Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Christmas

I know right?  How far behind can I actually be?

So Christmas was fantastic this year.  Our plans were to meet up with the NiCodys in Louisville, with Mom and Dad B.  Mike and Gay had plans to be in LOU as well, so we were hoping to see them.

Mike and Gay sent Nico's presents ahead of time (a set of Call of Duty Mega Blocks), Chicago Bears Swag, and a new judo gi (Nico *really* needed a new one, since his old one was WAY too short.

Santa brought Nico the Nerf Cam ECS-12 gun that he has had his eye on for months.  Granny and Grampy gifted Nico more nerf ammo and weapons- so needless to say, he is fully stocked.  Since Christmas, we have already had several gun fights- which is a lot better when you have a legit ammo supply.


The cousins had a wonderful time playing together.  They really got along quite well.  Nico and Maddox convinced JJ, Cody, and Dave to play sport with them on more than one occasion, including a football game in the rain.  


Dave and I got Nico some hockey gear- which he really LOVES.  

He really wants to play- but is kinda crap at skating- so we're signing him up for hockey skating lessons.  It is really very easy when your kid loves sports to want to sign them up for ALL OF THE THINGS.  But, I think Nico tends to lose his mind a bit when he has too much going on (read: he can be kind of a jerk).  And frankly, I don't want to be like some of these other mothers we know, where the kids do chess club, language lessons, sports, etc.  We've been trying to just keep it at one official sport per season: soccer in the fall and the spring, basketball in the winter, judo in the summer.  I am not sure how exactly hockey will fit into the equation.  

But the good news is that there is hockey and skating year round here- so we could really get into the hockey as basketball is winding down.    

Friday, December 18, 2015

N is for Nico

This is what Nico wore for his holiday show.  The holiday show was a slight debacle.  Long story short, his class didn't do a performance and he didn't go on stage.  And he didn't wear this in the auditorium.  But he was stinkin adorable regardless.

Sleepy Reader

This meatball fell asleep while reading.  This is the first time he has done that.  




Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Rounding third- headed to home.

We're skidding into the end of 2015!  Let me tell you- this year had been hard.  Just flat out hard.  I am really looking forward to 2016 lightening things up a little.  Sometimes it is just one thing after another.  Little known fact about me: I love the shit out of Christmas and Christmas music.  So, I have been listening to the commercial radio station in town that is playing Christmas music since before Thanksgiving (don't judge).  Of late, they have taken to doing a "Christmas Wish" segments, where they call people up and grant them a Christmas wish. Usually it is in the form of $300-$500 to be used for something.  Like, there was one day where the mom who had put the wish in for her son, it was to get her 12 year old kid a new coat.  And here I am ugly-sobbing in the car while I drive Nico to school 1) because how freaking sad is it that a 12 year old had never had a new coat *and* that was his mom's Christmas wish.  Also, 2) shit is tough, but it aint't that tough.  

*sighs, with hand to forehead: I just want to buy all the things and travel to all the places. Why can't I just do that?

In other news, Nico is really starting to get the hang of reading.  We're not quite at the place where we cuddle up on the couch, all of us reading our separate books.  But, we're close, I think.  Its surprising to me, how many words he can read, even the tough ones.  

Nico continues to grow like a weed in front of my eyes.  The other day, he explained that he was an idea man.  When I asked him what he meant he said, "I am just an ordinary man who comes up with ideas."  HA!!  Hilarious!!    We got a tree just after Thanksgiving, from a ucut farm out in Aurora.  You know. The one like the kind I want to own. *soon, little farmstead, soon.  I don't care what Dave says about you.  The tree has been up for weeks, but suffers the indignity of being on the receiving end of errant balls and such from sports in the house.  I guess it really is a case of you reap what you sow, because when you play sport in the house, you can't be THAT upset that when two Christmas ornaments are broken because they hit the deck.  But, speaking of Christmas, it isn't even Christmas yet and I already did the Christmas card thing.  I know, right?  I did fall down on the job a little in that I ordered metalic gold envelopes.  Metalic gold. Guess what looks like garbage when I write on them with a marker?  Yeah, those *adorbs* envelopes.  
So that is that. So looking forward to Christmas.  JJ will be in town, as will Mom and Dad, the Royses, and the NiCodies.  
There will be chaos.