the dayton children's holiday light parade!

Year six of our annual holiday light parade!  I don't know what we'll do when we end up living somewhere without a Christmas parade!  It will be tragic.

This year was FREEZING.  Thanksgiving day we played outside without jackets- but on Friday the temps dropped 40 degrees.  Metta was perfectly happy in her giant snowsuit- but she did not like my big fur hat at all.

and this year- our "magic glasses" made all of the lights look like reindeer. Pretty nifty, huh?   Last year they were snowflakes.


Besides being cold- the parade was really fun.  Two of Zeb and Ike's favorite babysitters were playing in the marching band!

Even metta seemed to enjoy the evening and all of the lights and sounds.  She is such a flexible and happy kiddo.  and people tell me every day that she looks like a mini girly ike.  But I just see zeb.  look at those zebby lips!

Zeb's favorite part of the evening was the 'phone an elf' booth.  He got to call the North Pole and speak to one of Santa's elves.  When I asked about the conversation Zeb simply said: "we talked a lot about Christmas stuff.  And he said I have to leave a plate of cookies out for Santa when he comes".  It was pretty funny to see how serious Zeb was about the whole thing.

Then we actually got to SEE Santa.  I'm not so sure our kids are really into it.  The same thing happened last year.  They acknowledge Santa and understand who he is- but they don't really worry about him or want to send Christmas lists to him or anything.  I'm pretty sure they know their bases are covered by pseudo santas.  Zeb is far more concerned in knowing his Christmas list made it to gramps :)

We'll have to see if she's so smiley in next year's picture!

turkey day

 I knew precisely what was going to happen the moment I placed our martinelli sparkling cider drinks on the counter for Thanksgiving.  So I had my camera ready :)  Things like this make me laugh.

Ike noticed them first- and asked: "Mom, what is this???!  Is this ALCOHOL?".
When EVER we are at the store and we push our carts past the alcohol aisles- Ike and Zeb ask all about it.   So- we have regular conversations about it.  We don't drink it (here's why)- not at all- and they know that.

Then Zeb snatched the bottle from him and got on his little high horse repeating the same words we've discussed many times before.  "We are NOT supposed to drink alcohol!  NONE. NOT AT ALL! NOT EVEN ON THANKSGIVING!!"

We finally told them it was just juice.  It's nice to know our kids are listening and are inclined to obey! We are lucky our kiddos are so naturally obedient- but we also try to teach about differences and loving everybody I don't want my kiddos making unkind judgments. Somehow my parents found a way to teach me to be accepting and loving of differences and I hope to do the same.

For our actual Thanksgiving dinner- we went over to our friends place to celebrate with a few families.  I was so happy to have Kent around this year!  He's in ER this next month so we got to pick the days off he wanted for the month so we went with thanksgiving and the day after. The two days were wonderful!! and now I just have to make it until Christmas.  He has very few days off until then!

 Metta was the most excited to be headed to friends because she got to chase around the dog- Jingle.  Jingle was very patient to endure her endless grabbing.

Metta is finally getting over a terrible cough.  I think one night she got up 17 times.  I'm quite certain that a sick or crabby baby could be used to break terrorists with secrets.  There is NOTHING more exhausting than being awakened from sleep every fifteen minutes.  But- now she's back to normal.  Happy as a clam.  Always such a little joy. Thus her middle name.


I mean, seriously.  Look at her.  Adorably happy.

and my zeb munchkin.  playing angry birds.  He thought this game was soooo cool.  

this year I decided to brine the turkey.  I don't know if I'll do it ever again.  While removing the turkey from the brine I spilled all of the multiple gallons of nasty turkey juice laden brine ALL over the kitchen floor.  Disinfecting our kitchen was a ridiculous task.  Plus I don't really think the turkey tasted much different than normal- but I did love the way it made our homemade gravy taste.  I do the turkey and Kent does the gravy.  He's pretty much a professional in the kitchen.  If the whole doctor thing doesn't work out- he can become a chef.  

I also made 5 dozen homemade potato rolls.  They were AMAZING.  and I hid a carrot in one. The lucky winner was to get a prize.  It became quite the contest.  And then we never found the carrot.  I found it today (saturday!) while making leftovers. 2nd to last roll.  

there was SOOOO much food.  It was amazing.  Everything you could hope for.

I made the world's best jello pretzel cream cheese salad.  It was beautiful and DELICIOUS.  Apparently my mom made it for her Thanksgiving, too. Only hers looked like an animal at slaughter. Mom- I'll be in charge of it when I come home for Christmas :)


and dessert.  I love thanksgiving.  My pal, Kristi, and I did a long turkey run that morning so we could enjoy a little extra pie.
Here's my pal Amber and her pregnant belly.  Her baby girl is due on my birthday and she's going to name it Leisy.  Right, Amber?  She's from the South and brought a fried turkey, mac and cheese, and a warm cheesy pineapple and butter casserole.  ALL delicious. I think Thanksgiving should always be celebrated with many people and many food varieties.

After dinner there was playing, football on tv, and lots of talking.

I'm so grateful for my family and my family away from family.  What a fabulous day!!

just boys- no girl.

We went to the dentist this week and are happy to announce that we are still  members of the 'No cavities club'. Plus- the boys were absolute champs getting their teeth cleaned. Zeb said this time at the dentist was so much better because he got a new flavor of the tooth cleaning stuff. Grape is WAAAAAAAY tastier than bubble gum apparently.

And the new toothbrushes from Dr. Kondas are "actually much cooler than last time" says Zeb.  He inserts the word 'actually' into at least 50% of his sentences.

I also had Zeb's parent/teacher conference this week.  He's quite the little kindergarten champion.  When I told him that his teacher told me all about how smart and good he his- he responded: "but mom, you already knew that".  And that is true- I did already know that.  He is a kind and well behaved and smart little rugrat.  He helps teach the reading groups and gets to be the helper whenever there's a substitute.  He really takes school quite seriously.  At Brantwood they are all about teaching behaviors along side academics.  He is always talking about 'Brantwood behaviors' and whether or not something is appropriate.  He loves to school family members on the most important four: "Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, and Caring".  In that order.

Our little Ikester has been acting a little grumpy this week and just yesterday started wailing (literally) about an earache.  Either he has an incredibly low pain tolerance or it hurt like crazy. The screaming and moaning and writhing around was too much for me to handle. And the last ear infection he had was EIGHT LONG TORTUROUS and TEAR FILLED days.  We said lots of prayers yesterday and got him started on some medicine.  This morning he claims his ear doesn't hurt at all.  It's a mommy miracle.  Seriously.

 thanks a million for all of the 'turkey in disguise' comments.   Zeb LOVED reading each and every one- SEVERAL times.  It meant the world to him.  Lately he's been feeling slightly underloved.  Here's a dirty look to prove his feelings.  He can hold these looks for extended periods of time.

Every time we are out in public- people comment about Metta- or smile at her-or tell us how cute she is.  When we skype family members- Zeb insists that people only ask to see Metta and that they all laugh at her the most (this is mostly false).  He also thinks she is over represented on the blog.  That complaint is true. So- the peacock post helped his ego quite a bit. Thank-you for your support :)


And here's some more Metta :)   Babies are easy to blog about. Always cute, funny, or doing new things.

This Metta is SO full of personality.  Incredibly social.  And then sometimes she's so calm and quiet I don't know what to do! Here she was just lying on her back- staring at the Christmas tree.

 We are 100%  decorated for Christmas.  The ornaments on the tree still need to be rearranged by adults- and the tree itself needs to be fluffed so it doesn't look so 'Charlie Brown'- but otherwise we are ready.  Kent and I will only be together 15 days in December (he's got out of state military training and other travels)- so I want to enjoy as much of the Family Christmas spirit as possible :)  Luckily this year (unlike last!) Kent has Thanksgiving AND the day after AND Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day off.  I'm so happy I can't contain it!!

Here's this wild hair. Longer every single day.  She looks like a little Christmas elf.

 I think she'll be walking by Christmas or shortly after.  She is all over the place.  These darn spinning barstools are going to be the end of her, though.  She gets herself up on them- and then shifts her hands- and they send her spinning to the ground! She's got to learn- so I just keep letting her climb up them!

turkey in disguise

For a school assignment- Zeb has to disguise a turkey so that it doesn't get eaten on thanksgiving!  His teacher sent home a giant cardstock turkey- and we were allowed to do anything to it.  Zeb came up with this idea ALL on his own.  We did some research and then he picked out all the items needed at Hobby Lobby.  He did the coloring- the placement of feathers- and even the glitter work.   I helped him with tape and glue.

He is INCREDIBLY proud of himself and can't wait to show his teachers!! and he INSISTED I put it on the blog.  He'll be checking for comments to see who likes it- so PLEASE- comment :)

big bird and crazy baby

 I took this in the backyard this week.  It's a large bird with a furry dead creature in it's claws.  I love it.

Look at her.  She looks so much like her brothers it's outrageous.  I mean- really- she looks like a little boy in pink monkey pajamas!  and she's eight months OLD!!  I love it.  She's in that stage where I can stick her in the high chair with a handful of blueberries- and she's happy for at least thirty minutes. add some cheerios or black beans and she's good for another thirty.






















With a bow she looks enough like a girl, right?  she actually has more hair than I did at this age. I was bald until age two and expected the same from her.  No such luck. She's got this fluffy head of hair.

 And this thing she's done since birth is hysterical and pretty adorable, too.  When she gets angry or frustrated- she clenches her little fists and shakes and screams in rage. In her terrible twos and teenager years- it may not be as cute.

Here's a better example.  She does it ALL of the time.

She LOVES to stand up on the furniture- but then she gets herself stuck.  She can fall back down- but wants to just WALK.  She gets to the edges of chairs/couches and goes into angry mode. and she's still eating EVERYTHING.  I pulled part of a kit kat wrapper out of her poo yesterday.  Here she's got wet and slobbery dust bunnies stuck to her chin.

and the stuck face. or maybe it's the face when she woke up to find out the results of last night's election.  either way- she's maaaad.

the only thing hard about her crazy mobility is that I'm always on the lookout for our basement stairs. It's a very steadfast rule that the door ALWAYS remains shut- but I'm constantly checking.  None of us are perfect and we go up and down the stairs to do laundry (us) and ride bikes (kiddos) down there several times a day.  Just last week Kent sent me a text that read:

"don't beat the kids. wear your seatbelts. drive safely. and don't let metta near the stairs"  

He's working in the PICU right now and it's been extremely exhausting. Physically/emotionally/mentally, etc.  Lots of terrible terrible things all of the time.  Every day he's dealing with suicide attempts, child abuse cases, horrific car accidents and every other rotten thing you could think of.  Just lots and lots of really sick kids and devastated families.  It really puts life into perspective but can be pretty exhausting for him.  

I really really am so grateful for the blessings of a happy healthy and wonderful family.  Things can happen so quickly that change EVERYthing.  I need to be happy with what I have right now.  And I am. I really am.

the rest of the festivities!

Here's our Star Wars crew.  Thanks to cousin Amy for some of the costumes- and to my pal Kristi for helping me sew the rest!!!

                                                                             Han Solo.

The costumes were a big hit. Except with Metta.  She HATED my leia wig.  Here's her reaction. :)  It terrified her.

Our Halloween this year spanned all through the week.  I like the getting the most out of our costumes so I was happy to have parties, trick or treating, trunk or treating, and other events to attend so we could!

Last year for Christmas I got a sewing machine.  And this year for Halloween I finally opened it up :)  These jedi robes weren't too tricky at all. and the boys really loved them!

 Yoda here was a little tougher. I did her robes- but my friend did her ears.  It was the perfect weather for a warm fleece hat!

Doesn't she make the perfect little Yoda?

On Hallween Day- Metta wore her bones tutu from gma Pat- and I topped it with her skelly pjs.

this girl is SO fast on her knees these days!  

A few nights before Halloween- I thought our actual trick or treating was going to be cancelled due to Hurricane Sandy (which brought us lots of cold, rain, and snow!)-so I took the kids to Wright State University to Trick or Treat with all of their athletes.  We got a ton of candy- and it was nice and dry and warm inside.

I told Zeb and Ike to pose next to this cool "car".  They hadn't seen the skeleton driving yet.  After taking the picture I showed them the driver and told them what a 'hearse' was.  Needless to say- the boys asked to go home right away.  They HATED this thing :)

Our last event was our church trunk or treat.

Zeb wore this Ewok costume that I LOVE.  so dang cute.

this girl would NOT be still.  She crawled the entire gym floor several times!

 Until next year :)