Happy Holidays!

We wish you the the Merriest of Merry, the Happiest of Happy, and all the Peace, Love & Joy that you can handle!



(our holiday card this year)

May you have the best of Holidays!

Holiday Favorites

It's been years since I watched any of the Holiday movies that I watched as a child.

This year, it's been so much fun to watch my kiddos as they watch these same movies.



I just love the holidays ( and those two munchkins too)!

Counting Down The Days

Christmas will be here very soon.



They are still being good (when reminded that Santa is watching them, of course).

And we are counting down the days until his arrival.

Such a fun time with the munchkins!

Made With Love

Sweet little hand.

So tiny and small.

It fits so perfectly in my own hand.

Now captured for me to forever remember.



Words can't describe how much I love this.

The Christmas Program

He's a big-boy now.

He's in big-boy preschool.



We attended his big-boy Christmas program

where he sang big-boy songs

with all his big-boy friends.



Why are preschoolers so much fun to watch?

Oh yeah, it's because they are so unpredictably cute.

I hope you have a blessed Holiday!

Full Swing Holiday Mode

We are in full swing holiday mode here at the house.



A few things I learned while constructing our gingerbread house:

1. These munchkins like candy. OK, I already knew that, but I learned that they like eating candy much more than they like sticking it on a gingerbread cookie house.

2. Gingerbread cookies break when dropped on the floor - especially the gingerbread trees.

3. Our dog, Maddie, loves to eat the tops of gingerbread trees. Who knew?

4. When decorated, it's pretty easy to pass off a "Christmas Bush" in lieu of a Christmas tree.

5. I cared much more about symmetry and order when constructing this than I thought I would.

6. The munchkins cared nothing for symmetry and order when constructing this.

7. These munchkins think they get to eat this "Cookie House Cake" (as they call it) after Christmas.

8. I'm debating if I should let them have a nibble or just throw it away. Would it be wrong if this is what we left Santa and the reindeer and they just happen to take it back to the North Pole for Mrs. Claus?

Ho Ho Ho

We got our wishes in to Santa last weekend.

My little lady wants a kitty.

My big boy wants Woody and Buzz action figures (calling them 'dolls' would be wrong, right?)



We will just have to see what Santa has in store for these two. He is surely busy keeping track of them. Hopefully neither of these munchkins will get a lump of coal.

Warp Speed Ahead

I'm amazed at how fast she's growing.

Barely out of the womb (just yesterday, wasn't it?), and already she's a big girl.



My-oh-my, how I love this little lady (and the dude behind her is pretty cool too).

These pictures were taken during her brother's Christmas program at his school. I love how cozy she looks wrapped up in her Daddy's arms. Sweetest ever . . .

Random Love

Oh how I love this image!

This is so typical for us.



The munchkins thought it would be fun to read stories to Dirck while he laid on the couch.

I have to agree - it looks pretty fun!

Our Family

Hopefully this will become a Christmas tradition here in the DeKeyser home.

We attended my company's Holiday party and were drawn by a caricature artist. (to see our picture last year, go here). I'm amazed that ANYONE can get my munchkins to sit still long enough to draw a likeness of them.



Oh, I love this. And by love, I mean LOVE! What a fun thing for us to always have!

The Trees Have Arrived

Hello December!

These munchkins are so excited to see you!

We did something a little different this year and let the kiddos get their own trees.

They have loved hanging their own special ornaments and having a tree in their room.

My little lady gets upset when the lights are off. She tells me it's broken.



My big boy just likes having a motorcycle on his tree . . . even cooler that it has Santa on it!



Yes, December - we are so glad to see you around here and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a certain large man dressed in red on December 24.

My Babies

Will there ever come a day when I quit calling them MY BABIES?



Maybe when they're 16 and full of angst and rolling their eyes at everything I say.

Nah . . . that won't happen.

Will it?



Right now, I'm just living in the moment and enjoying MY BABIES.



I'll deal with those sassy 16-year-olds another day.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

Well, we can always hope . . .



She also makes a very cute little "bum-bum, bum-bum, bum-bum" sound to mimic a heartbeat when she does this.

Makes me smile every time!

Today, I am thankful for many, many things, and those two little munchkins in that picture are at the top of that list. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Never Ending Infatuation

He started this love affair with tractors many years ago.

And his love for them is still going strong today.



I never tire of watching him in his little world of tractors.

The Perfect Spot

Well, why WOULDN'T you want a cell phone in your diaper?



I can't think of a reason - it just seems like a good place to stash it.

Have a great week!

Fun With Glow-Sticks

I snapped these pictures on Halloween night as we were in the car driving to trick-or-treat.

Let me clarify by saying that Dirck was driving, not me.



I loved the green-glow that these sticks cast on my munchkin's little faces.

So much so, that I took a whole lot of pictures of them.

Poor, poor babies.

They have no idea what it's like to live without a camera in their kisser all the time.

Little Ms. Long Legs

What am I going to do with this girl?

I can't stop her from growing, and I'm honestly happy that she's growing . . .

but man, these jeans fit perfectly last month. Now look at her little socks peeking out.



Either we are going to have to get bigger pants, or her ankles are going to get mighty cold this winter!

Dreaming Child

Sweet, peaceful dreams.



I could watch him do this all night, you know. . .

G-Man

Can you guess that we got a new play-mat in our home?



He seems to be partial to this letter.

:)

Enjoy your day!

That's Life, Man. . .

He's busy looking at the taxidermied animals on the wall.

She's sticking her hand in honey-mustard so she can stick the whole thing in her mouth. You get more honey-mustard that way, I guess.



Me? I'm just sitting back and watching these little ones do their thing. Gotta love a little slice of reality. (I do)

The Saddest Thing

I try to do at least one fun kid-friendly thing with the kiddos each weekend.

The weekend before Halloween, I came across a flyer for our local Bass Pro Shop. They were advertising a "kid's area" complete with the "Great Pumpkin Patch" from the Peanuts Comics.
Actually, I think the flyer said something like . . . "come meet the Peanuts gang and have your picture taken in the Great Pumpkin Patch." What a perfect pre-Halloween thing to do with the kiddos (i thought).



Oh, goodness. This was the saddest little display with the most pitiful little cardboard cutouts. My kiddos were anxiously anticipating a "surprise," so imagine my disappointment (and theirs) when we arrived and this cardboard/folded plastic backdrop was the only "Great Pumpkin Patch" around. And my kids kept asking when they were going to get their "surprise."

Poor babes. I'm still laughing about it . . . a little bit. This sad, pitiful picture mirrors the pitiful little backdrop just perfectly.

Bass Pro, you say? In my defense, I took my kids to see Santa at the same Bass Pro Shop (it was recommended by a friend), and it was amazing . . . games for the kids, Santa and a Santa's workshop complete with art activities and toys to play with while they waited for Santa.

I really was expecting big things from this "Great" Pumpkin Patch. *sigh*

My Boy

Nothing much I want to say . . .

except that I love him. . . .

with all my heart .

That's all.

Now go have a great day.

Us

Gosh, I remember a time, not that long ago but what seems like forever, when I had time to share pictures and stories of my family and munchkins. Do you remember those days too? Lately, I don't know if I'm coming or going. I hope to get back to blogging more soon . . . very soon. I miss my little spot here on the web.

So here we are - all of us - in our "running" shoes, because lately that's all I feel like I've been doing.



Photo courtesy of my friend and fellow photo-enthusiast, Jason Pingel. Edited by moi.

Superheroes

I can't divulge the identities of this superhero family. They would get in trouble with the commissioner and likely, have to relocate . . . again.



Happy Halloween!

Photos courtesy of my fellow photo-enthusiast friend, Jason Pingel. Editing by moi.

Her First Date

Just sharing a juice box on her first date.



Don't worry . . . they were heavily supervised!

Halloween's A'Comin . . .

I sewed the cutest superhero capes and masks for the family to wear this Halloween. I had visions of us walking, hand-in-hand from neighbor to neighbor while the kids trick-or-treated. Dirck and I would exchange loving glances as our big kids walked to the door themselves and pressed the button . . . "Trick-Or-Treat!" they would say, and the then the person behind the door would remark on what cute superheros they were as they handed them their candy.

Clearly, my 3 year old didn't get this memo.

Oh sure, he loves his cape, but nothing . . . I repeat NOTHING is cooler than Ironman right now, so Ironman he must be . . .



And the little lady? Well, she couldn't sit back and let her brother pick out a costume without her picking one as well. I think a little bumblebee suits her just perfectly.

Hope you all have a safe and happy Halloween!

I Heart Faces Challenge: Pink Week

My little lady . . . in all her pink glory.



Iheartfaces is celebrating all things pink this week in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month. To post your own lovely pink image or to see other awesome entries, head on over to iheartfaces.

About The Girl

A few random thoughts today about my little lady:



She recently started liking her baby dolls. Up until recently it was only stuffed animals - now she likes to carry her "bee-bee" around in her arms and rock it to sleep in her chair in her room.

She's a hugger. Man, is she ever a hugger . . . and a snuggler. I love that and desperately hope she never grows out of that phase.

Her language skills are exploding. She is such a little talker and very curious. . . "Mama, What are you doing?" is one of my favorite things to hear her say. She enunciates every little syllable and it sounds so stinkin' cute.

She (and my boy too) are loving the Toy Story movies right now. Toy Story 2 is the current favorite (and Toy Story 3 will be wrapped under the tree for Christmas). She's partial to Buzz Lightyear and only refers to Woody as "the Cowboy."

She still loves her blankie. She must have it close at all times.

She's growing too fast. Just yesterday she was a tiny little baby, and today, she's running ahead of me and telling me she can do everything herself . . . "I can do it, Mama."

And I love her more than I ever thought I could love a little lady . . . ever . . . so much so that I can randomly tear up at the thought of her or how sweet she was or something she said.

Will Motherhood always be this emotional? . . . and wonderful?

Opposites

He's preoccupied with the fire-escape above him.

She's high-step marching back and forth on the sidewalk.



They couldn't be any more different, and yet they go together so well.

I can't imagine having any other munchkins with any different personalities than the two that have blessed my life.

Have a wonderful week!

Scarecrow Festival

This seems to be the season for festivals here in the Midwest.

We went to the Scarecrow Festival last weekend, and guess what we didn't see at the festival . . . a scarecrow! How crazy is that?

The munchkins had a good time though because they got to pick and decorate a pumpkin. They colored all over the pumpkin and tied a few pipe-cleaners to the stem. My little lady says our pumpkin has "crazy-hair." I'll have to snap another picture of it when we carve it a little closer to Halloween.



And I guess we DID see a scarecrow . . . it was headless and in the back of a pick-up that was parked beside us in the parking lot. Again, how crazy is that? Maybe we'll just have to look harder next year to find a real scarecrow at the Scarecrow Festival.

So Happy Together

Not a perfectly composed picture . . . but a perfectly imperfect snapshot of our little life.

I'm just happy that I caught them holding hands . . .



Yes, it happens occasionally.

Oh, how I love these little munchkins.

Dirt is a Curious Thing

For one thing, stuff grows in it, and that is by far the most curious thing about dirt.

However, one other thing I've noticed lately is that dirt allows my munchkins to hang out together . . . dare I even say the words . . . ahem , "play" together.



They sat here for a good 15 minutes sifting dirt through their fingers, and not once did I hear them argue about who was touching who or how one had taken dirt from the other. They were actually . . . dare I even say this as well . . . ahem . . . "getting along."

I really dig that.

Yep, I dig that as much as they dig dirt!

Don't Tell Them

I don't think they realize that they are touching.



That's what Dora does to my children!

The Shop Around the Corner

As in . . .

The Donut Shop around the corner.

One of my favorite places to take the kids on an early weekend morning.

Maybe it's because I love those Krispy Kreme donuts, or maybe it's because the kids love those donuts, or maybe it's because the kids like to watch the donuts being made on their magical conveyor system . . . or maybe, just maybe it's because they INSIST on getting and wearing these paper hats . . . and who doesn't love a couple of kids in paper hats?



OK, if I'm being totally honest here, the real reason I love this joint is the "free sample" donut that they give you as soon as you walk in - it's right off of the conveyor - fresh, hot and melt-in-your-mouth delicious!

Wondering

I'm just wondering about what SHE'S wondering about.



Hmmmmm. . . .

Days Like These

There are days when I focus on insignificant details. I think we all have these days.

This week has reminded me to stand back and take a look at the big picture.



Sometimes we all just need a week (or day or month or year) like that.

Am I The Only One?

Is it just me . . .



or does anyone else like to watch their munchkins while they sleep?

If I had more energy, I could do this all night.

How Many Monkeys?

Here's my silly monkeys with the silliest monkey of them all.



These two enjoyed story-hour this weekend - especially when this fella showed up. My little lady couldn't get enough of him - he would kiss her hand and pat her face and hug her - she ate it up! And my little man here just thought it was really cool to "meet" Curious George.

I loved watching them and their reactions to the monkey. The actual story . . . I don't think either of them really paid attention, but this guy made it quite fun for them.

Quite a Day

I took the munchkins, along with our cousin Emma, to the "Spinach Festival" in a neighboring town last weekend.

We all had a great time.



We got a cool shuttle ride in a "REAL" school bus (as my little man calls it). We saw some neat antique cars, and some really nice men let them sit in the cars. They also rode some ponies, got to jump around in a bounce-house, and then we finished up the morning with some snow cones.



Oddly enough, we saw no spinach at the "Spinach Festival," but we did have a really good time.

Let The Sunshine In

Here are a few pictures I wanted to share.



I just love the setting sun.

And these kiddos too.

Labor Day at the Farmstead

Just a few pictures from our Labor Day morning at the Children's Farmstead here in our hometown.



We all love this place. Lots of tractors and farm animals . . . what more could a couple of kids need?

I'm a bit late in posting these. After living with Dirck's sister for 2 weeks while we were having some work done to the house, we are finally back in our home. Yay for sleeping in our own beds! It's been bliss . . .

The Boy

He started Preschool at the end of last month.
As in all day, every day.
He loves it.

He won't tell us what he does at school or what he ate for lunch.
We ask, and he just says "I don't know."

He's told us several times that he wants to sleep in his own bed.
We are still at my sister-in-law's home waiting (and waiting and waiting. . .) for our AWESOME contractor to finish our floors.
Man, I wish there was a font for sarcasm.
We will hopefully be back tomorrow, so my little man may just get his wish.

I took the kids to a festival today where the kids got to ride a pony, bounce in a bounce-house, eat snow cones and play on a playground.
I asked him to tell his Daddy what he did today.
He replied, "I don't know."
I asked him what his favorite thing about the festival was, and he says, "I don't know."

I ask him if he loves me, and he says . . .
"Yes, I love you. Mommy, you are nice."



"I don't know," but I think I'm in love too . . .

Oh Little Lady

Oh Little One,

My heart melts every time you run to me to me shouting "Momma!"

And then, when you wrap your little arms around me and hug me like I've just returned from a month long trip . . . well, that melts my heart as well.

And that little dance you do . . . the one where you quickly lift your feet up-and-down with your arms outstretched towards me while looking at me and smiling until I pick you up and give you hugs . . . well, I really like that.

A lot.



Thank you Little One.

You make my days brighter, my heart full, and my life so much more than I ever imagined it could be.

Love you forever,

Momma