Day 51 - 55 Boy does time fly!

It's hard to believe that it's been a week since I last posted any pictures.  I guess the week must have been busy but I'm not really sure what we've been doing.  Things are pretty hectic at work with certain tax forms being due by the end of February.  I've also got one big project and a few little ones sitting around.  Sometimes it really seems like 3 days a week isn't very much.  However, I wouldn't trade my four day weekends for anything.  It's really great getting to go to Mom's group on Thursday mornings and I love to have Friday at home just to do very little and hang out with my two boys!!  I didn't get to really do that well Friday as I had an optometrist appointment in the morning.  I try to schedule appointments for my days off so that my 3 days of work is really 3 days of work but I don't enjoy having to get up and get going on a Friday morning when we could be lazing around!

I have made further progress on my kitchen.  There is now colour on the ceiling!  I was hoping to get the second coat up today but I only managed to get one up because Jason & I went out for supper.  It's really nice to have an evening out and Jason's sister took the boys so they had a ton of fun.  We went to this really cute restaurant in an old house.  It is a little bit upscale but very relaxed.  I miss going to that type of place.  Jason and I are what I call "vacation cool".  We're only cool and hip when we're on vacation.  Then we stay at cute little places and eat at trendy restaurants.  We even once ate at a restaurant where the line wasn't long unless it was out the door!  However, now that we have kids, our vacations look a little bit different.  I miss that.  However, we have started finding the places in this city that we would hang out at/eat at etc. if we were on vacation.  It kind of makes me feel like we have taken a little trip!

Thursday morning Mom's group was really good.  We're doing a study on our conversation and improving it.  It's surprising just how little we actually talk about conversing in a conventional sense.  Really, everything comes down to the motivations that are in your heart.  Anyway, Thursday morning we covered patience and anger and topics like that.  Eventually, it lead to our children (this group is moms with young children) and how we talk to and discipline them.  I know that I yell at my boys way too much when they are misbehaving.  I also used to think that I was a patient person...and then I had kids.  Anyway, Friday was a challenge because my boys decided to test almost everything we discussed Thursday morning.  I hate to admit this but I failed all over the place!  At least I see it now and recognize it.  Now, with a lot of prayer, hopefully we can change it.

Anyway, here are a few days worth of pictures.  They're not up-to-date because that would be A LOT of pictures.  I'll post the rest later.

Day 51:

On Friday we got to go see some of my nieces.  They were in town visiting their other grandparents so we went over for a visit.  It was a nice time.  The boys love their cousins and have a lot of fun playing with them (even if they are girls ;)  I also had fun visiting with their grandma.  Xander has decided that he's scared of their puppy but his big cousin protected him and closed the puppy in another room.  Eventually, he did decide to let the puppy lick his hand and feed it a treat but he still is scared of it!

Day 52:

On Saturday we went shopping.  We bought this stuff for Xander.  He is growing up so fast!  He's grown out of a lot of clothes and we are reaching the point where there isn't much for hand-me-downs anymore.  We're starting to have to actually buy him clothes.  It won't be long before he's all grown up!

Day 53:

This is Xander right before going to bed.  At night we read stories, pray and then sing some songs.  Since Papa (Jason's dad) bought him the NASCAR press guide, we have to go through the drivers EVERY night and at EVERY nap time.  He likes to look at certain ones and we have to go through their name and what car they drive.  Then, we have to go through the race tracks that Daddy has been to.  Above he is looking at Joey Logano.  He is notable because he drives Tony Stewart's OLD car.  (Tony Stewart is Xander's cousin's favourite driver so, of course, Xander likes him, too).

Day 54:

We had blueberry pancakes for supper this evening.  Of course, both my boys love to eat the frozen blueberries (wild, organic ones so they are tiny and taste like the blueberries we got from the bush!).  Both of them would just sit there and eat a whole bowlful if I let them.  This, of course, is what Evan looks like after I let him loose on a bowl of blueberries.  Xander does look similar.

Day 55:

It was Tuesday night.  Cleaning night around our house.  Xander just loves to help me do dishes and that is exactly what he's doing here.  He gets his own sink of water and then he washes dishes and passes them to me to "check".  It actually works really well, as I get all the dishes pre-soaked.  I really cherish the times that he likes to help because I know that it likely won't last.  In fact, I marvel at how I now think like my parents and understand why they said things like "you could have had it done in the time you've spent complaining" and "it only takes 5 minutes, just do it"!  Oh, isn't hindsight 20/20!

Well, I think that is all of the updates for now.  I also want to say congratulations to my sister-in-law and her husband on purchasing their first home (and all the fun? that comes with it)!  You'll love it!

Until next time...