Dear Aunty Shelly

I am a scarecrow! Rroowww!

Lately, if Cody doesn't fall asleep right away he takes his pillow and goes to snuggle in by Cara.

So, so cute - right Heather?! ;)

Definition

of a sweetheart - aforementioned best babysitter ever who not only gave Steve and I a dinner gift certificate for Christmas with babysitting included, also has pretty much allowed me to "steal" her awesome snow boots right from off her feet - totally a blessing when we've got some gorgeous snow fall happening and the kids wanted me outside with them this morning. Lack of snow has made owning my own boots fall back on the priority list. The clincher? Seeing my kids SO excited to see Auntie Erin when she stopped by to borrow her own boots :), watching them so desperate to show her all the things they've got going in their finally snow filled back yard, hearing her excitement for them even though she had to run. Couldn't ask for a better babysitter for my littles! Thanks, Erin, you are the best, a sweetheart and I'm so thankful for you!

Sometimes

I just took Cara into ER tonight for a really strange rash - visit recommened by Nurse's Helpline. I noticed this rash just as I was about to tuck her into bed. Cody was not at all happy that we were going without him and he SO wanted to go to the doctor with Cara.

Got home 1.5 hours later (doctor thought the rash is something viral so nothing to stress about yet) to find Cody was still awake waiting for Cara. She was sleepy, slept through the most of the wait room and all of the exam and immediately crashed in her bed. Cody checked her over, kissed her goodnight and then went on to excitedly tell me everything he did with Steve while we were gone. "First we read 2 books, then Papa had a peach bread and I had cheese whiz, then Papa put on a hockey game, then I told Papa a story about bears."

Then I tucked him in bed and he crashed, perfectly content now that his special sister was home where she "ought" to be.

This picture is from this morning. They are getting so big. Big enough to play a game together on their own. Big enough to get dressed by themselves.

Small enough to not care if the clothes are the same 3 days in a row and worn backwards everyday :)

I hope I never take for granted the specialness of 2 little best friends.

Pretty Much Summer

At least, these boys thought this intensely beautiful day was sun bathed enough for some sandbox time.... in shorts. :)

Sandbox, trampoline and the first chalk outlined road system of the year. (Anyone know of a source for driveway drawing? My imagination is pathetic when it comes to this building highways for bikes.)

I'm sorry but you did have to be at our Sunday School Christmas program to appreciate this one.

Cara: O is for ball, right Mama?
Me: No, O is for Opa and Overduin.
Cara: No, O is for octopus, remember?!

Some things I wish to remember about this silly boy

1) his green shorts are his favorite piece of clothing. So much so that when he spilled milk on them the other night at supper his kind dad took pity on him, washed them in the sink and hung them up to dry for the morning. It's gotten so that he's the first one dressed in the morning and he usually comes to me and asks if we have to go anywhere that day. If I say no he races to his room and puts on his shorts. If I say yes he wails about how much he doesn't like pants and likes his green shorts. And then he stops long enough to ask if he can get changed when he gets home. This whole saga was switched up a bit this morning. Cody was the last one up and when he finally emerged from his room he already had his shorts on! On the chance we do go away, upon arrival back at home Cody is the first one through the door and has his green shorts on within minutes of parking the van in the driveway. And yes, you should feel sorry for his mom on the mornings the shorts are in the wash but please don't judge me if you come visiting and Cody's wearing filthy green shorts.

2)the striped shirt that he was so skeptical about at first has become one of his favorite shirts.

3) the plaid shirt that Sam got for his 3rd birthday and wore proudly as a "worker man's shirt" is Cody's "army shirt" or "soldier shirt"....

4)that could be explained by the fact that he and Cam were playing pirates yesterday and the lightening bolts I scribbled on his airplane were called bullets for the entire afternoon.

5)if you ever doubt the power of reading to your kids let me just tell you that yesterday the pirates were operating in and around "Boola, Boola Island" which happens to be the name of the island the pirates stole Gramma's pie to in a book that Krista and I read to the kids countless times last summer during swimming lessons. Every so often the kids bring the book up and be sure I keep my eye out for it at the thrift stores and even considered walking in the the YMCA with a book and asking to do a trade!

6) his socks must be pushed down around his ankles.

7) And yesterday he added a hat to the whole ensemble!

8) he thinks burping is a great and manly achievement....

9) he loves to make us laugh and we all still call "come back here you chickens" when he's center of attention

10) has a great imagination and a wonderful sense of humor and can set the whole family to laughing like crazy (see #9). He is coming to that wonderful age of increasing vocab and I-wanna-be-a-big-boy - ness and he is loved SO much.

And he loves his Opa and HE didn't mind watching the wonderful Thomas the train while draped around Opa's neck... I don't think Opa really minded either! :)