Thanksgiving and more

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend with our little family and Mimi, Auntie Joey, and cousin Koa.  Counting baby Jack, that makes 8 people for the big dinner--markedly smaller than the feasts in UT where it was so crowded that as kids we would get banished to the "kid table" until we were old enough to sit shoulder to shoulder with all of the grown-ups.  However, our  feast this year  was nice and intimate and plenty crazy.  (Too bad we didn't think to have a kid table, though...)

JR's first Thanksgiving... 

Our turkey was SO good--it was juicy, and flavorful and tender (all of the things turkey meat typically isn't).  For the past couple of years Paul and I have gone to great lengths to prepare our bird for the big day: 1) we order a fresh turkey from an amazing market weeks in advance;  2) we pick up our freshly slaughtered turkey two days in advance;  and 3) we concoct a brine full of salt, sugar, and plenty of seasonings and fresh herbs and soak our turkey overnight.  Perhaps after all of this extra work we are just a little biased toward our bird, but we think our turkeys are among the best we've had.  Which is a good thing since we ended up with a 23 pound turkey to feed 3 adults...

Dinner in our new dining room.  This is probably only the fourth time we have had dinner in here...

Pilgrim Max.  He made this cute little hat at school and wore it during dinner--it was so adorable.  Another funny thing about this picture is the turkey leg in Max's hand.  He loves to eat chicken drumsticks so when he begged for the one from the turkey he wasn't expecting it to be so HUGE.  I think the size of it kinda freaked him out--he took a bite but then was over it.

Max and Koa having a "sleepover" in Max's room.  They look so cute all snuggled up together!  Unfortunately, Max ended up with croup the next day so they only got to sleep together this one night.

Koa and baby Jack...

Little JR at 11 weeks old...

Look how grown-up Sammy looks...

Sam is such a clever, funny little boy who gets compliments on his blonde hair and long eyelashes everywhere we go.  I often say that it is a good thing he is so cute because his other nickname is "El Destructo"--the kid will destroy anything in his path.  New refrigerator?  Sam will put a few good dings in it.  New dishwasher"  Sam will break the handle so it won't latch and then draw all over it.  Newly painted walls?  Sammy will drive his trucks and drag his toys all over them.  I could go on and on...  But he is SO stinkin' adorable!

Seriously, though, he is such a cute, affectionate little boy.  He loves to snuggle and cannot sit on the couch without insisting mommy or daddy come and sit by him.  He has a fun sense of humor and can be a bit of a tease--his older brother usually doesn't like this trait.  He loves music and is quite a good dancer (he obviously takes after Paul).  And, he loves to wear hats and boots and goggles and sunglasses and costumes.  He is a riot!

Sam marching around the house wearing only his underwear, goggles and a drum

Sammy's version of Captain Spiderman America

Sam pretending to be a Transformer in this costume

And Sam is such a sweet big brother--he really loves his baby Jack.  

 A couple of weeks ago we  enjoyed a visit from Uncle "Muck" and Auntie "Dee".  The boys had a lot of fun with them and talked about their visit for days afterward, and Paul and I enjoyed the chance to visit with them and drink good wine...

I took the boys to the mall (one of their favorite places) to see Santa.  Max had been begging to go and sit on his lap so he could tell the bearded man from the North Pole what he wanted for Christmas.  Sam was a little leery--opting to sit on a stool next to Max as opposed to some funny-looking stranger's lap.  Jack was indifferent.  It turned out to be quite a cute picture--no one is smiling, but everyone is looking at the camera and there are no tears... 

Speaking of Max's wish list this year, Santa was a bit confused by the obscurity of Max's request.  I had to sit down with Max on the computer and find pictures of what he wanted to email to Santa.  Unfortunately, Santa's elves won't have time to make a "Wild Kratt's Creatara (sp?)" this year, but I think they might be able to find him a "ninja".  Sam just wants "a toy"--he's pretty easy to please.  

Max has really enjoyed all of the Christmas decorations this year.  He was so excited when we finally decorated the Christmas tree and got all of the holiday tchotchkes out.  He has worn the Santa hat to school, and loves to put the stockings on his feet (they are called "stockings" after all...)

Max got his first love letter recently from a girl in his class named Ramona.  It was super cute, I will try to scan it and post it.  Max was a little embarrassed when she gave it--and then read it--to him, but he was excited to go over to her house for a playdate and talks about her coming to our house soon. 

Max and baby Jack...

JR is a whopping 3 months old here!  I can't believe how fast those three months flew by. He is such a sweet baby who is just full of smiles and loves to be talked to and is really quite loud on his end of a conversation.  He may be my loudest kid yet...

Jack has this crazy hair that won't lay down.  It is always just sticking up on top--he was basically born with a mohawk...

We are getting excited for our trip to Vermont for Christmas.  Max and Sam have been talking about it for weeks now, and I hope to take a lot of pictures, so stay tuned for the Blane Christmas blog...

Max's 4th Birthday

Wow!!  Do I really have a 4-yr-old?  It is so hard for me to believe.  It seems like only yesterday Paul and I embarked on this parenting thing...  Now my world has expanded in ways I could have never thought possible:  1) I have more knowledge about superheroes and trucks and tractors than I could ever imagine was necessary; 2) I have almost mastered the art of aiming "it" into the toilet; 3) I have resigned myself to being okay with a messy house;  4)  After being spit-up on, peed on,  and having peanut butter-smudged (or snot-smudged) hands and faces wipe themselves on my clothing, I am perfectly unswayed by a stranger pointing out to me that my zipper is down;  5) I enjoy dancing around my living room on whim (even though I have no rhythm or moves and would only previously do this after having SEVERAL cocktails);  6) I really, REALLY enjoy and appreciate any and all free time; 7) I spend more time noticing clouds and bugs and worms and dirt and sunsets and pickup trucks and school buses and motorcycles and pointing any of them out as a diversion while driving or at a play date; 8) I have made so many more wonderful and meaningful relationships with amazing "mom" friends; 9) I have loved more and laughed more and enjoyed life more than I know I otherwise would without these life-sucking, sweet little wonderful mini-Paul's around.  This list could go on and on and on...

Max on the morning of his 4th birthday. 

He was so excited to finally be four.  For the last several months he has been almost infatuated with age and at the same time frustrated that he wasn't moving from the number "3" as quickly as he would like. He is so grown up and independent.  I almost want to say responsible and reliable, but that is a stretch.  At least he is responsible and reliable for a four-year-old.  I am very proud of him but at the same time sad that my little guy is practically all grown up.  I feel like I am sending him off to college already...

Probably most sad of all is that he has outgrown his love of spiderman.  He has had an obsession with the "web-slinging-superhero" for well over a year now, and just out of the blue announced that he wanted a "Transformer" birthday party. What???  Transformers?  How does he even know about them and what happened to spiderman?  Guess I will be learning more than I ever thought I would about transformers.  So far I know that the yellow one is named "Bumble Bee" and he is a "good-guy."  He is also Max's favorite.

We had his birthday at United Sports Training Center--a huge indoor sports complex nearby.  It was a lot of fun and very easy for us as we only had to show up with the cake and drinks.  And our credit card.

Max's Transformer Cake

And as hard as I have tried to stop it, baby Jack just keeps growing and growing...

JR at 2 months old, weighing in at 12.6 lbs (50%), and 23.75 inches long (75%).  He is cooing and smiling and so sweet and fun.  I am enjoying and loving him to pieces.

I finally gave in to Paul and agreed to let Sam get a hair cut.  I only wanted a trim, though, and the lady practically buzzed him.  We are totally growing the curls back because I miss them so... He is still as cute as can be only he looks so much older.  

Sam is such a funny kid and he is so irresistibly cute.  He loves to wear hats and sunglasses and boots and has an opinion on everything.  He is talking up a storm--in sentences.  He sleeps in a big-boy bed and thinks he is just as big as Max (he almost is!)  Sam is super affectionate and loves to snuggle, but he is very strong-willed and persistent.  Unlike his older brother, he is undeterred by "time-out".  He has the most mischievous smile and can charm his way into getting whatever he wants--neither Paul nor I can resist his enticing "Pleeeease".

Here are some pics of the boys in the yard on a beautiful Autumn day.  

The abundance of sticks found around the yard this time of year makes for the best toys...

I am actually caught up with blogging now because the next two pictures were actually taken this morning. After several unusually warm days, today was rainy so we had to think of fun things to do indoors.  I had planned on making this my first trip back to the Y to start exercising again, but we got so caught up in painting and play dough and playing that I procrastinated.  I will try again on Friday...