'Twas the night before Christmas

Christmas Eve began some wonderful traditions for our family.  We spent the evening at Granma, Papa, and Nana's house.  The boys enjoyed making their own homemade pizzas and snacking on Christmas goodies.  We watched Frosty the Snowman, and Granma read 'twas the night before Christmas' to Aiden.  He has always loved being read to, and he sat at rapt attention, soaking in every word.  As they do every year, the boys got to open their gifts from Nana on Christmas Eve, which always includes some new jammies and an ornament.  As we got ready to leave, they put on their new pj's and got a little surprise to take home- reindeer food!  The tag on each little tube instructed them to sprinkle the food all over the yard and then go straight to bed.  The reindeer can smell the food from 100 miles away and will come straight to your house, so you better be asleep!  We piled into the car, and the boys held tightly to their reindeer food, excited to get their job done!  When we got home, they dutifully showered the yard in the sparkly, sweet reindeer food (which appeared to be glitter, oats and sugar).

After the reindeer food was done, it was time to get the cookies ready for Santa!  We had made some sugar cookies earlier that day, and had gotten a brand new special plate from Granma, just for Santa's cookies.  They were so proud of themselves, and Aiden was very careful and particular about setting it in just the right place on the fireplace.

As soon as they had finished all of their Christmas Eve duties, they went straight to bed, trying hard to contain their excitement.  Aiden told me multiple times that day that he was so excited, and couldn't wait.  It was so sweet and fun to watch them get so excited about all the fun little things we did.  They both went to sleep easily, squeezing their eyes shut and waiting patiently for sleep to come.  Once they were asleep, Santa visited our house!

On Christmas morning, Jonny and I both woke up at 5:00 am and couldn't fall back asleep!  I think we were as excited as they were.  I just couldn't wait to see their faces.  Over an hour later, they finally started to stir.  Suddenly, Aiden popped up and the grogginess was gone when he realized it was finally Christmas morning.  We tried to get him to wait for Cole, but he ran out and yelled that Santa had come!  That got Cole moving in no time!  They were greeted by a new train table with a huge, red bow, and stockings stuffed to the brim.  Cole was literally jumping up and down in excitement.  Santa worked so hard to get Aiden THE toy of the year- a Leap Pad!  He was thrilled.  Cole, who is not so much into electronics, got a big, metal, yellow Tonka dump drunk.  He loves to pile all of his Toy Story 3 charactes in the back and drive around, just like the movie!  We opened gifts slowly and enjoyed playing with each toy as it was opened.  It was such a nice, relaxing morning. 

The rest of the day was spent at Granma's house, and Uncle Kenny, Aunt Courtney, and cousins Neely and Nolan joined us.  The day could not have been more perfect!  We all enjoyed a big brunch of sausage and egg quiche, an amazing french toast casserole, fresh fruit and mimosas.  The kids played like a dream, and the weather was sunny and gorgeous!  After gifts and playtime, everyone in the house took an amazing 2 hour nap.  Refreshed, we enjoyed a beautiful dinner and the kids just played and played.  Everyone was so relaxed and pleasant, it was the calmest holiday we've ever had with all of the kids together!  We ended the night with jammies and a  movie.  Christmas this year lived up to everything we all had hoped for!











These are the moments

The hours pass slowly yet the years fly by.  I was told this by a friend when Aiden was just a new little baby and I was adjusting to endless hours of nursing, diaper changing, crying, rocking, soothing, bathing and attempting to figure out this little creature I had brought home.  I was 25, and accustomed to a life where I pretty much came and went as I pleased and life was relatively easy.  Suddenly, I was bound to my house by a needy infant and the trepidation that comes for a new mother trying to leave the house on her own.  Days at a time would pass where I wouldn't see the outside world at all.  Some days, those hours were bliss; I'd enjoy listening to his sweet baby coos, smelling the top of his head and filling my lungs full of that sweet baby goodness, and knowing I was there to witness all of his milestones, big and small.  But, there were other days that weren't so rosy.  There were non-napping days, getting shots at the doctor days, and just fussy for no good reason days.  Those were the days that I wished to myself that the hours would just pass faster, that bedtime would come, we could all rest and then tomorrow would be here to start over.  The problem with that is, those days really did just fly by.  I blinked an eye and suddenly here I am with Cole, just a few months shy of three years old, and Aiden who will be in kindergarten soon.  When did this happen?  And why would I ever wish for any of their precious baby moments to pass by any faster than they already have to?  These are the type of guilt inducing thoughts that plague me often.  I have to remind myself that I am doing the best job that I know how to do, and I can't get caught up in those troubling pangs of guilt.  So, as I sit here listening to my boys giggling and play fighting and doing everything to resist sleep, I have to remind myself of something; these are the moments.  These are moments that may be difficult and frustrating right now, but in five years (that are sure to fly by) I will look back and yearn for these moments.  Yes, it's been a long day, I am tired and it's past their bedtime, but these are my babies and I am watching them live a sweet moment that once it's passed, it is gone forever and will only live as a memory.  When they ask 10 times at bedtime for one more hug, one more kiss, and one more high five, it can get old, but they still are young enough to want my attention and giggle victoriously every time I am suckered into giving in and going back for just one more.  When I trip over a toy for the millionth time, I must remind myself that in a few years I won't be tripping over Buzz Lightyear and Legos, and I won't have sweet little ones begging me to play with them.  So, I remind myself, live in this moment, these are the moments that you will look back on and wish you could have again just one more time.

Here are some of my favorite sweet and silly moments with my little dudes.