Christmas

Tyler got a Thomas the Train set from Santa

Zac got a new bike from Santa

We had a white Christmas in North Texas. I saw on the news that it had been 83 years since the last one!
Tom making Christmas dinner fondue and sampling the wine!

Like Mommy, like boys!

Tom traveled a fair amount in early December but knock on wood, he is done with that now at least until the new year! Needless to say, the boys have had a lot of time with Mommy and Mommy got pretty stressed out here and there!

I made some cookie dough for Christmas cut outs and Zac loves to help out! Here he is 'helping out' with licking the beater!

And Tyler is talking like crazy now and repeating EVERYTHING! This morning he and Zac were fighting over 'helping' me with making frosting and I was telling them to stay out of certain things. Tyler all of sudden said, "Mommy, driving me nuts"! Wonder where he ever heard such a thing!!!

Some of his other favorite sayings right now are:

"Tywler do it"! (Tyler do it)

"Wook, Wook" (Look, Look)

And when he's standing in front of the Christmas tree "No touch. Just wook"

Guess we need to work on the "L" sound!

This makes him look like a magician but he's really just dropping his toy snake!

Grandma and Aunt Gail arrive like 'Cousin Eddie' in the RV!

Grandma Pam and my Aunt Gail have been driving from NY and heading down to Brownsville, TX in a small motorhome. They've been visiting family along the way and we were their latest stop. They stayed for the weekend and enjoyed the boys. We went to downtown McKinney for a Christmas lights parade (and I forgot the camera). I had too many warm clothing preperations to worry about! I am out of practice and proud of it! It was 38 degrees outside that evening! We also celebrated Grandma's birthday and she got a photo op with both boys! They look so thrilled but really enjoyed the visit!

Tyler is REALLY excited about something!
Zac giving Grandma love!
Tyler's turn!
And who would have thought that you'd see Tom cleaning the plaster off the sides of a pool in below freezing temperatures in TX? I don't think Tom did!

First Snowfall in Texas!

It's pretty rare that we see snow stick to the ground at all here in Texas and even more rare for it to be this early in the season. The boys loved it of course but I was just reminded that I am thankful that I don't live in NY anymore! This was all before Zac went to school at about 7:45am!

Thanksgiving and finished pool

This is a surprising photo. They were wearing matching monster truck shirts and that seemed to bond them!

Zac helping to make pigs in a blanket for Thanksgiving appetizers
Zac helping stuff the turkey. Tom looks a little warm in the background!

Tyler enjoying pigs in a blanket!
Thanksgiving dinner with Laura and Eric
Anxiously waiting to decorate the tree



The pool is finished!

Cats out of the bag - or Tyler the crib

Tyler woke up really early this morning and was making a lot of noise playing in his crib. He must have woke Zac up and Zac got tired of staying in his own room so he went in Tyler's room to play with him. They've done this the last two mornings and it's really cute to listen to them giggling together.

All of sudden though, Tom and I just stopped what we were doing and looked at each other. Tyler's voice wasn't on his monitor anymore. He was out of his crib! He's never done that before. I went running up the stairs and found both boys on their way downstairs! I said to Zac "How did your brother get out of his crib?"

Zac smiled and very proudly told me: "I told him to just swing his leg over the side"

Happy Halloween!

Tyler turned 2 on October 29th. He had the swine flu the poor guy but he was still willing to pose on his new fire truck couch!

He looks sick standing over his frosted brownies!

But they sure tasted good!

The boys carving pumpkins. Tom decided to make one a pig in honor of the swine flu!

Zac was a Ninja

Tyler was Nemo and we couldn't get his costume on him before Halloween. That night though, he seemed to know what was going on and put it on without a problem! He was a trooper! He walked right up to each house and said "trick or treat" and "thank you" every time! The boy will do anything for candy!


Here they are trying to trick or treat from Grandma and Grandpa at their own house!
Checking out their loot the next morning...

Pumpkin Patch and Pool Construction

The boys in their matching Halloween shirts from Grandma Pam

Zac's 4th annual trip to the Big Orange Pumpkin Patch

Tyler looks like a giant in front of these tiny pumpkins!

Today is also the first day of our pool construction.

Today is digging the hole...

I'll continue to update with progress shots!