Easter 2010

There were eggs, candy, bunnies, hunts, vinegar dyes, ham, beach time, & Jesus talks. Yup I think we captured all the Easter fixings and wrapped up another holiday. Here it is in an "eggshell" (pun intended...)

Waiting for the bunny to arrive.....sure Brady was all smiles here......

So what do you think a body language expert would say about this picture?

The coloring of the eggs...

Friends were gracious enough to host a hunt for the kids.....They were really excited!

Brooke and her pal Avery

Anxiously awaiting for the bunnies to be released!!

And they are off.......

Turkey balls opening their baskets and Brady giving Mom the look of "put the camera away!"

The remainder of the holiday was spent out on the beach enjoying the mild temperatures and the strong wind~

Grandma and the kids on the search for the best walking sticks around!

Toes in the sand....nothing better.


CHEESE.

There were hundreds of ladybugs taking over the beach and apparently this stick.

Looks like she is about to take off....

Happy Easter Kiddos!

Spies like us....

Well.Of.Course.You.Are.Spies.

And some pretty fancy ones at that. This was just a funny moment that Brady will torture Brooke for when he is older, but at that moment probably couldn't have loved her more for including him on their SPY ADVENTURE. Not sure if Brady is channeling 007 or Pimp Mac Daddy? Also check out Brooke trying to get her monocle in place.

I just had to add this second one to capture the fancy footwear as well...These guys keep us smiling!

In his own little world.....

This boyfriend of mine is one imaginative little guy. He is SO fun to watch lately and truly in his own little world. He is much more playfully imaginative than Brooke is......Don't get me wrong Brooke is extremely creative but it always has a set of rules and procedures to go along with it, more structured would be a good way to put it....while Brady he just is all over the board and definitely coloring outside the lines.

Some cases in point......

1. He is constantly "someone" other than himself.....Someone asked him the other day what do you want to be when you grow up he replied "Batman" Other days it's Super why, Kiki, Hip Hop Harry, Ming Ming, Superman, Wonder Red..... and most of these people as you can imagine have a cape and/or a mask.

2. He dances like NO ONE is watching.....

3. I was watching him play out on the playground with his buddies at school and immediately saw him do a series of rolls in the wood chips like he was stop dropping and rolling out of a burning building and when I asked him what he was doing he boldly stated "I had to escape before Molten Man got me" well of course you did.....

4. We see him talk to inanimate objects or "pretend" people A LOT.

5. He is always on an adventure looking for something with his binoculars and rescue pack in tow....

6. We were in a doctor's appointment and he thought it would be perfectly appropriate for him to take out his "shooter" (yes that shooter) and aim and fire it repetitively at the nurse with shooting sounds.

7. He never has "friends" to play with more like "partners in crime"

8. He brings a 2 foot batman with him to school everyday so he can sleep with him.

9. He loves to prepare imaginary meals and have cooking shows all the time.

He is a three year old boy beating to his own drum and we couldn't love him more for doing so!

Go Fish!

Well I think this will be the summer where Mom and Dad's fear will subside a bit as I feel confident that if Brooke fell in somewhere she could swim herself to the side without panic. She is truly "getting it" a bit more each Saturday and the fear factor will stay consistent as both Mom and Dad know that Brady wouldn't dare leave the ledge or the steps where his feet can't touch.



The kids are enjoying their swim lessons and gearing up for G'ma & G'pa's pool in a few weeks. It is great, they are both in the pool at the same time in separate classes which is fantastic for scheduling purposes, but what is so cute is that after each one of their "turns" they both touch base get together and discuss "something" and then return to their respective classes. It is cute to see them check up on each other. See below....

Hey Marina....I just put my face in the water....Hey Kiki I just swam across the pool - okay smell you later......(BTW Marina & Kiki are what they are calling each other these days....and yup Brady is Kiki)

Here is a video of Brooke swimming the length of the pool she is very proud of herself and her teacher told her she could move up a few levels.....something that was repeated to me a few 100 times on the ride home.

Brady is also getting a bit more brave he at least "gives in" a bit when asked to step away from the ledge into the deep blue yonder..... This one you sort of get a bit of Brooke and Brady in passing...

Keeping busy....

So the winter months are actually passing quite quickly for me this year, I have heard a lot of talk about the winter months dragging on lately and I feel like I am not there yet. We have been busy this year which I think helps plus our "spring break" vacation is quickly approaching so we feel like we need to get in all the winter activities that we can because before we know it that sun will be shining again! Now isn't that 1/2 glass full for me!

Brooke is busy with school, girl scouts, swimming lessons, ice skating, and soon to start gymnastics.

The girl scout code.....

Lacing up the skates - Brooke is at a point where she is actually "pushing off" now Brady well he just enjoys falling.

Brady is busy with being a superhero, going on the toilet (insert loud yells and screams!!), music glass, gymnastics, playing in the snow & swim lessons.

Even Spidey can suit up for Hockey....

I don't think he even minds....just all smiles.

Mom is busy with memorizing her calendar on a daily basis so she doesn't forget anything, working, doing tax returns, organizing a Fantasy league, scrap booking, and feeling the calm after a 30 day whirlwind at doctors offices every day!

Brooke logging some time in on her computer while mom works!

Dad is busy perfecting his bat collection, training for a marathon, working, playing hockey and trying to leave the darn house that he doesn't seem to do often!

I may be the only one hoping for some more snow......but I want to enjoy the last of winter!

Crabby Munson

And no I don't mean any one of our family members on any given day......I mean our "pet", of sorts. I feel like I have never introduced him formally because honestly I forget about him sometimes. He is low maintenance (part of the purchase appeal)...until last week when we "lost" poor crabby..... We often (meaning the kids) take him out and let him get some exercise in the kitchen or family room. Well the other night I saw that he wasn't in his cage and asked "Ummmmm where is Sandy Claws?" (his birth name but he prefers "Crabby"). Brooke seemed to get wide eyes and a bit of panic when I asked so we knew who to drill with the rest of the questions.....well apparently she took him out while she was eating breakfast and here it was 7:30 P.M. She said she had him on the counter so now I am envisioning a cracked shell and a random crab in the bottom of my sheets. We went on a man hunt and finally found him under a table in the family room no scratches no bruises just a crab in a shell trying to make it's way back to Florida. So Crabby I hope you enjoyed your Ferris Bueler's Day off but let's not try anything funny Mom doesn't need a surprise crawling across her face in the middle of the night. Is this why people get dogs? Here we didn't think he would make it a week after we brought him home from Florida in September and low and behold he is withstanding the 65 degree heat his dad lays upon him and the two days of sunshine he gets to enjoy this season. Happy Belated welcome to the family Crabby!

Not the cutest pet in the world but the kids love to show him off and give him baths.....He comes out when he is placed in water.

It ain't the shores of the Gulf .......Welcome to the Midwest :)

Daddy/Daughter Dance 2010

Chris and Brookie made their way to their first Daddy Daughter Dance last weekend and somebody was on cloud nine! She loved getting her hair curled, her nails painted, her fancy dress on, watching dad literally dust off the shoulders to his suit, and put on her corsage. I could tell she felt special and welcomed the night of boogieing with her old man......because when she came home she was like a wound up talking toy......"mom and then I did this move" "mom and then I saw this person..." "Mom they played Lady Gaga & Taylor Swift" "Mom we had dinner and ice cream" "Mom we saw your boss" "Mom it was so cool" It is a nice event the community puts on for the girls Chris had no idea there would be a cool 800 people there that he would have to compete with , I mean which does he choose the robot or the worm?? There were girls from four years old until early teens so I can only envision Brooke thinking she literally walked into "High School Musical"....except her "Troy" was Dear ol' Dad!

Dad and his Baby girl....somehow a few spiral curls and this girl looks like she is 10 years old! Make it stop!

She obviously hasn't been taught the after labor day rule with the shoes....but she insisted because they have a heel.

Literally it was like Prom......pictures before hand.....girls discussing dresses and hair for weeks prior.....

Except they had Dad for a date......somehow these three guys will be hoping that will be the case when Prom really does roll around...

Dancing the night away....

Here is a quick video of the girls taking a break from Dad. And notice those White shoes I told her not to wear because her feet would hurt....yup that is right those heels are no where to be seen......I would never say so but.....Mom - 1 brooke - 0.

Funny little people......

These two have been cracking me up lately, Brady more on an innocent level of discovery that he can be funny and make people laugh, Brooke on more of a eye opening wow she really gets stuff level......just wanted to remember a few...

While having his hand in his pants (which is more often than not......)
M: Bugs ya gotta go potty?
B: Nope just playing with my penis....

Brooke while giving dad fist pumps after they beat me in UNO.....
Brooke: Boo-yahhhhh (while her fist did some explosion movement)
So when mom thought does she even know what that means?? Do I even know what it means? I looked it up and apparently she does because it was totally used in context.

Often Said when 'schooling'/beating your competition... almost as is you were sayin 'in Yo' face Mo'Fo'...

Brady: Do we stay home today

Mom: Yes

Brady Yes......We have a winner (said to the voice of a race track announcer)

When M&D are trying to hide our laughter when we should be acting mad

Brooke: "oh yeah baby I see a grin in there........I am off the hook"

Mom: Brady you were such a good helper for Mommy at the store today

Brady: You can say that again!

When Brady was getting blood drawn at the hospital the other day....(which by the way he was a champ and not one wimper....)

Brady: I don't want to have a hole in my arm and they should fix it.

When getting out of the bath and having a deep meaningful life convo....(haha)

Brady: If Robin is batman's best friend who is mine?

Brooke: me......

They keep us smiling (most of the time!)

Seven years running.....

So we ventured off to our annual Hockey n' Hold em weekend in Chicago with Chris' old teammates/roommates and it never ceases to amaze me, as each year we get older we feel it necessary to try and act that much younger each year. It's like we end up in this time machine where we all travel back to 1994 and think our bodies and minds will cooperate. Some do, some don't but we all give it the ol' college try. But let's just say 3a.m. for some us in our 30's don't fair as well as 3 a.m did back in the day.....but when in Rome.......

We had a great time and got to Play all weekend! Here are some photos of the WMU gang circuit 2010.....

The real reason this weekend started. A sport that these fools could once again compete against each other at.....They were lucky enough to get a few hours in before the ice started getting mushy from unseasonably warm weather in January!

Then they were nice enough to let the wives join for the annual bowling tourney....the highlight...Scott bowled a 253.....He was on FIRE!!


Chris seems to always bring a new game every year....last year box hockey....this hear horses...which was a HUGE hit we bet and played for hours.......Drew announcing the game like we were really at the track also made it entertaining....

Dave was unfortunately the first one out as he had a 7 hour drive in....but just like old times do they let the poor guy rest? Not on your life.....poor Dave was tortured all night and Yup that is popcorn lodged in each nostril...

Todd's Karoke with Weekend at Bernies.....

Lastly, the gang debating over Wii or full on band practice.... that is what you have to do when you drop out of the poker tourney too early.....

Never a dull moment that is for sure....Until next year boys!

A New Attitude

Yup that is right, just like Patti Labelle, Brady has got one NEW ATTITUDE.....ooh ooh ooh ooh ohh, and mom AIN'T "feeling good from her head to her shoes" ........So over the last month or so Brady has been coping some major tude and his Mamma is not liking it.......The sad and almost comical part is that there is no real evil streak to it, it is just completely testing, testing, testing. Some of his new phrases include...... (all said with flair a lot of umphs and usually his hands on his hips)

1. NO!

2. It's YOUR fault

3. I WANT......

4. I DID....(in reference to any question we well know in advance that he DID NOT do....)

You get the picture at any rate I knew it was coming he is 3.5 years old and we BREEZED through any mention of a terrible two stage so I guess we should consider ourselves due....however I don't enjoy being tested from "my rock" Brady has always been my constant even keeled boyfriend and I know he is still under there somewhere as he tests out this new "cover" and I know so because the other day he got mad at something, threw down some proclamation about he didn't like what was happening, and then I caught him, head down trying to hide behind his eyebrows with those puppy dog eyes looking fearful that I would get mad at him and then just cracked his smile that makes me melt every time and ran over and said "sorry momma those were not nice words"

So for now Mr. Bugs I will let you test the waters and have your say even though I dislike it with every bone in my body as long as you ultimately end up giving in and showering your momma with kisses!!

Ringing in the new year......

We laid low this year and rang in the new year with some neighbors who also didn't have any plans and their families in tow......It was fun to see the kids get excited about the holiday and push the bedtime limits. I will have to say it was unexpectedly enjoyable not worrying about making plans, finding cabs, and avoiding all the other crazies out that night! Hope everyone had a safe and happy new year!

Kids enjoying crab legs and pizza (well some kids, insert minus the Munson kids)

Daddy Munson and his "CRAB arm"

Kids had no problem monopolizing the chocolate fountain fondue pot.

Luci "oooozzzzinnggg" chocolate from every end.....

A celebratory toast - the kids thought they were hot stuff with sparkling peach juice....

Then the requests came.....Mom please, please, please can I try and stay up until Midnight??? Sort of hard to say no to her when she was trying to hang with the older boys.....They passed the time by playing Wii Fit.

We finally gave in since Brady fell asleep in whatever bed was closest at 9p.m. to let Brooke try and make it until Midnight......

She's got 8 minutes to go....

They watched Dick Clark/Ryan Seacrest and the ball drop...

One Brooke Munson was elated and exhausted that she was able to hang.....

Now one happy and tired girl realizes she's got the "I did it last year" saved in her back pocket for next year~ So do her parents.....Sigh.......

Happy 2010.....