The Hills Are Alive

There’s a right of passage every parent must go through…the glorious children's concerts. At our daycare, they like to fancy it up by calling it the Winter Gala – which I have to say I appreciate because it does make the whole thing feel pretty special.

First up was Dean. I have no pics or video because it was pretty chaotic, plus he kept trying to hit the other kids with his sparkly red top hat. I know this sounds pretty awesome but I felt too ashamed to record it.

So next up came Cha. I only included his grand entrance, which cracked me up because he just lit up when he saw me (it’s not often that I feel this appreciated).

Then the grand finale. Cole channeled his inner Von Trappe child and belted it out for his fans. I’ll spare you the whole song – it feels like it goes on longer than the actual Sound of Music movie - but here’s a little snippet to whet your whistle.

The good news – they all performed much better than years past when we were pretty much boo’d out of the room for our unruly children. And since I didn’t fess up to the crowd that Dean was mine, no one pointed a finger at the mom with the hat-hitting-kid.

Score one for motherhood.

Sugar High

I've decided that Halloween is officially my favorite holiday. Seeing kids dressed up is as cute, scary, or hilarious as it gets. People give you free candy, and it's a great excuse to get out and re-connect with the neighborhood.

We kicked off the holiday extravaganza with a parade at daycare. I kept telling people that Cole's scraggly hair was part of his costume.



Next adventure: get a picture of the boys all together in costume looking somewhat cute. I'd say mission is slightly accomplished.


How cool is this pic? Here's Harry Potter flying on his broomstick on the front porch.



Before we went trick or treating we went to our friend's annual pre-party. Apparently Dean took this concept very seriously and found the backup supply. Luckily we caught him before he busted out the corkscrew.


Aaaaand....they're off. Cha hung the whole time, and even went back out with Phil after they stopped home to drop off the first round of goodies.


Here's Cole inspecting the loot. We're still working through all of their hard-earned treasure, including nightly negotations and trade agreements. I allow the nonsense because I figure it's good training for their future political careers. Or law school. Or I'm just numb to the fighting. Hmm...

The Worst Morning Of His Life

Cole wanted to bring his stuffed dog (Winston) to school for naptime. When we pulled out of the driveway he realized he had forgotten the poor pup, which of course was cause for a major freak out attack.

I’m talking the ENTIRE RIDE TO SCHOOL he screamed about the dang dog. He cried. He foamed at the mouth. He wailed, “This is the worst morning of my life.” He wept.

Then we pulled into the school parking lot and he said, “Oh, there’s Winston. He’s on the chair next to me.”

So the little bugger grabbed the dog, hopped out of the car, and strolled into school. The end.

Sigh.

The One In The Middle Is The Green Kangaroo

I had classic middle-child syndrome growing up. Although Cole isn't officially the middle child, I still sympathize with his situation and try to give him the special attention that he so desparately craves.

His favorite thing to do is sit with me and have me write out words for him to read. Yesterday he asked if he could also write his own words - I dare you to find his version of "Ferris Wheel" or "Water" or "Ghost Ship" - love the way a 4 year old's mind works.


He's in the Pre-K class at school and is luh-uhving all of the projects. He feels extremely old and important now that he's doing "big kid" crafts.





What can I say...he's a fellow ham after my own heart...





The infamous balloon incident of 2011...one of his balloons flew away and as Cole put it, "That was the worst day of my life." I figure if that's as bad as it gets, then the kid has it pretty good.

Shake It, Shake It Baby

At the end of the school year, Cole's class put on a show. Some highlights included a choreographed dance to Michael Jackson's Thriller, and a group sing-a-long to John Cougar Mellencamp's Jack & Diane led by our pride and joy:

You really can't teach these dancing moves...gotta have it in your blood (I think he inherited his skills from his dad).

It's Summer Time Summer Time Sum-Sum-Summertime

After a long, cold, snowy, windy, dark winter…the sun is out and the pool is open. I feel like my life is so much easier now that the kids can get outside and drain their energy.



Ry conquered the slide last year, and this year it was Cole’s turn. He was so proud of himself that he asked to show off his muscles in front of the ladder on the way out of the pool.

The next day when I dropped him off at school, he ran to the art table to draw a picture of his slide experience. He handed me the paper, and before I could look at it he snatched it back and ran back to the table. He pulled out a red crayon and said, “I forgot my smile.” Adorable.

Looking Forward To Four

Most people with children would probably agree that the term “terrible twos” was created by someone with no kids and a love for alliteration. Because although the twos stink, the threes suck.

Our own three year old Cole has been a pistol since birth. He crawled at 6 months, walked at 8 months, and has been on the run ever since. Add to that a case of middle child syndrome and a mother who has been either pregnant or post-partum for most of his life, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.

So to say that ages two and three have been a challenge for our Cole is quite the understatement. But the beauty of it – as he approaches age four, a new kid is emerging. A kid that’s sweet, respectful, hilarious, and even listens. So finally, my point.

I picked him up from school and his teacher, Mr. Mike, asked to speak with me. He said, “I have to tell you that Cole was absolutely the BEST listener in class today. For some reason everyone else was in a nasty mood and had tantrums left and right, but Cole was FANTASTIC all day long. I’m so proud of him.”

My heart swelled with pride. Then I realized that we have two more kids to go through this phase. Only 3 more years to go!

Cha Cha Van Gogh

I received this note from Charlie's teacher at daycare:
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We got the best picture of Charlie painting today. He turned to face the camera, put out his hands (covered in paint), and said cheese. It's such a joyous, messy moment caught on film. It's great!!!

He also has a sweet way about him to get paint on his teachers. He comes up to us so innocently like he wants us to help him or he needs to show us something, and before we know it - bam - we're covered in paint. This kid is too funny! And very sweet.
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Sounds just like a certain older brother that I know. These boys can charm the pants off anyone. Or in this case, charm the paint onto anyone.