Snowstorm 2009

Snowstorm 2009

We had our first big snow in several years on March 1-2. I was really excited since neither of the boys had really experienced a snowstorm, and this definitely qualified. We got about 8-10 inches total! (Strangely, the temp was around 75 degrees just a few days later.)
Nicholas enjoyed it much more than Daniel, who had snow up to his thighs. Poor guy really had a difficult time getting around. Nicholas and Chris borrowed a sled from the neighbors and raced down the big hill on our street. I tried it with him too, and had a blast. (The photo is too far away, but you can kind of make out N&C climbing the hill with their sled.)
The neighbor girls, who are mostly in middle school, helped with two small snowmen, which are harder to make than you'd think!

Winter Update

I thought I'd take a few minutes to update you on the boys and what they've been up to this winter:

Nicholas: Loves, loves, LOVES "roughhouse time" after dinner. This is when all four of us get on the carpet and wrestle around. Fortunately for me, I'm usually the princess, Wonder Woman, or a cheerleader, so I don't get banged up as much as Chris. Even Daniel gets in on the fun by roaring and jumping on his dad. Yes, much to my dismay, we are in full testosterone mode already around here. A favorite activity is to have everyone show off biceps. Nicholas will say, "Wow, Dad, you have muscles like a rhino!" (I have no idea where he got the rhino simile, but it's pretty funny.) Then Daniel will show his muscles and roar. Yep, we are definitely absorbed in all things "boy". Whoever said that gender differences are just the result of how we treat our kids-and not how they're wired- didn't have children because I can guarantee you that I never taught them any of this!

Nicholas also is learning his letters. He can identify almost all of them now, but doesn't have any interest in writing them. (This will be a goal for next year, I suppose.) He also knows the numbers 1-10, and can count to about 14 or 15. Arts and crafts still aren't his favorite thing, but he does seem to be a bit more interested in painting and gluing than he was a few months ago. His favorite craft activity? Cutting! He loves using scissors, and is happy to sit and cut for 20-30 minutes at a time. We got a play-doh set for Christmas, and he also enjoys that quite a bit, so hopefully the coloring and drawing will come later.

Daniel: Daniel is talking "up a storm." He loves animals of all kinds, and wants me to read "an-mal" books to him constantly. (Of course, I'm delighted that he enjoys books.) He can say the name of about 15 differentcreatures! He's also speaking in short sentences such as "I want milk," "I wanna cracker," etc. (You see the pattern here.)

We had a brief stint with potty training recently, but after a few hours, it was apparent that he isn't ready yet. Still, he has a little potty in the bathroom, and will use it a couple of times a day.

We are all pretty glad that winter is almost over so that we can get back outside and burn off some energy more often. Bath time has been a good afternoon filler on the days when it's cold out. Above are some recent photos.

Nicholas' New Room

Nicholas has recently outgrown his toddler bed, so a room-remodeling was in order. We got a twin bed for him, along with a new chest and nightstand (and they actually all match!). We spent Friday painting the room blue- it was yellow before- and Saturday cleaning out the closet and organizing all the toys. At last, the room is complete! Nicholas loves his "big boy bed," and we hope to add a few accessories to give it a Gator/football theme. (Photo is above.)

In other news, Daniel and Nicholas disappeared for a few minutes after dinner last night. I noticed that it was a little too quiet, and was frantic when I couldn't find them upstairs playing... until I noticed my bathroom door closed and the light on. I opened it to discover the two of them sitting in the floor with my makeup bag opened. You can probably guess what transpired:

Ahh, the fun never ends! Until next time...

Ten Years

Friday marked mine and Chris' tenth wedding anniversary. Wow! Suddenly, we're not newlyweds anymore (and I don't feel so young anymore, either)!
I've heard people say that marriage keeps getting better and better, and I really believe that's true. All the experiences we've shared in the last ten years continue to solidify our relationship and make it stronger. God continues to bless us with laughter, friendship, and love. Here are some photos from our wedding and highlights from the past ten years:

We spent our first Christmas as a married couple at Disney World...

2004- Celebrating 5 Years in Aruba

The Day Nicholas Was Born

Our Eighth Anniversary, Dec. 2006
(I had just found out I was pregnant with Daniel!)

The Day Daniel Was Born, Aug. 2, 2007

Our Tenth Anniversary,
Taken just before dinner last night! (Chris surprised me with flowers.)

Picture with Santa

Unexpectedly, we ended up at the mall tonight (Our planned trip to "Bethlehem Walk" was a bust- it was so busy that there was no parking!), and decided to let the boys visit Santa. Daniel started out crying, as he usually does when I hand him off to someone else, but eventually smiled when the photographer played peek-a-boo with him. Nicholas was delighted and told Santa he wanted a Transformer for Christmas. On the way home he said, "Dad, Santa sure was a nice man."

Why you should never ask a three-year-old a hypothetical question...

A recent conversation with Nicholas:
(This was at the end of a very frustrating day, during which Nicholas antagonized Daniel repeatedly.)
Me: Nicholas, when will you learn to be kind to your brother?
N: (thinking hard) Probably in a couple more days.

Despite the frustrations, I believe these two are becoming the best of buddies. They definitely enjoy loving on each other for the camera! Here are some recent photos:


And, a few of Nicholas in his Buzz Lightyear costume that I bought at Target for $4 after Halloween!