Christmas seems like it was a lifetime ago.  I’ve been putting off this post.  The camera died so we took maybe 6 pictures total.  But it needs to be done.  Our Christmas was very mild and oh so low key.  It was just the 4 of us here at home.  And it was just what we needed.  We’d all been pretty sick (and most of us still are/are again) and just weren’t up for a big hooplah this year.  What we did do was intimate, cozy, and still very special.  So here is the rundown . . .

Christmas Eve is kind of the big day for me.  While Owen and I napped, Erik and Sam went to the dollar store to finish some shopping.  Sam picked out presents for both me and Owen.  (Naps and dollar store, sure sounds like a pretty big day!)  I planned to make a semi-traditional Danish dinner.  I started slowly in the morning with the intention that I could have it together by dinner time.  Almost.  I screwed up the cranberry salad, and never made it to the candied potatoes or rolls.  But we were all still happy and full after a pork roast and gravy, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, green beans, red cabbage, and a bottle of snow cold Martinellis.  All served in my most fancy dishes.  When it’s just the four of us, all sick, I have a hard time putting on a show.

We got out the Christmas jammies and the boys ran around crazy for a few minutes before calming down with the scripture story of Christ’s birth from the New Testament reader.  The boys each chose a gift to open.  We had to talk Sam out of choosing the giant bags that came from Colorado.  Then I put sick O to bed and the other two made some peanut butter cookies for Santa.  Sam came to the realization for the first time that we didn’t have a chimney, and he asked how Santa would get in.  We suggested we could leave the door open for him, but Samuel was very concerned about the cats getting in if we did that.  So he suggested we leave a note on the door that said, “Come in Santa, but please don’t let any cats in.”  Erik and I stayed up till about 10 getting everything finished up and waiting for Santa.  It was totally a record being done that early, but I was still just throwing things into boxes and slapping on a dumb bow by that point. 

So Christmas morning came early with O waking up crying at 6:20.  I gave him some milk and crossed my fingers he just might go back to sleep, but he didn’t.  So I brought him into bed with us and turned on the tv.  Erik was starting to get antsy by that point.  It was pretty cute.  I could hear the wheels in his brain cranking, deciding if he could go in and wake up Sam. 

Samuel came out on his own pretty soon, though, and by 7 we were all waiting behind the upstairs gate ready to go see if Santa had found our house.  The first thing Sam saw were the stockings, and he headed right over.  It took him a few minutes before he noticed the other stuff.  Classic moment. 

We spent the morning slowly opening presents and playing with them before moving on to the next gift.  I was pleased with how calm and mellow it all was.  The castle and dragons were a huge hit, and so was Owen’s policeman Helmet Hero.  (Samuel has the racecar driver, and the two fight over it like crazy.)  Grandpa W and Mormor totally scored major points with the Pillow Pets, since Erik and I had told Sam countless times that we would never buy him one, and as parents, we had the power to tell Santa not to bring one, too.  We had a mighty fine haul from Grandma and Grandpa B, too!  Santa was smart and labeled most of the gifts to Samuel AND Owen in hopes of alleviating too many Gimmes and Mines.  Erik got to build himself a brand new computer for his present a week or so earlier, I made him a desk calendar from Shutterfly, and Sam got him a huge plastic trumpet.  Because apparently, “Dad NEEDS one of these!  So he can go ‘Doo doo dooo’ and say ‘Saaaaaaaaaamuuuuuuuuuuuel’ really loud!”  Sam got me a stamp, and I also got a bigger and faster camera card.  After presents, we had a yummy breakfast of monkey bread, bacon, and sausage.  And a few apple slices for good measure.

The rest of the day was for eating, playing, resting, and watching movies.  We stayed in our pjs until after a dinner of leftovers.  Then we changed into clean pajamas.  And went to bed.  At least those were the highlights.  It was different to do Christmas completely and entirely by ourselves.  We missed being with family and other special traditions, but we also really enjoyed the quiet time at home.  Merry Christmas!

On our almost two hour drive home from Thanksgiving dinner, I let Owen hold my camera in hopes of keeping him quiet and happy for a few minutes.  What I didn’t realize, was that he has somehow changed the setting to shoot in just 3 megapixels.  I went a few days taking pictures like that before I noticed.  I was bummed.  These pictures could be way cuter if they looked decent.   But you get the idea, I guess.

Samuel showed Owen how to eat oranges . . . and make an orange rind smile.

Owen thought that was pretty funny.

So he tried it, too.

These two fight tease and push each others buttons for fun.  They are also best buddies and love each other dearly.  This was the cutest.  We had made a sofa cushion mountain.  After some serious mountain scaling and repelling, they took a few quiet minutes.  I watched them both work together to get the blankets and pillows just right.  Then they snuggled in for some Dinosaur Train on tv.  A few minutes later when I checked in, I saw them like this.

Sam was just sitting there rubbing Owen’s sweet little head.  He did this for a while as they both watched their show.  When he stopped, Owen turned around, patted his own head and told Sam “More!”

In case you didn’t know, one of them is the big brother.  The other is the little brother.  This is my attempt at getting a picture.  Sure does tell a story, doesn’t it??

Man alive, these boys.  It’s a good thing they’re so cute and loveable!

. . . Not to be confused with “The” Ranch.  A few weeks ago we went up Hobblecreek Canyon here in Springville to Jolley’s Ranch for a ward party.  It was hot and muggy, but the boys don’t care because there was dirt and rocks.  They like dirt and rocks.  Did you know that?  It was . . . yeah, you guessed it . . . super fun.  I need a bigger vocabulary.  Maybe a word of the day calendar or something.

Becoming a pro at throwing it over one side and watching it float down the other.

Little climbers.  Both easily made it to the top without any help.

“Hey, Sam!”  Owen was laughing so hard.

Dirt, rocks, AND water.  How can it get any better?

Der, with a big stick!

“Hmmm, which rock shall I choose?”

“Eh, this one is kind of crunchy.”

“You think I’m dirty?!”

Seriously, I am so worried about what happens when the summer is over.  What are we going to do?!

Owen started small a while ago, (this is from the end of June) but has since moved on to the slides at the park and completely mastered those, so this must be getting old . . .

Which must be why he decided to try something new . . .

I remember my sweet baby Owen.  My calm chill cautious mild snuggle on Mommy’s lap baby Owen.  That baby was slowly disappearing the last couple months, but now I just can’t find him anywhere.  He’s been replaced by an adventurous mischievious get into everything how much can I get away with moody little boy.

Owen might have had a very proficient teacher in the art of trouble making.  Really, he didn’t stand a chance with Samuel as his big brother.

Head first off the playground.  And an hour later, it’s still bleeding and you can still see the imprint above his eyebrow from the bolt he smacked on the way down. [It stuck around for a good 5 days.] 

I will be surprised if we make it to his next birthday –let alone through the summer– without a trip to the ER. . . although I have been saying that since he was 5 months old.

Good thing Samuel bounces back fast.  And you can also still see the scar on his nose from a face plant on the driveway a month before.  All boy.

{May 25}

For Owen: hands and knees

For Samuel: a race car

We’ve had a couple runny noses around here for a few days.  On Sunday, while Owen was napping and Erik was working, Samuel and I were snuggling up and watching a movie.  I noticed Sam’s nose was dripping again so I asked, “Should I get you a tissue?”  Being the sweetheart he is, Samuel must not have wanted to put me out or interupt our snuggle time.  He had another solution in mind.  “No, I fine, Mommy.  I no need a tissue.”  Then he wiped his nose on my pants.

No really, I like having a house full of boys.

Maybe, just maybe, there is a reason these toys come with buckles, straps, and harnesses.

I seem to remember Samuel having similar problems.  (3 months, and 4 1/2 months)

I love every little bit of this boy.  Each snip, snail, and puppy dog tail.

We were driving by a field and I got excited to point out to Samuel, “Look!  There’s a combine!”  Sam looked out his window and reported, “No.  Dats a tractor mowing da grass.”  When we got home, I looked it up in one of his books.  Sure enough, Samuel was right.  Apparently there IS a difference between a tractor mowing the grass and a combine.  Who knew?  Samuel did.

Samuel was playing on the sofa.  He was jumping around, tossing cushions to the floor, hollering about pirates and a ship wreck, and “Watch out in da water!”  Then he threw himself to the floor where he was now being attacked by a shark.  “Augh da shark, I eat it, it got me.”  When the dramatic charade was over, Sam came running to me with one of his fingers bent down to show me his battle wounds.  “Look Mommy, my finger’s gone!”

Pretty sure he is ALL BOY.