House of Rock n' Roll...

Another favorite pass-time of the boys' is to, as Sam calls it, rock out! This involves going into one of the boys' rooms, putting in a CD (that JB created just for this "event") and jamming. It is pretty funny to catch them in the rockin' out act. Below is one of those times!

Sam is the main rocker on this day with his ukulele in hand. Jack is the dancer...I think he thought he was back in the 60's with his happy sun visor.

Jack is still dancing in the background and now Sam has started the singing. His favorite song, at this time, is Eye of the Tiger.

You have got to love the rockin' kick!

Oh No....

As I have stated in previous blogs, Sam and Roo LOVE to dress up in super-hero costumes. The first picture is one of Roo in his Spiderman gear - with a light saber...I guess the webs had run out. Now comes the worrisome part. My sister sent the second picture to me with the title "Roo in the Future." Uh oh.

Baby Blues and Browns...

The boys are so different in so many ways - from their looks to their personalities. But when you meet them at the same time, people comment on their eyes. Sammy has such light blue eyes (the picture doesn't do them justice) and Roo has such dark brown eyes. It is good to have such two different individuals...sometimes.

One Wormy Day...

After a rainy day last April, my sister and the boys decided it would be a great idea to go on a worm walk. I HATE worms and thought my sister did too - which she does, but she sucked it up to help the boys collect those nasty little things. I volunteered to take pictures of the adventure. So off they went- Aunt (which the boys call my sister) was off and picking up right away...way to go big sis!!

Sam found a lot of the wiggly things and wanted to pick them all up - every last one he saw. I was very surprised he would even touch them. He hadn't in the past, but Roo didn't hesitate, so I think he thought he had better suck it up too.

This is so gross. Sam is showing his collection to Roo.

Roo's reaction to the collection. I agree with him 110 percent! (sorry this is so blurry, I was probably gagging due to the viewing of the collection.)

This is when the classic line came out of Sam. While Aunt was picking up one of the last worms, Sam give her the biggest compliment ever " This has been a great adventure, right! Wow! You know what? No girl can pick up worms like my Aunt!"

Warm Memories...

I know there is a lot of winter left, but it is getting old. I am thinking of the days that we can be outside again and not have to bundle up with ten layers just to get the mail. So I thought I would post a few pictures from our summer. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the summer heat either...I am a 70-80 degree type of girl, but right now, the warm weather sounds pretty good.

Pictures beginning in the upper left hand corner: Roo ready for a water balloon fight, the boys' first lemonade stand (lasted a good 5 minutes), Sam jumping through a fountain at a park, the boys getting ready to race down the slip-and-slide (Sam pull up your trunks - a common summer phrase), Roo on our friend's boat, Sam's master piece of Mr. Potato Head with sidewalk chalk, Sam hanging on his boogie board in the backyard inflatable pool, Roo getting a ride from Sam and Sam jumping into the lake at their cousin's lake house.

Oops...

Sam and JB were playing darts Sunday afternoon. I must say, they are the plastic tipped darts, not the metal, but I still wonder why JB thought it was time for Sam to learn darts. Well, as you can see, Sammy some how managed to jam the plastic tipped dart into the wall. JB decided to find something else they could do together after this "incident."

Darth and Yoda...

The boys spend half their time dressed up in costumes. The other day, Yoda showed up on my galaxy. Roo gets down in the crouched position and proceeds to walk around the house like that...just like a little Yoda. And a favorite and very necessary prop of Yoda's is the "cane" which is actually my vacuum cleaner attachment...whatever works, I guess!

While taking a snap of Yoda, suddenly, his arch enemy came around the corner...

Yoda thought I should snap a picture of the two enemies posed together. What cracks me up is that Yoda thought the enemies should be friends for the picture and hold hands...notice Yoda must still crouch down. (You have got to love that Sam just goes with what Roo wants him to do..)

After the picture, Yoda looked up to Darth, while still holding his hand, and said, "Wanna fight, now?" And off they went to fight to save their galaxies.

Strike a Pose!

I came across this picture of Sam when he was four and laughed out loud as I did when he first put this number on. His Gma S. has a backyard pool that we frequent during the hot days of summer. Well, bless her heart, she thought Sam could use a little outfit for the pool. It is suppose to have a floaty thing around the middle. Sam was a bit too big for the floaty thing, but still insisted that he wear his 1930's swimsuit. When I pull this one out in later years, the girls will drool over him!

Mr. Fashion Plates...

This is a look at the other two boys in the house this weekend. The husbands. I can't decided who is luckier. Me, with the husband that has on the black Guitar Hero pants with a white skull pattern. (All he needs is a fanny pack and he would look like your average tourist.) Or my Wisconsin friend, whose husband is supporting the black socks look. (I think our dads' use to sport that look.)

Our Fabulous Friends...

Our great friends from Wisconsin came to visit last weekend. It is always a fun time when they come to town. Their oldest boy is just a year older the Sam and their younger boy is just a year younger then Roo. They all got along so well and had tons of fun!! Thought I would put up a few photos of the boys and their activities from the weekend.

The boys playing Army men at the bottom of the stairs. Roo insisted on wearing his fashionable Batman muscle shirt.

The boys are all drawing in Sam's room. Is that big brother 2, sniffing the marker he is using?

No weekend is complete without the flying of paper airplanes. I was impressed that I caught Big Brother 2's in the air!

All 4 boys showing off the pj's and their airplanes. Little Brother 2 has got the Vogue look going for him. When I was looking at this photo, I noticed for the first time, that all the boys have baby blue eyes, except for Roo - he is always doing his own thing!

The Great Pumpkin Pick...

Yesterday I watched the inauguration of President Obama and scrapped. It was a great day. Here are a few of the layouts I completed. I have been playing around with 8 1/2 x 11 paper and I have been enjoying it - especially when I only have 1-2 pictures that I really like on a specific topic.

Hello, Mr. President!

I am so excited about today for so many different reasons. Below are the pictures of meeting the new president! They were taken on that cold January night of the Iowa caucuses. I walked into the Ankeny High School (I had volunteered to help at the caucuses) and he was standing right there, only a few others around him. I went up to Obama and showed him my t-shirt. Then I got another picture taken with him - notice he can't take his eyes off me!!

Show Me the Money!

The other day Sammy decided that he need to buy some new Legos. "We just had Christmas, sir, you do not need any Legos - unless you use your own money." Well, little did I know that was going to begin a long "What Legos Should I Buy Research Project." Sammy went and got his Lego catalog and wrote down each one that he wanted, the price, and number of pieces in the box. At this time, he told me, age on the box does not matter. So, he got it down to about five different sets~all twenty dollars or under (makes a difference when it is YOUR money) and was ready to head out on the search for the perfect Lego pack.

Well, Roo was into this too. He pointed out to a few little Lego numbers that he thought would be good to get. So the boys head to their piggy banks to count and gather their money. Sammy comes back with his...no problem, he is a little saver.

Roo came back with his and had a whooping five dollars in his bank. Well, Sammy could NOT believe this...Nanny had given them money several times for birthdays and gifts and change from her purse. "ROO - WHAT DID YOU DO WITH YOUR MONEY?" insisted Sammy.

Meanwhile, I was in the other room while the 2 boys were having this conversation. When Sam counted Roo's money, and announced the amount, I said very quietly to myself, "Oh Sh..." because I suddenly remember that I had just cleaned out Roo's room and took a lot of things to Goodwill. Roo had two piggy banks on his dresser and who really needs two piggy banks? So I shook both of the piggy banks, the monkey one had money in it - I heard the change. And the other...well, it didn't make any sound. I just assumed it was empty - NOT FULL OF HIS BILLS!!

So, to make a long story short, I took Roo's piggy bank, the extra one, the one full of bills, to Goodwill. I had to tell Sam this so he would back off of Roo. "Well then, mom. You owe Roo 20 dollars." "How do you get twenty?" I asked. "Because that has to be the least amount that was in there. He has been alive for 3 years." "Okay," I said, agreeing to this logic.

After that, we were off to the store, money in hand, (Roo's in my purse) to purchase some new Legos...great day...the entire lesson was to teach Sammy how money doesn't grow on trees, and it ended up costing ME $20.00!!

This is Roo's monkey bank that did not go to Goodwill, but was only full of change. He looks dumbfounded at what I did, too!

New Boxers...

I was going through old pictures and ran across these. The first one is of Sammy when he wore boxers (for shorts) for the first time. He was three years old when I took the picture.

Then, I came across the picture of Roo with his first boxers on...he is three, too.

So, which three old do you think gives me a run for my money??

Randy?

The other day the boys got all bundled up to go outside and play (before the temperature dropped to -100.) While I was getting Sam's gloves ready (he likes to have the gloves pushed tight under the jacket cuff and then the cuff tightened to prevent ANY snow from getting to his delicate wrists!) I looked over and Roo was rolling on the floor. I asked Roo, "What are you doing?" He replied, "I am Randy."

If you have not seen the movie A Christmas Story (you'll shoot your eye out!) then you won't understand the picture...so I will try to explain...in the movie there is a little boy named Randy...a lot like Roo...Randy gets bundled up to go outside. He is SO bundled that he can't even put his arms down and he is said to look like a stuffed tic! Well, Randy falls down and just rolls back and forth in the snow because he is so "stuffed" that he can't even get off the floor by himself. So, that explains the "Randy Roll" that R0o to demonstrating. It just makes a mom so proud...

Warning to Wisconsin...

We have friends coming in from Wisconsin this weekend, so I thought I would post some pictures to "warn" them what they are heading to...fun times...

This is a shot from the front door...of my mailbox.

This is a picture of our backyard...in front of the play set there is a large retaining wall with a flower bed and steps leading to the play set. (you can just see the corner of the wall on the left side.) Notice there is no footsteps out in the backyard. The boys haven't been out to play for THREE days due to the -100 weather we are having!! (Never got that lawn furniture in either...see lower right hand corner - I wonder if it will crack?)

An All Time Favorite Picture....

This is a picture that I think will always be one of my all time favorite pictures. It was taken in 2006, during one of those times when we were all just messing around taking pictures and trying to catch ourselves "in motion." I laid on the floor and the boys jumped off the bed. We decided to have Sammy stand close to me and JB jump off the bed. At this angle it looks as if he is about to touch the ceiling. In reality, he barely cleared the bed....have more "action" photos from over the years that I will post sometime...they do make me LOL!!

A New Thing...Sewing...

I love to scrap, but lately I have been in a bit of a creative slump. No creating going on lately. Maybe too much blogging, Facebook, getting ready to teach my class this weekend, my house being a mess, finishing a good book...whatever it is, it has been no go for awhile. Then...ta da! I pulled out this little number yesterday (it's a little sewing machine for paper) that I bought about 2 years ago and never thought it would really work. Well, I was wrong! I am sewing paper left and right (well, just one project)...just what I needed!

JB called yesterday while I was sewing...here's the conversation:

JB - what are you doing?

Me - sewing

JB - quiet.....what are you sewing

Me - paper

JB - quiet....

Me - are you there?

JB - paper?

Me - yea.

JB - oh. that's good. I thought you were, like, trying to sew....like....fabric.

Hmmm..wonder what he meant by that...anyway...here was my first sewing attempt...(sorry that the pictures are a bit blurry...)

Seriously...

Okay - we finally got everything put away for xmas. Meaning, we put it in the bins and up into the attic, which is located in our freezing cold, nasty car snow droppings garage. JB asked if I would help him out. No problem. I go out in the freezing, NO insulation garage and see this...I did not make him pose..this is "real life" at our place. "Honey...you okay." Response: "Oh Yea! Can you hand me up the one of the bins." Me: "Seriously?" (I packed those things and I did not pack them light. ) Him: "You can do it." Me: "I'll be right back." I go inside and call our favorite neighbor...The Brain. Thank goodness The Brain was about done balancing his checkbook and could come over and help JB out...

As said in the movie A Christmas Story: "This is a major award, honey!"

Yea, this is how the professionals do it. The Brain is tossing up one of my little xmas tree boxes to JB in the attic...

What is up with guys and their stocking hats with pom-poms? My dad has one of this little numbers in red...

So Freaking Funny!!!

I usually don't so this, but you have GOT to watch this clip. On the Ellen show she calls people and this call is hysterical! It is so funny - I watched parts of it over and over and was laughing out loud by myself. It is a bit long (6 min.) but it is SO worth it and it doesn't seem to be 6 min long!! I guarantee that you will laugh...Gladys is my new favorite person!!

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/ellen-gladys-hardy-p1.php?emf=1_

More Snow...

On Saturday we had a lot of unexpected snow. Sam was so excited to get out into it that he volunteered to go and get the paper. He was so elated that we "had a big drift across our driveway and it came up over his boots! " (JB didn't see the excitement about it. Everyone in the neighborhood has snow blowers - not us - JB is still old school and shovels. Our fabulous neighbors usually snow blow our driveway for us - I am thinking that JB doesn't want to get a snow blower because he would then have to use it and the neighbors wouldn't do it for him.... hmmmmm. ) Anyway, Sam was so excited that he stopped and threw up some snow - in the air -not because he was chocking on it. It reminds you that snow was once pretty cool and exciting.

Poor Roo...

I have officially gotten most of Christmas put away and I am excited to "have my house" back...poor Roo is not. JB started to take the tree down late Tuesday night. (yes, it is Saturday, we hate to rush the process.) On Wednesday, I heard Roo rustling around in the front room. I went to check out what he may be up too - you just never know. Bless his little heart, he was trying to put the tree back up! "We need this tree!" he said in a shaky little voice as he looked up at me with his big brown eyes. I tried to explain that it was time to put x-mas away. And get this ~ he started to cry!! Last night I found this on his bedroom door...just makes your heart go...oh...

(those are night vision glasses hanging on his doorknob ~ more on those later....)

Mr.Yellow Belt...

Last night, Sam had his yellow belt test in Tae-kwon-do (I call it hi-ya class.) First he had his regular class and then testing...we were there for 2 hours, so he was a bit antsy during testing. You are to stand still (chun,chow, chin...something like that)...Sammy was like..yea whatever... He was beat, but very excited about getting his yellow belt and breaking a big board.

Doing a form during testing. I don't know how to spell it, but it is pronounced chun-g. I just call it chi tea...easier to remember!

Breaking his board - yea!!!

Sammy got his instructors to sign the broken board. He kept telling us how his head master (Chuck Norris - haha--jk!!) told him that he had a great test.

During the testing time, JB was a bit antsy too...kept telling Chuck Norris jokes~did you know that under Norris's beard, he does not have a chin.....just another fist! HAHAHAHA!!!! I gotta go to bed.

Oh - thanks to my dad for letting me borrow one of his zoom lenses for my camera...it worked awesomely and I got some great shots!!!

Future Drake Relays Star....

I Wanna be a Cowboy...

Roo LOVES his costumes. He dresses up at least once, if not more, each day. You just never know when batman, indy jones or a cowboy will show up beside you. Today I was working in my room and Cowboy Roo showed up on my doorstep. "Howdy, Cowboy Roo!" He looked at me and said, "I am not a cowboy yet!" and then he was gone. He returned and said, "I need whiskers!" and he proceeded to "grow" whiskers!

"Now I am a cowboy!"

Don't you just love the Indiana Jones Hat, Old Navy t-shirt, cowboy belt, snow boots and a pop-gun. Don't forget the green whiskers! I felt very safe with Cowboy Roo around!