Vacation!!

We are off on our road trip to Germany...pray for our sanity!!!

Ye Olde Christmas

So, we finally got around to having Christmas today. My Dad and step mom arrived yesterday afternoon, so we got to spend last night enjoying Champagne, National Lampoons Christmas vacation, and watching my dad rewire the Christmas train in hopes that he could finally make the Nutcracker man come out of the station. He succeeded in making the door rapidly (and repeatedly) open and close- but the Nutcracker man remains in the station for the third year running- maybe we will outsmart him next year!
Anyway- like all parents, we said the "this year we will scale back...blah....blah...blah...less presents....more memories...blah...blah...." and so forth. Nothing doing. We finally got done opening at around 130 in the afternoon...but it was an amazing Christmas! About the only downfall was that Eli is sick with something akin to pneumonia so he spent Christmas clinging/draping himself across me, with no desire to open presents. He did allow us to push him around on his new tricycle.

Santa arrived!!!

If anyone has ever seen a kid more hyped up on sugar...well anyway- thanks mom and dad Conderman- we all loved the gifts!

I think our kids have spent about the last 3 days in pajamas, come to think of it, we have too!

"New Dinosaur" has attempted to eat everyone's Christmas gifts, wreaked havoc in the kitchen, left presents in the bathroom, and been blamed for all kinds of other "interesting" behavior today. He is now guarding Ava while she sleeps.
Here we are taking a break from gift opening and draping/clinging. Thanks to all for the gifts and cards- we sure miss family at Christmas! Mom- you went waaaaaayyyyy overboard and I have the proof on video for you to watch next time you visit! Merry Christmas to all...I need to go put my scarf, um, little boy to bed!

Old traditions, old city

For the second year running we went to Cambridge to see the Christmas lights. They aren't really anything spectacular, but the the cathedral and marketplace are so old and Gothic, that the few strands that the council puts up almost make the place magical. Our plan was to wrap up the Christmas shopping, ohh and ahh over the lights for a few minutes and then go to the mall to see "Bee movie".

Here we are all still happy and smiling...

Silly as it sounds, this is probably our longest running tradition...because we started it before we started dating. Back in Christmas of '99, Eric and I decided to go Christmas shopping together with the intention of helping each other shop for our current boyfriend/girlfriend. Eric hates to shop so I jokingly told him to do a tequila shot so that Christmas shopping would be fun. 8 Christmas' and 9 nine tequila shots later (one a year on "CD" day) the tradition is still going strong! Probably a good thing too...when we got to the mall, there was no record of our ticket reservations, the show had already started, Eli got lost, and Ava spilled and extra ginormous Sprite all over the floor. Kinda wished I'd had a tequila shot too...
Here is Ava with one of her little school friends on the last day before Christmas holiday. They all sang songs for the parents and got sugared up on candy. I forgot to buy gifts for Ava's teachers-rooky mistake! If anyone has a copy of "All of the little everyday things that mom's need to remember", please send it to me. I don't care how "early addition" it is:)

Those Kids!

There are days when I could make a list of the things that I don't think I would miss once my children have left the nest...

Cleaning spilled soap off of the sink and fishing the matchbox car out of the toilet for the fourth time today.
Settling the "who gets to stand in the sink and who gets to stand on the bathtub while brushing teeth debate" for the third night in a row.
Wondering how smashed banana (at least that's what I think it was) got on the inside of the Tupperware cabinet.

Interestingly enough...I can't think of any more. All that keeps coming to mind are the things that I will miss when my babies get bigger....

Watching Eli go into a "one little man party" when I come home from work. "Mommy home, yeahhhhh! So 'cited!" (Complete with jumping and a huge smile) I love that one.
Listening to Ava patiently take Eli to the bathroom first thing in the morning- I really love this one too- means I get to sleep longer!
Watching Eli's sense of humor develop- "I bonked the Bur'er King" maniacal laughter...(we are still trying to figure this one out- but he finds himself hysterical!)
Listening to Ava sing all of her Christmas carols with a British accent...because that's how they do it at school..."Froosteee the Snewmon was a jewly hoppy sewl"
Watching the kids read together and to each other.
Eli does this thing where he pretends like he is a kitty- usually when he is trying to get out of trouble. It is just so hard to punish a borderline naughty two year old who is walking around on all fours "meerowing"

I really could go on for pages- but I need to go clean up the homemade marshmallow project mess that Ava (and I) made...but for the record...it still goes on my good list (despite the cornstarch hand prints that lead from my dining room to my kitchen:)

Simon

Ava was marginally good today, so we agreed to play a few games of UNO with her before bed. She won once, but then lost to Eric (as did I) the next four times. She held it together pretty well through the first few losses, but then the "itsnotfairIwannawinwaaaaa" came out. So, while Eric shot daggers at me, I explained that when Daddy's win, it is their job to tell the longest bestest dinosaur bedtime story. She cheered up and skipped upstairs with my tired husband in tow. After the "bad bad T-rex" story, Eric said night time prayers with Ava. When he was done, Ava announce that the prayer was too short. Eric explained that Ava could say her own prayer whenever she wants. So Ava began her prayer...

"Dear God, bless Mommy and Grandpa and Grandma and Grammy and Mimi and Papaw and Simon. Especially Simon. Please give him a bone...because he is such a good dog...Amen."

Amen indeed.

The village is under attack!

Here is why I should always investigate a "too quiet" Ava. By the time I intervened, a couple of hockey players and a sled full of children had already been attacked by the Jurassic invaders.
Not nice Ava...very creative though...

Poop is timeless

I pass this sign everyday on my way too and from work. 9 times out of 10 there are large garbage sacks that probably are full of the promised "free horse poo". Either way- it gives me a little giggle. And if anyone is looking for any last minute Christmas gifts for someone who has been more naughty than nice, I could probably overnight some...well...
The kids "helping" me pick up packages from the post
The annual Christmas cutout cookie "kitchen trashin" was a success as ever. Older kids=bigger mess!
Eric's "exercise in futility" as the kids and I made the yummy cookies
Elijah Von Cookie Snatcher strikes again!

Here we come full circle- back to poo. After all, is there any more fascinating topic when you are 2 or 4 years old? BTW "Everyone poops" is a great gift to buy for any parent that you are trying to "phase out" as a friend. On the other hand, I secretly get a kick out of listening to my kids discuss whether a hippo or a whale makes a bigger poop or what snake poop looks like. (orange with polka dots if you ask Ava, "big" if you ask Eli) I guess you there are some things we never really grow out of...

And the winner is....

If you haven't read my comments to the last entry- you should. They are very funny! Papaw and Mimi- we will settle up with you in Brugge- the rest of you (even my cousin who got "nuthin")- chocolates are on the way....It is Christmas after all!
I have to leave for work in a few minutes- so I will leave you with an Avaism that I think encompasses all of her remaining baby word...

"You know, I use a tennis shoe to wipe my buggers from my nose and a mackin to wipe my thingers".
-Ava
(We try to keep Ava from talking too much about her "buggers" in her nose when we are in the UK public...we got enough curious stares as it is!

Anyone up for a challenge??

So- yet another contest. I would like a caption to the following picture. There is a catch...the caption has to be a "play" on a Christmas song. I have added a few examples for your viewing pleasure. BTW- the little boy (besides Eli) is Logan- our favorite kid to borrow! They were sharing Eli's milk so very nicely. (In case anyone is keeping track- Eli is fully potty trained-Pants Wearer First Class- yeah!) Soooo, back to the contest...a box of Ely's best chocolates to the winner!

Post your title:)

"O Lego town of Bethlehem" (yes I can hear your groans from here!)

"Hark! The Heimlich Ava gives"

"Ah-va in a manger"

"Little drummer girl" or "Not so silent night"

"Wreck the halls"

I look forward to your creativity!!!

Arachnophobia is forever

I thought I had finally kicked my fear of spiders. Before I moved to England I would run screaming in the opposite direction if I saw a spider. I would avoid the scene of the spider spotting until Eric came home and "cleared the area". Now that I live in England (where there are actually more spiders than rain), I have actually learned to kill the small spiders all by my big self and to at least stifle my screams when the big ones come along.
Today it was one of the little one's, dangling from the upstairs ceiling, that invaded my territory. After eyeballing it from a safe distance, I decided it was small enough to kill. I got a softball sized mitt of toilet paper, assumed my battle stance, the Wyatt Earp music started playing, and I went in for the kill...the spider back flipped, rebounded off the wall, countering with a clever "spider into my hair" move. Screaming commenced. By the time my two startled children reached the top of the stairs, I was frantically stripping off clothes while shaking my hair, screaming like a little girl all the while. In between screams and shakes, I explained that a spider had gotten on me and I was trying to find him. Both kids ran into the bathroom to grab their own weapons, er, toilet paper. They immediately set to work, hunting for "dat 'pider who tried to get mommy". "Don't worry mommy, we will find that spider and flush him in the potty. You just go in your room and calm down", said my four-year-old. My sweet little ones are still upstairs, hot in pursuit of that rogue spider. I almost feel a little sorry for the guy once they find him. Almost.

Christmas Season Is The Best

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!!!!!Merry Christmas to all from the Conderman household!!! Ness and I just wanted to wish all a very happy holiday season. Christmas has always been one of the best times of year, but this year it is even better. Having Ava REALLY get into the spirit of Xmas for the 1st time is one of the neatest things about being a Daddy. Eli will get into later I'm sure, but for now I am so loving Ava's interest in the Holiday. She is both into the Santa stories and Christmas songs as well as trying to understand the true meaning of the holiday. It is very cool!

In addition to the season, there are two other things going on in the house worthy of note. Above you can see Ava posing in front of our Christmas town (thanks Grammy). But she is also sitting on her newest friend - the piano. We have actually started piano lessons and she shows remarkable interest and ability for a 4 year old. Progress on this will continue but if you know anything about me then you would know how exciting this is for me!
But more importantly, Eli has accomplished something soooooooooooooo awesome!!!! In less than a week, he has transformed himself into Potty Trained Expert 3rd Class. We can leave the house for hours without worrying about mistakes, and the protective coverings have come off all of the furniture. Way to go Eli!

Again, Merry Christmas to all and to all a happy holiday!