Friday, December 31, 2010

First Official Haircut*

*the prior trimming of the rat tail does not count.


 

 

 

 
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Mighty Hunter


Wyatt love to be just like daddy. Camo: check. Hat: check. Boots: check.





"Behold, the fruit of the hunt!"

BTW how cute that the duck is almost as tall as him?!?!



Ok. Done holding the yucky bird. It was a good run.

TIA



I am unsure how to label these exactly, but find what's going on in the two faces hilarious.

We looooovvvveee Aunt Tracy!!!!

PS that is the last of my Christmas posts (whew)

Christmas Morning Egg Casserole

 

 
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The Face of Christmas

 
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Molly


Let's just say Shelby "gets Christmas" this year.



Her big present was the Molly doll that Mom and Nini had been pumping up months prior to Christmas.







It is a little know fact that the tongue can aid in the speedy unwrapping of presents.



After opening her BIG present...Shelby walked off embarrassed that everyone was looking.





And it is love.

Tools

Soooo, we were pretty sure that Wyatt would love the tools we got him for Christmas. Turns out we hit the nail on the head.

(pause for hysterical laughter)



What are yall bringing out of the closet, huh?



*awed silence*



...one hour later.



Brief timeout from his tool station to drill Pappy...



...and to steal baby Jesus.

Girl Needs a Haircut

 

 
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In anticipation for the new Disney movie based on Rapunzel, Nini purchased her a wig. Having been forewarned about said purchase I told Nini that it would have to stay at her house. Can you image the rat's nest that would be in a week? Probably clog my vacuum. Either way Shelby was pretty proud of herself, promptly announcing "I'm beautiful." Well, at least there are no low self-esteem issues looming on the immediate horizon.

Christmas Book Exchange 1 & 2

Shelby's Book Exchange:



Boy to her left: "I'm so sleeepy...."
Boy to her right: "Where's my cookie? Mom are you watching? I've got to go potty."
Shelby: total focus



"The book exchange is no laughing matter boys!"




Shelby finally got her book, opened it up, saw that it was spongebob squarepants, announced *loudly* it was a boy's book, and went to go eat her cookie.


Wyatt's book exchange:


Curious George was much better received that spongebob. I have no pictures of Wyatt's book exchange b/c the parents had to be really hands on as the going-on two year olds were all crying everytime you took a wrapped book out of their hands to "exchange" it. Heavy mom intervention was required.

Christmas Fatality #2

I should have seen it coming.

I was there as we unveiled the tree and all the sparkling ornaments.

I saw the Golum-like gleam in their eyes as they beheld all the glitter. "My Preciousssss"

I should have left the tree bare two feet down.

Life is filled with missed opportunities and "what-ifs."

What if I hadn't let them help decorate? Would they have been as obsessed with the tree?

What if I had given them their own little, non-breakable tree to decorate?

Questions that will never be answered...


 
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Goodbye Gabriel, Reveille, and Snowflake man. You were caught in the line of preschool fire and went down for the cause of Christmas. You will be missed next year. Thank you for your service.

Christmas Fatality #1

During times of chaotic holiday events, it is important to remain calm in the face of crisis.

Behold, my molasses spice cookies with rum drizzle (drizzle to be done after they cool hence the bottle of rum. Just clarifying so no one leaves thinking I can't bake cookies without a little nip. Ha...ha...that would be so wrong and incorrect...)




So, it already was not my most perfect batch. They were a little flat, but still tasted yummy! Then, I was asked by my husband to help him load something in the attic. Da da dummmmmm! I step away from my post and...



Witness the carnage below.



Let's just say some of the preschool teachers got short-changed this year on their cookies count.

Boys...

Does this one need commentary?

 
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Gingerbread House

I purchased a gingerbread house kit at the grocery store, brought it home, and then proceeded to watch the fun unfold as my perfectionist husband and sugar-holic daughter assembled it.



A few random facts about this picture. First, her pj's are on backwards. Second, she is wearing my old, beat-up watch from Target and insists on relating the time. "It's nine sevens." Huh?



I feel the need to almost whisper like the golf announcers. "Great concentration is shown here by Shelby as she attempts the tricky feat of getting all the purple candy to stick. Oh Bob, did you see that double candy shovel backhand? Impressive skill for one so young."




Reload.




Oops! This piece is chipped.





Ta da!!! Shelby's touches: the backwards "J", the gingerbread WOman with the all purple dress, the super pumped smile!

I am also proud to say that I never caught her licking said gingerbread house for the duration of Christmas which is more than I can say for her mother as a young child.

Lowes

On my 900th trip to Lowe's post-move, I have come to accept a certain fact. My kids require a chance to sit on the permanent riding lawn mower display every. single. time. Why waste endless oxygen claiming "We're late" or "Not now"? It's just a part I now schedule into the trip. The same way I provide a five minute buffer for preschool because my kids have to look in every. single. window.

Clearly, they enjoy it. Who am I to deny free(!) good times?

 
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Not Wyatt's first foray into lawn mowers.

Morning Hair

I love little kid morning hair. It is one of those things when they are all grown up making messes in their own houses that I will sigh and miss dearly. Why do I love it so much? I don't know really. Maybe because it is straight up hilarious what they will walk down the stairs sporting atop their head. Shelby w/ her curly hair usually wins for "most entertaining do". Maybe I love it the same way I love this stage of life. They sleep hard, play hard, cry hard. There is no tempered emotion or activity. That crazed hair is all a part of this stage where there is no ego or self-consciousness. No need to primp in the morning to impress. They are who they are. Blonde afro and all.

 
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Houston Zoo

My mom was watching my nephews one week when we decided to visit the Houston Zoo. It was right before Christmas i.e. not crowded at all!!! We brought food and the stroller for Ty ("the baby") who refused to sit in it. However, you will see later it did not go unused.



This is a framer. Yes? No?

Turn and smile kids. Don't worry the searing pain in your retina is totally normal.




The older kids ooh and aah...

at the funny monkeys while..



Ty attempts to return to the jungle.






Remember how we brought the stroller for "the baby"? Well, my big baby hopped in midway.





I may or may not have goosed my oldest child and my nephew multiple times in the reptile house. McGregor has some really impressive verticals.






Aaah the golden ticket...except this one is for the train around the park and there will be no creepy candy owning pedophile with a top hat at the end promising everlasting gobstoppers.




Awwww!




Good day at the zoo! Shelby was a little tired. Mother's instinct on this one...