Funny things Pierce said in the last 5 minutes

To document the growing mind and vocabulary of my two-year-old:

Bent over in a squat with a pain expression and grunty voice, "I not pooping."

Changing his diaper I pulled some tinker toys out of his pockets.  "What is all this?" I asked.  "Tinkerbells."  

Standing up to pull the britches up (he says that word without the "r"... and he's obsessed with David & Goliath), 

pierce says, "I a giant."  

"You are?"

"Yeah.  I not a big giant.  I a wittle giant."

Countdown to 2009

Riley, Hudson, Claire, Pierce, Kate & Alayna

The stair-step toe-heads ring in the New Year at Mimi & Papa's house.  Alayna's the only one who knows how to take a decent picture.

Goals for this year:

1.  Get in shape ... again

2.  Get out of debt (pay off cars - this includes sticking with my budget and avoiding the drive-thrus when I feel like I need to reward myself for all my hard work.)

3.  Don't get pregnant

4.  Finish Kindergarten with Hudson and get ready for 1st grade next fall

5.  Stream-line my daily to-do's (time management/organization/get enough sleep to get it all done!)

And that's just off the top of my head.  Let me give this some real thought.

December 26, Boxing Day in Australia

Obviously I messed up on this pictures and I'm too lazy to fix it.  Oh well.  Boxing Day in Australia is almost bigger than Christmas Day.  It's the day you box everything up and at the end of the hard work you go to beach (because it's summer there) and have party.  Anyway, I have the best husband.  We worked really hard yesterday and got the attic cleaned out, the cars washed and vacuumed, the garage cleaned out, the Christmas decorations put away and most of the toys organized!  It's amazing what we can accomplish together.  Then at the end of our hard day, he took the trash to the dumpster, the good will items to good will and brought me back a peppermint mocha (decaf, skim with whip).  Mmmhmmm.

Funny side note story.  Hudson asked me the other day if he could have a "graham cracker with whip."  He obviously pays attention in the Starbucks drive through :)

Christmas Eve & Morning

Daddy & Alayna 

I AM smiling!!!

Can you ever get a shot with everyone looking and smiling?!

Nope.

Thought I'd just post a few pictures while the boys are playing and Alayna & daddy take naps.  Christmas Eve we let the boys open two gifts - jammies and a toy.  Daddy read the Christmas story, we had Christmas music playing, home made chocolate chip cookies, and hot chocolate.  The boys fought over their toys and Alayna snotted and coughed all evening - but we tried :) 

Christmas morning we opened gifts around 7:30.  Hudson didn't get to sleep until after 10 and was up at 5 - he couldn't wait to open gifts.  When it was all said and done Hudson said, "Man, Jesus' birthday is awesome!" Ha!  I asked the boys if they would rather open gifts or eat pancakes, and Pierce opted for food :)

David's sister is Santa Clause at our house.  We received a box of gifts from her yesterday that I wrapped and put under the tree.  The boys are loaded with goodies.  Alayna got a baby and a stroller to help her start walking - Can't believe that's right around the corner.

David and I opted to not get each other gifts this year = an extra van payment.  Debt free in 2009!  That's the goal.  

Now we're headed to mom & dad's for lunch and Grandma's for the afternoon.  More pictures to come!

Leftovers

Snot and slobber and a little baby cereal never looked so cute!

I found Hudson reading Pierce a book :)

We had a great night last night.  The kids went to bed fairly early and David and I never turned on the TV.  We talked and prayed.  Mmmm - so nice.  We're revamping our budget so we can pay off the van.  The only places we can really cut anything out are entertainment and food.  No, "latte factor" spending allowed.  So if you have any good recipes (criteria: Cheap - simple - healthy), please feel free to send them my way.  I'm too tired to type anything creative.  Think I'll make a pot of coffee and get dinner on (leftovers tonight: fajitas or spinach lasagna - take your pick).  

Snot

So, my kids are snotty again.  Every five seconds Pierce comes running & crying, "Mom, I snot.  Need a keenex."  As sure as I'm blessed with a non-spitting baby (so I actually have clean clothes on most of the time) I become the human kleenex.  I don't know how many times I've gotten ready for some outing or another just to have a kid come hug my leg and wipe his nose on the sly.  Too many times I haven't realized until I'm out that I have the longest slug streak down the back of my leg or across my rear end (depends on which kid did the job).  So, I think we'll go into hibernation until Shannon's wedding and maybe these kids will get and stay well.  My little tuxedo clad lads will not have a snot streak up their arms or on my "princess" dress.  I tried my gorgeous brides maid dress on the other day and Hudson exclaimed with monstrous enthusiasm, "Mom!  You look so incredible!  Are you going to wear a pretty bow in your hair?"  Heh - not so much. 

Did you know...

Dancing is for boys and girls to do together.  It's kind of like Ring Around the Rosies only you don't fall down. 

--Hudson Alexander Frederick