Picnic at the Park

We've all been getting a little bit on the stir crazy side these days...I'm know that as the "Time to Move" date gets closer my anxiety level is increasing, and I'm afraid these two little pumpkins are picking up on it.  So, today, amidst some pretty hearty tantrums, I was determined to get ourselves out of the house.  We packed up the truck and headed to the park for a picnic. 
A little fresh air and sunshine is seriously some the best medicine...for all of us...

 munching on some grilled cheese...Braddock had his 'to go'...

...and "on top of the mountain"...

 Abram stayed close to the blanket, but would bolt at the sight of the leaves blowing...

 on a mission to grab that leaf (and wasn't very happy with me when I had him trade it in for his apples rather than letting him eat it)!

 This pretty much describes Braddock these past few weeks...high energy constant motion! 

"Mike Mulligan eats his vitamin!"

I am SO behind...I had started posts about Christmas and also about Abram's birthday and meant to finish them this past week, but with Little Bit being sick it all took a major backseat.  This post is sure to be shorter so I figured I'd go ahead with it and leave the other two as drafts for when I had more time to finish and dig through pictures a bit better!
     (Anyhow...)

Braddock's main love these days has been Mike Mulligan...he loves Mike and Mary-Anne and will recite and act out the book any chance he gets.  He decided he wanted to wear overalls the other day to be just like "Mike Mullgan"...
 

and after extensive studying the pictures (and by extensive I mean we are already on our second edition), reenacted the front cover of the book...

 ...busted the "Mike Mulligan" move (one arm up, one arm down)...and continues to do so at random moments throughout his day, then look at me and smile and say, "Mike Mulligan had a steam shovel...a BEAUTIFUL red steam shovel.  Her name....was Mary Anne."... with the raw feeling and dramatic emotion that would make an opera singer jealous.  He even excitedly proclaims that "Mike Mulligan eats his vitamin, just like Braddock!" ..."Mike Mulligan brushes his teeth, just like Braddock!"...and during a particularly creative stall tactic during bedtime routine (he was already in his bed, but jumped up, knocked on his closed door and exclaimed, "NEED TO SIT ON THE POTTY!!!!"...so I come running, race him to the bathroom, plop him on the john, and he proceeds to explain to me that Mike Mulligan doesn't poop in his britches, that in fact he poops in the potty, and there is actually a potty inside Mary-Anne so he doesn't have to poop in his shoes.

Dead serious.  It was all I could do to keep a straight face. 

More "Mike Mulliganning..."

Watch out Chuck Norris, you've got some competition. 

Christmas 2011

I can't believe Christmas has already come and gone, it seems like this entire year has just flown on by.   This year we made a super-quick trip back to South Carolina for the holidays.  Both my and Michael's parents live there (just a few miles apart), and my sister flew down from New York!  We packed up the family truckster (I SO wish I had a picture of it, we looked like something from National Lampoons!) and decided last minute to drive through the night (it makes the trip easier as far as stops/meals/diapers :).  Braddock serenaded us with his recitation of "Mike Mulligan" until he passed out with book in hand...

and when the sun started to come up, BeeWee became the perfect shield from daylight as he continued his snooze.

 

Abram stayed awake and played with his touch/feel colors book for a while, and then he was out like a light until we arrived the next morning (none of my pictures of him turned out because he sits right behind me :/).
We spent Christmas Eve recovering ...

and letting the boys visit and get some wiggles out!  A little mowing with Aunt Sarah...

and some nature exploration with Boppa...

Playing ball...

and checking out the tree...

I've absolutely loved watching these boys take in the wonder that is Christmas.  They love the lights, the trees, the sounds, the ornaments...but mostly Braddock (Abram isn't quite here yet) was so excited to have Jesus's birthday.  We would sing the first and last verse of "Silent Night" every night before bedtime (and then he would sing it to himself until he fell asleep), and his favorite part to belt out was, "CHRIST THE SAVIOR IS BORR...ORRN! Christ the savior is born!"  We have been talking a lot about Christmas and how it's a time to celebrate Jesus's birthday and the tremendous gift that God gave us in sending His son.  I'm not quite sure how much he understands, but I have a feeling it's probably more than I have given him credit for (and if nothing else it's giving my seriously "horrible at words" self some practice at explaining it further on down the road).  One night we were reading "The Night Before Christmas" in attempt to help with his Santa-phobia, and also so he could learn what this Santa thing was all about...and we were talking about what gifts Santa might bring in his sleigh...and he started talking about how Santa was bringing presents for baby Jesus's birthday.

Christmas day was a blast!  These boys are blessed with some extremely giving, generous family members!  They literally opened presents ALL day, with the morning at my parents...

 and after naps at Michael's...

They loved playing with their new toys, but also loved playing with the tissue paper...

or the box...

even Nestle got in on the fun...

The next morning we headed to the zoo with Michael's folks...

feeding the fish...

in step with Daddy :)

Braddock loved feeding the giraffes...Abram on the other hand was not so sure at first...

resting his heavy load

 

Then Santa Claus came to visit the boys back in Bossier...we asked Braddock what he would like for Christmas and he emphatically said, "A PURPLE SUCKER!"

Abram got a head start out the door to check out the living room...

Loving on Gymbo...

 Braddock was thrilled with his purple sucker :)...and was loving on "bulldog"

They got a special treat...waffles at the coffee table.  Abram is very serious about his breakfast eating....

 Braddock enjoyed using Nes as a stool while checking out his Thomas laptop...sweet Nes, what a good sport.

 Nestle helping put toys together :)

 Someone(s) got into the puffs...

 checking out their stockings

 purple sucker still in tow :)

 kisses for glow-worm...this has since become the bedtime/naptime staple

"The kitty cat piano!"  He had spied this in the store and was so sad it couldn't come home with him...thank goodness Santa Claus works well with Target!

It was a wonderful Christmas...Celebrating back in South Carolina with everyone, Abram's first Christmas, the last Christmas in what has become 'home' here in Louisiana...a sweet little chunk of time to be back together as a family in the middle of this tdy.