Happy New Year!

We love to celebrate around these parts! What better occasion to celebrate than New Year's Eve?

We started with a little food...

Mmm...chocolate brownie.

And yummy milk!

Shawn decided it was better to rest up for the big celebration
instead of eat. (There was no waking him anyway. lol)

We played a little...

Jason's playing with some rings that light up.

He started with the red and white.

Then he discovered he could become a police car
with the red and blue ones attached to his hat!
(Outfit was complete with sound effects.)

Daddy got the chance to be a police car, too.

We watched the ball drop and toasted to the new year...

Four...three...two...

One!

Happy New Year!

Learning to clink glasses

His first taste of bubbly.
Ok, fine. It's Strawberry Fanta. ;)

"This stuff is smooooooth."

But he wanted more.

Second attempt was just as smoooooooth. lol

Jack thought against trying some.

Shawn finally woke up and had a bit, too.

Jay clinking glasses with daddy.

More toasting. He was getting the hang of things!

Jack finally decided to try some.

The taste just blew him over!

Jason's Fanta smile and empty glass.

Now Shawn is all bright eyed and bushy tailed!

We went outside and got to bang our pots and pans...

Happy New Year, everyone!

Happy New Year!

Making some noise!

Happy New Year!

It was so much fun for them to experience what in essence was their first real New Year's Eve. I think they'll be talking about it for a while, too. :-)

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Christmas 2012 - Part 2

The Team Lopez Christmas recap part 2...




**Click on the arrow in the picture above. Ahem. :-)

***The Team Lopez Christmas recap part 1 is here.

Christmas 2012

The Team Lopez Christmas recap part 1...

Kidbits: Our Life in a Series of Face Book Updates... Part 21

2 hours ago via mobile

Daddy's reading a book to his boys.

Makes my heart melt. :)

 

~~~

 

4 hours ago

Jason got his "First Book of Why" for Christmas. We now know why hair is curly vs straight and all kinds of names for poop. Lol.

There are 125 pages in this thing. You better watch out. We're going to be filled with useful info by the time we're done reading!

 

~~~

 

7 hours ago

Baby boy just came over, whacked me on the head with a toy, and went on his way. Wtf?!

 

~~~

 

12 hours ago

Poor Jack must not be feeling well. :( He's already taking a nap only 2 hours after he got up. That never happens.

 

~~~

 

Tuesday

"This was the BEST day EVER!"

Yep. I do believe the day was a good one for us all. :)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

~~~

 

December 24

Yea! The boys are finally in bed. Now to make like an elf and get this place ready for tomorrow. I may be having more fun this holiday than the boys are.

Nope. I AM having more fun than the boys! ;)

 

~~~

 

December 24

Santa was a HIT this year! We didn't get the best picture, but there were NO tears until we left--and that was because they wanted to stay. Lol.

(On Christmas Eve, and we only stood in line for 10 minutes. Santa was so sweet, talked to them, and gave them the attention they wanted. It was great!)

 

~~~

 

December 24

Jack walking in shoes is much like a cat walking with tape on its foot. Only funnier. The boy isn't a fan.

 

~~~~

 

December 23

Oh no! Jack has mastered opening doors.

Hold me...

 

~~~

 

December 23
 

Shopping with them was really fun. My boys are too funny!

 

~~~

 

December 23

Daddy just took Jay to go buy some gifts for his brothers. He is so excited. When they get back, Shawn and I are going. :)

 

~~~

 

December 23

The boys are helping me put together their beds. This is going to take a LOT longer than it needs to. I may have to drink afterward, too.

 

~~~

 

December 22

2 big boy twin beds arrive tomorrow! Now I need to figure out where to put them...

 

~~~

 

December 21

If kids were what they eat, then I'd have a hot dog, bologna, and a waffle. Just saying.

 

~~~

 

December 21

Jack brought me a game, had me open it, and has been over the moon while playing with the game box's lid! Lol. Such a funny boy!

 

~~~

 

December 20

Jack is currently hiding behind me watching Team Umi Zoomi. This episode is apparently scary. Lol

 

~~~

 

December 20

Um...we're all in the living room and have been for the last hour.
There's a toy that keeps randomly going off in the back bedroom which is sort of freaking me out!

 

~~~

 

December 19

He pediatrician measured Shawn as 43" long and Jason as 43 1/2" long. I KNOW they are not that close in size. Now I have to measure again to see which is right. It's bugging me!

 

~~~

 

December 18

Did "unofficial" height/weight checks on the boys:

Jason: 45 1/8", 44 pounds (5years, 1 month)
Shawn: 40 1/2", 36.2 pounds (5 years, 1 month)
Tank: 35", 28.4 pounds (20
months)

 

~~~

 

December 15

Daddy and Jason are reading some flash cards. Jay reads the word and then daddy asks what rhymes with the word he read. I had to laugh when they got to "mist." Of course the rhyme is "pissed!"

Heh heh heh. :)

~~~

December 13 via Tampa Bay Times

 

Part 3: the miracles...

I know about miracles. I have three miracles myself - two, 2 pound fighters who continue to amaze me with their strength and determination (and wit!), and a 10 pound miracle who helped heal some of my trauma from the big boys' birth. We are so very fortunate. :) Never Let Go Part Three: Baby's Breath

~~~

December 11

Tonight's topics of discussion at Casa Lopez:

1) are caterpillars insects?
2) do fish have ears?
3) do turtles have teeth?

I'd like to thank the Octonauts for inspiring said discussion.

Also, I am so thankful for my trusty phone. How is a person supposed to answer questions like that without the Internet nowadays?!? Lol

~~~

December 10 via Tampa Bay Times

 

Part 2. Much much, much harder for me to read, but still there was SO much I can relate to in this part. The experience of having a very sick child(ren) in the NICU is similar, even if the exact details are different.

So much that this brought back to mind--reminds me how much I've blocked from that time. It's no wonder we all don't have PTSD...I'd guess you can see why after reading this. Never Let Go Part Two: The Zero Zone

~~~

December 9

This should tell you how the day has gone:

"I know. Let's throw Jack in a net and put him outside for a while. Then I can play with my cars and Jackzilla won't come mess everything up." (Add attitude and a huff when you say it and you'll get a better idea of the feeling behind it.)

"I'm very disappointment, mommy!" (Yelling because I was mean and wouldn't let him have his way.)

Plus, They continue to find new ways to drive each other up the wall.

Yep. Fun day on all accounts.

Sigh.

~~~

December 7

Nothing quite like a midnight bath for a boy after he gags himself coughing. Oh, and the laundry is fun to deal with too. Sigh.

(He's fine. Already asleep again.)

~~~

December 7 via Tampa Bay Time

Wow. This is the first of 3 articles written by a 24 weeker preemie mom. All I can say is that she's totally nailed the feelings you have when your child is born way too early with this piece... Never Let Go Part One: Lost and Found

~~~

December 6

The boys declared "Bringing Sexy Back" as the best song ever.

Um...okay then.

~~~

December 3

Lol! Word.

~~~

December 2

Shawn asked for medicine today. You KNOW he doesn't feel well if he asks for medicine. Poor guy.

Dang head cold. :( Shawn makes the 4th victim in only 2.5 days.

~~~

December 1

I took Nyquil last night and woke up with a hangover. I am such a lightweight. Sigh. In other news, 2 of us have congested heads, 1 has a runny nose, 1 unknowingly harbors a time bomb waiting to go off any minute, and then there's Isaac, who never seems to get sick.

Someone explain that to me. How does he never get sick?!?!

~~~

November 28

Today was a momentous occasion! I gave three - yes three! - haircuts without a single tear from the littles! That has never happened before. Woooo to the triple whooooo!

~~~

November 28

I don't know what he did or how he did it, but Jack face planted on the floor. Found him still sprawled out and crying. Poor guy. He is now sporting a vibrant purple lump on the underside of his chin. Definitely makes him look tougher, if that was possible! ;)

~~~

November 25

Having one of those rare moments when the house is quiet. The little people are in quiet time/asleep and Isaac is out at the store.

Ahhhhhhhh....

~~~

November 25

Love, love, love untangling the boys from their blankets, recovering them with their blankets for the night, and stealing a quick goodnight kisses. There is something so sweet about how they curl into the blankets. Contented sigh. :)

~~~

November 22

Put up the baby gate to block off the kitchen. Jack is most upset about this development. Lol

~~~

November 18

"I'm not monkey bars!"

More words I thought we'd never have to say. :/ (actually said by Isaac)

~~~

November 18

"Get off the kitchen table, Jack! And how in the heck did you even get up here?!?"

Never thought I'd be saying words like those. Life sure is interesting when you have a climber.

~~~

November 17

Jack was snuggling with me in the chair. He got down, went to the big boys' bedroom, came back with a plastic slice of cheese, and proceeded to try to shove it down my throat.

Apparently I was hungry?

The Big Boys' First Attempt at Shopping for Gifts

Now that the boys are 5, I wanted to start teaching them that Christmas is more than just receiving gifts (although as the children in the family it might seem that way to them), it is also about giving thoughtful gifts to those for whom you care.

One thing we did was have them make gifts for family and friends. They loved this. They were pretty particular about what they made for each person, sometimes even going so far as to pick something to make because of the colors that thing had. When the gifts were finished, they were quite proud of themselves and looked forward to giving their handmade gifts to those they love!

But that wasn't enough.

I also decided it was time to get them out to the store so they could "shop" for gifts for the family. Thanks to the Dollar Store, that option was possible this year!

Jason and Shawn's selections for gifts

Isaac took Jason to the store first. These are his selections:

Jack - glow planets/stars
He was going to get a Killer Whale toy, but as I gave it to him to put in cart, he saw a 3+ on the tag. "No dad, this is for 3 plus and Jack is only 1 years. He's too little."

Shawn - brachiosaurus dinosaur
At first, Jason wanted to get Shawn a toothbrush that brushed by itself. They looked all over the store, but of course that option was nixed. He decided that the dinosaur was a good option instead.

Grandma - yellow harmonica
This was his choice because grandma likes music and the color yellow. He first wanted to get grandma a mylar helium filled balloon, but they all said "Happy Birthday," which wasn't acceptable to him.

Mommy - motorcycle
Mommy loves motorcycles and would let me play with it too. (I did let him play with it. lol)

Shawn went to the store with me next. Here is the what (and why) he chose:

Daddy - red matchbox car
Shawn insisted the second I asked him what daddy should get that he needed Lightening McQueen. He thought the red car worked for that.

Grandma - two putty filled eggs
Shawn wanted to give grandma the green egg and he'd share the yellow egg with her. He also wanted to buy her a nest, but we never found something acceptable. lol

Jason - concrete mixer
This one was easy for Shawn. He didn't even hesitate. It's funny that they nailed the gifts for each other. ;-)

Jack - nerf football
"Mommy, Jack likes to chew balls." Um, okie dokie.

Uncle Jeff - red bird water whistle
He likes birds. He really wanted to get him "Bubble Bites" but I never could figure out exactly what he thought that meant. I think he's referring to the dog treats referenced on one of his shows, but I'm just guessing.
It was really fun for Isaac and I to take them to the store to do their own shopping. They really surprised me in that they were pretty thoughtful in what they selected. I think they recalled something about each person and got what they believed was the perfect gift. Plus, it was pretty awesome to watch them wrap the gifts and give them out on Christmas morning.

The Day After Christmas...

It's the day after Christmas,
And all across the floor,
The boys are busy playing
With toys they were lucky to score.

Jack and his cube
Are a sight to see
He's loving all the gadgets
And putting apples on the tree.

Shawn's favorite are his figures
From Mickey the M-O-U-S-E
With Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, and much more
He's as happy as can be!

Jason's a fan
Of his construction truck crew
With signs that light up
There is so much he can do!

This year Isaac received
A special gift, you see
A new camera for him
To document our family!

I was given
I new IPad toy
I'll have loads of fun playing
But I'm sure so will the boys.

Besides celebrating at home
We had fun at grandma's too
We opened more presents and
Ate lots of goodies, woohoo!

This season was dubbed
One of the best yet,
Makes my heart happy to know
It was one they soon won't forget!

~~~

I posted links so you can see what I was talking about, but I haven't downloaded our Christmas pictures yet. I'll do it soon, I promise!

Merry Christmas!

Yesterday, we got the chance to visit with Santa. Unlike some years previous, this year he was a HUGE hit! The big boys immediately started talking to him and asking him questions. It was very sweet. (The pictures aren't the best, but it's the experience that counts anyway!)

The boys loved Santa this year. There wasn't a single tear...until we left.
They would have stayed with him all afternoon, I think!

Jack was a bit unsure at first, so we decided to let the big boys have their chance with Santa and then let Jack have a go at it if he warmed up to him some. It worked! Jack wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of sitting on the big man in red's lap, but he handled himself very well!

This year, Jack got his own Santa picture. (This was the only shot we could get of
him looking up and not searching the crowd for his brothers and daddy.)
I think I remember a similar look on the big boys' faces when they were Jack's age. Lol

From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

This year's Christmas card - front

Back
Photography by the amazing Kym Vitar Photography

12 Days Till Christmas - Team Lopez Style (Day 12)

On the twelfth day till Christmas,

you all get to see...

TWELVE scenes of Christmas Eve,



Jay wanted to ride on the merry-go-round while we were at the mall.

Jack joined in on the fun, too.

Shawn was content to look at the ride when it was over.
We couldn't convince him that it would be fun.

We went to look at the Christmas lights...

The boys loved it!

Jack had fun watching all of the people.

When we got home, we saw that Roger Snow had brought
the boys some presents before he left for the year.

They got pajamas...

and the big boys got movies to watch tonight.

Laughing and having fun!

Jack in his new PJ's - he's on the nice list.

The presents are all waiting for the boys under the tree.
I think I am more excited than they are.
Now, that is saying something about my excitement level!

 

ELEVEN gifts for giving,



The boys are so excited for us to open what they got us.
I've heard approximately 15 times how excited they were for
me to open their gift. We're still working on the idea of surprise and secrets. ;-)

TEN treats a'decorated,



 

 

NINE reindeer flying,

Santa at the park.

Merry Christmas!

EIGHT gifts for friends,

The therapists got socks and ornaments. :-)

SEVEN crafts a'waiting,

One final day of crafting tomorrow!

 

SIX Santa Clauses,





FIVE sto-ock-ings,

Looks like Santa has come to visit!

FOUR tree orn-a-ments,

THREE letters to Santa,

TWO new traditions,



So long Roger! Hope you have a lot of fun until we meet again
next year.

 

And a house made of can-an-an-dy.



Our house and our tree

~~~


Last year's 12 Days Till Christmas: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, Day 7, Day 8, Day 9, Day 10, Day 11, and Day 12.