Gametes In Love

G is now on his last car seat: a booster. I won’t lie, I’ve been looking forward to this milestone, from the perspective of the room/flexibility I gain in my car: it’s just much easier to pull out and put back in the car, should I ever want to give more than one adult a ride.

It feels a little wrong that it’s G getting yet another new seat instead of S2, but I guess that’s the side effect of being a second kid: hand me downs. Sorry S2!

S2’s car seats had just expired based on manufacture date. They were the first convertible seats we got when G moved out of the bucket seat. BRU was hosting their baby item exchange program, so as luck would have it: our seats expired at just the right time. That expiration produced some new car seats.

Now G is in the boosters, and S2 in G’s most recent chairs. Everyone seems pretty pleased.

G: Are gas and gasoline the same thing?
Me: No.
Me: Also the gas that comes out of your butt is not the same thing as the gas we put in the car
G: [cackles]
Me: So you can’t back your butt up to the car, and fart your way into making it run
G: [looses it]
***
G: Say it again!

I ran through the above 4 times before I had to quit. If he wasn’t potty trained, I’d be concerned there might be a puddle where he sat.

I feel like this whole month has been a Christmas celebration. Both boys had performances at their schools, Rose came to visit, I felt like I’ve been shopping for a month, and of course, Christmas day itself. It’s been a good holiday! I am still seeking a way for the boys to appreciate this time “more”… or rather in a different way. They appreciate the gifts, that’s for sure, but it’s not what I want them to love about Christmas on the whole.

My parents came to visit for Christmas. I love it when they do. It just feels more special for me to have them here, and I like that the boys get a chance to do this holiday with a set of grandparents. It’s hard with S’ family on the East Coast, so at least they join us on Skype. I have a dream that one year we’ll get to have all grandparents here with us over Christmas with the boys. Bonus points if the aunts/uncles and cousins join too ;p

This is less of a wordy post, and more of a follow along with the pictures post. It’s just a whole bunch of smaller stories, so here goes:

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I was able to get the boys to sit in front of the tree for a photo. Of course I had to tell them it was a photo for Rose, to include in her invitation, but hey — it’s a cute photo of them together.

G found our hot dog ornament

I love seeing this collection of ornaments grow. We have an ornament for each year S and I have been married. Ok cheating a little, since I only started making these 4 years ago, but I did back-fill the first 6 years. Our tree is very photo oriented, and I feel that the history of our family is well represented this way.

I thought this year our tree could use some sparkle.

G writing a letter to Rose, telling her they’re ready for her to come. Feel free to click on the letter to read it in all it’s glory.

I hosted our ornament exchange this year. Afterwards, I took the girls to Eucalyptus St. in San Carlos. We hung with Santa.

This is the Santa trap: the boys made these couch pillow forts, with the intention to hide in them on Christmas Eve so they can catch Santa in the act. My question back to them: “Why do you think Santa is coming here tonight?”

Dad and G, just hanging.

This bread deserves a photo — it’s made by one of my mom’s best friends. She is a phenomenal baker and this is hands down the best tutmanik I’ve eaten anywhere.

Rose… hanging out

S2 wanted to sit in Santa’s lap. And apparently poke his eye out.

This is G’s holiday performance. Yep, the video is upside down. Sorry! I don’t have the energy to figure out how to rotate it… so just turn your head around, OK? ;p

At S2’s performance:

They have an elf too.

This kid…

So angelic looking…

So… plotting

So… not the angel

Really NOT the angel 🙂

With Ms. A

Watch him sing

Now see our Christmas morning. The boys got dressed independently into orange Strider shirts. It was not intentional, but hey — they stood out for sure for photos 🙂 We didn’t open gifts until about 9:30 that morning. The boys got in trouble the night before, and I told them that for each time they gave us grief about bed-time, I’d push present opening back half an hour. Our clock starts at 8am for gifts, and after two infractions they settled down. S wasn’t along with this program, but for better or worse, Skype’s issues made him have to delay it even further. I’m shocked, SHOCKED they didn’t mutiny and attack the dining room anyway.

One of the bonuses(???) of winter is the condensation left on my windows each morning. G treats it as a canvas and draws the same thing each and every morning: a tow truck. It’s pretty descent I must say… especially given that he’s using a finger, and a runny medium.

My phone camera has been in some desperate need of clean-up, so I’m going to be following up with some much needed photo posts 🙂 Some will come in related chunks. This is more of the Hodge-podge. Enjoy!

Still dressing up 🙂

G practicing hygene

Dressed up for baseball

SF Skyline. Night of Glendon’s wedding

Backpack. Clearly 🙂

Walking the tracks

Shirt with buttons. Don’t tell anyone!!!

Proof that vegetables can be eaten

Lego fun

Bowling day from T’s party

Isn’t this what YOU do with empty shoe boxes?

Counting to 15

Clifford love

Celebrating Jennifer’s birthday

Waiting out his time-out

How we write birthday cards

When you loose a child, don’t forget to check behind the mats

Huh! I guess he really DID roll off the couch

G and I were just having a little pre-quiet time conversation where he asked me about having to go to school on Monday. I looked at him perplexed saying “Of course you have to go to school on Monday! This isn’t a permanent vacation, you know!” (referring to our 4 day Thanksgiving week-end).

Here is where I started thinking about how he has only JUST started kindergarten. After that will be school, and then more school, and then work: where being able to have a life of retirement and never-ending “vacations” is almost a lifetime away. Sorry, bud! I know *I’m* already looking forward to retirement, so I just can’t give him that bug yet. 6 might be a little too early to want to be retired.

I, actually, completely forgot all about this project until I was cleaning up my cabinet and came across my ink-pad. So… though it’s a few months late for G, and almost a month late for S2, here are some new footprint progressions.

Boys this year thought the ink-pad was tickly.

G:

S2:

This breakfast is breakfast is brought to you by Grammie… and Angry Birds 🙂

G’s fall ball season is now over. His skills have certainly grown. Here he is at bat (actually, I think this was his last hit of the season).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81rZVaPgWr8]

G’s kinder-garden teacher has a share day for each kid, every week. G’s share day is Wednesdays. Share days there are interesting, because it’s actually more a game of “guess what’s in the bag. On your share day, you bring your “item” in a paper bag. A kid in your class is supposed to ask you questions so they can guess what’s in the bag. G, being the mast “obscure things to pick when playing 20 questions” LOVES this game and is maniacally devising tricky things to bring each week. Today’s share item? Raffle tickets he won at this past week-end’s school fund-raising event.

If the kids have a hard time guessing, the teacher comes in to help. G, however, doesn’t allow her to peak in his bag. Why?

“Because she gives them clues!”

G: “Yeah? You know what kind of clues she gives them? It’s red and it puts out fire”
(this was the day that G brought in a fire truck toy)

Ok, we get it kid — the clues might as well spell out what it is.

I can’t decide how I feel about this upcoming parent-teacher conference period coming up in a few weeks 🙂