And it is never a successful cousin get together without a little dressing up!
It was a great night for all!!

Jack's Christmas Program...

 
Last Friday, jack had his PS Xmas program.  He picked out this fancy outfit...which is actually his Albert Einstein top and tie from Halloween...good planning on my part - huh! (wish I could really plan that far in advance!)  I told him i would like to take some pictures of him before he went to PS...went to get my camera, turned around and this is the pose I was given....

Then we tried a bit more of a...close up shot...

At the program, Rudolf (the girl in the picture) lead out all the reindeer...

Do I say, jack had a starring role in the performance.  He was the "Jack in the Box.'  The teacher carefully placed him in the box...

The girls then shut the box...

And jack jumped out with all his might! He was pretty proud of himself!

 

He was also the "C" for Christmas...which stands for Christ our child.

Notice there is also a "t" for the three kings...even though jack did not think there was a "t" in Christmas!! 

And a bow at the end of the performance.

Grandpa was there to cheer Jack on during the show.

Then Santa came into the room and picture taking was over....

"What do you want for Christmas, Jack?"
"A monkey," replied Jack.
WHAT?? Where did that come from?  What about the batman trios...the imaginex police robot station....the leapster....
there was NEVER any mention of a MONKEY!!! (like he would get one anyway!)

Complete Randomness...

The beautiful cookie tray we received last week isn't so pretty any more...someone "chopped" the head off the "rat" cookie. Notice it is wrapped up in cling-wrap, on the right...either Jason watched the Godfather again and was trying to act out the horse head scene or one of the boys is trying out for the mob.

The boys played out in the snow the other afternoon. Now I have snow art in my freezer. If I ask if it is ok to put out the snow art, you know the answer will be "NO!" and if i put it out without asking first...then that will be the day that the snow art, for some unknown reason, will be needed or missed. You can't win with snow art. (Maybe i will tell them the rat cookie ran away with it.

 (Like Mr. Frog in the background? He is our ice pack for the boys! Nothing funnier then when one of the boys is hurt, in tears and asks in that sobbing voice, "Can I have Mr. Frog, please." )

Went shopping the other night (by myself!!) and picked up a shirt for Sam at Abercrombie (first time I have bought something there in loads of years). They put the purchase in this bag. Nothing looks more odd, strange or weird then a 40 year old woman carrying a naked man bag around! An beside the naked man it says "kids." I HAD to buy something else just to hide my naked man in the other bag!!

Oh, no...either I have become too old or I have become my mother...

Seriously...

Jason made corn bread to go with the chili for dinner....

Jason: "Boys you need to try the corn bread.  Just one bite won't hurt you." (words of death)

Jack: "I'm not doing it."

Sam:  "Just one bite?"

Me thinking: Great. Someone is going to throw-up, Jason will get upset, I'll gag and dinner will be ruined.  SERIOUSLY...don't go there, Mr. Jason. Remember when you made Jack try carrots??? (barf-o-ramma)

My internal trauma thinking:  NO DON"T DO THAT JASON!  My mom and dad made me sit for over an hour sometimes to eat one pea....and I still don't like them...the peas.  The average person waits in line for 6 months of their life...that doesn't include waiting at a stop light, waiting at the Dr. office or on the phone.  So basically, my parents just added onto my life waitng time.  Plus I got to practice my stubbornness.

Sam after trying one bite:  "I don't really like this. "

Me: "Not a problem, Sam.  Thanks for trying a bite."

Jack:" I'm not doing it."

Jason: "One bite. That's all."

Me thinking: Do I step in and save my child or do I team work with my husband?

Jack takes one bite and the GAG-O-RAMMA begins.

Sam: "OH NO!!"

Jason: "Jack, swallow it and take a drink."

Me thinking: Too late, Mr. College Boy.

Jack throws up on his napkin.

Me thinking: (Wish you didn't eat that fabulous Santa cookie, Jack...what a waste)

Me: "Jason, seriously?"

Jason: "Seriously, Jack!"

Sam....Sam....Oh, he bolted upstairs.

Me:  "Have fun cleaning that up."

Sam (standing at the top of the stairs): "Dad, that just goes to show you that not all people like the same things...and that is OK!"

Me thinking:  Score points for me for teaching Sam that little speech!

Me: smirk and Jason and shrug my shoulders

Jason:  "Sam, I really don't need your advice right now!"

I clean up Jack...

Sam comes down and sits on the complete other end of the island...but not before asking: "Did any of that stuff get on my plate?"

Jack: "See, dad, THAT is why you people should never try new foods."

Since then, Jack has lived on hot dogs, mac-n-cheese and chicken noodle soup. 

Now I am worried that he may be anemic.

Cookies, Cookies and Puttin' on the Weight...

The tradition of cookies has hit our house very well this year...


Our neighbor brought over a tray of cookies...they were amazing to look at and tasted just as amazing!  Check out this Santa cookie...it has rosy cheeks and a rosy nose and a button mouth!  Oh my!  Beats the cookie out of my Pillsbury cookies in a roll!

Sam took a look at these and stated, "Well, you don't have to worry about me eating those cookies with the rats on them!"

This weekend the boys somewhat helped me with making cookies. I did make four dozen (picture to come) mint chocolate chip cookies, that didn't turn out too well, so this was round two.  Easy pretzel with chocolate kisses to melt on top.

Take a look at Sam's tray...take a gander back at jack's tray.  You can tell which one is my free spirit and which one is my  little organizer! Notice the chocolates on top of Sam's tray...he made a pattern - makes the teacher in me very proud!