Monster Jam!!!

Here are a few pictures that Dave took on his phone from the Monster Jam. They sat up in the nosebleeds but you can't really tell from the pictures. Jack LOVED seeing the giant trucks and the motor cross (motor cycles) riders flip in the air. Little. Boy. Heaven.

It's a bird.......

It's a plane. It's really a helicopter! Aunt Jen and Uncle Brian gave Jack a helicopter set for Christmas. It's been so rainy and cold that we haven't tested it out before today. Jack is in awe of his helicopter. Thanks Aunt Jen and Uncle Brian!

Night in

Jack and Dave are at the Monster Truck Jam in New Orleans tonight so my friend Sara came over with her son Erik for a night in. Theo and Erik are the exact same age (just a couple of days apart) and get along really well. Here they are chowing down on apples. Mmmmm.

Look closely

Theo and I camped out at my friend Betsy's house this morning since our carpets were being cleaned. Betsy gave Juliet a piggy tail and we thought it would be cute to give Theo one too since he has THE BEST HAIR EVER- Nice and thick and just perfect all the time. Here he is with his piggy tail. Don't worry, we took it out before we left : )

I've been sick with the flu so the boys have been over at Gigi and Dada's house since Monday. I'm finally starting to feel human again so I wanted to post this picture that I took last week. Jack is making Valentine's for some lucky ladies ; ) Notice his grip for writing.... it's really coming along. I'm such a proud mom.

Oh, more bragging..... Dave went to Jack's parent-teacher conference for me on Monday and Jack got glowing reports from his teachers. His teachers said what is great about Jack is how he doesn't demand all of the attention and helps his friends finish projects, understand things. I truly think being a big brother and having to "share the spotlight" was one of the best things that could happen to Jack. This is coming from an only child who really had "only child syndrome" : ) We're just so proud of him and struggle every day with the fact that he'll be turning 5 soon. Where does the time go? Seriously?

I spy with my little eye

Jack and I played this Eagle Eye game while Dave and Theo watched the Saints game at a friend's house (I had a fever and stayed home). Then Theo came home and took over my spot. It's so nice when the boys play nicely together and no one ends up screaming (or a room totally overturned).

Jack and Theo have been playing together very well lately (knocking on wood). Uncle Miller and Aunt Sarah gave them a wooden block set and the boys love building castles in Jack's room. Theo even plays when Jack is in school, though it's not nearly as fun without big brother. Jack also pulled out a giant workbook that Grandvonnie gave him last year. He and Theo sat and colored (Jack wrote and traced) and then erased with the felt tip at the end of the dry erase markers. It was great fun. And then they broke our kitchen trash can. I knew it was too good to last.

Ronald McDonald House

My friend Chelsea and I drove down to New Orleans today to deliver some paper products that my Mom's Club collected last month. Chelsea's daughter, Molly, and Theo enjoyed touring the house and playing in the toy room :) If you have a local RMH, they are always in need of clorox wipes, paper plates/napkins/toilet paper, etc since they have so many different families staying there for varying lengths of time. Consider dropping off a few supplies to help out a worthy cause!

Theo's big boy room!

We've been hard at work all weekend transforming Theo's room from a nursery to a big boy room. The crib has been converted to a full bed (we really only kept the headboard of the crib) and Theo got new bedding. He has train sheets and a madras print comforter. We rearranged a couple of things but mostly left the furniture in the old spots. Dave put up hold backs for the black out curtains and it really lets the light in. Theo has been doing really well in his new bed but we have woken up to him roaming the house screaming. Hopefully he'll settle in and get used to his new room and those episodes will cease ;)

Here is an updated picture of the boys' bathroom since it was painted and repaired. Not much different, just a couple shades darker.

Staying warm

It's cold out and we're staying warm inside! Jack's writing is really coming along and it makes me so proud :) He loves, loves, loves workbooks and is doing simple addition and subtraction really well. Gigi and Dada gave the boys "Highlights" magazine and we've been enjoying hunting for hidden items and reading the stories.

Jack also discovered that his battle balls will open on the fridge so that has opened up new possibilities of play. Even Theo got in on the fun :)

Prep work

Today is the big day! Chad the painter will be here shortly to paint Theo's room and repair the bathroom (our towel rack broke and left a huge hole in the wall. He's going to paint the bath the same color as Theo's room, a light blue, like it is now). I can't wait to tell the ugly yellow "bye bye". We're going to transform Theo's crib to a headboard for a full-size bed. Pictures will follow!!

Here is Jack's trundle mattress on the floor for Theo to sleep on while the paint dries. So cute :)

Cleaning up

Now that the boys sit together at meal time I sure have a lot of cleaning up to do on the floor beneath them. I like to call Theo "dropcloth" since he's such a messy eater. The swiffer vac just wasn't cutting it anymore and lugging out my regular vacuum was too much of a chore. Now I just pull out the swivel sweeper and let it collect the hunks of food on the ground. Problem solved!

All snuggly

My friend Dawn and I scoured Boston for Snuggies and came up empty handed. In a city with lows in the teens..... weird, I know. So I went and got one for her, myself, Dave and then Jack wanted one too. I think Theo is a bit small for one so maybe we'll get him the pet snuggie :)

Boston trip

I'm in Boston right now visiting my friend Dawn and having so much fun! Dave was nice enough to stay behind with the boys over New Year's so I could make my very first trip up to the Northeast! Dawn lives just outside of the city so she took me around exploring one day. It was pretty cold though, lots of wind, so we stayed mostly indoors. Dawn has two boys of her own, Peter James (PJ) and Kellan, and they are almost exactly Jack and Theo's ages. It snowed yesterday and we all went out and played in the fresh powder. It stuck overnight so the boys went out sledding today. It's much "warmer" feeling out now that the wind has died down. That was rough! I fly back home tomorrow and will definitely miss the snow (and my fun hosts!). I made black eyed peas for Dawn and her husband today to usher in the new year. They had never had them before and had never really even heard of them! I learned it's a Southern thing for sure. But I made them just the same and they had second helpings for a prosperous new year!!!