Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this week were really great with the kids. They have been home a lot more since they are on Winter Break which has been really nice. I have missed time spent with them without school and homework. We have gotten lots of much needed together time to do projects and snuggle.

On Christmas Eve we took both the boys to pick out gifts at the same store one at a time for each other. I took Rylan to pick something for Lee. It was so precious to see how excited Rylan was to find a Lego Motorcycle Mario for Lee and  big toad figurine he wanted to get both toys for Lee even though (he loves Mario). Lee was excited to find a full set of Mario Figurines for Rylan and a Frostini train (Rylan has been talking about wanting this ice cream train car for awhile). When we got home they took great care to pick out wrapping paper and bows to decorate each others presents. Also since Lee came back from his Mom's house on Christmas Eve that was our chance finally to pick out a Christmas Tree. To our delight and surprise Rite Aide was giving away trees on Christmas Eve. We got a tree that was normally being sold for 40.00 for free! The boys did a great job decorating everything. They hung ornaments everywhere on the door knobs and every handle they could find and put lights in their room. My parents came over and brought a warm already cooked meal of my Dad's delicious mashed potatoes, &  green bean, bacon mushroom and feta dish with yummy roasted chicken and pumpkin pie. My favorite part of the day was watching those boys give each other the gifts they picked out. I fought back some serious happy tears from watching their sweet interaction. I think the toys they picked for each other were their favorites of all their Christmas presents. They hugged and told each other how much they loved their gifts and that it was all they ever wanted and all kinds of other sweet things and shared with each other right away. I couldn't have dreamt of a better scenario for that gift exchange.

The kids were amazing on Christmas morning. They were having so much fun playing in their room in the morning (we could hear them on the baby monitor) that they waited for us to be the ones to tell them that we think Santa might have come before they ran downstairs to check.

This year I was so busy with work up until the day before Christmas Eve we did a lot of last minute shopping and wrapping. So their were no gifts except from Grandmas and Grandpas that were sent in the mail under the tree until Christmas Day. So when they came downstairs they were pretty shocked to see all that was there. We had very carefully planned out the number of the gifts to be fair and gave some gifts to them that were meant to be shared. So we had 3 piles to put gifts in after they opened them, Rylan's, Lee's and To Share. We were surprised to see that they decided to put many toys that had only their names on them in the share pile.We stayed in jammies most the day and the boys got to drink cocoa and watch a new movie that Lee got. Late afternoon Grandma Sandy and Grandpa Shad came over from Port Angeles and took us to a delicious dinner at Bucca di Beppo and they they came over to my parents for a little bit to visit. It was really a great day.

Today Rylan told me that the "Circus Science Center" (Pacific Science Center) did an assembly at school.

He also is showing me right now how awesome he is getting at "jack jumps" (jumping jacks)

Rylan found a nickel on the ground and instead of keeping for his piggy bank, he immediately offered to put it in Lee's piggy bank.

Lee called me his step mom the other day instead of Paige for the first time.

The boys have actually managed to make me look forward to scraping frost off my car windows in the morning! They get so excited about it. When I get to the windows right next to them, it is like scratching off winning lotto tickets when I get see their adorable delighted faces underneath!

Rylan just decided that everyone should play Tic Tac Toe on Tuesdays because all those words put together just make it sound like the right thing to do. And if people don't know how, he offered to give some lessons.

This happened the other day:
Rylan: "When I make words I put a line on the bottom of them so they have a place to stand."
Me: "That is very considerate of you, I bet your words appreciate it."

Last time Rylan rode the bus Lucy kissed him. Today he sat by a different girl. I asked what her name is and he said: "I don't know, but she is pretty!" Sigh...I don't know if I am ready for this!

Today at the grocery store, Lee picked up an orchid and gave it to me saying with a sweet little smile, "Paige, this is for you:)". Such a clever boy! It is the thought that counts, he didn't have to buy it for me to make me feel special! (I always accidentally kill orchid's anyway)

On all the papers at school last month where Rylan was supposed to write about what he is thankful for he wrote about me! I was sort of shocked that he would think of that. He is very sweet to me but I thought he would write about his toys or something! 

The boys are allowed to play 30 mins of video games if they are really good all day without any warnings. If they get a warning and don't get to play, they play on the fridge with the alphabet magnets. Somehow they have turned these magnets into video games. They can play that for hours with each other. 

Lee wanted me to take some pictures of the frost in the morning when we walk to school. Both boys are really fascinated by it. Lee keeps talking about pail (hail). He has never seen it and really wants to. Today we were talking about how the sunlight on the frost makes the whole world look like it's covered in diamonds or glitter glue is what Rylan said and Lee said or crystals. Lee exclaimed that even the garbage cans look pretty in the sun with frost on them. They love looking at their dragons breathe and trying to make different shapes. Lee says he looks like a steam engine puffing! Rylan wants to find a magnifying glass to use to look close at the ice crystals and Lee wants to bring bubbles with next time to see if the bubbles do anything different in the cold. Rylan told Lee he can teach him how to build an igloo like he did with me and they are both really hoping for snow this year.
I love that they are growing up and so fun to talk to at this age. But I also just wish they could stay this age forever. We have so much fun!

A lot of cute going on with Lee & Rylan lately!

The last few days have been really cold and frosty and it makes both boys want to stay curled up in the mornings so I usually wake them up with some time to lay in bed a few minutes and have the heater on high with their clothes close to it so they warm up a little. Rylan has been having an especially hard time getting up saying he is just too tired and can't move. We have been walking to school while one of our vehicles get's fixed so he complains about that too, "I don't want to get up and walk, I can't why can't we ever drive?!" (but he seems to enjoy the walks when we do them) and he get's to fill out a fitness calendar when he walks to school too so that is a bonus. I explain to him that we won't always have to walk but we will sometimes because it is healthy and that doesn't help. Lee is easier to wake up in general. He pops right up rubs his eyes and get's dressed. Well I took their breakfast orders and told them to get dressed in their warm clothes while I make their breakfast. Once I got downstairs I turned on the baby monitor (that they don't know about) and listened to Rylan complaining and Lee trying to cheer him up. It was so precious to hear! Lee said, "we won't always have to walk to school, the car will get fixed" and then he started singing silly songs that made rylan start cracking up non-stop and soon they were both laughing and running downstairs all ready to go! It was one of those mornings I felt really thankful that they get along so great most of the time and have each other to help make some things a little easier than they would be alone :)

Today rylan told me that he loves me more than everything and in a circle around and around and around forever. And that he loves me even more than Mario and Luigi! (which made my mouth drop)

Yesterday Lee got two eyelash wishes, he didn't tell me what the first one was but when I asked him what the second one was he just said, "I like you :)" and hugged up to me and kissed my cheek. I said, " Oh I like you too, thank you for saying that! But what did you wish for?" He said, "That's it! I didn't even wish for a toy" It was so cute I didn't care that it wasn't really a wish...and more like a sweet thought.

Yesterday Lee told Rylan he liked his fleece jacket and that he looked like a "prince" in it. Rylan didn't know what a prince was. And Lee told him that a prince is someone brave and important waiting to be a king. Rylan liked that :)

Rylan has gotten 4 wisdom notes and Lee has gotten 4 wisdom notes and a certificate they both have been doing great in school! Rylan has gotten to bring home 2 times for being the best listener and Lee got to bring home Mango 2 times for being the best listener too.

A little girl, Lucy that is in Rylan's class calls him her boyfriend and tells him she loves him all the time. I have become friends with her Mom and she told me Lucy is already engaged to another boy from a different school (I can't remember if I blogged about that yet!)

Rylan drew a picture that was supposed to be of something he is thankful for. He wrote next to it that he is thankful for Mom Love it melted my heart. I was expecting him to say he is thankful for Mario or something like that.

I asked Rylan what else he is thankful for:

Playing with Lee
Being good at cleaning up
He said it cute like, "It starts with an M wait do you start with an M?" I said yes and guessed "Mom?!"
Being with my Mom
I love Lee
I like sleeping in the same room as Lee and eating breakfast next to Lee
I love the silly way Michael reads stories
When Lee wears those silly glasses to make me laugh
Juliette coming over
Making pasta

I think I will ask him again later and see if he can come up with any more!

Rylan ran to me today when I picked him up exclaiming that he is so happy he get's to see his teacher again tomorrow! And then when we got home he asked if we could call her. I explained she has another class to teach and his face dropped almost as though he felt she was cheating on his class by teaching another one! haha and we agreed to draw her a picture instead of call.

I asked him today if he knows how much I love him because I always tell him that I love him so much I can't reach it and he said, "Yes (with his cute knowing I love him smile) you can't even reach it...it's like out of this world it's so much!"

Today one of the Mom's that I have been getting to know told me that her little girl Lucy pointed Rylan out to her and told her that, "I love him! His favorite color is blue, and so is mine" 

2 days ago Lee told me he loved me all by himself without any urging. He said it so sweetly and out of the blue. "Hey Paige.....(waited for my acknowledgement) I love you!" It completely melted my heart.

A little girl came running up to say hi to Lee when I was walking him to school one morning and he was such a cute little conversationalist (as usual) this is how it went:

Hi Lee! 

Oh Hi (adorable smile) I remember you, but I am sorry I don't remember your name.

It's Isabella 

Oh right! Don't you have a sister too? 

Yes I do! She is older than me. (I can't remember what she said her name was)

What are your parent's names? 

Oh Isabella like me and Tom. 

Oh...this is Paige and my Dad is at work and Rylan is in line over there.

Oh (cute bashful smile)

See you at recess! 

I thought it was so polite and gentlemanly of a conversation for only 6 yrs old! 

Today Rylan told me that he loooves his teacher Mrs Riden and that he loves me more than icecream and pasta (those two things mean ALOT to him :)

Daniel Tiger is a wonderful show, here is one reason why: This morning when the kids were getting ready,  Rylan was having issues getting his jacket on because the sleeve was inside out so Lee stood up and sang out, "friends help eachother yes they do it's true!" and helped Rylan then Lee said, "Good thing I remembered that song!" and Rylan agreed.  And I almost exploded from all the adorable sweetness!

We have a new addition to the family so there is more to keep updated!
Some of Lee's cute pronunciations of words are as follows:
supenders = suspenders
sirsty = thirsty
"that just spiced me" or "it spiced me up" means the food is too spicy hot.
Yesterday he kept asking if his first day of school was "tomorrow's tomorrow" meaning the day after tomorrow.
hangry = henry (the train)


What Rylan said about his first day of school:
I drew a person.
I had story time.
I had to be quiet in the hallway.
I had to do that because that's the classroom rule.
He shows what the sign language for quiet in the hallway.
We had a park.
It was cool cool cool so cool.
But there aren't trains there.
There is somewhere to hang up my back pack and my jacket and I put my papers on the top of my name.
School was really great and really fun!
It's just to play with chairs tables stuff to play with and snacks.
I drawed lot's of stuff with pencils and crayons.