Santa's Coming!

This week was spent getting Spencer and Easton ready for Santa to come to our house. I have a feeling this just might be Spencer's favorite time of the year. Spencer pops out of bed every morning because he's so excited to find his elf. Ryan and I think this is the reason why he hasn't been sleeping past 7:00 am. He knows the elf is watching and reporting back to Santa. Spencer also told us that Santa is watching him on the web cams at daycare (hmmm seems his teachers are trying to use Santa to get the kids to behave too.) Either way he continues to be a great little boy!

 

One of Santa's helpers stopped to drop off a small present to let Spencer and Easton know what good boys they've been. He left it on the front step, rang the doorbell and ran away. Spencer was so excited. I can't wait to see him when Santa brings all of his real presents. Santa even left a little note for the boys with his picture.

I had some appointments in Eau Claire this week so Grandma offered to keep an eye on the boys. We met Auntie and Finley at the mall to play on the toys. Santa is right by the toys and Spencer really wanted to see him again. Even Easton got to meet Santa this time. Once again Spencer asked for an orange airplane and nothing else. After their visit with Santa they got to play on the toys. The boys spent the rest of the day with Grandma while I went home to get ready to host bunco.

On Friday Auntie, Finley and Grandma came up to visit. We were supposed to play at the Giggle Factory. Well when we got there both Auntie and Grandma pointed out that Spencer's right eye was still red. I said "still red, I never knew it was red." I guess they both noticed it the day before. So that ended Spencer's visit at the Giggle Factory. So while the other boys played (Jill, Gavin and Maddie also joined us) Spencer went the minute clinic and sure enough he had an ear infection, and possible pink eye. The doctor didn't know if his eye was red because of his cold/ear infection or if it was pink eye. Either way we are treating it.

Afterward we all went back to our house and had lunch and decorated Christmas cookies. It's a tradition that we want to start doing with the boys. Only next year we will plan a head and do it earlier.

Easton couldn't decorate but he enjoyed eating a cookie.

We spent the rest of the weekend at home. These next few weeks will be busy so it was nice to have some family time. We did a lot of art projects, played games and last night we had popcorn while we watched The Polar Express.

You can't take your eye off him for a minute!

He LOVES pizza! He's eating all table foods now!

Spencer and Ryan played lots of hockey in the basement. Spencer told me "no girls allowed!"

He shoots he scores......

When playing hockey Spencer likes to check himself up against the furnace like a hockey player against the boards. 

Everyone has to take their turn resting on the bench.....

Easton can now stand for a few seconds without holding onto anything!

Ryan made Spencer a hockey table out of a shirt box.

Despite Easton's face he really does like pickles....

We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! I can't promise there will be a post next week but I will do my best!

Fevers and Snow!

Both boys were a little under the weather this week. First it was Spencer. I picked him up from day care on Tuesday and he seemed a little "sensitive" or whiney and out of sorts. I thought he felt a little warm so I checked his temp when we got home. It was 102.4! The poor kid HATES taking medication so we ended up pinning him down and forcing him to take some motrin. All he wanted to do that night was cuddle in bed with me and watch Curious George. I think we were both asleep by 6:30 that night! He was fine in the morning and didn't feel warm at all and back to his normal self. I brought him to day care and kept my fingers crossed that it was just him being over tired and worn out.

Easton was next. I got a call from daycare on Wednesday at work his temp was 102! What is going on? Ryan picked him up and he basically slept from 5:00 pm-8:00 am! Grandma came up and watched him for us on Thursday. Once they have a fever at daycare they can't go back for 24 hours. Grandma said he was the perfect boy and never felt warm once. So maybe it was a 24 hour fever bug. Either way, both boys are feeling much better and we are well rested in this house!

If you haven't heard then you must be living in a bubble! Minnesota and Wisconsin got hit with a blizzard that started on Friday night. We had plans to attend an "Ugly Christmas Sweater" party on Saturday. It was at our neighbor's house. Grandma offered to keep Spencer and we just took Easton with us and put him down in the pack and play while we hung out. So while Spencer was snowed in with Grandma and Grandpa, we were snowed in here. Grandma said they kept VERY busy. They made a tent out of a card table and sheet, watched movies together, and went to Auntie's house for dinner.

They had dinner at Wild Ridge for the last time this season.

Both boys did a little reading before it was time to go.

Easton kept us busy here by getting into everything. I also gave him his first hair trim. His hair was getting really long around his ears and starting to curl out. Sorry I didn't get any before and after pictures but I did save the hair. I'm still not sure why you save their hair from their first hair cut. It's crazy how fast both boy's hair grows!

Our little trouble maker LOVES to put EVERYTHING in his mouth!

This is the part of learning to eat table foods that is cute at first but a pain to clean up!

Well I hope everyone living in the area survived the blizzard!

Christmas Time!

Christmas has taken over our house and Spencer. EVERYTHING is Christmas related in his mind! If we are in the car and he sees a pine tree he says it's a Christmas tree. He will point out all of the Santas and snowmen as we pass bye. Needless to say it's never dull in our car. You will often find him signing "Oh Christmas Tree" over and over in the living room while looking at the tree. If I bring home gifts that I bought he automatically thinks they are his no matter what they are. To say he is excited about Christmas this year is an understatement!

We started the tradition of  Elf On The Shelf this year. Last year Grandma Nancy gave Spencer the Elf and story book so this year we read him the story about how the Elf is here to watch all that Spencer and Easton do and will travel to visit Santa each night after they go to bed and tell Santa if they've been good boys. We had to name our Elf and both Ryan and I lacked in creativity and so we just call him Elf (he did get the name Timmy for a few minutes but Spencer seems to have forgotten about it). Each morning Spencer gets up and goes looking for him as the Elf moves to a new spot in the house over night.

Thursday we had our last music class. On our last night we had a different teacher. I think our class was very overwhelming and the teacher that had been teaching decided it was WAY more work then she was thinking it was going to be. We decided not to sign up for the next session but take some time off. Spencer really likes going to music class but it's a lot of work when I have to work that day.

This weekend Grandpa John and Grandma Julie came up for a visit from Texas. Friday evening we joined them for dinner with their friends. Easton and I headed home and Ryan took Spencer to Uncle JB's hockey game.

Ryan has a stool that Spencer uses so he cas see over the boards

A rink manager took Spencer's picture and they put it on the big screen at the game. He's holding two hockey pucks up to his cheeks.

Saturday morning we had Christmas with Grandpa John, Grandma Julie and Uncle JB. Spencer was more then excited about the presents under the tree. It's a good thing Easton isn't very interested in opening because that meant Spencer got to open his gifts too. Both boys were very spoiled! Uncle JB made sure they had UW Riverfalls apparel for when they come to the games.

After Christmas we went out for an early lunch then headed to the park. Santa and his reindeer were in the park that morning. We had about an hour wait until it was our turn to meet Santa. While we waited Ryan held a sleeping Easton in the tent under the heat lamp and Spencer ran around and did all kinds of activities. He made ornaments, reindeer food and a thing for our door knob to let Santa know he should stop at our house.

Looking at the reindeer

Making reindeer food out of oats, marshmallows and glitter

Just as we were getting to the front of the line and we were two away from meeting Santa, Spencer announced he needed to go potty! He was wearing big boy underwear and our options were very limited. I asked him if he could wait since there were no bathrooms outside. He said no he needed to go. So after some quick thinking I grab one of Easton's diapers from the diaper bag and pulled down Spencer's pants while in line and tried to put the diaper on over his underwear. The last thing  I wanted was for him to pee on Santa's lap!

He told Santa he wanted an airplane and nothing else. So hopefully Santa was listening and sees that he has been a good boy and brings him an airplane on Christmas morning.

Easton and I headed to Eau Claire later that day. It was the M&J Christmas party that night. Finley's Grandma Kathleen said she would also watch Easton for me. I think he had fun and Finley was excited to see him. Easton slept the best he has in a long time. Grandma Kathleen put him down at 7:00 (without his nuk even). I picked him up and brought him back to my parents at 10:00 pm. I fed him a quick bottle and it was back to bed and he slept until 9:55 this morning without a peep!

Easton update: he now has 4 teeth and can wave buh-bye!

Look out hockey world, Spencer got his first pair of hockey skates! He is so exited about them! Ryan told me Spencer could hardly breath he was so excited when he found out they were going to buy them. Now we just need to find some ice to skate on. For now though he's enjoying walking around the house with his skates on. Grandpa told him..."if you fall down, get right back up!"

Grandpa putting on Spencer's skates for the first time, during the Packer game.