Highlights of 2008

in no particular order...

Visits to family...lots of them. We have spent about seven weeks with family this year and it has been wonderful. We wanted the boys to know their grandparents/aunts/uncles better and we wanted to strengthen our relationships with our siblings (hence the move to this cold, forsaken place...) so I think we have done a lot towards accomplishing that goal.

Potty training...James finally doing it and Matthias taking some interest. (for anyone wondering I decided I'm too tired and too uncomfortable to pursue potty training Matthias any further. That and the holidays pretty much destroyed all my good intentions.)

Wonderful friends in Texas...I really miss Wednesday lunches and girls' night out.

Trip to San Marcos...so fun. Can't wait to fit in those clothes I bought.

Enjoying Autumn...it was wonderful to have a fall season this year. The trees were the beautiful and the weather was heavenly. Colorado's one saving grace. (Can you believe we paid $700 to register our cars here!!)

We're having a girl!!...Getting ready for my Hannah Mae and anticipating her arrival have definitely been a highlight of the past year.

Playing on the swingset...The boys loved our swingset and Taylor did such a great job building it. We can't wait for him to build another!

Visits to the zoo and Sea World...we had season passes to both and loved seeing all the animals and enjoyed being outside.

Becoming an Aunt!!...my niece is just so cute. If you haven't seen her yet you should.

New sewing machine...has been lots of fun and helped me to create some really cute stuff already. I've done a lot of sewing this year and am so excited for everything to come.

Christmas 08

Spent Christmas Eve with my family. We did the nativity. Our family was the sheep and shepards. Then we sang all the Christmas hymns in the hymnbook which was absolutley wonderful this year with nine adults! We had every part and all but tenor had multiple people. Much more harmonic than Taylor and I last year... Then on to my Dad's annual Christmas song he writes and Christmas pajamas.

Christmas morning was lots of fun. The boys would have been perfectly happy with just their stocking stuffers, so were overjoyed with the four or five other presents on top of that. It was a really fun morning playing.

Our gift for them was a huge box of dress ups (Taylor's idea) which has been lots of fun. My boys LOVE pretending to be anything. My favorite was these superman/batman capes. If you have a small boy he will love you forever if you make him one!

The boys' favorite was either the lion/tiger (from Grandma) or the googles. James also got an Erector Set that Taylor was SO excited about. He told me this morning it was all he hoped it would be, but he just wished the boys would play with him...




The afternoon was spent at the Harvey's home. We had a yummy dinner and everyone was together for several hours. Then back to G-ma & G-pa Urie to watch Kung-fu Panda and head to bed. A very fun and happy day!

Snowing with a Chance of Whiteouts

The drive out to Utah was a little frightening, but we made it in one piece. We had been watching the weather all week and hoping to avoid a storm. Friday night as we went to bed with the car loading a large portion of I-80 was closed. By 3 am most roads were open but slick. When we woke up at 6 most roads had switched to "slick in spots." So with each hour bringing improvements we headed out.

The three times we stopped we almost died of frostbite walking into the bathroom. We hit a couple whiteouts where we could not see 10 feet in front or behind. And some really scary roads near Evanston. But since all our travel was during daylight we made it safe and sound. We're hoping to hit better weather on the way home this weekend. Wish the pictures I took with my phone did more justice to our perilous journey.

Hannah Mae

This is Hannah at 31 weeks. Doesn't she look so cute? Also, Taylor and I both turned to each other and commented on how much she looks like Matthias in the picture. Here's one for comparison...

Okay, so all our pictures before 2008 are on some disk somewhere and not on either computer. So in looking through old blog posts I was unable to find an early pic of Matthias, but this is definitely worth watching. A year and a half later they have yet to come up with a new past time.

iGoogle

If any of you knew about iGoogle and didn't tell me then I am shocked and appalled.

My own husband had iGoogle for an entire day before I stumbled across it on our computer and immediately became very jealous. It's beautiful. All the wonderful things I love about Google can now be combined in one page. That also has lovely pictures and tells me the weather in Hawaii. So if I don't look out my window I may be fooled into feeling warmer. And I can add my to do list. AND I can cross out an item when I've completed it. I am a list person. I make lists for everything. I love lists. And I love Google.

No diapers?

I have to report that Matthias is taking a bath right now and then off to bed. He has been dry ALL day! I am so impressed with him (and this book*). We started Friday and had three accidents. Two each on Saturday and Sunday. And then he has been dry all day today. That includes naps, nursery, trips to the store and library. Today he did a three hour stretch without having to go to the bathroom. That's better than me. Even when I'm not pregnant.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much in case it's all a fluke and we're back to diapers by the end of the week, but this is some serious progress people. And even if it all falls by the wayside over the holidays today I am a happy mother. Just think...I could go two months diaper free.

Maybe I shouldn't spoil myself...


*This book is really good for a lot of other reasons, but the ten page chapter on toilet training has been quite successful for us so far. Less than one page to outline what I've been doing with Matthias. It's even got James staying dry instead of trying to hold it for so long that he leaks 8 times a day. Read this book. Thanks Jill!

Traditions

Taylor and I started this tradition when we were first married. I thought it would be so fun and romantic to sleep next to the Christmas tree. As the years have gone by this tradition has evolved to a much more complicated process, involving a lot less actual sleep. (We did get almost 9 hours this year though...lots for us, not so much for the boys) We've done it every year (including 2006 when Matthias was two weeks old) and the boys really love it. And I still think it's fun. Just not so romantic anymore.

To make the whole night a big Christmas party we started off by making Almond Roca, something else we generally do every year. We even made it a little too soft (inadvertently) so James could actually eat it with his crowns.

Then we ate cheese ball we had made earlier in the week and watched Muppet's Christmas Carol by the tree. Taylor and I were actually in bed before ten so the night was a success for us. The boys were just exhausted. I love Christmas and all the wonderful things we do as a family to celebrate.

You're Impossibly Fat

Okay, this is so bad it is actually slightly funny.

The Twilight before Christmas.

-2 folks

Holiday Spirit

Last night after dinner we ate some pomegranate with the boys. How's that for festive? None of us besides Taylor had ever had pomegranate before so it was a fun and yummy activity. Luckily we had Taylor though or I might have been really confused. Pomegranates are weird. Everyone figured out how to eat them pretty well though. Although Matthias still ate almost all the seeds, but occasionally he would spit one out. (And no, my children never wear clothing at home. See this post.)

Speak and Chatter

James...

"You gotta have a stick in the game of hockey cause you gotta hit the hock."

James: I keep hearing noises.
Mom: I can't hear anything.
James: I have wider ears than you.


Matthias...

Mom: A wagon is rectangle and this cookie is circle. What shape is a wagon?
Matthias: Rec-circle.

"Want Paul Bunyon." (Taylor and I just got a kick out of this wondering how many almost 2 year olds even know who Paul Bunyon is.)


And for more laughs check out Sydney's latest here.

As requested...

30 weeks down. 10 or 11 to go. Or 12...

"Dinosaurs Don't Wear Clothes"

James has taken to playing dinosaurs constantly. And dinosaurs don't wear clothes. They are naked we have been informed. The net is for his horn. He is most always a pterodactyl. We couldn't resist taking this video for future embarrassment...

Happy Christmas

We pulled out most of the decorations before we left town for Thanksgiving, but we saved the trees for the day after we got home (last Monday). The boys love filling the Christmas boxes up with toys, shoes, gloves, whatever they find and then giving them to us and one another and shouting "Happy Christmas!" It's such a fun game. The big tree by the fireplace is real and smells wonderful. The smaller tree below by the piano is our artificial tree. We're loving the Christmas season!

Two Years

Dad: How old are you today?
Matthias: Three and half.

Matthias turns two today. At 6:07 pm Texas time. So 5:07 here. Due to our church Christmas party tonight we had cake and ice cream last night. Along with birthday dinner of cheesy chicken, acorn squash (my kids LOVE this), and sparkling strawberry juice.

Matthias was also able to sleep with his 2-year old quilt (although it still needs a crocodile hand stitched in the top right corner...maybe in January). He was so excited and probably actually warm since he's been using only a sheet. Perfect timing for our one degree weather.

This morning we had birthday breakfast of banana waffles and eggnog. Then opened gifts before Taylor left for work and we left for Music Makers. After that we took a trip to the doctor and I brought the boys along to hear Hannah's heart beat. They were quite well behaved and only pushed the elevator help button once...and the alarm once.

(James picked out this boat with car for Matthias. Matthias has been carrying it around all day)



(When James helped me wrap this gift he said, "Does it have two cars?" Fortunately it does.)


I am so grateful for my little boy and I love him so much. He has been such a joy for our family and so much fun. He has the best smiles and kisses. He is such a routine freak (wonder where that comes from) and is great at helping pick up and unload the dishwasher. He's always been a wonderful sleeper (up until 5 am at least) and a great eater. He idolizes James and will imitate everything he does and follow most of his orders. He is great about sharing and letting James have his way which is cute. But he can be tough and hold his own when he really wants to make a stand. He is an amazing talker and has been going non stop since about 15 months. My favorite is when he always tells me he is little and not big. And Matthias LOVES to climb. He has always had excellent gross motor skills (beginning with walking at 9 months) and frequently gets compliments on his abilities. He loves the tumbling class he is in currently and is an avid jumper.

We love our little Matthias and don't know what we would do without him.

8 or 1?

One thermometer says 1 (yes, that is just one) degree and another 8 degrees. I'm afraid to go outside, but I'm choosing not to believe either. It's got to be at least 10 right? Double digits makes me feel better. Just a little.

Tomorrow it's supposed to hit 26 degrees by 10 am. We may be able to go to my doctor appointment. If we wear five coats.

See you in March

The boys and I have left the house for the last time until probably about March (although I may have to go to the hospital in mid February...). The temperature has actually dropped to 16 degrees.

I don't like cold. I don't like snow. I don't like driving. The combination of these three is enough to send me into a nervous breakdown. We did, however, arrive at tumbling safely. To the very back edge of the parking lot where we had a five minute walk to the building. I'm not kidding. And home safely. Where we will now stay drinking hot chocolate, sitting in front of our non lit fire place, and smelling our Christmas tree. Curled up in a blanket reading books.

If you'd like to see us you know where to find us.

Snowing

And currently 17 degrees...which probably means it should be icing right??

Need I say more?

Nap Time Activities

Off to watch this while I finish Matthias' 2-year old quilt. His days at age one are numbered and I still have to hand stitch the binding along the back... (picture forthcoming)

Snowman Family

Colorado got a decent snow while we were away for Thanksgiving. Fortunately it was still here Monday morning so the boys and I made a snow family. Most of the snow is melted now and our snowpeople were gone by about noon yesterday. (Notice the baby has a binkie...Matthias was highly amused and obsessed with this.)

We also got to make snow angels and have a snow ball fight. All things Matthias has never done and James only did as a brand new one year old. Next big snow they both need to enjoy some sledding. Something neither have tried yet.



We had a ton of fun!

Aunt Kristi

This is my cute little brother and my first niece!! It's super exciting to be an aunt! And I get to meet her in just three days!! The boys are delighted to have a cousin and yesterday Matthias was walking around the house all morning saying, "baby cousin, baby cousin." She was born Tuesday November 18 at 1 am-ish. And I think she's really cute. And I don't think newborns are cute as a general rule. Can't wait to hold her!

Stephanie Dawn with her amazing mommy!

Boil and Bubble

Part of our Halloween week included some dry ice fun. We had some left over from transporting the deer from Monticello to Denver.

Here are the boys with their witches' brew. They thought it was great fun.