Busy, Busy, Busy...

So... I seem to have really slacked off on blogging lately. I should probably catch up before life gets too crazy again. =)

It's seems unreal that we only have about 6-7 weeks before our newest little one joins us. Physically, I'm ready for him to be here now, but realistically, I still have a lot to do in the coming weeks.

We have been busy getting ready for the little man though. With our tax return, we bought bunk beds for Timothy and Andrew, and some wheels for John.

It's been nice not having to juggle transportation. As for the boys, well, I'll let you judge. =)

We got the beds off of craigslist, and the safety rail was missing, so they served as solo beds until John could make one. Now that they're stacked, and our boys are beyond thrilled.

The boys keep me in a semi-constant state of amusement and amazement. Andrew is talking up a storm these days, and it's so much fun to finally know what's going on in his head. A few weeks ago, he came up to me with several of the little people from my old FP farm (nearly 30 year-old set) and said: "Look Mom, Fingerpuppets!"

He's also decided that that baby is "My Baby," not our baby, just his. Hopefully he's still just as excited when the baby is more than a vague concept in my belly. =) He's constantly telling me "I a Big Boy," and he really is.

It's also been fun to see all the concepts like time, days and months coming together for Timothy. It seems that he's almost always flipping through the calendar, figuring out the months, and asking me what happens in each month. He's been learning about the early presidents, and Martin Luther King in school lately, and loves to come home and tell me all about it. He tells me all about George Washington and the cherry tree, and Martin Luther King, although why he's so important is still a bit vague. We've expanded on it at home, and it seems to make sense. I did get a great laugh the day he brought this home:

We've also kept up our monthly visits to Home Depot (I'm shooting for this to be constant all year, but depending on baby day, that might be tricky. We'll see. =) So far, the projects have been fairly simple, and they are so proud of them. They are some of the youngest kids there, but they are fairly good with tools, considering their age. But, they are their Daddy's sons. =)

John had spring break this past week, and we spent a lot of it rearranging and doing baby prep, since John won't really have time to help me out again before the baby comes. My due date is finals week, so we're timing it close. =) Let the countdown begin!

Adventures at Home Depot

This week, I noticed online that Home Depot's children's workshop was building savings sheds this Saturday. I've been wanting piggy banks for the boys for a while, so this seemed like a perfect opportunity. And hey, it's free!

Unfortunately, John came down with a massive ear infection, and hasn't left the couch in three days. (Poor John...) I was counting on Daddy to take the lead on this one. But, since we'd already promised the boys, I couldn't let them down. We got up early, and headed out the door.

It was a fun little workshop. Prefab kits, and aprons they got to keep. (Apparently you get a new pin for each project you complete, so I can see us returning a lot.)

The boys loved it! They got to hammer in nails, screw in a screw, and even paint the roof on their shed. A few of the nails may be a bit crooked, and Mommy may have a slightly bruised thumb, but still, it was a nice way to spend and hour on a Saturday morning. =)

Christmas at Grammy's

For Christmas this year, we loaded up the car and headed to Texas to spend the holiday with John's family. The car was a bit crowded this year, with the addition of Harley, but we were blessed with good weather, and good travelers, so it was a fairly easy trip.

It was just us and Grammy for a few days, which the boys loved.

But when their cousin showed up, they were ecstatic.

Mommy was well spoiled by Grammy, since I wasn't allowed to do much. And all the boys loved having all the adults to read and play with them.

They even got a music lesson. =)

All that activity will wear a guy out...

The highlight of Mommy's week though, was when Grammy decided to make cookies with all three grandsons. Much hilarity ensued.

We got smart and took the clothes off for the frosting of the cookies the nest morning, but that didn't make it any less amusing. Especially when it was decided that eating trumped frosting.

Timothy insisted that the cookies were for Santa Claus, but I managed to convince him that Santa only needed about 6, and he could let his Daddy and uncles sample the rest. The selected 6 were put aside, and set out carefully right before bed.

Christmas day itself was great. Thankfully, only Timothy was old enough to understand that we were supposed to open presents right away, so there wasn't a problem waiting until after church. Once that began though, happy chaos reigned.

The boys made out like bandits, and our car trip home was overstuffed and almost comically crowded. But for me, the memories are the best part. =)

Christmas preparations

It's been a busy month here in "Florida Tallahassee" (To quote Timothy), but it's been good. Here's a few highlights of what we've been up to. =)

We began our Christmas celebrations the day after Thanksgiving, with the annual search for the perfect Christmas Tree. This year we found a tree farm outside of town, and had a great time traipsing all over on our search. Well, most of us. Andrew wasn't so sure.

Once we got the tree home and lit, the excitement really began. The boys loved getting out all the ornaments, and I loved seeing their excitement. Every year they are more and more involved, and it's so much fun.

Once we got the tree up though, I found myself explaining again and again that no, tomorrow was NOT Christmas. We finally made a countdown chain to save Mommy's sanity. Gluing a paper chain together, and then letting the boys take one link off every day, really helped Timothy grasp how far we were from Christmas. Andrew didn't really grasp the concept, but he liked taking the links apart.

Oh, and our December may have included a picnic or two... =)

Quite by chance, I heard about Tallahassee's annual Winterfest, so we bundled everyone up and headed downtown to check it out. Of course, by "bundled up", I mean sweatshirts, which were only worn for part of the evening. I could really get used to this weather. =)

There were LOTS of people downtown, but we made it in time for the tree lighting, and then took a stroll through candy cane lane before the parade.

Oh, and there was a firetruck. =)

The parade was fun, but really long. tired little boys were done before it was, but it was still a fun adventure overall. We'll definitely check it out again next year.