FaLaLaLaLaaa!!

The holidays are upon us. Well, they are speeding ahead of me and I'm trying so hard to catch up!  Let's back up a bit.  Maybe to Thanksgiving.  Yes, Thanksgiving was a first for us.  We stayed in our own house and our family came to us!  It was so great!  New linens and Thanksgiving decorations were purchased to make sure everything was perfect!

The day arrived and the house smelled of turkey and all the fixings.  The kids complained that they didn't like turkey.  Sometimes their British side really shows.  Whatever.  The Blauwkamps arrived shortly after 2:00 and we divided up: kids in the dinette and adults in the dining room. It was delicious and so peaceful.  The kids sounded like they were enjoying their dinner too.  Little did we know their Thanksgiving dinner consisted of rolls and jello.  Who cares, they got their veggies later with pumpkin pie. It was a great day.

Day led into night and night back into day.  Time to show off Milwaukee!  We headed to the Pettit Ice Center and we all- including Grandma and Papa- skated.  Many of us would take a spill, but we still had a great time.  And then on to Lake Front Brewery for a beer tour.  This, was not well received by the children.  Not sure the adults liked it either.  The holidays were beginning and the crowds were massive.  Can we get a re-do?

In all, it was a great weekend and it was a great way to start the holiday season.  Which, as I said, has sped by.  The tree got put up at some point.  I don't even remember when.  We only did the 'kids' tree and I wasn't the controlling mom that I usually am when the tree goes up.  It shows.  And again, I say whatever.

Shopping is done.  Thank goodness for the internet.  Shopping is always up to mom isn't it?  The kids, well, they just don't get it.  Jacob asked to shop for his brothers today.  Jeb made stuff at church. He was so excited to give it to his cousins this past weekend.  I wish I could keep him at this age.  I feel like the magic ends soon after 7.

We leave Christmas Day for Florida.  I think we all need a little time away in the sun.  It's a different kind of Christmas, but the most important thing is that we are together.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus!  See ya in the new year.

Starting Again

Last year I began thinking of this blog.  I thought about how moving to Milwaukee gave me a good reason to start up again.  But then the excuses came - 'my computer is soo slow', 'when I started writing no one blogged and now they do it for money!', and 'who is really gonna read this?'  But there was always one thing that bothered me enough to come back to the blog- I don't remember much of living in Chicago...it was all a blur and I have limited stories to tell the boys.  Who cares that we aren't living in an exotic place and traveling to Europe every 6 weeks?  When I look back to blogging in England, I'm so happy that I did it.  I have memories not just of the trips, but of the little things that happened between the boys.  It's priceless.

So, here we go.  I can't make promises that I will remember every week to do this, but I will start documenting some of the interactions of these boys.  There really is something terrible and/or funny that happens on a weekly basis!  And my audience?  I'm simply catering to an audience of three.  Boys who will later look back and laugh at their own crazy antics and the woman who tried to reign them in.