SNOW!!!

Drew's wish came true! 10 plus inches arrived on Tuesday morning...he has now been out of school for 3 days. It's been fun, and he absolutely loves the snow. The first day he and John rode all over the neighborhood in the four wheeler, shoveled, and messed around even while it was blowing and freezing! Max actually got to step out in it as well. He mainly hung in the garage but liked it---this is the first snowfall he's gotten to enjoy since last Christmas he wasn't walking. Yesterday, D and I got back out in the snowy mess...we put down more ice melt (his idea!) and played with the tube! The backyard has lots of great drifts, so that's his mission for day 3--today. Thank goodness for all of our great snow gear!
Staying inside for 3 days has been trying but D and I are on an organizing binge...we're getting things shaped up around here...we've also made lots of fun Valentine's surprises as well as a chocolate (PW) sheetcake and a val.cake...yum!

2011 New Stuff

Just a few new things about our boys:
Max--does something new daily...his latest statements include: stop it bubba, it's mine, put that right there, yea, nope, don't like that, sit at table
He no longer wants to eat at his high chair and is no longer a good eater...just picks at things...ugh!
Binky usage is declining a bit...need to get rid of it totally!
Wants to do everything Drew does...including the Leapster and the Wii.

Drew--seems like such a young man now...cleans up the table where he and Max eat...he may have his dad's great work ethic since cleaning up is very thorough...can even mop for me and pass my clean test! :)
Listens to music constantly...mostly Justin Beiber and Train.
Is reading! Really notices words everywhere and learns a new word daily!
Loves to work on his castle.
Becoming very social...talks about school friends all the time.
Growing...so tall & thin! Pants that fit in Oct. are too short!

We will leave Max in Feb. to take Drew skiing at Red River, NM. Can hardly wait! John and I had such a great time skiing at Breckenridge with Andrew and Hope in Dec. Can't wait to get back out on the mountains...except that I stink!

John is busy at work but not crazy busy which is good. Also helps with Drew's OCS basketball team and is gearing up to asst. coach Drew's EASI t-ball team in the spring. He is very patient and is great with the kids!

I'm working on Valentine's fun stuff...decos, cards, fun things for the boys, and val. themed dinners. My Val. wreath turned out so cute! I'm also finally doing a lot of cooking and am actually enjoying it! I still have a ways to go to be a good cook...but it's actually fun now to read cookbooks and make the stuff.

Where has the time gone!? It's been months since I've posted anything, so here's a quick recap. Summer was great...our highlights included watching Drew swim like a fish and seeing Max take off and get into everything! He loves the water as well but it's amazing how good of a swimmer Drew has turned out to be. Hot or cold, he'll swim anywhere, anytime!
June's highlight was a trip to Seaside, FL for John's friend's wedding. What a cool place! I can't wait to go back. John and D hit the crashers (waves) daily and swam as much as possible! Drew is so fun and easy to travel with! He had a blast. Of course, we were anxious to come home to see our little Maxy who split time with our parents...it's so good to be able to leave him in such good hands!
Drew also attended art camp in Muskogee this summer with Nana. He made some of the coolest stuff and I can't wait to display it in our new home (the one we'd been hoping to be building by now!) Drew and Nana always have a great time together!
What else? D learned to ride a bike in July and loves it...he's gotten very cocky/good really quick. He and Grandpa love to "take a spin" around the high school when we visit B'ville! Between that and messing around in the garage, Grandpa and Drew are quite a team!
Pop had major heart surgery/valve replacement in the early fall. What a very stressful time, but we're glad he is totally recovered. It's good to see him full of energy again! Max is always asking about Pop & Sadie of course!
Drew started school in August. Kindergarten! After a rough few weeks getting adjusted, he is settling in nicely. He has a great teacher and some neat friends! I can't believe he goes to school all day everyday...wow!
Our house was on the market for a good part of this year, but it has yet to sell! Ugh! Mom keeps encouraging me telling me the new house will be worth the wait! She has also helped me immensely getting the house all organized and decorated! If I could only have her living here all the time, I'd be great! One of these days, my house will be as clean and as neat as hers!
Max had his 2nd birthday in Oct. and Drew followed up with this 6th (at Chucky Cheeses) in Nov. Big boys!

changes & more changes

Wow! The boys are changing so much!
Drew is now into doing EVERYTHING by himself...from showering, picking out his own clothes to making his own cereal, reading a bit, writing letters, and yes, even changing M's diapers,etc. He also wants to be in charge of not only himself but also Max, and Mom & Dad! He is doing well at school and his mathematical abilities keep John and me hopping!
Max is saying new words almost daily...he says bus, truck, peanut, berry, and finally "mac" for Max. It is amazing! He wants to do everything "bubba" does and rarely plays w/ his toys. Max is also doing a bit of running which is new and can also drive his little 4 wheeler around. Every day he gets into something new that he hasn't messed up before. His favorite thing to do is to wave and say hi to anyone and everone he sees!
It's so fun to see the boys change, and each day they just make John and I laugh!
More later on t-ball, and all of our outside activities.

Just have to type up a few of the funny things Drew has said lately. Where he comes up with this stuff, I don't know!
First, he told me on the way to school that Dad doesn't have any matching jammies. After laughing and agreeing with him, I then asked what made him think of that...he couldn't really tell me but wondered why I thought that was funny.
He also asked me lately to please never steal b/c he didn't want me to go to jail. I promised not to steal and he promised the same...whew! One less thing to worry about!~The kid is quite obsessed with jail, guns, and basic problems...ha!
While singing along with the Christmas carols in our car, Drew said, "Mom, can you put me up on a stage to sing?" I said sure and then began to figure out where that would be. We defninitely have to get him to Sunday school...he is very curious about Jesus and God now and I know he'd love all the great things they do in Sunday School. Hopefully, we can try out a new church next week and get him going (and us going) on a regular basis!
Max is doing well too...just babbling constantly and loving on his brother...gosh, how fun it is to see them together...as John would say, "They really are buddies now!"

Big Brother is Watching You

Drew has really taken to his role as big brother lately...thank goodness since Max is now crawling all over the place and getting into everything! This is new for me, since D got into nothing as a crawler, toddler,etc! Whew! He is constantly letting me know when Maxy is getting himself into trouble. He has suddenly decided that playing with toys in our bedroom and living room is not enough...he must now crawl and sit upon both the fireplace AND treadmill! Ugh! Drew is really great with Max and constantly keeps him entertained, however, he also knows when to tick Max off.
Max is really a lot of fun now. He babbles constantly and seems to know what a ball and a dog are with this toys. He loves to pull his socks off and laughs when he succeeds...a fun game he started with Grandpa a few weeks ago. We're not sure where the recent fussiness has come from however....is it the time change, getting used to no more bottles, and or all the cute little teeth popping up suddenly in his mouth! Wow! We can't complain, however...our little guy manages to get at least 12 1/2 hours of sleep every night!
Drew is only a few days from turning 5! Wow---I can't believe that! We are planning a zoo party with friends and then a smaller party at home with family. He is really into making banners and birthday cards for himself and everyone coming to the party! He loves to do crafts...guess he got that from me. Drew also had a great Halloween as a cowboy and really enjoyed the 2 toy guys he and Dad got. He now walks around shooting at everything. I am also amazed at how physical and brave he is all of a sudden--he has really grown up a lot this year. Drew is constantly trying to figure out how things are made and how they work...he often asks me questions that I do not have the slightest answer for...Now if I could just figure out where he will spend his Kindergarten year...ugh!

B-day Boys

we are anxiously counting down the days until D is 5 and are watching Max change daily as a new 1 year old!