Christmas at the Cabin

It was a magical, white Christmas for the boys. They traveled to the cabin to share the holiday with family. Much to their delight, the boys received what is probably the most requested gift of the season: a Wii. You can take a peek at the fun in the following video:

Merry Christmas!
Barb

Gingerbread with the Cousins

On Friday Tommy and Michael went over to their cousins for some pre-Christmas festivities. First they helped make a gingerbread house. Since the house was for decoration only, next they decorated and baked some gingerbread cookies to eat. Finally it was time for a bit of TV before calling it a night. Everyone had such a good time that no one even noticed that the roof of the gingerbread house collapsed.

Christmas Excitement

Tommy and Michael called us a few evenings ago with the big news that they had been putting up Christmas decorations and were all excited about the upcoming season. When they finished chatting with us (sometimes this happens abruptly!) Mark came on the line to fill in the spaces of the conversation. He told us that when the decorating was finished he brought out some old Christmas toys for the boys to play with but Michael held out for "the Jesus house." Assuming that meant the manger set, that was the next to be brought out and set up. The nutcrackers weren't far behind. As the afternoon and play continued Mark described a battle that somehow broke out among the nutcrackers and the manger people.

Only a couple of boys could come up with this scenario! Every so often on our trip back to Minnesota as we drive along one of us will mention "the Jesus house" and we end up laughing hysterically. We can't wait to get home!

Webkinz

Parents no longer need to worry about caring for a pet after their children lose interest. Instead they can suggest a virtual pet. Webkinz have swept the nation as children collect them and then care for them online. They can "buy" things for their pet Webkinz, create rooms and even visit the rooms of other Webkinz.

Last year both boys received their first Webkin. When Tommy's birthday came around, he received a second one. Lately the boys have discovered there are some special things that can be done if you have two pets, so Michael wanted a second one. Luckily I had stocked up after Christmas last year when Sam's Club marked them down in price. Michael was thrilled with his new pet. It's a good thing there are two computers in their home because both boys have spent most of the weekend playing in Webkinz Land.


Friends and family: if you want to help the boys earn Webkinz money, please let us know. You see, once they run out of money, they can't buy more things for their Webkinz until they earn more. This can be done by answering long lists of trivia questions in various categories. When I'm having trouble sleeping, I sometimes log on to their account and earn some points for them. Please email us for their user name and password if you are interested. Of course, logging on would allow you to see how they are caring for their pets too.
Nana Barb

A Sleep-Over with the Cousins

The boys live only a few houses from their cousins, Drew and Ryan and baby Karli. This allows the cousins to get together frequently. Last Friday Tommy and his mom dropped by the cousins' house for a visit. Since it was officially October, Tommy brought a jack-o-lantern which lighted up when plugged in.
During the visit it was decided that the boys would have a sleep-over. Mommy went home to get some things that Tommy would need for the night. Michael decided that he wanted to join the party, so he returned with mommy.


Blankets were spread on the floor, pillows were arranged and everyone found a comfortable place to sleep.


Just as everyone was settling in for the last bedtime story, Michael--clad in his pajamas and clutching his pillow--had a change of heart. He decided to go home with mommy. At first Tommy was quite distraught over his brother's decision. However, eventually he settled down and a good time was had by all. The next sleep-over is scheduled for Tommy and Michael's house so be sure to stay tuned.

Sunday Afternoon

Fall is definitely in the air. It's a cloudy, gusty afternoon. In other words, it's an "inside" day. The boys are having a great time, however, watching "Star Wars" with daddy.

Michael, the Fish!

Michael is really proud; he is now brave enough to put his head under water! Just look at the smile on his face at the end of this video.

A Lost Tooth and a Boogy

Tommy is going to have trouble taking a bite out of an apple since he is now missing both front top teeth; love that smile, though!



Tommy has loved music and dancing since he was very young. His dad bought him a CD player when he was just a toddler; he learned to use it and it became one of his favorite possessions. Soon he was pretending to use a microphone and perform. Last weekend he entertained us with the "Cookie Boogy" before jumping into the pool.

Sunday

Tommy's mom is in charge of the child check-in stations at church and Tommy helps with the set-up/tear-down. As of today he has an additional job. Mom set him up with a test account tied to his finger scan. After she sets up a station Tommy tests it to make sure all the printers are working and printing the right documents and labels for checking in and checking out. He knows what to do and what should happen. He reports to mom if something doesn't work correctly. Mom says that Tommy is better at his new job than many of the adult volunteers she's worked with. Way to go, Tommy!


Last night Michael and mommy played tanks. This evening they played "abby-lences." Michael was very explicit about the rules: Mama, you can only go this way through and you can't pass.

Playing Tanks!

Last night Michael asked his mom to play tanks.

Michael: Mama, you be the bad guy.

Mom: Why do I have to be the bad guy?

Michael: Because we need a bad guy.

Mom (warming up to her role of bad guy): OK, then it’s time for bed!

Michael: Mama, I said you be the bad GUY; not a bad MOMMY!

Then the game began in earnest.

Michael: Mama, here’s our tanks, here’s our air support, and here’s our garbage truck.

Mom: Okay, should I be in charge of the tanks or the air support?

Michael: Mama, you’re in charge of the garbage truck.

Eventually mom got fired from the tanks game. Apparently the garbage truck didn’t shoot back often enough and it was determined that mom was “not fun" when playing tanks.

A Word From The Other Grandmother

Let me introduce myself......I am proud to be Tommy's and Michael's other grandmother. Having raised 2 sons of my own I can relate to what Mark and Kirstin are experiencing and chuckle so often when I see history repeating itself. I am even seeing many of the same toys resurfacing and sometimes I even hear familiar "motor sounds" or other play sounds that I heard years ago. What great fun to be a grandmother!

Thank you, Barb, for setting up this blog to keep those of us who live a little farther away up to date with the activities of the boys. Thank you also for inviting me to write about the times when we get together with those rascals. I look forward to sharing those times with you in word and pictures. In the meantime I will be reading your fun entries.

MJ

Grandparents Day at School

The boys have been attending a wonderful preschool. Tommy is now in kindergarten; however, since it's only half days, he'll continue to attend Kinderberry Hill before and after kindergarten. Last week KH invited all grandparents to visit. Enjoy this video of the afternoon:

Good news: Mary (the boys' other gramma) is going to contribute to this blog. Mary and John have lots of adventures with the boys, so she'll be posting some of her favorites here.

All you need is love, all you get is...

HOMEWORK???

Okay, so when we last saw Tommy he was sitting--looking very charming--at a kindergarten table with his cousin, Drew. It was time for school; he was ready to rock and roll! The next thing I knew his mom sent me the image posted above. It seems that the boys had a short homework assignment based on their first day of school. Tommy's reaction was not exactly one of excitement and glee.
Soon I received another image; this one showed Tommy actually completing his homework--still somewhat lacking in excitement and glee. Coincidentally, just as I received this image I was working with cousin, Drew, on the same assignment. Unfortunately I didn't snap a picture. Had I done so I could have put them side by side so that you could see not only a physical family resemblance, but an identical reaction to homework. Hmmm... looks like there will be some interesting years ahead.
Here is Tommy's finished product. As you can see, it is very well done. Now we just need to figure out how to help him smile while he shows us how smart he is.
Posted by Tommy's Nana Barb

PS Just in case you missed it, the third line from the bottom says, "I did not like homework." At the very bottom of the page the children were to list what they wanted to learn this year. Perhaps Tommy just forgot to complete that part:-)

A Picture is Worth...

a Million Words (at least)!

Tommy and cousin, Drew, in the same kindergarten class on the first day.
Thanks for the picture, Mark. It is sure to become one of my all-time favorites!

Tommy is on his way to Kindergarten!

Tommy, I hope the next 13 years will be some of the best of your life!
Go, Tommy!

Dandy Dandelions

"If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn."

Andrew V. Mason

Most young children do find dandelions welcome; kids love dandelions. They love them when they're bright yellow and even more when they are whispy white and float away with a puff of breath. Tommy and Michael hopped off their wagon to pick some dandelions. Michael carefully placed his in the wagon to save, but Tommy offered his to me. Thank you, Tommy. You're right; they are beautiful!
Nana Barb

Michael Graduates

Tommy and Michael attend a wonderful school. When last I visited, Michael was in the "monkey" group. Last week he graduated from the jungle cats to the gators. Is this how I'll feel when he graduates from high school... and college? How could the time have passed so quickly? How did I miss the entire jungle cats era? The image shows Michael as he left for school this morning on his first day as an official Gator.

Welcome!

These two special boys have grandparents and a great gramma who love them, but who live far away. This blog will be a way for them and everyone else who loves them to keep up with their exciting life. I am lucky to be their other gramma (mom will also add posts). Here we go...

Summer in Minnesota passes quickly, so the boys need to take advantage of the hot weather. They are busy having fun in our pool and learning how to swim. Here are a few of their favorite swimming tricks: