Sharing

Ashley and I are working hard to teach the boys the concept of sharing. It's not something that any of them are good at yet...or even okay at yet honestly. We are constantly taking things away because they first refuse to share, then start pulling the toy (or whatever it is) back and forth, then usually head butting and/or biting, slapping or pinching follows. Good times.

So today we are on the way home from Heather's house; the twins are in the way back (like always). Andrew got a sucker today, so he is happy. John did not get a sucker because he jumped on Heather's couch after she asked him to stop three times.
John says to me, 'Mama, I want a lick of Andrew's sucker."
"Ask him nicely and see if he will share, John" I respond.
As the words are coming out of my mouth I am kicking myself. Why did I say that? Andrew will say no, John will start sobbing and I will have to listen to him screaming the rest of the way home.
John: "Andy, can I have a taste of your sucker?"
Andy: "Yes, John" (handing the sucker over to him)
John turns the sucker around in his mouth a few times and hands it back. A couple seconds pass.
John: "Andy, lemme have another lick of your sucker."
Andy: "okay"

I am watching them in the rear view mirror in disbelief.
Me: "Well aren't you sweet Andy! How nice of you to share your sucker! What do you tell him John?"

John: "'Preciate it. 'Preciate it Andrew!"

The whole exchange was so precious. Andy sharing something he LOVES and John expressing his 'preciation. What sweet boys!

awesome dad

Giving love and discipline, fixing broken toys and hurt feelings, teaching lessons when it would be easier not to, making us all feel extra special...

building towers, rocking the baby, cleaning the kitchen...

stepping over legos and high heels on your way to bed...

Ashley, Daddy, Da-Da

You carry us all and we love you so much.

Chocolate Resolutions

For a period of probably ten years I convinced myself that I really did not like chocolate. I actually stopped eating it (for the most part) in high school because it is so fattening. I had so much to worry about back then you know since I only exercised about 20 hours a week. Anyway, I have always loved candy like skittles, nerds, twizzlers...all the sugary stuff. This season though, I let myself fall into the trap of just eating "a little chocolate" here and there. So essentially I have gone from someone who "doesn't really like chocolate" to someone has eaten every chocolate thing that I have seen in the past month. My diet has included M&M's (peanut, regular and mint), Reece's, mini Snickers, mini Milky Way, mini 3 Musketeers, cookies, cakes, Hershey's hugs and kisses, and Twix. It's absurd.

Tonight while rocking P to sleep I told myself that it has to stop. I have to get back on the "I do not really like chocolate" wagon and stay there because I am obviously incapable of doing anything in moderation.

I have never been really big on New Year's resolutions, but I am going to have 2 resolutions in 2009: stop eating everything in sight and do some work on Preemie G. (don't ask about Preemie G. I could tell you, but I would have to kill you since I do not have a patent yet).

Andy and John have a resolution too: Get potty trained. I will wait and tell them next week.

Christmas 08

Gilfillan Christmas...

It's hard to believe that Christmas is almost over. Back to the grind tomorrow. Not really, since Ashley and I are both going to be home, but back to the disciplinary grind tomorrow. Despite getting more presents than we have room for in our house, the boys behaved pretty badly today. (Not including Wyatt)

What part of celebrating the birth of Jesus (to include eating candy, opening presents and visiting family) could possibly bring out this side of our precious boys? I am still puzzled about this.

The boys got so many wonderful things from all of their grandparents, great-grandparents and uncles and aunts. Santa, Ashley and I hooked them up of course too. Maybe the problem was sensory overload.

In spite of the bickering and whining that took up a lot of the day, the boys ended on a sweet note. In bed we were saying prayers and Andrew, I mean Andy, said "Bless baby Jesus in the manger." John followed up by saying "Happy Birthday Jesus." I am glad that in the midst of all the new toys, they know the real reason for the celebration.

Zupe it

For as long as I can remember John has said "zupe" instead of "zip".

"Mama, I zupe my jammies myself."
"I gonna zupe my jacket."
"You zuping Wyatt's sweater?"

Tonight we were reading Carl's Christmas, which we have read practically every night since May. It's a picture book, but we go through the story the same way night after night. It begins with Carl bringing the baby downstairs, wrapping a present and then the dog helps the boy get dressed.

Tonight:
Me: "what's that doggie doing?"
John: "zipping his jammies"
Me: "what did you say?"
John: "zipping up those jammies."
Me: "yep, he is zuping them (my heart sinking)."
John: "Yep, zipping them."
Me: "You're right honey....zipping them."

Awww, my baby is growing up so fast. I have to zupe my lip to keep from crying.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We began our weekend before Christmas by going to see the lights at Saluda Shoals park on Friday night. The big boys got out of their car seats and sat in the front seat with us; they loved all the lights and cried when it was time to leave.



Today our Christmas festivities continued. Grandaddy Terry and GG (my dad and step-mom) came for a pre-Christmas visit. We had a wonderful day opening some gifts, hanging out, eating lunch and enjoying each other's company.

Thanks to Dad and Gail for bringing lunch and gifts; we all love you very much.

Recent Pictures...

Granny Meg gave the boys some a gingerbread making kit. We had a blast making them. Here is John working on his "cookie bread man".

Andrew with icing on his fingers.

Andrew decided to decorate himself after he finished decorating his "cookie bread man"

Look at those thighs! So sweet!

Sweet P

When Ashley and I found out that we were having a third baby, we were shocked. We had no idea what to expect and how we would handle adding another baby in the mix. The twins were 15 months old when I found out I was pregnant. The give-away was morning sickness, which for me kicks in around 8 weeks.

Umm, yeah, that is how far along I was before I found out (don't ask). The point is that we were sort of scared. Three under two sounds daunting.

Of course, ANY baby was an amazing blessing for us. Wyatt was the answer to my prayers.

But Wyatt is not just any baby! He simply could not be any sweeter. P gets less attention that he deserves, but he never complains. As you can tell from the picture, he even takes breathing treatments in stride.


Ashley and I can not wait to see what his little personality will be like as he ages. It's so much fun to watch this little joy as he blossoms from infant to hip hugger. He'll be walking before we know it. Where does the time go??

Lyrically Challenged

The boys are really into singing, but they often get the words wrong.
A couple of recent hits have gone like this:

John singing:
Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can
Roll it in the meadow
for Andy and me ...and WYATT! YEAH!!

Andrew singing:
The farmie in the dello
The farmie in the dello
hy-o (hum, hum)
The farmie in the dello

Tonight we were singing some Christmas songs and Andrew had a request for a song that I did not even know that he knew..."Awake in a manger"

I love the singing around here, even if the words are wrong sometimes.

God's love

Tonight while Ash was at SALT I took the boys to the Living Christmas Story at Union Methodist. If you have not ever been, it's basically a drive through Christmas story and it is pretty cool.
This was our conversation as we left:

Andrew: "I wanna see Baby Jesus."
Susan: "Honey, he's right there in the manger, but I have to keep driving because other people behind us want to see him too."
A and J: "Bye Jesus! Bye Baby Jesus."

some time passes...

Andrew: "Mama, Jesus loves me. God loves me."
Me: "You are right, honey."
Andrew: "God loves me. He wants to kiss me all day."

(I do too)!!!!!!!!!

Elf of the Shelf

If you are not familiar with this book, I highly recommend it.

Last night Santa visited our house and left an elf! This elf is watching the boys and every night he is going to go back to the North Pole and tell Santa if they have been good boys or bad. Andrew and John are so fired up about this elf (whom they very creatively named Mr. Elf). They are not allowed to hold him or touch him because his magic might disappear, and he can not talk to them. They can tell him their wish lists though!!

Tonight at bedtime they really couldn't care less about me reading the usual books. They were intent on discussing "Kanta Klaus" and Mr. Elf and acting good. It reminded me of a time when I believed in magic. It is going to be so fun to relive all the excitement through the boys' eyes. I think it is going to be better the second time around than it was the first.

Thanksgiving

For as long as I can remember, my heart has been a little heavy on holidays. I am not sure if it started soon after my parents got divorced, but I remember being young and wishing I could be in two places at one time. I remember feeling an uneasiness and wondering what my dad was doing, what my mom was doing, what my brother was doing. I was usually missing someone or driving to see someone, neither of which I think are a great way to spend a holiday.

This year was something entirely different.

Ashley's parents had my family for Thanksgiving. My family. Not just my mom and not just my brother, but both. And their spouses. And my brother's three children who are all under 5. The only things missing were my dad and step-mom, but I knew that they were having a great time in Florida and for what seemed like the first time in a while, I had inner peace on a holiday.
After eating a delicious lunch everyone went outside and threw football. The kids threw rocks in the lake and the adults sat around and watched the kids and the view and enjoyed each other's company.
Were we filming a Hallmark commercial? Nope, this was our Thanksgiving.
Maybe this is a new tradition?
Even if we never do it again, it will always stand out in my mind as a wonderful day.