The diner

We took the kids to the diner for dinner tonight. John wanted eggs and toast for dinner. Gillian wanted pancakes. We ordered and the kids entertained themselves by coloring on their menus. Gillian then announced to everyone, "I have to go potty!" I ran her to the bathroom, shushing her the entire time. Gillian took care of business and we were back at the table. After sitting down for less than thirty seconds, Gillian said "I gotta go poop!" Once again, I ran her across the diner and she took care of business. Luckily dinner arrived shortly after our second trip to the bathroom. Daddy ordered a Belgium waffle. Gillian took one look at it and said "I want that!" Daddy said "But you have pancakes!" Gillian said "But I want that." And Daddy traded with her. John was jealous, but in the end everyone got a piece of the waffle.  

Sunday morning

I was the first one awake today (rare on a weekend). I went downstairs and started a load of laundry, emptied the dishwasher and made a dozen pumpkin muffins. As I was putting the tray of muffins in the oven, I was joined by John. "Mom? I didn't know you were awake!" He worked on some Legos while I sat and drank my coffee. He showed me his latest creation and Gillian joined us. She gave me a big squeezie and hung out with us. John asked "Mommy? Can we have some of those muffins?" I gave them the muffins and they sat nicely and ate their breakfast together. We shared a nice relaxing morning with no requests to watch TV. What a nice way to start the day!

Pushing

I had the following conversation with Gillian today:

Me: How was your day?

Gillian: I push Julia. 

Me: Pushing is not nice. Why did you push your friend?

Gillian: She had a baby. I want it. 

Me: That's not nice. You need to share the toys. 

Gillian: I push Julia off the seesaw. 

Me: What?

Gillian: I push Julia off the seesaw. I go timeout. 

Me: Why did you push Julia?

Gillian: Cause I couldn't see Nicholas. 

Me: Gillian!?!? You pushed Julia twice?

Gillian: I go to timeout. I say sorry. 

I know. Kids push. But I am more upset with the fact that she is so nonchalant about it.  

The Adventures of Buddy the Elf

Our Elf on the Shelf arrives the day after Thanksgiving.  His name is Buddy.  Buddy is one of Santa's messengers.  He comes to visit the kids during the day and then goes back to the north pole at night and reports back to Santa.  The next day, Buddy will be found in a different spot.  Buddy was a little adventurous and silly this year.  Here are all the places the kids found him this year:

November 23 - Buddy ate one of Mommy's cookies:

November 24 - Buddy needed to brush his teeth:

 

November 25 - Buddy had a tea party with Rapunzel:

November 26 - Buddy SMASH!

November 27 - Buddy went fishing:



November 28 - Buddy read some of the kids "friends" his book:

November 29 - Buddy tried all of Gillian's bows

 

November 30 - Buddy made snowflakes

December 1 - Buddy trapped the kids in their rooms

December 2 - Buddy made "snow angels" in some of Mommy's flour

December 3 - Buddy got tangled in some Christmas lights

December 4 - Buddy checked out the Christmas tree

 

December 5 - Buddy went bungee jumping with a slinky





December 6 - Buddy needed to relax after bungee jumping.  He took a bubble bath.

 

December 7 - Buddy went cruising with Barbie



 

December 8 - Buddy was just hanging out in Gillian's room

December 9 - Buddy borrowed John's favorite friend, Travis! John said "I was holding him so tight!  I don't know how Buddy got him out of my arms!"

December 10 - Buddy got stuck in a jar

December 11 - Buddy roasted marshmallows.  According to John "He's marshing marshmallows!"

December 12 - Buddy found a marker and made John & Gillian's pictures look silly.  Gillian did not like it all.  She kept saying "He make me scary!"

 

December 13 - Buddy helped decorate the Christmas tree

December 14 - Buddy was hanging out in Mommy & Daddy's room. 

 

December 15 - Buddy found the kids at Mimi & Poppy's house.  And then he disappeared and ended up back at our house.

 

December 16 - Buddy left the kids craft project.  John loved it so much.  In the middle of building it he got up, ran over to Buddy and said "Thank you!"

 

December 17 - Buddy went mountain climbing up Mommy's hutch



 

December 18 - Buddy left John a note.  "Listen Better."

December 19 - Buddy made a hot air balloon out of a birthday balloon for Daddy.

December 20 - Buddy left the kids a snack.  Cookies that look like Buddy!

December 21 - Buddy colored a picture

December 22 - It's a pirate's life for Buddy

December 23 - Buddy tricked John!  During dinner last night, John said "wouldn't it be funny if Buddy made a fake Buddy?"  Buddy must have heard John, because this morning there was a fake Buddy in John's room and the real Buddy was hiding in the living room.

 

December 24 - Buddy played a game of Candyland with Rex, Wolverine and Cinderella

We had so much fun looking for Buddy this year. Can't wait to see him again next year!


Gillian and her book

Gillian has grown up a lot over the past week.  Daddy and I are not sure if it was because we had nine days home with the kids so we were able to see it or if she is just at that stage.  She is talking a lot more.  She is more independent.  She used to wake up and stay in her bed until we came and got her, but now she gets up and walks downstairs all by herself.

Daddy has discovered that she is really good at finding animals in one of her books.  The video below showes Gillian looking in the book for animals and all her funny comments. 

Brielle Day

Today was Brielle Day.  For those that don't know, Brielle is a local town and they have a day every September with a 5K and 10K race, craft & food vendors sell their wares and the local fire engines give rides to the kids.  Daddy and I have been going to Brielle Day since we were little.  We started going again a few years ago and meeting up with my Mom, sisters and brother. 

Last night we told John that we were going to Brielle Day in the morning.  He immediately said "I remember! We went on the fire truck last time, and we got sprayed with water!"  He remembers everything.  I was showering this mroning and apparently, John went in to wake up Daddy.  John woke him up by saying "Today's the day we go on the fire truck!"

It was lightly raining when we arrived.  We walked past the last couple of 5K runners.  John, so nicely, ran along side of them and said "I'm the fastest runner.  I'm even faster than adults."  We then met up with Aunt Betty, Aunt Trish, Grandma, Grandpa, Sammie, Justin and Kyle.  We walked around looked at the crafts and assorted vendors.  Justin and John found some wooden guns that shoot rubber bands.  The nice vendor let the boys try them out and both decided they had to have one.  Well, Justin actually got two and John got one, but they were very happy with their purchase.  No Brielle Day is complete without some old fashioned sarsaprilla.  We enjoyed our sarsaprilla and headed over toward the fire truck rides. 

Aunt Trish, Aunt Betty, Justin, John, Kyle, Gillian and I went on the fire engine.  I'm sure I have mentioned it before, but Gillian does not like the fire whistle that goes off at the fire station behind our house.  So I was prepared for Gillian to not like the fire truck ride.  She loved it at first.  She leaned over and watched all the cars and waved to the people as we drove past.  But we made our first turn and the fire truck sounded its siren and that was it.  She jumped into my lap and didn't move.  We drove past the fire station where we got sprayed down with water.  Poor Gillian got hit with the most and was soaking wet.  As we started to approach Brielle Day, I told Gillian to look for Grandma and Daddy.  She started yelling "Grandma! Grandma!"  When she did finally see them, she burst into tears and started to cry.  I think the whole trip was a little overwhelming for her.  If you ask her now if she wants to take a ride on the fire truck, she quickly says "No!"   

After the fire truck rides, the rain started to get heavier.  We all headed back to Grandma & Grandpa's house for lunch.  Gillian and Sammie played with Gillian's babies while the boys played with their new guns.  John and Justin were dueling.  Don't worry.  We gave both of them strict instructions. No shooting their rubber band guns at anyone. 

 

  

Sharing

John was on his way to his swimming lesson and I was trying to put Gillian down for a nap. Gillian didn't want to take a nap and John let her take Travis the turtle. I asked him if he was sure. He said "She can have him as long as she wants." I am so proud of my boy.

Gillian took her nap with Travis, Kermit and her bear. Before I tucked Gillian into bed tonight, I sent told her to return Travis to John. She ran him into John's room and came back to her bed. I tucked her in and went into John's room for kisses. I told him that I was so proud of him. He said "I wanted her to have Travis for as many minutes as she wanted." I told him that she only napped with him. He was very disappointed. "Why?" I guess he wanted Gillian and Travis to have a fabulous adventure today. Maybe next time.