Cold Crazy Cami

I'm not sure if it is the freezing weather outside or the fact that almost everyone I normally see is gone for the holidays, but life has gotten a little bit boring here, at least we are bored which results in crankiness and craziness.

Sometimes I don't realize how little I converse with other people. It is probably because I write so much, or because I have little dialogue's going on in my head that I don't realize how in need I am of actually interacting with other people. There is only so much talking with a 3 year old and a 1 year old one woman can handle. But I feel like I could be a lot more patient if I just tried. So I have lost my temper way too many times over the past few weeks of the cold stretch. I miss the sunshine. I love this weather, but I just miss the sun.

Josh has been very patient with me though. He gets cranky and whiny, but all considering, he is pretty good. He and Caleb are both very creative. The cupboards in our kitchen are caves, storage facilities for everything that shouldn't be there (like my no longer missing sock and cell phone), perfect for peek-a-boo and all sorts of other games that I don't even understand. Josh has taken to grabbing three Ziploc bags or three trash bags (always three, I don't know why) and putting toys or shoes or other items in them and carrying them around. I would love to dive into that brain of his and see what his imagination is leading him to do, but it is fascinating to watch.

Caleb was actually the one that started the climbing in the cupboards craze. I found his two little feet dangling off the bottom shelf the other day, and that is all I could see. It was hilarious, and ever since then, they are the coolest thing. I hate that I can't ever find my pots and pans now and you want a can of food? Well, good luck finding the right one, some of them have been delabeled, so that should be fun. Mystery meal in a can. :)

I often feel bad when I look back on my day and I see so many times when I should have just stayed calm. The boys are just as bored as I am. And they are so cute. I love watching them grow up, there is nothing like it in the world. There are moments when I wish I could go somewhere, anywhere, away from these boys and work, actually feel productive. But then, if I had missed Josh's "cave spelunking" or Caleb's puppy dog impressions, I would have missed too much.

I am so excited for Christmas! I can't wait to see their little faces as they open all their presents (and man, they have quite a few piling up in the back room. It looks like Santa's workshop back there). I think I am way more excited than they are. :)

Merry Christmas from the crazy Cami!

This is my dirty jobs a mike rowe

Yesterday Josh kept climbing into the lower cupboards. At first it was driving me crazy, then I noticed he had a colander on his head.

Me: "Josh, what are you doing?"
Josh: "Me climbin in deese caves."

So I think, spelunking? Then a little while later I hear him muttering "this my dirty jobs a mike rowe."

Then it clicks, we had watched an episode of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe climbing into caves with a helmet on. All makes sense. I'm glad Josh's imagination is so hilarious and I wonder if Mike Rowe knows his audience and fan club extend to three year old children. :)

Thanksgiving...the turkey is getting fat

Sorry this post is a little out of date and late, but here are the pictures anyways. We always make homemade butter and the kids LOVE it. That is Dad's job while I do other things, like gut the turkey, so gross but so cool at the same time.

We also made oreo turkeys and that was so fun. Caleb simply can't get enough of the gumdrops. He was mad when we ran out. :)

I love Josh, the ham or turkey, those are really the names I call him. :)

Preservatives

Gloves, now preserved all year round.

Truckload of Appendages

Josh loves the 'Cootie' game, but the things he does with the pieces, I find it a little morbid, carting around limbs. :)

Cabin Fever

From looking at all these pictures, I realize we have been inside all the time lately, that is probably because it is FREEZING outside. So my kids probably do have cabin fever, no wonder Josh has been a little over the top cranky lately. Anyways, as you can tell from the pictures, this is just random stuff that happens here.

Kenni and I took Josh to see "Tangled." It was awesome! Kenni got Josh his own chocolate milk and he was in heaven! He loved the movie, but I think he was even more excited about the milk. Hehe.

Zuri and Caleb, in a box.

Josh fast asleep after church.

This is Caleb in the end of Josh's bed. He does this all by himself. So funny.

Blue's Clues Birthday Bash

Dear Joshua,

I know your birthday was last week, but I am just now getting around to posting about it. Sorry munchkin. So, you LOVE Blue's Clues. I am okay with that because Blue is pretty cute and you learn stuff. You talk a lot about your thinking chair and finding clues and talking about the weather and going on nature walks. So I wanted to make a cake that looked like Blue. I kind of threw a party together, but all your friends and their parents are awesome and we had a full house. Tommy, Jack, Ethnie, Leo, Eleanore, and Zuri all came (and of course their parents), and Uncle Chanson, Aunt Cassie, and Adopted Aunt Tori. Not to mention Grandparents on the phone and such. Everyone loves you my little three year old. I sure do. Thanks for being my little buddy and keeping me company for the past 3 years and 9 months. :) You are crazy and dramatic and talk ALL the time until other people are around and then you will only make animal noises. Needless to say, you are crazy. But with your genetics, you didn't have much hope at being normal, sorry about that. :) I love you kiddo, I love you more than I can begin to explain. Happy 3rd Birthday!

Love,

Mama

Washing my Puppy

Tonight Tyson was gone at a church meeting this evening and so I was in charge of putting the kids in bed by myself. I have gotten pretty wimpy about doing that alone. So I am giving them a bath (yes I am trying to do that more often, hehe), and Josh loves to dump water out of this plastic cup. He also has deflated this plastic whale, so it is now in the shape of a cup, and he drinks out if it. Pretty funny, but anyways, so Josh starts dumping water on Caleb. So I keep trying to tell him not to because that isn't nice. So Josh says,
"Me washing Caleb, Mama." and he proceeds to rub Caleb's back like I do when I wash them with soap. So I start laughing because it always makes me laugh how much he mimicks me. Then he says,
"You my puppy, Caleb? You like taking a bath, yeah?" And he keeps rubbing Caleb's back and pouring water on him. Caleb didn't mind at all. But funny thing is, we don't have a dog, and I don't think Josh has ever seen one get a bath. Where does he discover these things? Probably Blue's Clues or something. Who knows...

Land of Autumn-Fall

Caleb finally fits in the white shirt and vest we have, he looks like such a hunk. I really love the Fall in Virginia, the colors and the smell are just perfect. Lately, the afternoons have been so nice and warm. It is even better now that we have our own yard with awesome oak trees that are gorgeous in color.

But with trees, come leaves, that fall and need to be raked. That is fine, Tyson does most of the work, and Josh loves to help. Caleb doesn't so much though. But I love being outside together with my little clan.

Caleb has discovered suckers and as you can see, loves them. Josh likes to share his when he gets sick of them. :)

He is also old enough for time out now. It is so sad and so funny. He has grown up so fast.

Josh is still dealing with refusing to nap, which makes him fall asleep earlier, usually on the couch. So cute.

Here is Josh's "look like Daddy" outfit. I love it. I just want to hug him.

I love my family! I love the Fall!

Laymon Family Farms-the coolest corn maze place ever!

We went with the youth earlier this month to a place a little drive away. It was freezing, but SO much fun! Josh and Caleb had the time of their lives and I'm so glad we got to go. The workers there gave Caleb a little pumpkin, it was so cute and he LOVED it.

Isn't my husband so cute?

Not only was there a corn maze, there was a huge jumping pillow thing, little Josh is in this picture. The young women were so nice to hang out with him up there.

Coolest underground slide ever.

A sand box, without sand, but corn kernels.

The cow train. So much fun!

Josh LOVED chasing Daddy in the corn maze.

PS- I love cold weather because of the little boys in the way they look in hats, so cute.

Corn and pumpkin shooting.

I want a goat, they are adorable.

Some young men in the cow train. Each cow had its own name. Will loved "Orec," really Oreo, but it did look like Orec. :)

Huzza for the coolest (literally and figuratively) activity ever!

Halloween

Chanson's birthday too! So much fun to have him here. German chocolate cake for our German speaking boy.