Our "1st" Christmas

This year for Christmas we decided we were going to spend the entire day at home...just us...and our pjs. Best decision ever. Titus woke up at 6:45 and we were ready with video camera in hand. His reaction was hysterical. He peeked out his door and down the hall. Then ran in our room and would slowly creep back out and down the hall. I have no idea why he was so hesitant. Eventually he made his way out to us and immediately started playing with his new train. I never thought I would be the type to buy the big train table...but this Christmas we did just that. We've been to several stores in the past few months that had a train table set up and at each store Titus went right to it and played so intently. We decided to make that his gift this Christmas. He played with it all day.

We played with new toys, watched basketball and "It's a Wonderful Life." We ate all day. We read books. We slept. It was perfect.

Steve spoiled me with jewelry and a spa gift card. The perfect gift for me this year. A year when I felt as though I started to lose myself. As a mom of two this year I feel as though I have no time to do anything other than care for the kids and keep the house in order. I stay in pajamas all day if we aren't leaving the house. His gift is a treat for sure.

I say this was our "1st" Christmas because it was the first time we did it on our own. The first one that I cooked for. I loved it. I planned and prepared and decorated our dining area. I took recipes from several of the women in our family. This Christmas was the beginning of our own traditions. Years down the road when we have grown children, possibly even grandchildren, we'll look back on this Christmas as the start of it all. Spending Christmas day together...just us. I'll post more on Christmas day later.

I know that living in Florida for two years, away from all other family, helped me to re-define family. We love, adore and cherish our separate families. But we have a strong bond within our own little family of four. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. We are stronger and more bonded together because of the time we spent away.

We ended up spending several days in a row together due to the snow that came the day after Christmas. It started to snow around noon and continued until after dark. We got around 6 inches. It blew into little drifts that were perfect for Titus to run through. He filled his new little wagon with snow and pulled it around the yard. Steve stayed in with Quincy where it was warm and I ventured out in the cold with Titus...twice. It was a nice change as I am usually the one in with Quincy nursing while the bigger boys are outside. It was fun to experience the snowfall with Titus. It took us forever to get him dressed and out the door. He would say he wanted to stay in because it's too cold outside. Once he was out he loved it and asked to go out again as soon as we came in.





He didn't realize how deep it was and when he went in over his boots he said, "this is not fun. Then when he lost his mitten in the snow he said, "this was an idea." I asked if he meant a bad idea and he said, "yes, this was a bad idea."










We came in for some warm apple juice and cinnamon toast-

Merry Christmas from the Mayos

First Snow.

Well, kinda. It was just a dusting. I was excited and wanted Titus to be also. I dressed the boys in their snowmen pajamas (from Steve's mom) that night and let Titus run in the snow the next morning.


I'm discovering Quincy isn't the most photogenic at this age. :)

peek-a-boo

He loved it.




But then got cold and asked to come inside. :)

Life with Two Kids

My days consist of-

laundry. I usually do two loads per day. I skipped yesterday and today feel overwhelmed at the sight of the laundry basket. There is almost always a pile of clean clothes on our bed waiting to be folded and put away. I was never like this before. One day last week in an attempt to get it tackled, I brought Quincy in with me-

Then Titus joined us, which was the end of my getting anything folded. His nose is painted red from his reindeer dancing.

feeding. Quincy is still nursing every two hours...which would explain why he's HUGE. Titus has been into snacking rather than eating meals. It's been a battle that I feel like I'm losing.

diapers. Titus regressed after Quincy was born so we have two in diapers. I always heard that phrase, "two in diapers" like it was such a horrible thing...it kind of is. I am using cloth diapers with Quincy mostly. Otherwise we'd be continually buying boxes of diapers. We are making our second attempt to train Titus over Christmas break. I figure it's as good a time as any. Steve will be home to help and it's so cold out we rarely leave the house now anyway.

picking up...everything and anything. Titus' cars and trucks, puzzle pieces, nativity scene pieces, cups, snacks. Quincy's blankets, toys, pacifiers. Steve's paper clips. My slippers. Miscellaneous socks, papers, towels, books. It never seems to end. I am in a constant battle to keep the house organized.

grooming. I find that I am now responsible for keeping six ears clean and sixty nails clipped. Unfortunately I can now relate to the phrase "letting oneself go." Another battle I am fighting...and losing.

cooking. Barely. I try to make a dinner schedule for the week, but rarely stick to it.

Somedays I feel like I failed as a mother. We watch too much tv. I snap ocassionally. We snack too much. I didn't "educate" enough.

Somedays I feel like I fail as a wife. Steve and I don't really catch up with each other's lives until the weekends. He is busy with school work until late at night. I go to bed early. I don't encourage him enough.

Somedays I feel like I fail as a friend. I don't send cards on time. I don't always return phone calls or e mails or texts.

This journey of mothering two is new and tiring and, at times, overwhelming.

But boy do I love my boys!


Titus has his mouth full of snack on the first one. :)

Compassion

This morning Titus brought his box of trucks and cars out to play with and I noticed the box had broken. I told him it broke because he stands on it and said it makes me sad that he broke his box. We're really trying to teach him to take care of his things. He came over to me and hugged me and said, "Awww, I'm here, Fonti is here."

When Quincy cries he goes to him and says, "I'm here, Quince. Daddy's here. Mommy's here. Fonti's here." He quickly tells me to "pick him up." He gets sad when his little brother cries.

He asks occasionally, "Mommy are you sad?" or "Daddy are you sad?"

When I was pregnant I prayed many times over that my baby would be compassionate. I really thought I was having a girl when I found out the name we had chosen for a daughter meant "compassionate.":) Though I was wrong about the girl, I am so glad that my little boy has a heart of compassion.

Brrrr.

Titus' thoughts on the cold weather-

After watching the forecast with me, "Why does the weather always tell us it's so cold?!"

When I told him to play in the playroom, "No, it's cold out there."

My thoughts on the cold-

The fall was cozy and I loved to snuggle up with my newborn Quincy on the couch and sip cappuccino. The winter is giving me cabin fever. And it's only just begun.

Going through the process of bundling up two kids and taking them out in the cold and wind isn't worth it to me to leave the house.

It took me until last week to remember that we need coats when we go out.

I miss grocery shopping in flip flops and a sundress in December, January, February and March...all year long really.

If not for our living in Florida the past two years, I wouldn't have realized how much of a hassle it is to live with kids in a cold weather place, or how easy it can be when you don't. It was cheaper too. No coats, hats, gloves. One season of clothes all year round. Titus only ever wore t-shirts and shorts. I could buy his winter wardrobe off the end of summer clearance rack.

Steve's thoughts on the cold-

He hates it.

Today it's cold and rainy. He says the only positive there is that the rain doesn't have to be shoveled.

He didn't enjoy writing a check for $625.00 to fill the oil tank to heat us through the winter.

Quincy's thoughts on the cold-

A Reindeer and a Moose

Titus has been watching a taping of the 25th Annual Ft. Lauderdale Christmas Pageant that we went to while in Florida. It's an amazing pageant that the First Baptist Church of Ft. Lauderdale puts on each year. It starts with fun Christmas songs and then goes into the story of Jesus from birth to resurrection. When we were home (in PA) last year for Christmas we saw it here on the christian television station-look out for it, it's great! There's a really fun section of kids songs and dancing in the video that we have and Titus loves it. He dances and tries to sing along. It's always funny to hear him sing along to songs that he doesn't know the words to. His words are always different than the songs. :) There is one song called the "Reindeer Jive." He says it's his song. At one point it says to shake your tail. He was watching it last night and said, "Hey, I don't have a tail."

I knew they sold reindeer antlers at Target in the dollar section so when we were there today we picked some up. He couldn't wait to get home and dance to his song.



Then we had to get some moose antlers for Quincy.



Our little critters-

The Faces of Quincy, Gingerbread Houses and Baby Jesus Takes a Ride

Making gingerbread houses has been a tradition in our family for as far back as I can remember. We would make them each Christmas season with my grandmother (mom's mom). It was so great to see Titus make his first one this Christmas with my mom and sister and his cousins, Clara and Jackson. He was so excited and kept asking my mom, "Grammy do you like it?!"









It seems the only thing that Titus plays with these days are his cars and trucks. I was thrilled to see him playing with his nativity this morning. When I got a little closer, I realized why he was suddenly so interested in it-


The wisemen were on their sides...he said the trucks got them. :) Gotta love little boys.