Happy (Semi) Retirement Papa!

On Wednesday before New Years, we ventured to Hacienda after work for a retirement party for Papa. I mean semi-retirement since he has agreed to stay on as a "part-time consultant". Way to tell 'em that you have put in your time and are ready to retire! Actually, this should help him ease into full-time retirement and keep Mimi's house from a complete overhaul before spring even hits.

Papa's son was also in town for the holidays, so we were able to visit a little with him. Connor was super-excited to see Aunt Julie because it had been less than 24 hours since he saw her last. He even opted to sit at the other end of the table with her instead of with us. Another fun evening of visiting with family! Isn't it funny how months can go by and then you cram all the visits and catch ups into the holiday season?!?

Christmas Part 3

As mentioned earlier, we had to postpone our Christmas celebrations with Chris's dad and family until after Christmas. We went to their house after work on Tuesday to celebrate Christmas and also Chris's birthday. Unfortunately, Gma Donna was sick that evening and we didn't get to visit with her (she was down for the evening - hopefully the boys weren't too loud). The boys loved that they received more Lego sets from Papa and Gma to add to their ever-expanding collection. They were also very excited about the movie pack - Up movie, popcorn, and hot chocolate - that we received from Aunt Julie and Uncle Marx.

Chris had received a birthday card that played the song "Rock-n-Roll All Night". The boys loved playing that over and over again while dancing and doing air guitar. Then, Papa decided to put on "Born to be Wild" which brought back memories for Chris and Julie. It was a fun evening...even though we had to call it an earlier night due to work the next day! The boys also really enjoyed visiting with Aunt Julie and receiving some one-on-one attention from her. Connor said he was really going to miss her...and then he got to see her the next evening!

Wii Training

The Saturday after Christmas, we decided to have our good friends, the Johnsons, over for a low-key evening of pizza and Wii playing. The boys are all super great friends from school and the adults love visiting as well. We received the Wii for Christmas and they were pros, so they were showing us the ropes. We all took turns playing some bowling and tennis before moving on to Mario Kart. Much of the evening was spent on this game with the boys usually on someone's lap assisting with the driving. (BTW, we have some very competitive boys) At one point, the moms were able to sneak into the kitchen to bake some cookies and visit while the dads were trying to see how much they could get unlocked on the game. Unfortunately, they learned later that they were playing under Brady's name.

Since then, Brady is our Mario Kart addict. He requests to play it almost every evening. Each night, we would add more tips for him on how to improve his game. He now uses his "weapons" as he picks them up and especially loves when he is playing against someone and uses the lighting. He also is very good about finishing the race, which the game lets you do when you are playing by yourself. He has figured out how to correct his driving and he is getting familiar with the different courses. We have actually been quite impressed. Connor likes to be the backseat driver - "to the left Brady, no right, use your tool". While Brady usually finishes a race last, he can hold his own now and he is ready to challenge Ben at a game!

Christmas Day Part 2

Every Christmas, we go to my parents (Gma Darla and Papa's) for Christmas with my siblings and their kids. We have about an hour of chaotic gift opening between 7 adults and 6 kids. The kids got a lot of great gifts and a couple outfits that they love. Connor loves the outfits because they are like pajamas, but count as clothes. (We have a big issue with him getting dressed on the weekends, because he likes the comfort of pajamas.) After gifts, we then graze on appetizers and baked goods throughout the afternoon while the kids play and the adults usually play some games and/or pool. It was a nice relaxing afternoon visiting with everyone. That evening, the boys had plenty to entertain them before we called it a day.

Christmas Day Part 1

Luckily, the boys are still willing to sleep in on Christmas Day and know that everything will still be there, so we we all got up about 8am that day. Connor was relieved that Santa came to our house as he wasn't sure if he was on the naughty or nice list (skirted the edges a few times, huh?) and didn't hear Santa during the night. Santa left his evidence of cookie crumbs, empty milk glass, and a note to the boys. He thanked them for the goodies and the reindeer food which he found waiting for him (we forgot to let them spread it outside the night before).

They went for the stockings first since they could see surprises peeking out. They then had a lot of fun opening presents which we managed to keep very controlled by handing them one item at a time to open individually or together. They received several combined gifts from Santa since he knows they like the same things. Their favorites from Santa were the Lego sets, puzzles, and the World of Zoo Wii game. Brady got a Leapster and Connor got a remote control RC Buggy Car from us. After breakfast, they had a little time to play before we headed to Gma Darla's and Papa's for Christmas celebrations.

Christmas Eve

Every year on Christmas Eve, Mimi & Papa come to our house to celebrate Christmas with the boys. As always, there is a lot of food for just the 6 of us and the boys are spoiled rotten. The boys love the attention! This year, they were calling Mimi & Papa Ms. Claus and Santa Claus. It was so cute! Our family gift was a Wii, which has been a very popular item all weekend. The boys love to play Mario Kart, even though they are terrible drivers right now. Connor's favorite gift was Rocky the Robot and he loves dancing with him. Brady's favorite was the Cars-themed remote control cars for their Geotrax set. It was a nice evening and the boys were more than willing to climb into bed that evening (together for a slumber party, of course). They said that Santa would pass by their house if they weren't in bed sleeping when he arrived in the area.

Sicknesses, Sicknesses, Go Away....Don't come again another day

Over the last week or so, our family has had their share of sicknesses circulating around. I have to say that we have been very lucky this season so far, but it definitely put some dents in the holiday plans. Last weekend, Papa Terry and Aunt Julie both were inflicted with some sort of flu bug and our Christmas get together has been postponed until post-Christmas. The Weds. before Christmas, Connor was home sick all day with a fever. Good thing I was done with my Christmas shopping, but it did postpone some other activities I had planned that day.

Over the Christmas weekend, I had some major hip pains (pregnancy related) that have prevented a good night's sleep in several days. This in turn has potentially led to me catching the winter crud that Chris had all week since my defenses were down. On Saturday, Brady willingly went to his bed for an afternoon nap. That evening, he seemed to be fine and put on a good show for our visitors. On Sunday morning, while Chris was making breakfast, he disappeared back to bed and took a 2 hour nap. The rest of the day, we cuddled with Brady who had an off/on fever throughout the day.

At this point, hopefully this is behind us. The boys are back at school, daddy is back at work, and mommy has seen her beloved chiropractor for some adjustments. Hopefully the sinus crud will be short-lived as I return to work on Tuesday.

Christmas Fun

The boys are at such a great age for Christmas right now. The weeks leading up to Christmas, they are making holiday crafts at school, singing all the songs (I have been shocked at all the ones they know by heart), talking about how Santa "operates" and making their requests known. We have a few annual traditions that we participate in every year like Breakfast with Santa and Fantasy of Lights. This year we didn't bake a lot, but we did make a few cookies that the boys could use their cookie cutters to help with.

I tried several times to get the boys on video singing one of their favorite Christmas songs since we were hearing them in the car, at home, and even while they were going to sleep. They would usually stop what they were doing or start acting goofy about it. I did get this video, which was so cute even though they knew it wasn't true!

Fantasy of Lights

After the birthday celebrations, we took the kids to the park to see the Ritzy's Fantasy of Lights (an annual tradition). It was a little drizzly that night, but that wasn't going to stop us from enjoying the light displays. The boys got a big kick out of telling us what the displays were and asking lots of questions about them. When asked what their favorites were, they responded "ALL OF THEM".

Happy Birthday Tyler!

On Sunday, we celebrated Tyler's 2nd birthday (and Chris's birthday) with my family. We went to my sister's house for dinner (I think she made 12 frozen pizzas) and then we had the birthday celebration. When she announced dinner to the kids, the adults slowly followed and were greeted by all the kids sitting and eating quietly. It was a sight to see! Tyler was old enough this year to get into gift opening except for the overwhelming part of it. He received lots of presents and had lots of kids wanting to help him out. Let's not forget that during the celebrations, Shane provided the entertainment.

Family Christmas Party

Every year, my mom's side of the family gets together before Christmas for an annual Christmas party. The kids all open one gift brought by the parents and the adults participate in a Chinese gift exchange. As always, the gift exchange has an alcohol theme to it. We "won" a bottle of Tequila (for post-baby, of course) and a Showplace movie certificate (hopefully not post-baby).

It is always great to catch up with the family! We go so long between visits sometimes and I really want my kids to know their extended family (which is also why we will probably never move). This year was more exciting than last year since the youngest kiddos are all now walking. In addition, my sister has added 3 girls to her group with her marriage to Bobby last spring. This year there was 12 kids, first and second cousins, running around having a blast!

Merry Christmas to all my family!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

On Friday night, we celebrated Daddy's 35th birthday with his family. We had it at our house so the boys could run free...and boy did they ever! They were having fun showing Mimi, Papa, Aunt Julie, and Uncle Marx all their geography artwork. It was a nice celebration! Happy Birthday Daddy!

Cute Sayings of the Week

Santa Related:

Brady knows various holiday songs and his favorite is Santa Claus is Coming to Town. He said to me the other night "I was on the naughty list, but now I am on the nice list and I will try to stay there until Christmas. No emails from my teacher like my friend's mom will be getting (and like the one I saw a couple weeks ago)." Too bad he is only promising until Christmas!

According to Connor "If Santa can't find a toy in the store, it's no big deal because he can go back to his workshop and build it." Oh great - now what is Santa supposed to do?? I personally think that Santa needs an upgrade to the times. I mean, Santa is far more efficient these days with stock piling the good deals through the year and taking advantage of online shopping deals. Also, according to a friend of mine, Santa is not immune to the recession and may have needed to downsize his workforce.

Baby Related:

Brady lifts up my shirt and tells me that when my belly button is all the way out, that is when baby Claire is ready to come out. (Great - now I'm a turkey! He also thinks that is where she comes out...but we won't go there.)

Connor comments that he really loves me a lot since I am his mommy and I make babies. (Glad to know I am good for something)

Connor is practicing for his role as the biggest brother (or fatherhood) these days. Brady has earned the spot of guinea pig. Lately, we will hear Connor talking to Brady like he is the parent.

• "Brady, there is no reason to get upset if I beat you at getting dressed, because I didn't get upset when you beat me. That is no reason to get upset."
• "Brady, if you eat one more bite of your sandwich, it's okay if you don't eat your other items. Just take one more bite - that's all I ask"
• "Brady, I don't want to see you smile. Don't let me see that smile. I am starting to see a smile under there." (Brady stops whining and starts laughing at Connor instead with this one)

Weekend Getaway for Mom & Dad

This past weekend, we decided to escape for a quick weekend getaway for Chris's birthday. We dropped the boys off at my mom's Saturday morning and drove over to St. Louis. We had plans to go to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra Concert that evening for Chris's birthday. He always wanted to see them in concert...close location, a free hotel, a weekend away before the arrival of baby #3 was all good reasons to go for it. We did some dining, but unfortunately didn't get much shopping in due to the traffic and crowds. A nap was calling my name louder after driving around for a parking spot for more than 30 minutes.

That evening we enjoyed a nice dinner before heading to the concert. The concert was awesome! The lights, the special effects, the mix of instruments, and resulting music was just incredible. It was amazing to see the rockin' violins and guitars performing together. Definitely a must see for anyone who enjoys their music.

The next morning, we had a nice quiet breakfast before heading home to the boys. It was so peaceful, and a little weird, to have the silence of a 3-hour car ride. Once we picked up the boys, we were back to the non-stop talking and singing car rides. It was nice while it lasted...

Our Family Holiday Pictures

Jam Session

While running around on Saturday, Brady decided to jam to Christmas songs on the radio with his guitar! There was singing at one time also!

Building Wagons

After we finished our breakfast with Santa, we proceeded to Home Depot for their monthly kid workshop. We had always heard great things about this and the project was building a wagon. Perfect project! Chris and I helped each of them build their wagon. I actually can say that Connor did more than I did since he nailed most of the nails himself and applied the glue. Brady, I think, needed a little more assistance with his but seemed to do a large amount of hammering himself also.

We passed on the option to paint the wagons there since they would have to dry. The kids received a certificate of completion and a pin for their Home Depot apron. We then let them pick out a small container of paint to finish the project at home. On Sunday, Chris had to get creative with creating a paint area for them inside the house. He had the floor and table all layered with coverings and threatened their life if they got any paint anywhere else. He said they did great and the wagons are complete (and VERY RED).

Breakfast with Santa

After last year's experience, we were very excited to attend the Breakfast with Santa again this year that is sponsored by my employer's employee organization. They always do a great job with the breakfast and the setup and this year didn't disappoint.

We got a seat pretty close and the boys were able to watch all the other kids sitting on Santa's lap and receiving presents while they ate their breakfast. Their best friend, Jesse, was also there so they were very excited to get in line and start telling Santa about everything they wanted for Christmas. We got to the front for our turn and the boys became all talk (again)! It took some nudging to get them close and then Connor finally jumped on Santa's lap. Once Santa started talking to him, all was okay and who knows what all Connor told him (check out his cheese in the picture). Brady, on the other hand, had a death grip on me. They then received a present from Santa with their name on it, which was just awesome. Connor got a Hot Wheels Dino Track and Brady got an Electronic Guitar.

Upon leaving, the boys also received a personalized snowman ornament and a goodie bag of chocolates, candy canes, and an orange. We had a really nice time seeing some friends from work with their children and visiting with Santa Claus. In the car, Connor was asking lots of questions about Santa and these dinners and breakfasts. When he asked me why he doesn't do lunches, I said it was because he works the mall during that time frame. He said Santa is very busy!

My Technology Addict

The boys have our old desktop computer set up for their use. They have a couple programs, Blues Clues and Disney, that they got for Christmas last year. They also have some shortcuts to the online sites like Playhouse Disney that have games and activities.

Just a couple months ago, Brady needed his brother's (or parent's) assistance driving the mouse. He is now a PRO! Tonight, he wanted to show daddy all that he has learned. He has figured out how to navigate quite well on a website, play the actual games correctly, control the mouse, AND he has figured out how to rearrange the desktop icons. I am not surprised by this new development as I caught him last week navigating Kodak Gallery pictures and slideshows that I had left up on my computer.

He has started asking for the computer over the TV and would play for hours if we would let him. We actually have had to start setting limits, because he is an addict! He can actually carry on a conversation with you about what he wants for dinner without looking away from the screen or missing a move. He has even rushed through dinner in order to get back to his computer activity. I dread to know what the teenage years look like.

These kids are going to know more about computers before they even start kindergarten! It just amazes me!

What A Week...TGIF

This was a rough week for the Seaton family....thank goodness Friday has arrived so we can try to have an enjoyable weekend (especially since Chris and I will be out of town next weekend).

The week started out with Chris and I returning to work after holiday and vacation to a busy schedule at work. We spent all week playing catch-up with short and skipped lunches or late night work. It didn't help that I also spent all day Tuesday in Chicago at a conference, so was playing catch-up for that too!

For Connor, he had a something that affected him off and on all week. Sunday night, he started complaining that he was achy, had a fever of 99.9, and then requested to go to bed about 6:30. We were sure we would be home with him on Monday. He woke up Monday saying that he felt great and just needed a good night's sleep. That evening at dinner, it started again. He said he felt achy and this time he had a fever of 102.3. He went straight to bed again around 7. The next morning, his fever was low but we decided to keep him home for the day to see what developed. By mid-day, he seemed to be doing fine with no fever or aches. This was the case until Thursday night when he fell asleep on the way home and said he wanted to go to bed early. No fever this time, so perhaps he was just drained from the week and the sick days. As of Friday, he seems to be doing fine.

As for Brady, he ended up with a smashed finger on Wednesday night. We were at a birthday party and his cousin accidentally smashed his finger in a door. I have NEVER seen Brady so upset and inconsolable. I felt helpless! He would start to calm down and based on his frequent screams of pain, I can only assume that the finger would throb as a constant reminder. We were sure it was going to get worse by morning, but it seems to be healing fine with the nail intact.

Then on Friday night, Brady lost his TV privileges based on an email we received from his teacher. Apparently, Brady had a "rough" week at school with some very aggressive and destructive behavior. He apparently lost recess time, lunch companionship, and the use of crayons/markers throughout the week. When asked, he defended a couple items, but agreed to most of it. The terrible 3s have definately reared their ugly head....

Happy Birthday Matthew!

My baby brother is 25 years old! We celebrated his birthday with dinner at my parents. The kids ran around like crazy and there was even an incident with a smashed finger that ended the evening quickly. I hope Matthew had a great birthday regardless!

Black Friday Chaos...a different kind

I have never been one to get out in the Black Friday chaos...haven't been in the search for that great deal that couldn't be found on another day. This year was no exception especially since I was home with the boys while Chris had to work the Black Friday chaos (Shoe Carnival required the office employees to work a 5-hour shift at the store).

So instead, I decided to venture out with the boys to Pump it Up for a play session with some other kids. I met up with three co-workers and their kiddos, which knew each other through school or prior playdates. Afterwards, we headed to Subway for lunch with the famished bunch. One minute the place had patrons sitting there eating their lunch peacefully and the next, we had the WHOLE place to ourselves. The kids were pretty good other than the occasional inappropriate table talk, but what is new with 3-5 year-old kids!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Thanksgiving started out with lunch at Mimi & Papa's house along with Aunt Julie and Uncle Marx. The food was awesome and plentiful and Mimi was kind enough to tell the adults to take a nap while she entertained the boys. While, we didn't plan on really taking advantage of that opportunity, the nap won out for both Chris and I. Thank you Mimi!

Our next stop was the tail-end of a late lunch at the Hudnall house where we were able to grab a few more selections of Thanksgiving food and visit with extended family. Connor and Brady had a blast running around with their cousins. After watching everyone else for some time, Connor finally got enough courage to try out the Wii and was reportedly bowling strikes. The boys don't know it yet, but we are getting a Wii for Christmas. I suspect that it will become a favorite pastime for the Seaton family.

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving and overindulged on all their favorites for Turkey Day! I am very thankful to have such wonderful friends and family in my life.

Brady's Italian Day

Brady had an Italian Day at school which included a genuine Italian feast, artwork, and learning all about Italy. They made Italian Gondolas and then received their own Gondolier Hat. They also made Italian Stained Glass windows, an Italian Flag, pin pricked Italy, painted at the easel, looked at books filled with pictures taken in Italy and colored pictures of Italian Seasons of the year. After the party was over, they told the teacher their favorite part of the day was the Gondola and hat by far. That afternoon, several of the kids were exhausted from all the activities and found a spot to huddle up and nap. When Brady came home, he showed off all of the artwork he did and his new hat. He then whipped out the following checklist and said "and here is the checklist I used to complete all the artwork". If you know me, you know that mommy operates on checklists also so this comment was priceless. Once I told Brady that I wanted to go Italy one day, he has been working Chris for me. Little does he know that it will most likely be a trip for mommy and daddy only.

Playdate with friends

Every few months, a couple college girlfriends and I try to get together for a visit and playdate with the kiddos. Right now, there are 2 girls and 4 boys between us with the oldest being 6 years old and the youngest at almost 6 months old.

They came over for a Saturday afternoon visit a couple weeks ago and spent most of the time upstairs in the playroom while the moms visited and Connor slept on the couch. Yes, that is right, Connor fell asleep 10 minutes before our friends arrived and decided sleep would win out. He finally joined them for the final 30 minutes of their visit (which was also when the volume got noticeably louder). Brady and Isaac played together the best since they are only 3 months apart and used to be in daycare together. I think they all had fun and I hope we can keep getting together for our visits.

Happy Birthday Ethan!

November is a month full of family birthdays, so we celebrated another birthday two weeks ago - cousin Ethan's 6th birthday! The kids played and everyone ate their fair share of pizza. We then had the usual celebration with a chocolate cake and lots of presents for the birthday boy. Happy Birthday Ethan!

"Like Father, Like Son"

School Day Pictures 2009

Following are the boys pictures from school...they always turn out so well! What a difference a year makes when you go back and look at last year's pictures...growing up way too fast!

Let the spoiling begin...

Chris and I had our anxiously-awaited ultrasound today that would reveal whether we would be preparing for a girl or a boy. I didn't care either way as long as I would be able to prepare as I think a boy would be fun since I already have two fun boys or a girl would be nice to round out the family (and even the playing field slightly). The boys changed their minds several times over the last couple months on what they wanted. Chris was hoping for a girl when the boys were at their wild peak. I was starting to believe it was a girl based on the differences in this pregnancy.

The results were...IT'S A GIRL! I made sure the ultrasound technician felt very confident and she said to let the shopping begin. Everything else about the baby was perfect....beautiful heart & spine, good weight, etc. Baby girl of the family....I predict some major spoiling from grandparents (and parents, who are we kidding). I also predict that she will rule the nest when it comes to the boys. The question will be whether she is a girlie girl or a tomboy??

We told the boys that we had a dr. appt today and learned something about the baby. Connor immediately guessed that we found out she was a girl. He then started up with the stories about how he is going to show off his little sister. At one point, he asked what 2 boys and a girl mean. Huh - it means 3 kids. I think he was looking for triplets, which thank goodness they are not. We then asked them to give us their favorite girl name to make sure it was on the list to be considered. They came up with two very pretty names to add that is going to make the decision that much more difficult.