New Year's Eve

The Bean woke up just before 5 am on New Year's Eve. He came over and hopped into bed with us, hoping for some snuggle time. But, much to his dismay, Daddy was getting up to get ready and leave for work. Joshua cried and cried that Daddy left before the sun came out. I explained that New Year's Eve is a busy day for Daddy at work, where they do inventory. He said "Christmas Eve?" Nope, but it's still another holiday. :) He cuddled with me for a little while and then asked to be carried back to his bed. I took him over and tucked him in, and he slept past 8 am that morning! In fact, Grandpa Georgia came over to see our new minivan, and it was the doorbell that woke him up (Caleb had gotten up before him but hadn't been up throughout the night). Grandpa enjoyed a cup of hot tea while Caleb ate his breakfast (Joshua was not interested in eating that morning), and then we showed him our new ride. After he left, we decided to venture outdoors because it was a gorgeous day out (for PA, that is).

It was sunny and the temperature was above 40 degrees, or perfect weather to go for a walk around the neighborhood. I always ask the boys to tell me what they see, and we often talk about the same things that they notice. But, Joshua pointed at one tree that was still hanging on to quite a few of its dead leaves. We had not noticed it before. He was sad that everything was brown and not green. Yes, my little love, winter is a rough season! When we got back from our walk, we played in the garage and driveway. Joshua wrote his name, and Caleb wrote a 'C.' Then Joshua finished Caleb's name for him, and they continued to draw pictures. Thereafter, they got in their cozy coupe cars and went to the 'store' to buy some milk & cookies (now that we know Santa likes them). They were having a blast! Eventually, though, we came in because it was time for naps. I made a quick lunch of leftover ham, easy mac 'n cheese and peas & carrots (since the boys love them) and they both ate a little bit before passing out.

Daddy got out of work a little earlier than I was expecting, but not in enough time to get a much-needed nap before the boys were awake and pouncing on him. He's such a good dad! Instead, we got ready and headed out to Joshua's favorite pizza restaurant, where we used our gift card. The kids ate relatively well, and the place was PACKED! From there, we headed up to Nonie & Poppy's house, and the boys were so excited to see their cousin Jordon (pictured with them - thanks for the photos, Nonie!). We dropped the boys off and left to go see a movie called "the Fighter." It was based on a true story, and while a boxing movie would not normally be my favorite, it was pretty good. Shawn loved it. He also enjoyed just relaxing after a long day at work. When the movie was over, we tried to stop at Starbucks for some caffeine, but they were already closed. So, we headed back to Nonie & Poppy's where we visited with them for awhile and their company. The boys were "trying to find the kitty" (as Caleb kept telling us). Their cat does NOT like the attention and runs and hides, so the boys kept looking for her, and when they would find her, she'd run off again. They thought this was a FANTASTIC game, which kept them occupied most of the evening. 

We changed Caleb into his PJs - Joshua got changed by himself in the bathroom - and since we could tell they were both tired, we said our goodbyes and headed for home. We walked in the door around 11:30 pm, and we tucked an already-sleeping Caleb into bed. We took turns snuggling with the Bean and tucked him into his covers, and by the time we got into our pajamas, it was close to midnight. We turned on the TV in our bedroom to watch the ball drop in Times Square, turning it off after wishing each other a Happy New Year and passing out from a long day. But, before we nodded off, I said "Oh my! We're going to have another baby this year!" And that was it before I heard the soft consistent breathing of my exhausted unconscious husband. Happy New Year!