Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christams and a Happy New Year!!!

Remeber that 2 year old voice I was talking about?

This is a glimpse of it. Here is Teague running after me, in my face, letting me know of his disapproval with a request I thought I had just filled for him. "NO MOMMY NO! LIGHT GREEN CUP, LIGHT GREEN!" In my head...really, really can anything be simple around here!

Let me go back just minutes before this face. Teague came over and asked me for a drink. Ok let me get you a drink sweet boy. He makes a request to have his drink in a light green cup. Ok we only have a green cup so I get it and show him and begin to fill it up. Teague tells me, "no, no mommy light green cup"! (There is no light green cup. It does not exist and never has) Ok Teague do you mean the yellow cup? I take it out and hold it up while I fill it up as well. Teague again tells me, "no, no mommy light green cup"! Ok this is something I will not be able to fix. So I place both cups down tell him he can choose which one he would like to drink from because we do not have any light green cups, just green and yellow, and walk away!

Thus the pictures with the hand out, face tight with concern! Mom I know what I want and you are not getting it right! I will just yell at you in your face until you see things my way! Really can anything, like a drink, be simple around here! The joys of the whims of a 2 year old:)

Fill your tummy with lots of cookies...fa la la la la...

Oh the joys of cookies! Mix, roll, cut...but please don't keep eating the dough before we bake them! I was taking the pictures, Dad was helping Teague, Trey was following the rule of cut remove and place on the sheet, and Taatjes was cut and eat! Good times and good eats!

And no cookie cutting is not so strenuous that the boys needed to remove their shirts. Bare chested is just the way to go now a days. Gotta let the muscles breathe:)

OH GROSS!

ya think this is how kids get so sick!!! This is Taatjes sleeping buddy. Good thing I found him before he was returned to the bed. I grabbed him and washed him this time. But, who knows how many other times he has been placed here to rest for a minute and then picked up to snuggle with...yuck!

"Oh No Wrinkles"

Have I mentioned how funny kids are?!
Tonight during Teague's bath he for the first time truly noticed the wrinkles on his hands (from the water). He became so concerned that he climbed out of the tub and ran to his dad to show him. Apparently he is used to me brushing things like that off:) He looked distressed and was holding up his hands saying"oh no wrinkles, oh no wrinkles, fix daddy, fix"! He then kept asking dad for a "paper towel" to wipe the wrinkles off! When dad told him the paper towel would not fix the problem he was even more distressed! Finally we were able to convince him to get dressed and read a book. After the story he looked at his hands (which by then we had forgotten about) and said "yea, all fixed"! Priceless laughs right there!

Chicago w/ Ian and Alyssa

Good times downtown w/ the family. Ice skating, Christmas market, a little shopping, Weber Grill, and Garretts Popcorn!
A Big thanks to Uncle Ian who ended up with Taatjes on his shoulders the entire time!!! I think we should send him a massage gift card:)
The pic of the Cube is for you HeeHaw! Look at poor Taatjes falling asleep while he was eating dinner. It was so funny to watch him chewing with his eyes closed! The Christmas Tree at the markets smelled so good! The boys had to fight Darth Vader in the Leggo store! And, the train ride home with the boys passing out and the grown-ups wanting to but keeping it together for the kids:) Now next year we add one more baby to the mix!!!! I think we need Grandma and HeeHaw's help.

Teague how old are you? 2!!!!!

Teague is 2 now! He is lovin' 2 and mainly all the presents that came w/ it. His brothers picked out gifts for him with alterior motivations. I think thier thought process was what toy would I enjoy playing with after Teague opens it! Needless to say Teague had to run around all day and claim his toys for himself with a loud "MINE" at any touch of his new toy from a brother. He was all about his big day! Walkin around saying "my birthday", "Teague is 2", and "my present". He has offically found his 2 year old voice:)

We all love you Teague and are thrilled to have the adventure of watching you grow into 2 this year.

Turkey Bowl on Thanksgiving

Dad, Taatjes, and Teague vs. Ian and Trey

Turkey Bowl Classic 2008 rocked! The boys had a blast and so all would be happy the game magically ended in a tie:)

Hail, Hail, to Michigan (maybe next year will be better)

Thanks Pappa Doc for the Michigan Game!!!! What an thrill for the boys:)

As you can see it was freezing and rainy, but, the boys still cheered as loud as they could for UofM. Go Blue!

Help! I've been kidnapped and put in a house w/ 3 Tasmanian Devils!

Thanks to his brother waking him up early!

It is only 10am, poor boy:( Taatjes woke him up some time around 5 am and it took him a while to stop crying and fall back to sleep until his regular 6:30 am wake up from Taatjes. AHHH!

Is taking a pic of this encouraging this behavior?

Don't worry I do not let him out of the house like this:)

Yes that is also underwear on his head!

Costumes

We had a monkey, a pirate, and a "master of disguise" (Zorro). Halloween turned out to be one of the most beautiful days. As you can see no one had to wear a winter jacket over their costume! In fact I was worried Teague was going to be hot in his monkey costume. Trey had a parade at school which was outside this year due to the nice weather. It went through the neighborhood allowing me to take Taatjes and Teague in the stroller to watch all the kids walk by. So cute to see all the kids from his school dressed up. A favorite of Taatjes' was the older boy dressed as a toilet! Good times, but way too much candy:)

Hook for a 3 year old = danger!!! As you can see from the pics it was his favorite part of the costume! It is away now!

I just loved their mustache and beard:) They ended up itching them too much to leave them on for trick or treating.

Hey Malia can I come hiking with you?

Things I don't get to see every day!

NYC w/the Cubba's

Thanks Chelsea and Chris for making me a part of your Manhattan life!!! Here a a few of our highlights. Although the funniest part of the trip was all 3 of us in a tiny rick-shaw with a tiny man pulling us! (I have to get that pic from you.) We had a blast:) Thanks Chris for your best shoot at talking the Doughnut Plant into letting me make a few doughnuts, you tried. You were the best personal tour guide and on top of all the directions we needed! Thanks Chelsea for bringing us to the doughnut plant...way amazing jelly doughnuts! Also for loving the Phantom as much as I do, you know what I mean! Where to next!!!

Dinner w/Malcolm's Family

Have you ever seen Malcolm in the Middle, a tv show? Well if you have and you have seen them eat dinner then you will be able to picture what I am about to write.

There are dinners in this family that I wonder if we will slowly turning into Malcolm's who can burp the loudest, talk the loudest, throw dinner into your brother's mouth the farthest! (It is time to crack down!) Last night was one of those times. I felt like Lois just sitting there quietly trying to eat a peaceful dinner (because I 'm starving) amidst constant outburst from my wild little boys.
Allow me to set the stage for such dinners. For those of you who are saying really not them they are so well behaved when we see them. Or really Michelle they should know their manners by now.
First - Dad has a late meeting which means he will not be home in time to eat with us = bad!
Second - I have just spent the last hour making them one of their favorite soups = good they will gobble it up.
Third - My body is used to shutting down by the time dinner rolls around and Dad walks in the door to take over discipline duty = really bad!
Fourth - the boys have become great friends = good! Except when you want them to sit quietly and eat, only one has to act up a little and the whole crew follows. It's like I want to yell "stop getting along and having fun with each other and be quite!!!" Which I can't do because I will undo all the other time I spend teaching them to get along and be "good brothers".
Fifth - I am HUNGRY!

Dinner - Everyone is in their seats hungry and so excited mom has made potato chowder a family favorite. Cheers coming from the table "yeah chowder...yeah I'm hungry...yeah". I am thinking I just have to serve it and they will return my hard work with quite full mouths and a little thank you as they clear their own plates to the counter...right, this is what I have taught them to do (insert pat on the shoulder). The boys get their chowder, I sit, we pray and they begin to eat. One bite in - silence. Second bite in - is where it all breaks down. Taatjes - slams his hand onto the table; "I can slam my hand harder than yours". I sit quietly thinking one round and it will pass no need to get all parental, take a break and eat. Trey - slam! Teague - slam. Taatjes again - slam. Trey again - slam. Teague again - slam. "Ah ha ah ha ah ha!!!" All 3 - slam, slam, slam. Mom calmly saying "enough". "Ok" from the 3 of them. Trey; "I can eat faster than you". Taatjes; "no you can't I can". Teague plunges in to prove he will eat faster. Taatjes is now chocking because he has tried to swallow so many bites with out taking any breaths in between them and has now had to attempt the full mouth breath resulting in chowder to the lungs! Trey and Teague laughing because they think he is playing around. Mom telling him to calm down take a drink and patting him on the back a little. Also informing his brothers that this is not laughing matter and they are not helping, please stop. Trey (who hates conflict - wonder where he gets that) hides in his arms which are placed around his bowl. Teague who copies everything that Trey does places his head in his arms directly around his bowl. Taatjes now recovered thinks they are hiding from him, places his head in his arms, around his bowl, begins laughing and saying, "you can't see me". Again all 3 join in the laughter of "you can't see me, ha ha ha"! Mom now begins to say more firmly, since she sees the potential in this to end badly, "stop and pick your heads up this is not play time it is dinner". They do not listen they are laughing to much. Again with a slightly deeper tone and a bit more short tempered, "stop it get up now and eat the correct way." 2 manage to sit up 1 remains and is still laughing while he hides. Until he tips his bowl of soup straight into his face and all over the table!!! The ha ha's have turned into the bo ho's of crying with soup all over his face. I do feel for him a bit. All I do is sit there and hand his some paper towels and tell him to clean himself up and the table and add a little I warned you this would not end well. (Ok obviously I helped him he can't actually clean the mess up well enough by himself, but, he did have to do most of it) Really to be honest I had no sympathy for him. I kept thinking I told you so! I know this is so childish of me. But really, all I wanted was a quick QUITE dinner and I was forced to keep parenting and I hate when I have to remind myself that nobody said parenting was going to be easy so buck up and get control of your family! You can't wait until you are having dinners like Malcolm's family!!!

Hey Lisa do you feel me on this one, or, should I put the mother of the year award in the mail right now for you:)

Fire Men?

More Soccer Mom Photos

Nanna B the middle one is your Hi-5. It happened so fast I didn't get the best shot:(
I am constantly between taking pics and pulling Taatjes and Teague off the soccer field. We play so much at home that they assume they are also on the team. The first one is Teague dribbling an extra ball out onto the field before I snagged him. They only have 2 more games left. So sad.

Nanna B's Visit

Thanks for coming over our way Nana B! We had a great time w/you! Pumpkins, soccer game, and Wii! (Is your arm still sore from Wii?) Just a few pics from our time together:) The boys said that next time you come they want you to bake them another apple pie:)
To bad I didn't get any pics of your Wii boxing match!!!

The return of the spitting cobra...

He is back!

Had to share this spitting cobra moment.

The boys and I were playing animals, a favorite. Trey - cheetah, Teague - zebra, Mom - lion, and Taatjesa - cobra. Play, play, play...Ahh it's a cobra attack on the mountain! The cobra (Taatjes) attacks the lion out of no where. Cobra/Taatjes - "ahh I spit venom in your eyes. Your dead and you can't see!"

I was trying to take the death of my lion seriously bad had trouble controlling my laughter. I love it, "your dead! and you can't see!" too funny.

Celebrating Alyssa and Ian

Yeah to the beautiful newly weds:) We had so much fun! Tons to eat, tons to drink, loved the night time bon fire. (Jennifer took bon fire pics. I was to busy making smores.) Thanks for the great celebration and congratulations Ian and Alyssa, we love you.

Teague and HeeHaw

Teague had HeeHaw all to himself!!! What more could a boy ask for!

Soccer Ninja

Soccer Ninja - self titled

Dad giving out his coaching instructions:)

Go, go, go....

"Hail, Hail to Michigan..."

Justin painted a football field in our back yard! Of course his home team Michigan! The boys are loving it. That is the first thing they want to do when they wake up and we have to force them in at night crying. Tonight are family is in the "Rose Bowl"! Team Michigan (Trey and Taatjes) vs another college team of their choice. (Usually Ohio State or Notre Dame) Dad, mom, and Teague on the other team. Right now they are outside coming up with their plays for the game:) May the best man win. Most likely dad, mom, and Teague. We have to give Teague something over his brothers!!!

While Mom's Away the Boys Will Play

Mud Bath! Dad knows what makes his boys truly happy:) What better to do with 3 days of non-stop rain and mud pits all over the back yard?!? I was not home for this outing and did not even know it occurred until I saw the pictures. Yes, he knew to have them all cleaned up and dirty clothes in the washer :)

Treys very little mud on the face - translation - I am up for anything but I proceed w/caution!

Taatjes mud all over the face - translation - let me at it!

Head Ball

Taatjes insists on wearing his helmet, ok??? Trey sporting a little Aundre 3000 look, why?!?

So our house is a little soccer obsessed. With the start of a new season for Trey all 3 boys are constantly playing soccer! So here are a few pics of us practicing our head balls:) Justin says I look rediculous doing a head ball. But come on, except for my mouth being a little open, we look the same - right?