Christmas 2008

We had a wonderful Christmas at the Dees house! Once again, we didn't get very many good pictures this year... it's hard to keep up with the kids and take pictures too! Also, I need a camera that can focus faster...

Jordan's Mom came and spent the night with us on Christmas Eve. We went to the Christmas Eve service at church, and then came home and had soup. Aidan and Gresham opened their presents for each other, which is becoming a tradition to do on Christmas Eve. We had a really good time together, and I was thankful that the kids got over their various viruses in time for Christmas!

Aidan got this football from Gresham. This was really the only thing he asked for this year. His friends in the neighborhood like to "play" football, and he really wanted his own ball!

After having Christmas morning at our house, we packed up and went to my parents' house for more presents and Christmas dinner!

Help! Who knows digital cameras?

This picture was taken at a Christmas party last weekend. This was the only decent shot I got of the boys together - and it's fuzzy! Most of the other pictures were clear, but they weren't good poses. Our camera seems to do this a lot. It's a Sony 5.1 megapixel Cyber-shot that we bought 3 years ago. Anyone have any thoughts?

8 more days...

...until the ultrasound!

Mom: Aidan, next week we get to find out if our baby is a girl or a boy!
Aidan: Oh. Does the baby have hair now?
Mom: Maybe. I'm not sure. Probably not much.
Aidan. Well, then how can they tell if it's a girl?
Mom: Oh, did you think they would say it's a girl if it has long hair??
Aidan: Yes.
Mom: That's not how they tell...
Aidan: Well, then how do they tell?
Dad: Well Aidan, you have boy parts... and so they look for those.
Aidan: Oh, okay.

It would have been easier to just go myself...

Mom: Phooey, we're out of scotch tape, and I need to wrap the gifts to mail to California tomorrow. Aidan, can you go next door and ask to borrow some scotch tape?
Aidan: Ok! Um, well, actually I think it's too dark.
Mom: It's not too dark. You'll be fine.
Aidan: I don't want to go. It's too dark.
Mom: Would you like a flashlight to take with you?
Aidan: Yes.
Mom: Oh, they're all out of batteries.
Aidan: What kind are these?
Mom: Those are AAA. We need AA.
Aidan: Oh.
Mom: Just go without a flashlight. They'll have their Christmas lights on. You'll be fine.
Aidan: How about my Lightning McQueen flashlight?
Mom: It's out of batteries too, just go.
Aidan: How about... ok.
(Aidan goes out, and comes back in.)
Aidan: It's cold!
Mom: JUST GO!
Aidan: I am, I'm just getting my gloves on!
(Aidan goes out)
Mom: Aidan, the door is not shut all the way! Come back and fix it!

And then Aidan finally comes back with tape!

Aidan...

A couple weeks ago, Aidan asked me, "So... were you and Dad friends before you got married?" I told him yes. "So you marry someone you're friends with?"
"Yes," I said.
"Good," he said, "then I can marry Abby."

Aidan and Abby have liked each other since they were babies. Seriously. We used to live near them in our apartment complex, so they saw each other a lot, and have always been great friends. Aidan is on his very best behavior for Abby, and has somehow managed to get her to think that he is neat, thoughtful, and responsible. Her mom told me that Abby came home from Sunday School talking about how "some of the boys would just tear up the house, but not Aidan..." I thought, "Is this my Aidan we're talking about??? The boy who prides himself on not changing socks?"

So after having the above conversation, Aidan asked Abby to marry him at children's choir. He told me just tonight, "She was so embarrassed when I asked her, but she said that she had been thinking the same thing (about marrying him).

Jordan told him that he is not allowed to talk about it anymore... 5 is too young to be deciding who you are going to marry. But it will sure be interesting to see how this plays out when they are older...

Insanity

Two year olds are interesting creatures. They can go from cute and sweet to screaming maniacs in about 2 seconds. They possess a lot of power (and volume) with about zero self-control. For the most part, I really love having Gresham in our home, but the past couple of days, I have wanted to sell him to the highest bidder...

Friday night was my school's Christmas concert. Jordan had to work until right before the concert, so I had to get the boys ready by myself and get us all to the church in time to tune instruments. Gresham woke up from his nap, and I told him that we were going to a concert "to hear violins and cellos." "No!" he whined. "What kind of concert did you want to go to?" I asked, because he had previously been really excited about this concert. He thought a minute, and then said, "A zoo concert!" (???????) He then whined about the color of sippy cup he had, and had an all-out fit over the flavor of yogurt presented to him. We got in the van without shoes and socks on, because I figured I would put those on while he was strapped into the carseat.

Saturday wasn't much better. We went to Target to grocery shop, and he kept grabbing things off the shelves. We couldn't just go down the center of each aisle (so that he couldn't reach) because Target was so busy. He pulled some fruit cups off the shelf on one aisle, and they broke. While the nice Target man was mopping that up, Aidan was staring at him instead of watching where he was going, and ran into the cart with his face. Then on the next aisle, Gresham pulled spaghetti off the shelf. I moved the cart over so he couldn't reach. He yelled, "No sir, Mommy! No sir, Mommy!" We left without buying much, but that was okay since I had forgotten the list at home...

Today we went out for lunch after church. Gresham screamed because he couldn't have more macaroni and cheese. He screamed about not wanting a roll, and then decided to eat the whole roll in two bites. He screamed for ice cream. He did get to have some ice cream, after he changed his attitude and asked the right way. But that didn't last long... he had another fit over me wiping his mouth that lasted until about halfway home.

What a fiery little personality he has! I am realizing every day how much I need to pray for his salvation, and that the Lord would change his little heart!

Poor Gresham

My poor Gresham has a terrible cold. This may be his worst one yet - itchy eyes, fever, horrible runny nose. He hates to drink anything but water, but today I offered him some juice to try to get some vitamin c in him. He tried the juice, and then put his cup on the table and left the kitchen.

Later he came back and said, "I need drink. (Takes a drink). Mommy, please put the juice away (meaning dump it out). Put water in it. I can't like the juice. Please put water in it."

He's pretty verbal for a two year old!

Hopefully he will be better soon, because on Friday night I have my school Christmas concert. I think he was sick this same week last year too...

Also, the other day, I asked him how to spell Gresham. He said, "Let's see here... M-S-Y." He knows a lot of "school language" from listening to Aidan do school, and it's pretty funny to hear him use it!

BOYS!

The other day, Aidan announced to me, "Mom, I've been wearing this same pair of socks for three days now! I'm going to try to make it all week!"

I will say that this is better than the three pairs per day that he was going through for a while (every time we went somewhere, he got out a clean pair), but I think that we can find some middle ground here. Like maybe one clean pair every day!

Appointment Update

On Monday I went to the doctor, and I heard the heartbeat this time! I am almost 15 weeks now. Our next appointment will be on Dec. 30, and we will have our level II ultrasound and hopefully find out the gender then! Yea!

On a less exciting note, I went to a periodontist yesterday, and he said that I need gum surgery. :-( He is going to graft tissue from the roof of my mouth to one of my bottom teeth that needs it. It needs to be done now, but we are going to try to wait until after the baby is born because he doesn't like to take the risk of working on pregnant people... It won't be a lot of fun either way!

At least everything with the baby looks good!