weekend.

Samuel is wanting to go shopping today and I just may be crazy enough to take him out; that is, if we can find any place to park anywhere in Lexington.

Hope everyone had a great Turkey Day!

A busy Thanksgiving

We have a busy couple of days ahead of us this holiday weekend. Shaun's Aunt Joanie and Uncle Sonnie are coming down for Thanksgiving. They will be here tomorrow (Wednesday). We haven't seen them since last year. The kids are really excited about their visit. We will be having dinner at Grammy's house on Wednesday, lunch at Grammy's AND dinner at my sisters on Thursday and dinner at Grammy's again on Friday. Whew, I can feel the pounds piling on as I type. I will definitely need to hop on the treadmill this weekend. This will be our first holiday to deal with Harrison's tree nut allergy. I will have to ask about everything that is brought to eat since EVERYONE is bringing a dish. Not fun to swell up and go to the hospital on Thanksgiving weekend. I'm sure everything will be fine, just want to be extra careful. HAPPY TURKEY DAY EVERYONE!!!

Hey, yeah, great!

You know who I'm talking about. Tomorrow is dad's birthday. Harrison and Samuel are distressed that we can't be there with cake in hand to sing at the top of our lungs. I told them we could go shopping for him on Friday (just no time during the school week) and take him a cake on Sunday but they just heard shopping and cake and wanted it right now. Samuel was all for shopping for dad. Of course shopping to Samuel means "buy me something" in his mind. It should be interesting to see what they want to get him. What do you get the man? No more socks and shirts!!! We gotta think of something GREAT to surprise him (because he will be expecting socks and a shirt).

All I want for Christmas.....

My baby has finally done it. He has lost his 2 front teeth just 3 days apart. On Thursday night we pulled the first one and on Sunday we pulled the other one. The one on Sunday was definitely more traumatic for us all. It was just hanging there and he could even twist it sideways but it just wouldn't budge. We all had a turn trying to pull that tooth. I was starting to get sick to my stomach from trying to pull it. NOT MY FAVORITE THING TO DO!!!!! Notice, I'm a teacher, not in the medical profession. Finally, just he and I went into the bathroom and I had him rinse his mouth a couple of times and relax. Then on the next attempt, POP, out it came. No muss, no fuss. He was so excited.

The tooth fairy has been really tricky at out house, too. She didn't get to our house with the first tooth until after he was awake and eating breakfast. She taped his money to the fridge and counter. He saw it after breakfast when he was walking through the kitchen to come upstairs. With the second tooth, she taped it to the wall by the stairs. That tooth fairy is a slick chick, that is for sure. You never know what she will do next. :)

I tried to get him to sing "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" but he was not having any of that. He does say that it is difficult saying his /S/. He says they sound funny. I love it. My baby is growing up.

Booo Hoooo

Let's see....

Pulling up carpet this weekend.....NOPE!
Finding dirt colored carpet.....NOPE!!
Painting the 4 cabinets in the kitchen so it can be FINISHED....NOPE!!!
Being lazy this weekend and reading some awesome books.....YEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started reading the Twilight books and LOVE them. I finished Twilight and am starting the next one in the series. I love, love LOVE reading books in a series and these haven't disappointed me. So, sorry floor and cabinets. It's me time. Maybe next long weekend in November.

Yeeee Haaaa!!!

Well, we are beginning out 4 day weekend. Let's see....

Ballgame.... NO!
Contest.... NO!!
Work....NO!!!
Waking up early.....NO!!!!

I can't wait to relax and curl up with a good book. That is what I call relaxation. But not too much relaxation. I am planning to rip up some carpet at the top of the landing and finish painting the 4 cabinet doors that I started painting this summer. Whew, I'm tired already thinking about it. I'm REALLY hoping to get a deal on carpet for the stairs and landing. Dirt colored carpet is what I'm keeping my eye open for.

Can I figure this out?!?!?!

Here is a pic of the boys on the first day of school. YEP, I know it is October, but hey, I'm new at this and wanted to see if I could upload a picture. Anyway, they go to Maxwell Elementary which is our Spanish Immersion school in the city. They teach language arts/reading and social studies in English and teach math/science in Spanish. Harrison just came home with an assignment to read a book in Spanish and write a 5 sentence summary IN SPANISH. He wrote 11 sentences and seemed like he knew what he was writing. Of course, I had no clue!!! Samuel, on the other hand, acts like he has no use for Spanish but, I have found out that he really does understand more than he lets on. What a stinker!

Lego-Maniac

It's official, Samuel is a Lego-Maniac. He just has to have all of the different Lego sets. Every weekend, he asks for a new one ("please, please, please"). He has a couple of the Indiana Jones sets, Lego Agents, and various other ones. But that doesn't keep him from asking for more. He is really talented at creating different things with Legos. He will play for hours with them. He also LOVES the Lego.com website and wants to post pictures of his Lego creations. Here are some pictures. Maybe he will be an architect when he grows up!!!

Orchestra vs. Band

Harrison is in the 4th grade this year and is eligible to be in orchestra. Band is not offered until he is in 5th grade. We told him he had to be in orchestra and next year he could be in band. He DIDN'T want to do orchestra, though. But once he got the viola, he LOVES it. He told me not to tell daddy, but he might want to do orchestra again next year. He was so afraid that Shaun would be upset by it, but as long as he is doing something with music, we're happy. I still think that he will end up in band before it is all over. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. I'll post a picture and possibly a video of him playing his viola when I figure out how to do this.