Merry Christmas 2011

Here we are attempting to pose for our monthly picture.  Between a very grumpy two year old and some growling dragons, we got some great pictures! Merry Christmas!

Goofy Boys!!

Isaac likes to get into everything...not 15 minutes after emptying this wipes container, he got to a box of kleenex.

 He knows that whenever the camera comes out, he has to say, "Cheeeeeeeeeese!"

Liam wanted to say cheese too, funny boy.  He woke up from his nap today and told me that he lost a sock - his foot was naked.

Busy, busy

We've been hard at work most days, here at our place.  We usually start our schoolwork around 8 or 8:30 so we can move on to other activities later.  Everyone is working so hard in this picutre.  Liam loves to come join us, and his school is to colour a picture or to "play a puzzle."

Isaac spends most of the morning getting into trouble.  Climbing onto chairs and tables, and falling off.  Opening drawers, cupboards, toyboxes, and emptying their entire contents.  Just look at that mischievious smile..

I've also been busy with another blog that my sister and I started.  We have been enjoying the website Pinterest, and have been inspired to do many crafts, projects, and lots of baking.  We've compiled some of our finished projects into a blog called You Pinspire Me.  Take a look, and see what we've been up to.

Fun with Aunt Colleen

Isaac was especially fond of his Aunt Colleen this weekend. In this video, they're playing a little hiding game with Lightning McQueen stickers & toy (Isaac calls them No No - for some reason he picked up on a line from the movie where McQueen says, No, no, no tires! ...so Isaac calls McQueen "No no.").

A few more pictures from the weekend...

 Gotta love bathtime in Oma & Opa's new  bathtub!

Renkema Christmas

We celebrated Christmas a bit early with the Renkemas. It was fun to be in the new house with all the new places to play! We arrived to find a good amount of snow on the ground - perfect for shovelling & snowman-making.

 Isaac & Owen are just a few weeks apart, and have started to enjoy eachothers' company a bit more.

The highlight of the visit was the GIANT train table built by Opa for the Thomas set.

 It was enjoyed by everyone! It even had a door & windows for play space underneath!

Little Owen - what a cutie!

 Darren enjoyed the cars, of course!

 Evan & Darren each got a giant Lego set for Christmas. Evan & Opa worked tirelessly for over 2 hours to build Evan's set.

 Evan did an excellent job with Opa's guidance.  5 minutes after it was finished, Evan was showing it off, and dropped it.  Back to work...

December

Finally finishing up with the leaves from our big tree.  Everyone has a lawnmower!

 Peek-a-boo!

Darren & Evan at the Science Centre. Evan told me he didn't smile because, "I was putting a very worried look on my face."

Grandma came for a little visit and made pepernoten with the boys again. Lots of helpers!

All the boys have been into puzzles lately, but Liam is really impressive to watch (especially for a 2.5 year old).  This little puzzle is 49 pieces, and he works at it  until it's done.  We have about 6 puzzles and he does each of them a few times a day.

Funny Kid

Isaac is finally walking. Here's a little clip from when we were at the Science Centre.  He walks with such enthusiasm and energy...and falls with that same energy!

Grandma was over making pepernoten.  Isaac wasn't sure what to make of her, but after this game of Peek-a-boo, they were good friends.

Fall

We've been busy here these days.  Evan & Darren moved to their new room, Isaac moved into Liam's room, and Liam got Evan & Darren's old room. Here Darren & Isaac are checking out Liam's new dresser.  (Darren insisted I get the camera)

Since there was more space in the room, we set up this table & chairs.  All 4 boys promptly sat down together, and had a meeting.  Darren's showing off his coffee.

Raking leaves at our house is sometimes an exercise in futility.  Our biggest tree in the yard doesn't lose all its leaves until the beginning of December.  We spent some time raking yesterday, but as I look out now, the entire yard is covered again...

 The boys don't mind, though.  Isaac dove headfirst into the piles...

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So I was working in the kitchen one morning, and all I could hear in the living room was, "WOW!! Wow!!  Woah!!  Wow!"  I came out with the camera, and saw Isaac reading this truck book.  As he pointed at each picture, he exclaimed, "Wow!!" 

This video is a few weeks old. As Isaac was learning to walk, he'd grab whatever he could hold onto, to help him. In this case, it was his highchair.

(as I watch this again, I'm reminded how he used to scream so very much at the slightest frustration.  I'm so glad he's getting past that phase now!!)

Moving day...

 After a few years of sharing the upstairs bedroom, Evan and Darren have moved downstairs.  It's been a long process in renovating the room - removing carpet, replacing old drywall, painting, getting new carpet.  But now it's finally done!

 There used to be a small doorway to a small crawlspace under the stairs.  We decided that they would make better use of it if we opened it up.  We also discovered that it went a few feet deeper than the original crawlspace did.  They love to play cars, trains, and everything else in that corner.

 The room is quite long, so there's lots of space.  We have taken out all the big kid toys that used to be up top in a closet (games, lego, micro machines) and they love having access to them.

(note the fun laundry hamper made from a pillowcase - thanks Pinterest)

We were learning about levers this afternoon, so we made catapults, which was lots of fun!

In other news, Isaac took his first steps a few weeks ago, and is now walking 6-7 steps at a time (I need to get a video of it - hands straight out in front, tipping and swaying, but smiling like crazy).  And then there are 3 older brothers cheering his every move.  All day long I'm hearing, "Good walking, Isaac."  "Wow, Isaac!  Good job!"  So encouraging, aren't they!

 He seems to be a happier baby these days.  A little less clingy, a lot less screaming.  He will make us laugh throughout supper with his little antics.  He picks up on random words here and there, which his brothers love.  He also participates in our devotions, saying, "a-MEN" at the end.  I was changing his diaper today, singing Eensy Weensy Spider, and when I was done, he sang an energetic "a-MEN."

Liam continues to be his funny little self.  I wrote a few weeks back about Liam's "Mooky pumpkins."  Now the word has become smooky.  As in, "Look how dark it is, Mommy.  It's very smooky."  He often tells me at bedtime, "I'm a sleepy, sleepy boy."

"Tract-or" treat...

So our boys decided they wanted to be farmers for Halloween this year.  I figured we'd turn it into a school project while we're at it.

First we planned it out and made a picture.

Then we wrote out the instructions for how to make them.

We painted our boxes.  The boys decided they'd rather paint with no clothes on, than put on paint shirts...

 Here is our finished product - one Ford tractor, and two John Deere tractors.

 Isaac joined us as another farmer...only he didn't have a tractor.  Maybe next time!