Holiday "wrap" up......

Ummm did anyone else's house get a lot smaller this month? Ours seems to have been invaded with plastic toys and balls! Chris and I were feeling the squeeze this week and got a little inspired from a trip to IKEA so we spent the better half of today cleaning out all the kids old toys - we made good headway and made room for all the fabulous new items they were blessed with! I know we are not alone as I scurried off to Target today to revel in the organizational bin isles and laughed when the shelves were nearly empty - okay good its not just us........

Another Christmas has come and went and we all survived, well barely. We all had been blessed with a cold at some point in the month long festivities. But all in all we had good times, enjoyed watching the kids revel in gifts and excitement, visited with good friends and family and gorged on good eats.

Merry Christmas Brooke and Brady!

Laying out cookies and carrots for the reindeer - Santa was a little ungrateful this year and hinted that we needed to step up our cookie selection for next year!

HE CAME!!!!!

I have no idea what all this stuff is but they are letting me rip up everything!!

Brooke helping her brother open the rest of his gifts - he somehow lost interest!

Does anyone else think George Costanza when they look at this picture?

A PINK fuzzy makeup kit - whats not to like?

This is video of Brooke opening the Big Santa gift she asked for, but better yet the favorite part of the video is randomly Brady just yawning like he is sooooo bored with all this nonsense.....And it gives a good picture of how he spent the better part of the holiday - balls in hand and just walking around with no purpose.......

Hope everyone had a great Holiday!

My aplogizes to the future spouses.........

I started to admire my mother n law's tree this past week and how elegant and pretty it looked and then thought well perhaps in 25 years or so I too will have that window shopping sparkling tree too......... you see my mother-n- law as well as my mother handed down all "our" ornaments from when we grew up. So on our tree we hang proudly every sport figure from 1973 on, as well as every fad or special activity we were once involved in. As I hang them every year its nice to remember hanging them as a little kid and jocking for space on the tree (somehow it seemed Tom's always ended up dead center) so anyway.... every year as we put up the Xmas tree there are a few ornaments that are points of contention. No matter how I try they just always seem to end up in the dead back or nestled into the brush next to the trunk..... and Chris seems to complain about it every time -"why can't this one be in the front" Let me explain...... This ornament has always creeped me out - It's a homemade special from the dear hubbie but it is made out of a plastic medicine cup with gold glitter and a creepy rusty bell and hanger on top. Which was personalized with a green sharpie..... I mean bless his heart but Martha Stewart I know you are cringing......Somehow Chris will just not part with it......and neither could his mother - apparently she had the courage to hang this proudly on her Xmas tree for twenty five years until it was bestowed onto us......... let me have you get a little glimpse of it......

But then I came to thinking as my kids are bringing their homemade treasures home that I so proudly hang from our tree. I don't even think of giving them a side or back piece of real estate on the tree..... They get lake front property.....front and center......

and that is because I am a mom who is proud of these ridiculous things that they make with glitter and foam just as Chris mom was proud of his creepy medicine cup - and I too will store these for 20 some odd years or more until I can proudly present it to each of them and possibly their future spouses and say enjoy. Then secretly when I come to their houses at Christmas I will be searching for which one that spouse is hiding at the back of the tree and most likely move it to where it should be Lake front baby!!! So my apologies to the future spouses of my kids you will inherit all these treasures and hopefully will have an "ah-ha" moment and find it in yourself to not bury them at the back of the tree (I am really going to try hard next year to make space for the medicine cup! - perhaps I might find space on the side of the tree :) ) baby steps......

Kids are like Snowflakes.....no two are alike!

While there are SO many similarities between Brooke and Brady - Lately I have been noticing how they differ in so many ways.......

(side note - is it possible for a Binky to freeze to a kids face?) Ahhh Brady you and that Binky - live it up kid you have 12 more days until we pull the plug!

Brady, he is such a rough and tumble guy when he wants to be , but more often than not he is this overly cuddly sweet thing that I never got from Brooke when she was a baby! I think I now know why the phrase "momma's boy" was coined. I seriously want to eat him!

He is also like clock work at night you say nigh nigh and he heads for the fridge for his milk and walks upstairs, Brooke on the other hand say nigh nigh and she is all "Dad can I help you clean up the toys or organize some stuff" Staller Johnson and she has been that way since 2 and probably always will be!

Once Brooke started walking it seemed to me that she was off to the races, where as Brady is walking at a slow trot and never seems to be in much of a hurry to get anywhere.

Brady is our picky eater -one day cheese is the shizzle the next day it very well could be chucked halfway across the kitchen - We are slowly realizing what a good eater Brooke is and was as a baby. (I didn't say neat, I said good) Both the kids take home the Oscar in let me see if I can wear more than I eat!

I am sure there are a million other ways I won't bore you with - just a few I have noticed in the past few months.

Mom and Dad if you haven't noticed you got out of Dodge just in time - we had our first significant snowfall this past weekend and the kids loved being in it......so enjoy your freezing cold 65 degree weather cuz that seems like summer for us folk.

Brady having fun in his first sledding adventure - but looks like he is secretly thinking "umm folks I am not smiling my face is frozen like this - would you fools get me inside already!!"

Brooke spends more time eating the snow than actually playing in it! She loves to go out and shovel with dad and make snow angels.

oh yeah and sled down the driveway cuz the Munson's choose to not shovel during the ice storm last time.......I don't think that stuff is melting until April!!

Hope everyone enjoyed the snow fall as much as we did - Isn't it nice that it actually happened over the weekend when we could enjoy it instead of the usual Monday morning frazzling start to the work week?

Santa Trifecta

Okay so I think we have put in our time visiting Santa this year - 3X in one week! This guy just kept popping up everywhere! We got to see the jolly old man at the parade, the mall, and the nite lite show. Perhaps repetition helped this year (well at least for one of my kids) Just to refresh Brooke has not been too fond of St. Nick in previous years - last year was the first year with no tears - but still insisted that she sit 4 feet away from him - Well she finally had a break through at 4 years - she had no problem hopping up on the guys lap and explaining what she wanted - at the nite lite show she even gave the bearded fool a hug! Now that is progress! Well what is the old saying - one step forward - two steps back....... Brady on the other hand wasn't having it. He had no problem looking from a far but once we got up to sit on laps it was no go - as you can tell by the extra body in the picture! I don't blame him - here is some random unshaven old man with breath like a dog in a big red suit asking if he was good - I can just imagine Brady thinking -Whatever old man I already got a big plastic ball at home and my new favorite plastic elephant (the new obsession right now!) I don't need to sit on your lap - I gots everything I need. Well at this rate I figure if Brady follows in Brooke's path I got at least another 3 years on the big fella's lap! Should I be offended that he never asks me what I want? :) Here's some pix....enjoy.

Anxiously awaiting the man who could possibly be the one to bring me a sticker maker that I have been bugging my mom for!

I have no idea what I am so excited about - Who is this Santa character - oh yeah now I remember why I am so happy I have escaped from my stroller and no one seems to mind!
I don't know why this guy is so famous - look at me I have a big distended belly too but no one seems to be waiting in line to sit on my lap!
Same situation - different kid as I install the mom straight jacket on Brady in order to snap the photo!
I REALLY want a sticker maker - oh yeah and let me slip in I would also like baby McKayla....
So upon hearing of this new baby McKayla - I find out from my mom it is some $80 doll that she noticed when looking through the ads with my mom......She isn't even into dolls - but her cousin bousin really wanted a doll for Xmas so she had to hop on board - hate to break it to you sister Santa may have been watching those few moments when you were naughty! I know terrible mom - but come on $80 for a doll to sit in our toy cabinet - BAH HUMBUG!

Step aside Michael Phelps........

Brooke continues to really LOVE swim class - I feel like she is right at that breaking point where she is trusting of her teachers and of herself to go it alone...... Literally! She usually ends up having a personal private lesson (the other kids are not fond of the water and usually take off 10 minutes into the class) which gives her great one on one time with the teacher! She practices in the bathtub all the time and challenges herself with new limits ...... "mom I am going to keep my face under for 20 seconds this time....." It's exciting to see her so proud of herself for trying something beyond her comfort zone.....so goodbye Puffy suit..... (as much as I hate to see it go - it was such a confidence booster for her as well as me!) hello slippery fish!!

Brooke willing submerging herself to jump in for the dive sticks!


I am sure she still has her foot on the stair for comfort - but she is definitely getting braver each class to give it a shot!!

In other news...... something I am truly enjoying is the infatuation between brother and sister that is occurring right now......It is so fun to watch Brady just idolize his sister!! He MUST do everything she does.... Brooke drinks her milk.....Brady drinks his milk.......Brooke dances......Brady dances....... Brooke wants to wrestle......Brady is all over it!! You get the picture. So I will revel in it for now since I know the "keep out of my room" sign will soon be hung on each others doors soon!

Just thought this was funny - Brady will go up to everyone now lift up their shirt and just give random zerberts! He is pretty good at it....haha turn your volume up!

Last lil tidbit - so I thought Brooke was our rough and tumble kid - but Brady is gaining on her QUICKLY - let me take you back a few weeks - I happened to be a the play gym at the mall and some six year old boy (completely by accident) turned around quickly and Brady just happened to be behind him and knocked him over......well without hesitation Brady put both arms around this kids ankles and just forced his head (a powerful tool mind you!) into this kids knees, who is five years older than him, until he buckles - the moms and I were just like who does this kid think he is?? I couldn't believe it - then I see him doing it to Brooke when they are playing around and she is egging him on to wrestle.....its just so funny that it is the exact same move that his father famously mastered at a Halloween party one night :).....anywho moving forward.......I pick him up from school the other day and his teacher asks me "So does Brady tackle at home??" HAHA I couldn't belive it my kid is the bulldozer.... We laughed about it - she said he did it out of play not out of anger and the other kid was laughing because they thought they were playing but still ........I told her we would simmer down the wrestling at home since it is pretty much a nightly occurrence!

Wanted: An Elastic Waistband!

Okay so the holidays are just beginning and I am already feeling the squeeze (literally) from the holiday treats that bestow us this time of year! Turkey day was yummy and full of good treats and I seriously need to work on my will power :) So with Thanksgiving in mind I thought I would share a few items I am VERY thankful this past week!



#1 My sweet baby girl!








#2 My sweet baby boy!

#3 My sweet husband who offered to clean out the groody neck of the turkey and cook it!

#4 For my sweet husband for cooking it AGAIN in the Microwave since it was a wee bit underdone! WAH WAH WAH...... (hey its only our second time - many years ahead for that brown succulent looking bird!)

#5 That I no longer have to babysit Angelo (our neighbor's fish) who has extraordinarily long poops that made me want to gag on an hourly basis! I mean this fish has some serious unattended G.I. issues! I know it is absurd to even photograph this but come on who has a poop that long and just swims around with it?

#6 Good IT people - we have been without email at work since last Wednesday - how did one ever survive in the olden days??? I have recently been using this thing called the telephone and face to face conversations and its just plain awful :)

#7 The Joy of watching your kid do her first Whip it........

#8 The innocence of watching your kid see his first snowfall.......

#9 For the large drawer of sweatpants that I will bust out for the duration of the season and will be worn inappropriately at every function and event!

#10 That my kids are starting to appreciate the absurd world of "hairbands"!

#11 In all seriousness - I am most thankful for a healthy and loving family!

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

In case you didn't know......

So there is a lot of Turkey Talk going on at school every day - so we continue to talk about it at home and as we start talking about Pilgrims - Brooke asks - "what's a Pilgrim mom" and I am still laughing as I type this.....This was my 34 year old educated response...."Someone who walks a long way to eat some Turkey!" Ridiculous - I couldn't come up with anything or I was reminded how hard it is to describe something that just becomes so second nature to you after so long...... No wonder these little creatures consistently ask "Why Why Why" she is probably like mom you have no idea what you are talking about.....Anywho for those of you about to encounter the same conversation - you might more well versed than I but in case you are not or have a momentary relapse....here you go!

pil·grim /ˈpɪlgrɪm, -grəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[pil-grim, -gruhm] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1.
a person who journeys, esp. a long distance, to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion: pilgrims to the Holy Land.
2.
a traveler or wanderer, esp. in a foreign place. (ie a person who walks a long way to eat turkey!)
3.
an original settler in a region.
4.
(initial capital letter) one of the band of Puritans who founded the colony of Plymouth, Mass., in 1620.
5.
a newcomer to a region or place, esp. to the western U.S.

Ahhh In other news Brooke is in the midst of taking swimming and is really enjoying it - as well as mom - It's our first class without accompanying her in the water!! She is doing great - going under the water by herself willingly. Funny quote from her last week - her teacher Ms. Sandy said "oh Brooke good job I can't believe you remembered how to do it" (referring to some underwater spin move) Brooke responds "Yeah Ms. Sandy I don't miss a beat!"

Brady is continuing to stay upright! He is definitely enjoying keeping up with Brooke a little more! Today was a big day for him - the big dude is moving up to the next room at daycare since he is walking now......First, he has always struggled with the naps at daycare -I have always joked and laughed with the teacher because the next room they sleep on cots and of course I am like yeah right....well today was his first day sleeping over there and wouldn't you know it 2.5 hours on the cot............I am still suspect that they have a hidden stash of whiskey that they use on these kids! He also sat in a real chair at the table with the big kids - My first thought - great he won't want to ever be strapped in at home and he is going to hate his crib.....while that was short lived - my immediate next thought - WOW can we get rid of the highchair and pack n play......now co

me on it was only one day! Here are a few videos of the Kids jamming out - and apparently Brady is enrolling in the David Copperfield infant magic camp....Enjoy.

Happy Feet

Well folks Brady has gone vertical....It's been a long time coming but I can say with certainty that he is officially walking EVERYWHERE!! He is still a little bit of a drunken sailor, especially outside but he is getting used to it. He reminds me of a penguin in happy feet, because he cruises along but not real sure what he should be doing with his arms so they are usually strait down by his side as he shimmeys his shoulders from side to side. Makes me laugh when I see it.

Way to go BUGS! Seriously not sure why my videos are sideways - will work on it.

In other news.....we have finally surfaced from the stone age and acquired cable (Chris finally made the plunge for the big TV) - so now we are overwhelmed by trashy shows that no one in their right mind should watch - but find ourselves starring like deers in headlights. It must stop! Plus we are in the midst of packing up our VHS tapes(ummm yeah that's right - I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few BETA's in there too!) cuz we are no longer the Flintstones and set the VCR we have gone digital folks and are really enjoying this thing you modern day folks call the DVR - so with this new found toy - Chris has been enjoying EVERY sporting event known to man and has taken someone under his wing to enjoy the games.......

Unfortunately I think we are saying good bye to Fall.....The bitter winter chill is setting in - Mom and Dad I am sure you are on the edge of your seats to come back and experience it :) We had what was probably the one last decent weekend last week and got to enjoy some outside time before we hibernate for the winter!

Tricks, Treats & T-Storms!

Well it wouldn't be Halloween in Michigan if a few raindrops didn't fall......Well they did and then some - we were blessed with the down pour in the height of Trick O' Treating - Mom and Brady made a wet dash home while Brooke and Dad braved the elements - they came back soaked, but with a bowl full of goodies no less!! The kids had a great time and isn't that what it is all about......

Brooke decided to be Dora this year and Brady got a hand me down blue fur coat from his sister so Cookie Monster he was! Chris couldn't convince me that a one year old should go as a pimp! :)

No complaints from Mom - Brooke's costume was easy as pie this year - it was funny no one recognized her with the black wig!

Brady I swear next year I promise you will have a costume that you can move around in! Looks like he ate one too many cookies! MMMMM COOOOKIIIIEEE!!

Munson kids getting ready for the sugar highs to commence!

Brooke with her cronies - Elle and Simone.......

The neighborhood gang TRYING really hard to have everyone focus......haha. You can see how successful we were :)

They were off and running - could barely keep up with the speed demons this year!

Brady probably thinking - seriously you got me in a blue fur coat -big googly eyes and I get to sit in a wagon in the rain and watch sista have all the fun??? Don't worry bugs your day is coming!!

Brooke rallying through the storms - there are more important goals at hand - and a little wet wig isn't holding this explorer back!

AHHHHH SWEET VICTORY!

CANDY!!!!!

Even Brady Boo got to nibble on some goodies......I feel bad for the poor kid who got that saliva soaked Almond Joy!! haha!

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Fall Frenzy!!!

It's not even Halloween and yet we have had a weeks full of activities just leading up to it! Here are a few pix to update you ......

The kids have been enjoying playing in the leaves - it works out perfect Brady loves to mess them all up and Brooke loves to rake them back up!

Brooke and some of her neighborhood pals enjoying the fall foliage....haha bless their hearts we have one measly tree in our front yard so the girls were stealing them from the neighbors just to get a pile worth getting excited about!!

Brooke took a field trip this week - she told me she got to go trick or treating where ALL the "grandmas and grandpas" live......"but mom our Grandmas and Grandpas weren't there!" "Why" Ha ha!

Her Farm preschool had a little "recital" and "scavenger hunt" for the parents today it was really cute and they seem to be star struck by their big audience. The big performance was held in the barn! Brooke is the princess in the pink dress (she refuses to wear her real costume until the REAL night of Halloween!) So yeah its been fun pulling together items for all these events that she won't dawn her real costume for!

Her Buddy Addison.....AKA Construction Dude!

A snip it of the performance if you will......

Then on to carving pumpkins and eating seeds! Brooke and dad did a good job carving as Brady and I watched from the sidelines.......

Hope everyone is enjoying the fall weather and has a great and safe Halloween tomorrow night!