Cookies for Santa

On Christmas Eve morning the boys and I made cookies for Santa. Since Hudson seemed to take a liking to reindeer this year, and Bryce doesn't voice his opinion yet, we decided to make reindeer cookies for Santa. We found a simple but cute idea in Parent's magazine so we were set! Hudson did really great at precisely placing the M&M's eyes and nose on the reindeer. Bryce, on the other hand was hilarious! Doing it only how Bryce could! When it was Bryce's turn to put the nose on the reindeer, he leaned down to pick the M&M up with his mouth- no hands! Then he took the antlers off and took a bite! Once Hudson helped decorate a few, he was ready to start eating them. While the boys each enjoyed their work, I finished Santa's cookies!

Ho Ho Ho!

Sunday morning we were greeted by Santa! My friend Jill's son, Chad, is nine years old and has crossed over to the "other side" of believing in Santa...but instead of being too big for this Santa stuff, he'd rather surprise the little kiddos who still do believe! Hudson was in awe of Santa Claus! He walked right up to him and sat on his lap without any problems. Bryce was a little scared on the otherhand. Hudson actually asked Santa "why you say that?" everytime he'd say HO HO HO, lol! Santa brought the boys a big puppy and candy canes! Hopefully Santa will visit our good boys again next year!

Full of Sickies!

After what has seemed like months, but was in reality a week, the cold/flu has passed through everyone in our family. Including Noni! It started with the boys. At first they seemed like they had a stomach bug- puking, diarrhea. All of that fun stuff. Then came the cough and runny nose. First Hudson, next Bryce, then Mommy, shortly followed by Noni. Once everyone was on their way to better health, Daddy came along with all of the symptoms listed above! We've all been sick and tired, but hopefully we've paid our dues and will have a healthy, happy Christmas!

Merry Grinchmas!

Yesterday we celebrated "Grinchmas" with Aunt Deb, Kelly, Grandma, and the Elsbury's. Kelly and I started planning this theme months ago and we all had so much fun! I think we'll continue to choose a new theme every year. Hudson and Bryce received a play tent and jammies. Hudson wanted to wear his Buzz shirt immediately, but chose to sleep in the Woody ones. Hudson was also given a horse flashlight that makes galloping noises. This is one of his new favorite items around here. He plays with it for hours at a time. We're going to have to be sure to keep AAA batteries on hand. Brycie loves his Elmo jammies and Cookie Monster book too. The kids had so much fun playing together. One of my favorite moments was when Hudson put his hand on Alexandra's arm and said "hey, you have chocolate on your face"! Hudson also played Lego's and watched videos with Lil Gary. Bryce was content listening to the iPod on my phone. I can't wait to see how much Bryce wants to play with the other kids next year!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow...

Good thing Daddy's got a little helper because we are expecting a lot more snow! Last week after Daddy went out to shovel, I asked Hudson if he wanted to help. He immediately got excited and said "YES, I want to go in the snow!" After many layers, he was ready to go outside!

Breakfast with Santa

We took the boys to Breakfast with Santa this past Saturday at the Springfield Grill. Hudson knew that we were going to this breakfast so whenever I asked what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas he replied "pancakes and hammers". The boys acted just how I thought they would...Hudson was very quiet and curious while Bryce screamed and wanted nothing to do with the Big Man. When we first got to the restaurant, I was letting the hostess know that we were there and turned to see that Hudson had already gone up to Santa and was handing him his "snowman friend" (soooo sweet!). Bryce loved the breakfast. He ate everything! Eggs, potatoes, sausage, cookies... Hudson ate watermelon and brownies. These boys are so different! After we ate, we went to really see Santa. Hudson sat on his lap, but with his arms out the entire time wanting someone to rescue him. He didn't cry at all. Then again, he wouldn't talk either! Bryce cried from the moment we sat him down, lol. Oh well, there's always next year! We had a great day creating great memories!

First Candy Canes

Ever since we put up the boys' little Christmas tree, Hudson has been talking about "candy cans" since there are plastic ones on it. Bryce pretends to eat them and even says "mmmmmmmm" like they taste so good, haha! What better time to try a real candy cane?! Hudson was a cruncher and Bryce was a sucker. Hudson said "I eat candy can pieces" and Bryce looked like he was trying to get a milkshake through a straw! Of course, by the end of treat, Bryce was holding both candy canes while Hudson was saying "wash my hands- they're sticky!

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Since Hudson really loves Rudolph this year, we thought he'd enjoy watching it on TV. While Brian finished giving the boys a bath I made popcorn! They were so excited when they each got their own little bowl. Hudson said "I love the popcorn" as he ate away! He actually sat and watched the entire hour special. Bryce enjoyed his show and popcorn a little differently...but in true Brycie fashion! He ate his popcorn, wore his bowl on his head, climbed up and down from the couch- such a busy body!

Got Water?

I just love the silly things kids do! Bryce put this cup in the drawer in the kitchen. He would then run into the living room to play for a minute or two and then run back into the kitchen for a quick drink. I love that he would bend over to take a drink instead of picking the cup up for easier access! The first time was funny, the second and third=hilarious!

Oh, little Christmas Tree

The boys got a tiny Christmas Tree of their very own. They love this tree. So far nothing has remained on it for longer than an hour, but hopefully the interest wears off soon. Hudson did hang some ornaments and Bryce would very excitedly smack everything off of it. We haven't gotten to the big tree yet, but I'm thinking just lights would be best this year! Those ornaments don't stand a chance with these two!

Turkey Day

This Thanksgiving we have so much to be thankful for! What really made my year, though, was receiving an email from G'Pa Friday morning saying that it was nice to have kids in the house again! Thanks, G'Pa! We love you!

The boys had a great day. For dinner Hudson enjoyed french fries while Bryce sampled everything! Hudson showed off his grumpy face and "yelled" at everyone. He didn't stop for one moment! Bryce just roamed around, very cool, and was his normal smiley self. All in all the boys made themselves comfortable and interacted with everyone. Hudson sat with Uncle Craig and talked to him (the entire time he tried to nap!). He even said "I see you sleeping", lol! He colored with Aunt Meredith, and played with all 3 of G'Pa's Johnny Sticks (at the same time). Bryce doesn't sit for very long. He's always on the move. He did show Uncle Craig his musical keyboard though (and as much as B loves music, he and Uncle Craig may become great buds!). Bryce enjoyed Aunt Meredith the most when she chased him around the island with the pot. Daddy and Corey spend most of the evening playing video games. In a few years we'll have to set up 2 TV's so that the boys get in on that action! Grace is getting so big. She was a very mature little girl this year. Doesn't have much patience for little boys tugging at her constantly, but can you blame her? lol!

Oh, and about the photo above: We tried to make turkey hats. B wouldn't even let me trace his hand so that's why he's not pictured above. Hudson was very interested in why I would be tracing his hand. He even colored it. He COULDN'T grasp the concept this his hand was the turkey! He kept saying "my hand is on my head". I would say that's a turkey and he would then say "turkey hand on my head"! Maybe he'll get it next year!

Pre-Thanksgiving Tradition?

You all know how I love creating traditions! I think we've stumbled upon a great tradition for the evening before Thanksgiving. Without having any plans, we decided we would watch some of the holiday specials that were on TV. I decided to pull out the couch bed so that we could all get cozy...a fun evening was born! The boys were totally delighted with their new found "toy" and kept bouncing on the bed, climbing off and on, and hiding under the blanket! As they get a little older, I hope they look forward to spending the evening with us, just like this! It was, in my eyes, a perfect night!

New "Friends"

While browsing the ornaments at Kohl's the other night Hudson requested (or more like demanded) the puppy ornament. It went a little something like this..."I want it in my hand!". After I gave him the puppy I asked him which one we should get for Bryce (since Bryce threw every single one I gave him onto the floor) and Hudson immediately replied The Snowman! As we continued through the store I could see Hudson holding the puppy and snowman together and he kept saying "they're friends"! While they've lost their pizazz now, they were his best friends for a couple of days! He even had to sleep with them! When asked what their names were, Hudson would say "Puppy & Snowman", lol. If asked today he might say Sammie & Frosty- depends on his mood :)

November 19th

November 19th is our "old" anniversary. It is when we celebrated our first date before our wedding anniversary, September 4th, existed! Each year we would go to The Iron Bridge for dinner together. Last year was the only year of the past 11 that we missed doing this. Very reluctant we decided to try it out this year with the boys. MUCH to our surprise, we had an absolutely wonderful evening! The boys were so good and even made a few friends at the tables surrounding us. Hudson was fascinated with all of the animals sitting on the rafters and Bryce liked looking at all of the people. An older couple, who invited themselves to the boys' birthday party this upcoming year ;), told us that they thought "Oh, Boy!" when they were seated by us, but we ended up making their night and that we should be proud of how well our children behaved! They absolutely made this momma's day AND I was very proud, like always, of my boys!

Tight Squeeze

We do have some silly boys. It's great to sit back and enjoy the show sometimes! Tonight while Hudson was crawling under his laundry basket and saying that he was under a pineapple (wonder where he got that from- Spongebob?!), Bryce was sitting on the bookshelf, listening to the musical bus, and hitting his head on the shelf above him because he must dance when he hears music!

All about B

Our B-Man is full of personality! He's so silly, spunky, happy, and sometimes even cranky! While Hudson is more laid back, the observer of sorts, Bryce is in charge! He will dance as soon as he hears music, he will push, pull, and scream if he wants something, and when he's upset it's always an "end of the world" cry! Gotta love the boy's passion :) Bryce is the life of the party- will laugh just because everyone else is (and usually louder!), knows how to get attention (even from strangers in the grocery store!)...he is just a great time! Bryce loves his Sesame Street characters, and calls them all Ernie. He has a great appetite and will usually eat anything given to him. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that that doesn't change! He has super straight, fine hair just like his Daddy. His hair usually sticks straight up, but it has become his look. He's just not the same boy with flat hair, lol! Bryce will usually go straight to bed without a problem and sleeps through the night. He always wakes up with a smile...I love that about him! Bryce keeps us on our toes, but also lightens our hearts and moods just by being Bryce!

Sassifrass!

Hudson is growing up overnight! He's definitely turning into a little boy. You can actually have "conversations" with him! He lets you know when he likes something AND he definitely lets you know when he doesn't! Lately he's been "grumpy". He just speaks in a grumpy tone and scrunches his little forward. He loves talking this way as he thinks he is hilarious. If he breaks his grumpy face to smirk or laugh he quickly returns even grumpier, lol! These days Hudson loves watching The Backyardigans, likes playing with Thomas the Train, talks about Toy Story (although he has never seen it) and likes to say random words repeatedly. Right now that random word of choice is "dangerous". He says Mommy's name is "Yissa", Daddy's name is "Brian", and his brother's name varies from "Brycie, B, or Beaskers" depends on his mood at the time! He also knows that Noni's name is "Alyson" and says that Grandpa's name is "Ray"! Hudson is getting the idea of things associated with Christmas. Yesterday he said "Daddy? Wanna bake cookies for Santa?"! He knows reindeer eat carrots and he thinks that he is Rudolph. I actually got him to stay in his bed last night by saying that Santa is watching. About that bed thing...he has been falling asleep either on me or with me laying beside him, otherwise he will come into the living room over and over. This is terrible and I am working desperately on breaking this habit! All in all, two has not been too terrible yet...let's just hope it stays that way :)

"I a reindeer"

This is too cute not to share! Whenever Hudson sees ANYTHING related to Christmas he will say very excitedly "It's Christmas!!". A Christmas tree, a snowman, or even a present can spark this reaction so when I saw a blinking Rudolph nose for only $1.00 I thought I'd give it a try. Bryce took his off after 5 seconds and tossed it on the floor. Hudson, however, doesn't want to take his off! We got "Christmas" photos taken earlier this week and Hudson wore his nose the entire time we were at the mall. The next evening as we were getting in the car to go to Walmart he asked "where's my Rudolph reindeer nose?" followed by "I a reindeer". So cute!

Adventures at Tiger Town

With nice days dwindling down we decided to take the boys to the park Monday! What a difference a couple of months make. Hudson was exploring, running, climbing etc. when not too long ago he had such little coordination! Bryce loved going down the sliding boards and looked a little awkward in the swings since he kept leaning forward in the bucket seat. Hudson also liked the slide but used his legs to slow him down as he went down. I cannot wait to see how much more fun these boys have outdoors this spring! The trip to the park was a huge success; however, we left with a bleeding boy. Bryce walked right into the sliding board! Thank goodness for binkies. It soothed him and he fell asleep before we even got home!

Bryce's 15 month Check-Up

Bryce had his 15 month check up last week. He weighs 19 pounds 8 ounces and is 30 1/2 inches. Definitely not the biggest guy, but then again this seems to be the phrase of choice with each boys' visits to the doctor. Since Bryce eats anything and everything given to him, I cannot believe that he doesn't weigh more. Bryce's growth chart looks almost identical to Hudson's so I guess we just make small babies. Although Bryce grunts and points a lot instead of trying to say words, the doctor said this is common for children with older siblings. Bryce knows how to get what he wants when he wants so he's content with that! Poor Brycie screamed (I mean SCREAMED) when the doctor was checking him out and did the same when it came time for shots. Little man had a rough day! Good thing we followed up the doctors visit with a nice trip to Kraynaks!

Stay tuned...

Many apologies for slacking on the blogging! I've been taking pictures and the boys have been extra adorable so we have lots to share! I'm sleepy tonight and Brian wants a free haircut so I promise to post tomorrow!! Thanks for checking on us :)

"hudson's house"

We built our first fort this morning which was quickly named "hudson's house"! At first Hudson would sit under the blankets just to pull them down on top of him. He would then say "wanna fix my house?". Mommy fixed it about 3 times, each time explaining that he is to just play in his house not tear it down, and he caught on after that. He did not tear his house again! We placed his animals in his house and Bryce would come and go as he pleased...until Bryce started to pull it down! Hudson actually took his nap in his "house" this afternoon. I definitely think Santa should make a special tent for these boys ;)

Happy Halloween!!

Sunday Funday

The boys (especially Hudson) love watching The Backyardigans! We got them a Halloween DVD which has 4 different episodes and Hudson would watch it all day long if we allowed it. Usually they stand inches away from the TV so we created a cozy seat for their viewing pleasure! We just stuffed the ottoman with lots of pillows and viola! Hudson sat in this seat for the entire video while Bryce got in and out as he pleased.

After the video and a trip to the grocery store we gathered leaves in the backyard! The weather was absolutely perfect today!