call

Another great line by Luke tonight as we were trying to get him to mind his manners and eat his dinner.
Dad let him know his choices and said, "It's your call, Luke."
Luke's reply was quick and serious.
"Dad, I don't have a real phone."
In a few years, a comment like that may still be quick but not as serious - more full of witt.
Oh, no! The fun we have ahead!

thigh highs

Big O cannot help himself. He wants to be like his big brother in so many ways.
Look what happens when he puts on Luke's socks. They go all the way to his thighs.

Unfortunately, his thighs don't have enough meat on them to keep the socks up though! Too funny!
He has too much fun with whatever he does. Such a joy!!!

NORO continues

Ugh! I thought I was in the clear but I have missed the past two days of work now. I spend my days frequenting the toilet, so I am not even getting much done!

We are super busy at work - have found other therapists to cover but I do need to get some prep work done for a consultant we have coming in Thursday and Friday.

This has to end.

Of yeah, worst of all, today is Joe's b-day! Happy Birthday, Babe! He certainly isn't going to eat any cake or food I prepare. I guess it's out to dinner tonight - not sure I will have the appetite for it though - BOY do I hate that!!!

gift

I was reminded that I didn't officially post what I got for my Christmas gift.

This isn't the exact one we bought but it's identical.

We drove it back from Nebraska. We weren't planning on buying a new car on our trip but we were in a position to make an offer and if they didn't bite no skin off our teeth - our burb was still doing fine just over 100,000 miles so value was plummeting.

We picked my sis up from the airport in it (hadn't told her about it yet) - she didn't notice. Of course, her little guys was wailing in the back seat which unnerves any mom.

plan b again

well we had a date night planned again but this time I was the sick one. This lovely thing has been going around work. I woke up with it this morning but was determined to get it out of my system. Joe's b-day is next week and we wanted to do dinner at HuHot (we have a gift card that is burning a hole in our pocket). Then we wanted to go to the movie. I thought I'd finally found a good one that both of us would like and we wouldn't feel bad about watching.
Well it is snowing tonight. And when we get to HuHot, Joe knows the guy cooking at the grill of course (one of his patients - I swear he treats the whole valley - he should really run for mayor). Anyway, he tells us that they just issued a travel advisory and it is emergency travel only. They planned on shutting the restaurant down early.
I felt awful at this point - why did I let our 16 year-old babysit drive clear across town in this weather for us to go to dinner for 30 minutes. I texted her (yeah - gotta be hip like that with the young kids) and let her know we were not going to the movie but would rent one and be home.
Joe is following her home as I type.
I am watching the end of Bourne Supremacy that I fell asleep on last night and then we will finish the trilogy with Bourne Ultimatum when he returns.
Sometimes plan b turns out just fine. Just wish I would have been game for it first thing this am!

babytime

Isn't he just cute enough to eat? My nephew is nothing but smiles these days.

We just got done with a great visit from my sis and her little bundle. He had to come north to figure out what snow is all about.

His cousin got him a little too close to the snow. Luke chucked a snowball that landed right below the little guy's eye. We are such a welcoming bunch!



Big O thought he wasn't so big. He didn't want to share his "baby" things with the baby very much. He was still able to fit into most of them though - he can just get in and out himself now.

pay?

Joe and my dad were trying to level out the new tv my parents bought into an old walnut hutch that my mom loves. They had stopped touching anything and the light sound of glass breaking and falling was heard.

A lower shelf of the walnut hutch had tilted (it was only hanging on by a couple of small nails for over 100 years). My mom's china and other valuable glassware was slowly being crushed.

Luke had the cutest comment, "Mom, who is going to pay for that?".

Oh, I think Papa will be paying for that for some time.

She is always telling me about the high price of carnival glass. Unfortunately, it isn't worth as much in so many, many small pieces.

The main hardship was the damage done to her mother's china. I do believe it is replaceable. She has seen it on the replacements.com website. I can't for the life of me remember the name of it right now. I even looked at the bottom of a broken creamer today to see the name. It's Noritake - I think it starts with an "e"...

I think the best plan or repayment may be to start a new collection in tribute of her new woodland habitat. What about this? It comes in such a variety and it is pretty nice stuff.

I know it is no replacement for her roots - the heirloom from her mother but they are things and the life and memories we have are much more important.

Poor guys! Poor Papa! But by the way, it is a really nice tv!

christmas in nebraska

Well we made it safely to nebraska and back for the Christmas holiday. We had a great time catching back up with family. The boys had a blast with their grandparents and cousins. They really got some quality play time in with grandma and grandpa as well as their cousin Casey.

We drove this trip but we all did well. It was less stressful than flying and we were able to bring all of our goodies to and from.

Luke is loving his pirate ship from Casey. He also has a new bike that he needs to try out. He mastered his 12 incher without training wheels so we promised him a bigger bike and it of course had to be blue.





Owen is cleaning up everything with his new vacuum and handheld vac - he is also fixing up everything with his new tool sets.


Casey is enjoying his new excavator.


Lainey has a precious doll cradle and new doll (courtesy of Grandpa). She is quite proud!




Uncle Chris and Aunt Betsy celebrated birthdays - glad we were there to celebrate with them.




I can't share the pics of my gift yet - my sister is coming to visit Friday and I want to surprise her.