Phew!!!

Today Mitch had to go into work so I was flying solo with the boys. The good news is, I survived!! The day started early with the boys deciding 4:30 a.m. was a good time to get up (after a restless night).


The day's activities included a photo shoot. I wanted to get some more shots of the boys to add to the Xmas card. It wasn't easy - they weren't exactly interested in sitting still, let alone posing. Here are some of the shots I got:


After that, and after Tyler took a very brief nap (um, about 20 minutes), we bundled up and headed to the mall. Here's how Evan feels about his new winter hat:


But doesn't he look cute???


Our goal for the mall was to find snow suits and boots. We're expecting (hoping!) for some snow when we get to Vermont this week. We're excited to pull the boys around in a sled!! And even if there isn't snow there, the Farmer's Almanac is predicting a bad winter, so there is bound to be snow at some point!! I'm happy to report that we were successful and the boys are ready for some winter time fun!


Then it was back home for some lunch, some more play, and finally, a decent nap for Tyler (2 hours!). Evan, on the other hand, saw no need to nap today. Save for the snooze in the car on the way to the mall, and about 10 minutes in my arms late this afternoon, he was awake all day. It was much more important to practice his walking!!

Mitch arrived home at about 5:15, at which time I fled upstairs to finally take a shower! Then it was a normal evening - dinner, baths, and off to bed! Evan fell asleep quickly which was no surprise. I just hope he will stay asleep for a while.... I've started to forget what it feels like to sleep with just two of us in the bed. Our big king sized bed seems to be getting smaller every night!

Short work week ahead - we head to Vermont on Wednesday for Thanksgiving. I was supposed to get everything planned and prepared this weekend.... didn't exactly happen. Guess the next couple of evenings will be more hectic than usual. Oh well. Can't wait to get there, but not looking forward to the drive. Just hoping the weather cooperates!

My son???

Were it not for the fact that I remember giving birth to him, I might not believe Evan was my son given the evidence....

The kid loves his peas!!! Guess he must take after Mitch!

Tyler? Not so much....

Who says blood is the only tie that binds???

Fashion Statement

Tyler is becoming more independent when it comes to clothing. Not so much in showing preferences for what to wear, but rather, whether to wear it, and when. He's on a kick now where he is always taking his pants off. And he's really into his shoes. We usually only put his shoes on when it's time to go somewhere. But lately, he wants to put them on just for running around the house. He has several pairs of shoes (what do you expect of my son?), I think about 8. This afternoon he decided that he did not want to wear his pants, but he did want to wear some shoes. Specifically, his crocs. Oh, and he wanted to keep his socks on too. The results were runway worthy:

The kid is nothing if not a style icon....

Sick days

Today was beautiful, but cold. Not COLD cold, as I think it reached 50 degrees (my Vermont relatives are laughing at me right now!), but too cold to take two babies with ear infections out for a walk. Sigh.


Not that you could tell from these pictures,

but both my babies are sick. Ear infections (Evan's is worse), and coughs (Evan's is worse). Both are now on antibiotics for their ears, but Evan also has to use a nebulizer (or have it used on him) twice a day to loosen up the cough and alleviate the wheezing. It's a scary aparatus for a 10 month old...

Ever try to hold a mask over a 10 month old's nose and mouth for EIGHT MINUTES???? Not easy. And not the least bit fun... I'm not one who likes to torture my children. And I imagine that if Evan could speak, his screams would be interpreted as "Mommy! Why are you doing this to me?!?!?!!?" I'm sure that "Because it's for your own good" would never be sufficient enough explanation for that sad little face. But I do what I have to do, because I'm the mom. And moms often find themselves having to do things that make their children unhappy because it's for their own good.

On the positive side, the antibiotics and that darned nebulizer already seem to be working after just a day and a half. Both boys seem to be on the mend. So after two days at home, it will be back to work and daycare tomorrow. Hopefully, they will both have a speedy full recovery. And hopefully this will be the worst we have to deal with for the rest of the season. But somehow, I doubt it...

But here's something fun... Evan took his first assisted steps today!

Welcome Charlotte!!!

There is a new member of the family!! Yesterday, Ashley had her baby - and it turned out to be a girl!!! Charlotte Stillman Holmquist was born at 4:38 p.m. on Saturday, November 8th weighing in at 8 lbs., 3 ozs. We were all expecting a boy, but she is for certain a girl. See for yourself:

I have been an aunt for 19 years, and this is my first neice. It was very exciting to go out this morning and buy pink stuff! I was a little out of my element, but I managed to find some cute things. And the boys picked out some stuffed animals for her too :).

Welcome to the world little Charlotte. You will surely be loved!

History

Last night, history was made. The United States elected an African American to be President. Now, I'm not a fan of politics, or politicians, and this campaign cycle has gone on for far too long in my opinion. But what happened last night was remarkable. I certainly believed, and hoped, that I would see an African American as President in my lifetime, but I didn't realize how moving it would be. Citizens of this country turned out in record numbers at the polls yesterday, and for early voting in the weeks beforehand. The passion of the last two elections paled in comparison. The last two elections were about Democrats and Republicans. Yesterday was about so much more.

I won't say who I voted for. But I will tell you that I stood there for a long time before marking my ballot. And I was crying as Mitch and I walked out of the gymnasium, truly torn over whether or not I had made the right decision. Afterall, this was my first time voting as a parent, and it was Tyler and Evan, and their future that was weighing heavily on my mind, and on my heart.

I did not stay up for the results last night - opportunity for sleep is far too important no matter what day it is! - but I watched both speeches online this morning. Senator John McCain conceded with the utmost class. President-elect Obama claimed victory with grace. And they each showed genuine respect for the other. Both speeches moved me to tears.

What I think about now, and what I think it truly amazing, is that assuming Barack Obama is President for the next eight years, my boys, when they are old enough to know what a "president" is, will only ever know a black president. And that is just extraordinary. Perhaps their generation will be truly colorblind. That is a victory, no matter what party you support.

Holy Halloween, Batman!!

Last night was Halloween! Tyler's second, and Evan's first. We decided to dress them up as Batman and Robin. Evan was very agreeable, and even posed for pictures:

Tyler, not so much. The main part of the costume wasn't a problem, but he DID NOT want to keep the mask on. Getting a photo was quite a workout...

But finally, Mitch and I were able to work together. I managed to click a shot in the nanosecond that he was able to hold the mask on Tyler's face!

So there they are, my dynamic duo. A reluctant Batman, and his trusty sidekick Robin!

A very savvy neighbor decided that it was a good idea to have a pre-trick-or-treat block party from 5:00-6:00 p.m. It was especially perfect for the little ones (like ours) who are too young to go out begging for candy. Here are some shots of the gathering on our court:

Tyler's favorite parts of the evening were playing with Zara, the friendliest dog to ever walk the face of the earth...

... and his encounter with an adorable little bunny named Skye:

It was a lot of fun and the turn out was very good. I'm guessing this will turn into an annual event!

And here's just a couple of cute shots of Evan in his non-costume Halloween outfit:

And now suddenly, it's November!! Where does the time go?? Tonight is when the clocks go back to Eastern Standard Time. Yay!! An extra hour of sleep!! Oh - sorry, for a minute there I thought I might actually get to take advantage of some extra shut-eye. How silly of me! Maybe next year....