Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

We had a great Thanksgiving! Dinner was supposed to be at 1 but was close to 3, which was fine cuz we all enjoyed it that much more. Turkey was perfect as was the rest of the meal. Drew had a great time playing with his cousins and showing everyone his uber tricks. Of course I got in trouble for laughing but it was too funny. I'm bummed I didn't get my video camera out to get some great footage but I'm hoping to do it this weekend sometime before he decides it's no longer fun. He also played some great piano and sang some Star Wars...dun, dun dun, dun ta dun, dun ta dun!!!!! Drew played all day and was exhausted. He fell asleep shortly after we left and woke up as we were getting in to Ann Arbor. He finally decided he was hungry (after eating a few bites of turkey today) and dove into some leftover chicken nuggets and fries...lets give thanks to nuggets! Now we're relaxing on the couch, watching Survivor and getting ready for bed. Hope everyone had a wonderful, relaxing day with the fam and friends.

So typical!

My mom read my post yesterday and called to see what Drew wants for Christmas/Hanukkah. She gets on the phone with him and all he kept saying is, "I don't know." Finally I talk to her and she asks me and I tell her to ask him and she says, "what do you think I've been TRYING to do!" Ahh, I wasn't really listening to what was going on but after she said that I realized she had been asking him and he couldn't tell her. I think the reason is two-fold...1. He/we finally figured out how to play pool on the Wii (and he was kicking my butt) and 2. He doesn't really know any of the names of the toys. He sees it in a picture or on TV and just wants it added to the list. So I start giving mom some ideas on what he'd like. I pull out the Target toys catalogue and give her the real names of the toys so she's got a fighting chance on getting what I'm trying to describe and we're having fun talking about all the cool stuff they have. She found a pony she wants to buy for herself and a pony and dinosaur she wants to buy for Drew. Only a couple hundred each! She was serious about the dinosaur and asks sheepishly, "you probably don't want a dinosaur in your house, right?" Now let me just tell you it's a pretty cool dinosaur you can ride on that makes sounds and moves, but NO, I do not want money wasted on a toy that will be used for 6 months and tell mom I'd rather have the money put away for college than a dinosaur Drew will remember after seeing pictures 20 years from now. She agreed. Then Drew comes in the kitchen and starts looking at the catalogue and, yep, you guessed it, the list is alive and well again...mom, can we put this on this list, and this, and this. At first he would point at one toy at a time, then he starts waving his hand over the page and in a delicate, circular fashion says, "Can we put THESE on the list?" And for the next several pages, he would wave his hand over the page asking if these too could be added. I just laughed.
Later in the evening we had to do open enrollment for 2009 benefits. Drew had to sit next to us on the love seat as we clicked through all the choices. Finally, Mike went to the other couch and Drew wanted to play with the mouse. After a couple stern warnings that this is dad's work laptop and mom is doing really important work on it, and don't click on the mouse, and don't do anything with the mouse he finally puts it down. Little stinker then starts ever so slightly moving it with his foot, and then gives me a big hug and says, I love you mom. I ignore him trying to finish up the selections and it happens a few more times. Finally I save the changes and give him a look out of the corner of my eye, like, what are you doing you little turkey? He says, "I love you mom!", I look at him again, he says it again, and this happens about 20 times before he says, "Mom! Why aren't you talking to me!? I said I love you!!" I burst out laughing and tell him I love him too and now it's become a game. "OK, mom, I'm going to say I love you a lot of times and when I stop talking you tell me you love me, k?" He thought it was hilarious and I thought it was pretty darn cute. Ahh, let the good times roll!

Is anyone else totally stressed out about Christmas?

I don't know what it is this year - maybe the economy, maybe that I've been stuck at work more than usual and feel like I don't have enough time to shop, maybe that I know my little man is SOOOOO looking forward to Christmas cuz we've been talking about it for over a month already and I want it to be perfect for him and MAYBE because I really haven't a clue as to what to buy anyone! Drew should be easy - every commercial he sees he asks, "can we put that on the list?" but maybe that's part of the stress. I keep telling him that just because it's on the list does not mean he's going to get it. And he really isn't processing that part of the discussion. I guess he probably is, but won't fess to it. He always comes back with, "yes I will!". And it's already starting with more and more expensive toys. He seems much more in to toys this year, but everything is major mula. Especially Legos - I can't believe how much they cost! And then there's trying to explain to an almost 4 year old that just because the Lego ship does cool stuff on TV doesn't mean it really does that. I think he thinks I'm a downer when I try to explain it. He looks at me like - why are you telling me the toy is already broken and I haven't even gotten it yet!? Then there's the Wii. They have some great stuff coming out, like Wii Music, but I kind of afraid that, like other games, they will be a bit too hard for him and just turn in to frustration! For the love of Pete, some of the game he wants me to help with are too hard for me!
Oh, and right now I'm looking out the window to a pretty good blizzard in November and there's a mosquito flying around my desk, you can imagine my state of mind! Tomorrow, 5pm, can't come fast enough!

Barack Obama, Barack Obama!!!!!!

We are sitting here on the couch trying to set up 60 Minutes interview of our new President-Elect Barack Obama, when Drew starts shouting Barack Obama, Barack Obama - Hey, Mom, did you know Barack Obama won and he's going to be our new President in January!? Mike and I just looked at each other like, what the...? Then he says, when is January? I say well this month is November and get interrupted by Drew - and next month is January!!! How can someone be so darn cute and smart and not so smart all at the same time. Once again my Mensa dreams for Drew are so close yet so far!

Today was a great day. We got to sleep in until 8:30, then Miles called for a play date with Drew around 11. We finished blowing the leaves (and snow) and went to pick up Drew. We decided to forgo his nap so he'd get to bed fairly early and we decided to make some goodies in the kitchen. First we made banana bread, then we made cupcakes. I thought for sure I'd loose him in the bread, but he hung in for the chocolate beaters. Then we made some tuna for lunch. I'd say we were in the kitchen for a good couple hours and he was right there with me, having a blast. Played some hide 'n seek, a few games, finished up the laundry and now sitting watching Sponge Bob...the reason why the Obama interview was recorded. I have to say, for the most part I'm not especially fond of Sundays knowing that Monday is looming around the corner, but this was a good one. Hope you all had as good a Sunday as we did - even though it's snowing in the middle of November.

I'm back

Not that you've probably noticed I haven't blogged in a week, but I've been down with a cold the last few days. Started Saturday night, I could feel it coming on. Isn't that the worst? You know it's about to happen but yet there's not much you can do. I took a couple days off work in hopes of kicking it before it kicked me, and it seems to have worked. I woke up this morning remembering what it feels like to wake up and not feel like poo. Obviously you can tell I'm still a bit clogged from the way my sentences are flowing.

Couple funny things from the week. Mike said his mom called and said she heard my dad is coming to live with us. As he had not mentioned this to anyone, he was perplexed. As he's telling me the story, I immediately think, ah, Nic has been reading the blog and passing along info to mom. Perfect, the blog works! Well, except for the fact that I haven't heard from my dad since the one time he called, but at the time that was reality, so it's all good.

Last Saturday Scott babysat and kept Drew over night. We had bowling and were supposed to be going to a party (that got cancelled) and like I said, I wasn't feeling the best, so it was kind of a waste, but also a nice break. They went to see a movie and who knows what else, because Drew is keeping a tight lip on what other fun things they did. Since it gets dark at 5ish, I don't think they had time to do too much outside after a 3ish movie. And speaking of Scott, Drew left his favorite blanket over there and has been asking when we can get it. I told him this weekend, maybe Scott would come over and bring it, or we'd go pick it up. He immediately says, "but he's not babysitting, right, mama?" No buddy, he's not. "Well good" he says, "he's not my friend anyway, cuz he spits in my face, and has bad breath contests with me, and throws poop on me, and throws rockets on me, and throws people on me, and throws dogs on me." Oh, really?!!!! "Yep, and he throws girls at me, and boys at me, and balls at me, and paper at me, and....well, I guess that's it!" he says with a smirk. Ah, I see why he's not your friend, it sounds like you never have any fun with Uncle Scott. "Oh yeah, and sometimes, he pretends to burp on me, and fart on me, and...I guess that's it." Oh, now I really see why he's not your friend, cuz you don't think that's funny at all, right? And he says with even more of a smirk, "no, mama, it's not funny." Good thing you don't do that to me, right Drew? "ummm, yep!" And with that, the conversation about how much Scott is not "a friend" is over! :) If you could see them play, you would pee yourself at how funny it is. Drew is always playing pretend with Uncle Scott and some of the "boy stuff" they come up with is pretty darn funny.

What else...oh, last night we cleaned out Drew's closet, finally. I mean it's not perfect, but it's almost ready for Christmas! When it was just about bedtime Drew asks me, "why do we call it my old room and my new room?" I asked him what we should call it. He thought about it for a minute, "well, how 'bout my two new rooms?" I said, but you don't sleep in there. "That's ok, mama, I can just say it's my new other room." I guess he's not quite ready to give up the room, although he hasn't been in it in weeks.

And lastly, you may have noticed Drew has been saying "mama" lately instead of "mom". I'm not really sure why this is, but it's kinda funny the way he says it. It's like a definite, quick - mama!

Pictures uploaded...finally

Well I finally had a minute (and remembered) to upload our Halloween camping photos from a month ago. Don't feel too bad since it's just a week after the actual holiday, but yes, I'm not sure where the time has gone. In any case, you can take the link from this website over to the Picasa website to see them and download as you'd like. Also, when I saw there were about 400 photos, I decided to just dump them instead of trying to make them perfect, or they would never be up. Also, hate to say it, but the girls are much more photogenic then the boys in this set. Can you say, TOO CUTE!!!!

Enjoy!!!

Mom, did you know...

There was a commercial on Wednesday with a picture of Barack. They hadn't even said his name, but Drew starts yelling at me, "Hey, mom it's Barack on TV." I say, "yes, bud, I'm sure it is" to which he says, "Hey, mom, did you know Barack Obama won last night?" "Yes, Drew I did know, how do you know?" "Miss Keri told me today, isn't that cool?" "More than you know, Drew, more than you know!"
My mom and I had that conversation this week. Would Drew understand what this election means, and how it is so special? Probably not - he's too young. Although with some of the things that come out of his mouth, I wonder. It's such a different generation already. Drew's preschool class is a diverse group of kids. He explained to me that people have different color skin the other day, but he was confused when he saw a boy with lots of moles. I told him we all have moles, just some more than others. Anyway, all over the map on this one, but basically it's just a great time for change.

Isn't it Awesome, Mom?!

We watched a new segment of Planet Earth this week - Fresh Water. Pretty amazing footage, and some great shots of the Colorado River. Drew was in awe by the amazing views and says to me, "mom, isn't it awwweeessooommmmeeeeeee! I wish I could live there, it's BEAUTIFUL! But I want my family to live with me too. But we might get smooched." "Smooched, what do you mean, Drew?" "With all the houses" I'm thinking, what in the heck is this kid talking about, there aren't any houses. Then I realize he must mean putting houses up in the canyon between the canyon wall and the river and I ask him if this is what he means. "Yep, we'd get smooched!" LOL - who thinks of this stuff?

No, it's him...

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. Of course, I didn't send her anything, awful daughter I am, but I also figured what better a birthday present than Obama being the President elect. Anyway, we did call her, but Grandpa Larry answered the phone. As I'm telling Drew to start singing (not knowing it was Larry) he hands me the phone and says, No, Mom, it's him! Guess he couldn't process all of that information that fast - getting ready to sing then abruptly changing gears. So when he did finally talk to grandma he starts singing and as it gets to the high point - "HAPP - oh, mom, here you finish it" he says. Oh well, he tried!