Turkey Lurkey

Okay, so I did a horrible job taking pictures this Thanksgiving. It's all Kodaks fault FYI. They are finally going to replace my camera but I had to mail it back to them ASAP in order to get the new one before Christmas. So I was stuck with my old camera that I also hate as it burns through AA batteries like Steve does a bag of chips. It's really that fast. So the few pictures I did take is because we were outside and the camera was easy access since I left it in the car.

The boring scenic trek across Kansas was as beautiful as ever. The boys played a new driving game...counting oil wells. There are a lot and they are easy to spot. We were in Wichita and then to Great Bend and then back to Wichita. We are kind of like Kansas nomads during the holidays. We had a great time seeing all of our family and missed those that weren't there. The boys had a great time playing with Myles, Ella, Rylin and Reese over at Nana's. A loved playing with Austin at Grandma's. Here's our Holiday round-up:

• Logan also picked up playing the game Sorry! which we now own.
• They were Ultimate Fighters with Uncle Jamey
• Colored some amazing pictures (FYI Reese thinks markers are chap stick)
• Ate 2 turkey dinners
• Lucas tried pumpkin pie and survived...ewww
• Logan at so much ochra, he is going to turn into one
• Played a family game of street football
• Climbed their first tree
• Played in the hide out under the stairs, passed the scary sump pump in GB
• Watched Kung Fu Panda for the first, second, third...times.
• Ate at Taco Pronto ...only once though. We have to better at Christmas
• Squeezed in a little Christmas shopping

Four more weeks and we do it all again but next time we should get to see all the family!

Beers with Beth

This Thanksgiving break I had the rare opportunity to drink beers with Beth. It's always hard to find time to hang out with old friends when we are in town but I made time this trip. It was a total blast from the past. There were at least 10 people that new Beth in the 3 hours we were at Old Chicago...in the afternoon...you think she goes out much?! I'm just jealous that I'm a lamo that hardly ever make it to a bar. A couple of the people were people that I know but I completely didn't recognize them...George Oxler and Ben Hanna & Deke Landwehr (via cell). Haven't seen these guys in years. We had a total blast drinking beers, talking about old times, good times and new times. The best thing about seeing Beth is that we pick up as though we never left off. I guess that can happen when you've know each other from before we ever made it to Kindergarten. We are so going to have to try and do it more often and next time Mandy has to make it! We missed you Mandy!

Tonto comes home from school

He went into to school as the white man and came out as a Native American... all in his pajamas. It's amazing what can happen at school! If you look closely at his baby pouch and his headband you will see how well he is beginning to draw. There is a tee pee, a deer, his baby has teeth and eyelashes. He's getting pretty good.

Angel of God by Kale

Sweet Kale saying his prayer:

So you know I'm getting a new camera. I'm so sick of this this one not working well. Any suggestions?

God is mad!

As I walk in the door tonight I am greeted by crazy man Kale. I am no more than one foot in the door when he launches into this conversation:

K: God is mad.
M: What?
K: God is really mad.
M: Why is God mad?
K: God is mad at Lucas.
M: Why is God mad at Lucas?
K: He stealed a peanut?
L: I gave it back to Daddy.
K: He's on the naughty list.
L: When did God get a naughty list?
K: Not God, Santa.

You don't tick of God and Santa all at once. It is over for Lucas.

Logan was quick to fill in missing pieces of the story and rat his brother out. Apparently, when they stopped at Harps on the way home and Lucas used the 5 finger discount and swiped a peanut out of the peanut bin...and that is stealing. God does not like stealing and that puts you on Santa's naughty list.

In case you are wondering, Kale is on the nice list and he will tell you that if you ask him.

Sir Mix a lot Kale is potty trained!

I like underwear and I can not lie.

You other brothers can't deny,

When a boy walks in with itty bitty buns

And an attitude on his face

You freak out!

Wanna pull up front

Cuz you notice those buns ain't stuffed.

Underneath those jeans he's wearing...

Big boy undies and I'm staring...

Oh, baby I wanna get near ya

And take your picture.

My brothers tried to tell me

But in the those undies

Me so dry now!

Another one bites the dust!

Tooth number 7 came tumbling out. By tumbling I mean a slight tug to a dangling tooth with a lot of whining and crying and freaking out for no reason. One step closer to braces.

Beefcakes

Who would have thought that fat little baby would have a hard time hitting forty pounds? Luke is stuck at 38 thus still not in a booster seat. Forty, where are you?

Lazy Morning

Today we had the benefit of a lazy start to our day. No draggin' kids out of bed at 6:15 am and then for the next 45 minutes broken record requests to just accomplish getting dressed, eating breakfast and grooming. Today we could move at a slower pace and it was nice. Here's how the fellas started their morning:

Caught!

This is apparently what my children were doing this morning while I as in the shower. I had about 16 short videos of pretty much the same thing on my camera. Did they not think that I would know that they were playing with my camera?

Naughty Note #2

Oh Lucas, my dear sweet Lucas, what are we going to do to with you? Waiting in the Houston airport I get an e-mail on my blackberry. Being the dedicated employee that I am I quickly check to see what it was. Come to find out it was in my personal e-mail and it was from Lucas' teacher. It was barely 10:00, what could he have done already? Turns out quite a bit. He had flooded the boys bathroom. Why you ask? To make Dwayne laugh... and it worked. Dwayne did laugh as well as get in trouble with Lucas. How do you flood the boys bathroom you ask? Rapid repeat flushing of the urinal until it overflows. No need to try this on your own, Lucas has already proven it works. I floods and it is funny. Of course, he would tell you it was worth it even thought he lost all of his recesses and had to sit by himself at snack. Then I made him right an apology note to the janitor that had the joy of cleaning up his mess. He promises never to do that again. Let's not bet the farm on that just yet! Anyone want to borrow his shoes?

Nugglin

In order to avoid bedtime all 3 boys needed to nuggle with me. How can you say no to that? Obviously I didn't!

Houston

As most of you know, traveling for work is not my favorite thing to do but often a necessity of my job. This week the boondoggle business trip took me to Houston. This made traveling not so bad...not because it was Houston but because it gave me the rare opportunity to see Jeff, Allison, Charlie and Henry. I don't think I have seen them on Texas turf since before I had kids. The other rare element was that there was no one I had to share myself with or the boys with....ahhhh, nearly 6 glorious hours just playing with Chachie and Hen. The Highlights:

• Hide and seek - they have a very giggly and wiggly blanket there!
• A multitude of different games involving a jump rope - Tug of war, snake, swamp fishing, etc.
• Many secrets were told to Thumper
• Colored pictures
• Made it halfway through a puzzle
• Read books
• A bike ride
• Enjoyed a delicious home cooked mean courtesy of Allison - so you know, never challenge Charlie to a bite race. He is a very thorough chewer and you really have to fake chew forever to let him win!

I'm sure I'll end up in Houston again in the future and I now know that Next time I need to take a bigger backpack to fit Charlie in so that he can come back with me.

To think I will get to see those kiddos 3 times in just 4 months this year. I love it!

THANKS FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME!

Voting

Apparently voting has been a big topic of conversation at school as they boys were ready for today. They were going to vote. We are a split house. Here's how it lays out:

Logan: John McCain - Not really sure why. He has recruited Maybel to his side.
Lucas: Barak Obama - because the whole contire Pre-K is voting for Obama. Even Dwayne
Kale: Barak Obama - I'm pretty sure his reason is because that's what Lucas said. I was surprised he could even say that name.


Off to Houston!

How I Spent my Saturday

Finally a weekend with no games, no B-Day parties, no social activities, no commitments... Ahhhh. You would think that I would have camped out on the couch making a dent in my DVR list. Oh, no. I took on a HGTV project, I redecorated officially decorated the upstairs bathroom. We've only lived in the house 3 1/2 years, give me a break! Here it is:

Yes, I figured out too late that the date in my camera is off by several days. Consider it fixed.

Happy Halloween

Halloween was good to my little monkey and two recon commandos (that's what I'm calling their camo polyester jump suit that was made only for skinny kids...not a big fan of the "outfit"). I volunteered to help with the 1st grade party (1/2 way through my hours!) and will help with Lucas' Christmas Party. The first graders said it was the best party ever...I think they need to raise their standards. They had pizza and decorated cookies. We did relay races with candy corn and more races that involved digging through "brains" for spider rings. Then a marathon game of hot pumpkin that came down to Logan and Natalia. Natalia won. What a gentleman that Logan is, letting the lady win. Then they played freeze dance. To my surprise Logan actually played and made it down to the final 5. Didn't really think he would go for it. He has his Mama's dancing skills...before beer! The evening was not full of trick or treating from door to door since there is too much space between doors in our neighborhood. Instead we went to the SVdP Trunk-or-Treat. It was our first time. While our trunk wasn't very tricked out, we did give out a lot of treats. Next year we will definitely have to take more. They got the perfect amount of candy...not too much so it won't last forever but enough to make them happy. Several of their buddies were there so after making a couple of laps of the parking lot they ran around and played on the playground. The boys crashed early watching Star Wars.