The Making of a Christmas Photo

This is a silent hint of what it is like to get one simple picture for a Christmas card:

The Firetruck

Dennis (aka Bryce) thought he was a firetruck tonight. Paul started a fire in the fireplace. Our fireplace is gas started. Paul turned on the gas and lit the four or five holes in the pipe the gas comes out of. Bryce went up and started blowing on it. Paul says "You will never blow those out, no matter how hard you try. See, watch." He then turns and (much to his surprise) blows them out. We all start laughing at him, and then Dennis goes back to blowing at it. Paul put a log on and it started burning. Then it was Dennis continually blowing on it. I told Dennis there was a fire and we needed a firetruck(his obsession). He started spitting on the fire (apparantly HE was the firetruck). He found that when he spits on it the fire crackles, and a whole new game began!!!

New Buddies

The boys and I have a game where when I see their belly buttons I ask what they are and then, of course, I have to tickle them. Bryce was lifting his shirt earlier and I asked "What is that?" "My belly buddy." "Belly buddy?" I asked. "Yeah, belly buddy." Now he is walking around saying his belly is his buddy!!

For those of you who did not get the last post - I was referring to Dennis the Menace. Although it is not on TV anymore, I believe Bryce watches him somehow because he manages to get in as much or more trouble than Dennis the Menace ever did!! This is what I will now call him!

What Is Your Name

Because this morning was the first time Bryce ever answered the question "What is your name?" correctly, I have been asking him throughout the day. Sometimes he says "name" and sometimes he says "Bry". He would not answer me a few minutes ago so I asked him if his name was Dennis. He said "Yeah, name Dennis." I just asked him again what his name was and he said Dennis. It is really a much more fitting name than the one he has. He even has the blond hair!!!

Hey Cutie!

This morning while grocery shopping a lady said "Hi cutie" to Bryce. Bryce quietly replies "That not my name." The lady starts laughing and asked what his name is and he sweetly replies "Bry" It was really sweet.

Everytime Isaac and Bryce sees a police officer they call them police hoppers. Now they have everyone in the house calling them police hoppers.

Ruined Surprises

Paul went after work today and got one of his Christmas presents, an RC airplane. He brought it home and I took it from him and told him he could not have it until Christmas. He whined and complained, of course. Caleb came in and I told him to look at Daddy's Christmas present. He starts whispering, "I know what it is, it is a RC plane." I started laughing. I said "yes it is a plane." Caleb got mad and said "Mom, now Daddy knows what it is!" Okay, Paul was standing there, heard everything! I told Caleb that Daddy had already seen it, since he went and bought it!!

My Campe Food

Caleb wrote this story at school for Papa. "I didn't know how to spell Papa so I used Grandpa instead, but he is still Papa." So Papa, this story is for you!!

My Campe Food
by: Caleb

I Like to eat at camp with my Granpoul. we eat HotDogs and pancaks and mantin treats. The mantin treats are mantin bars. everyone loves them. we have fun. we like to eat thats are feverit.

Now for those of you who don't get that, let me write it how he read it. I like to eat at camp with my Grandpa. We eat hotdog and pancakes and mountain treats. The mountain treats are mountain bars. Everyone loves them. We have fun. We like to eat, that is our favorite.

More Party Pics

Ahoy Matey!

Well, Caleb had his birthday party on Saturday. It was a pirate theme, and turned out pretty well. We only had 3 other 7 year olds come over, but also had their siblings. Caleb was shy at first and would not come out. Then he came out and went overboard showing off! Things finally leveled off, and the kids seemed to have fun. We started with them just playing while we cooked hot dogs and hamburgers.

After we ate, we played some Pin the Patch on the Pirate. Paul drew the pirate by himself. He did a great job!

Then we ate cake. I made a strawberry yogurt cake, that Caleb asks for every year, and a Pirate Ship cake.

Then we opened presents. He got some nice presents. He got a Rock Crawling Jeep from us, some Magic Tree House books, a RC 4 wheeler, an army helicopter, Furby, some stamps and art supplies (hopefully I did not forget anything). After he opened presents they played Chicken Limbo (that was one of his presents). That was pretty interesting to see!! Then they went out and played with the RC cars, and ran around outside. We had some activities to do, but it was too wild to get to do them. They left with treasure boxes full of pirate booty (treasure).

Brag on Isaac

Yesterday when we were sitting at Caleb's school waiting on it to get out, Isaac sang his ABC's and counted to 10 by himself. For some this seems like no big deal, but if you knew what we had been through, you would understand! I am so proud of him!

Prophet Furby

Caleb got a Furby for his birthday. We had to exchange the one he actually got because apparently if Furby gets dropped he quits working (we assume that is what happened - he did not work when we got him). He had a black one which is the one he has wanted then we went and found this one. They are pretty cute, actually!

Well, the other night I told Paul I thought the batteries might need to be changed. I asked if Furby would forget everything he had learned when you change the batteries. Caleb overheard the conversation and asked "Are all of his teachings in there?" Paul and I just died laughing and said "yes, Prophet Furby carries his teachings in his batteries!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALEB

Today is Caleb's birthday! I have heard about this day since a year ago. He has been counting down everyday, which is good math practice (positive spin on the annoyance of hearing it everyday). He got up this morning and I kept calling him to come in so I could give him his birthday "kiss" (aka birthday spanking). Actually he gets both. He finally came in my room and stood in the doorway and sadly replied, "I changed my mind, I don't want to have a birthday." "Why not?" I asked quizzically. "Because I like being six and I don't want to be seven." Let me remind you that for the last several months if anyone calls him a 6 year old he says to call him 7, because he is close enough to 7. I thought you were supposed to be excited about your birthday until you were "older" (that is a relative term). He left very mopey this morning, I hope he snaps out of it before his party on Saturday! There will be pictures of the party posted this weekend.

Caleb and His Girlfriends

Caleb went to a friends house after church on Sunday. I guess he got tired of playing so he went to help his friends sister clean her room. She gave him some candy, I guess for helping. He came home and was sitting in a chair staring at the candy and in a daze says "I became really good friends with Jake's sister today!" SHE IS 5 YEARS OLDER!! This is also added to the 4 or 5 girlfriends he already has (at least the others are his age)!

"Of course I'd like to be the ideal mother. But I'm to busy raising children." - Bill Keane

Aunt Quack Quack

I was IMing my sister this morning. Her name is Heather, but Bryce calls her Heder. I was trying to get him to say Aunt Heather, he smiles and says Aunt Quack quack, and then starts giggling and runs off. We love you Aunt Quack Quack!!!

Land of Make Believe

Okay, maybe it is not that he is beginning to think he is a firetruck, I think he just lives in the Land of Make Believe. We went and picked up Isaac from preschool to take him to therapy. We were leaving the preschool and Bryce shouts "Oh no!" I turn around quickly thinking something terrible has happened. I asked him what the problem was and he replys with a very sad look on his face "the firetruck is broken, the firetruck is broken." After a sigh of relief I play along. "It is? What is wrong with it?" "No water!" he says looking like he is going to burst into tears. I asked him if he can fix the problem and make it work again. He smiles ear to ear and says "Yeah, I fix!" Hope there is not a fire in Make Believe any time soon!

I Firetruck

I think Bryce is really starting to believe he is a firetruck and fireman. When I ask Bryce to hold my hand when we are out, he always responds with "No, I firetruck!" or "No, I fireman!" More and more when Paul and I ask him to do something this is the response we get. I always just laugh and tell him that when he becomes a firetruck or fireman he does not have to hold my hand anymore. He usually giggles and says okay.

Jail Police

Last night on the way to church, Caleb was telling Isaac what to do if he wanted to see a police officer. I am not even sure why he was telling Isaac this, I never heard anything about a police officer being said, and I never saw one, but he likes to hear himself talk (he will tell you that) so he makes things up often.

Caleb: Isaac, do you want to see a police officer?
Isaac: Yeah!
Caleb: Okay, well all you have to do is go steal something or do something bad, but you have to make sure someone is watching you. When they see you stealing, they will call the police officer and he will take you to jail. You have to go to jail to see the jail police you know.

It almost scares me some of the conversations that child comes up with!!