Daily Grind

Well, nothing really revolutionary going on around here (unlike Egypt and Libya). Just truckin' along with the day-to-day.

Little boys find it necessary to dump out all the legos out at once...even if they only play with the airplane and 6 legos. This is how my living room looks 99% of the time. Watch your step. (Joel Moore and Sawyer in picture.)

Kale Moore and Mason piecing a dinosaur puzzle together. If only I had a dollar for each time this puzzle was dumped out, put together, and put away. It'd be like $20...a day!

Oh, my little Soy-man. Let's see, he is

• wanting to do whatever M and S are doing
• acquiring many new words each day
• hitting his head less often (thank goodness!)
• outgrowing all his clothes - he is a chunk
• finally loving his blankie
  

I sewed him this blankie back when he was still a wee little one.
However, he would have nothing to do with it - I placed it in his crib every nap/night and it would be thrown out on the floor within minutes. About a month ago, he realized M and S both had beloved blankies and suddenly his became quite dear. He drags it about the house, snuggles underneath it to sleep, and covers his lap with it when being read a story. It is no small thing to this mama that he loves something she has made.

Chocolate chip cookie face.
After devouring one cookie, he asked for another and I said 'no more'. A few moments later, Sawyer finds me putting away laundry in the bedroom. Holding another cookie in his chocolatey mitts, he smiles and proudly says, "Hi!" Cheeky little bugger managed to grab another cookie off the counter and couldn't resist showing his mama. I guess I'm thankful he hasn't learned how to be sneaky like the other two yet. :)

It is common, around these parts, to find miniature monuments set up in unlikely places. I like to think of them as household cairns. :)

Mase and Smithy call these paper/scissors/sticker/crayon activities their "signments", pretending to be like our neighbor gal, Alana, who comes over for help with her math assignments.

These two still enjoy most of the same activities, and they play well together a good portion of the day. But as they grow, their individuality grows too. Mason will only wear 'work' pants (jeans) that snap. Smith feels jeans are too tight and will only wear elastic waste cargo pants. Chocolate milk is M's pick for lunch; S insists on orange juice. I know these are small, ordinary differences but, up until recently, they have always wanted the same of everything so it is a significant shift in the way of things around here. Keeps me on my toes.

The Bozeman Symphony held a free family concert a few weekends back.
I took the older two to a coffee shop and then to the morning concert for a date. Smith is enjoying a cinnamon-sugar muffin.

Mason opted for a scotch-a-roo at 9 in the morning (gag). The concert was short and Harry Potter themed so the monkeys enjoyed it. Smith whispered several times during the concert, "Mom, I like to take a date with you." Sweet boys. I know this won't always be the case, so I am dreaming up many more dates.

Playing shirtless is a thrill no matter the temperature.

I painted the room off the kitchen a lovely shade of gray/blue. However, it's more blue than I wanted so I'll be re-painting it this weekend. Sigh. The previous picture of M without a shirt shows the color we've lived with since moving in. I painted all the bedrooms before we moved in, but haven't touched the living room/dining room/kitchen/hallway. They are all still 'Builder Beige', which is not bad...it's just not me. So, I'm finally getting around to changing that. I hope to have before/after shots on the blog in the next few weeks...or months.

It's been so stinkin' cold lately that we haven't been able to get outside as much as is necessary. I've been inspired by this Winter Manifesto to keep a positive attitude toward the evil that is winter. :)

I believe they're singing, "We will! We will!" I love how they pause their playing while Smith turns the page...as if they're actually reading the music. Oh, monkeys.