Stinky

My conversation with Julian (22 months) tonight

Me: Julian, your stinky...come on and let me change your diaper.

Julian: NO, cologne, no diapie. (and he ran and pointed to the cologne I have in my room for he and Manny)

Julian has learned at a young age how to "look" and smell good. Every morning he has me "do" his hair and wants a squirt of cologne before we leave.

Nap

Julian has not wanted to take naps for me since he climbed out of his crib and we turned it into a bed. When it comes time for a nap, and he even tells me he's tired, I try to take him to bed and he climbs out. Today he continued to climb out so I left him out and we went downstairs to play. He took his blankie, sat on his 4 wheeler, and fell asleep. When I tried moving him to his bed he woke up and had a fit!! I should have just left him on his 4 wheeler. :)

Christmas Evening

So I was pretty much done taking pictures at this point...we went to my grandmother's for dessert and presents. The kids slept the way there and got a burst of energy when we arrived. There were so many of us (30 maybe??) that it was too hectic to try and help Julian open his gifts and watch the other 2 open theirs and try to take pictures that I gave up. The few I took were after gifts were all said and done.

Grandma (will be 90 in February)

Pop and Julian (J loves his grandpas!!)

Mom

Madeline was not a happy camper..she was so tired at this point

Christmas Afternoon

We spent Christmas afternoon with Manny's dad (here visiting from Puerto Rico),mom and sister, hubby and kids. Our kids had a great time playing with their cousins and my sister in law cooked a delicious meal!!

Julian couldn't get enough of his Grandpa

cousins

Big and Little

Niko

Grandma Lily and boys

Jay Jay and Grandpa

this cake is yummy!!

Santa

Santa came to our house, right after little Manny and I made cookies for him at 9:30 last night. :) The kids loved their gifts and there is another yet to come. We, along with my grandmother, parents and aunts and uncles who contributed, are getting the kids a swing set/playground set once the weather gets nicer. They have so much to begin with and get so many gifts from the huge family we have, that I decided this year to ask for everyone to contribute to the play set instead of trying to come up with enough ideas. Worked perfectly!!

Julian on Manny's new big wheels

J's new 4 wheeler

Taina so excited to get her keyboard

Manny LOVES helicopters

Manny "helping" but really checking out what new toy J got that he wants to play with

Took him a while to open his gifts...he was loving his 4 wheeler

Daddy playing with Taina

J standing on Manny's big wheel to play Taina's keyboard

his smile after I caught him red handed

I LOVE this smile Julian has!!

Christmas Eve

We've always spent Christmas Eve for as long as I can remember, with Grandma Vogel and Aunt Judy and Uncle Chip. The tradition continues, except now we go out for dinner then back to mom's house for dessert and presents. I opted out of bringing the boys to dinner again this year...maybe next year they will behave enough to join us.

Jen, Mom and Jenn

Jenn and Chris

Julian and Great Grandma

Julian and Pop

Julian and his favorite smile

boys playing the piano

big progress

The first few nights of putting Manny and Julian in bed at the same time was torture for me..not them. They loved playing and running around and climbing into each others beds...it seriously took 45 min to and hour and a half for them to go to sleep and lots of me putting them back in their beds and tucking them in with strict warnings to stay in bed (they don't listen to mommy). Finally Thursday night I decided to put Julian in first (30 min before Manny). It worked perfectly. Julian only cried for a few minutes on and off and then was sound asleep. I did the same thing the last nights and it works. I think I will stick to this rather than deal with them being crazy for so long! :)

Other big news is that Julian is obsessed with using the potty and he constantly wants to sit on the potty and he does use it:) He's only 22 months and loves doing what his big brother does. If Manny says he has to go potty...all of a sudden Julian does too...or atleast he sits there.

Manny complained this am of his ear hurting so after school and work today I took him to the Dr. After an hour of waiting (y patience were gone at that point and to think I left work early to sit around there) I finally saw another Dr b/c the kid's Dr was way behind. Manny has an ear infection and touch of bronchitis. I see a pattern here. The Monday before Thanksgiving he had pneumonia. Now, the Monday before Christmas he has bronchitis!!

And to top the ever so stressful evening off Taina threw up (in the toilet thank goodness) and Manny did too....in his bed while he was sleeping. Let's just say that was NOT pleasant to clean up at all!!!!!



Here's a picture of waiting in the car with the boys to go back into the Dr's today...we waited some of the hour in the car...easier to control them. NO, I WASN'T driving anywhere with Julian in the front seat. He was playing and wanted the seat belt on. He thinks he's bigger than what he really is :)

Fun times

This little cherub is officially a big boy. Tonight at bed time I tucked he and Manny in and no sooner get out the door and Manny is yelling that Julian is climbing out of the crib. I go in and sure enough he's sitting on the railing like he's riding a horse. I turn the crib around and put the high backboard out front, thinking that will keep him in, silly me. I again get to the end of the hallway and Manny is screaming that Julian is up on the highest part climbing out. I go and and put him back in his crib, he jumps up, throws his leg over and sits up top, smiling and laughing. Now I know I can't leave him in there because he'll fall out and get hurt, so I find the allen key and take off the front of the crib, turning it into a toddler bed. I put up the guard rail and know in my heart it's going to be a long night. Julian got out of his bed more times than I want to remember, running around the room, climbing in bed with Manny. It was like a party was going on in there. I gave up putting him back in his bed. Daddy went in, put both of them in their beds, sternly told them to stay in their beds. I actually have no clue whether they listened...I've had a long day so I escaped downstairs to the computer for some me time. We'll see what the next few nights bring :)

Our first snow of the season

Saturday we were stuck in the house with the snow....got the kids all dressed and headed outside. At first Julian wasn't sure about the snow, especially since it was still snowing and quite windy. The snow was wet and packable. The kids made a snowman, caterpillar and had a great time having a snow ball fight.

Thanksgiving

So many things to be thankful for...my hubby and children, family, friends....had a nice day with the family!!

Caitlin and Jen

Jen and Manny

Madeline :)

trying to get a shot of the 3 of them...impossible

my boys..my life