A nice Christmas photo shoot going from good to bad

My dad and the granite

We are having over 70 square feet of granite countertops installed today. As we tear out the old counters, we are finding a few things like old pictures from the former owners (several times removed). Kind of neat.

We have a lot of touch up painting to do and we have to reinstall the sink pipes, garbage disposal and some old fittings, and we are also putting in a new faucet. How exciting!

Fortunately, Grandpa Tom came up to help us with this project and with some other projects. Whenever Grandpa Tom comes back to Wisconsin in the winter, it snows like crazy. It just started snowing and we are now set to get 6 to 12 inches on Thursday. Thanks for coming up Dad!

Chilling in front of Grandma's Christmas Tree

Too Much Cookie!

Cuz I'm a very happy, very happy, happy happy guy!

Ummm . . . Hayden, (1) wrong finger, and (2) wrong direction. Doodle, you don't have to hide your finger behind your hand. We know you both don't like these pictures but they must be taken!

Best Evening Ever!

I took the boys out Friday night after Thanksgivin' for the heck of it. Each place we went, something went bad. First we went to Sam's Club. In the spirit of and consistent with the training of my Sam's Club Sample Snagging Jedi father, we hit up many of the sample stations with stealth and swiftness not seen by most Wisconsinites. Most importantly, we tracked down the cookie sample station where they give away whole cookies as samples. Some 15-month old ham-and-egger singleton was in line ahead of us and the old lady cookie sample giver pumps a whole chocolate chip cookie into the hands of this 15-month old and then pops a cookie to her mom and dad each. When I roll up in the double-wide cart, packing the heat of two cookie monsters, this same out-of-it sample giver gives Donovan and Hayden (who are much cuter than that singleton) one cookie . . . total. So I bust out, "Yo, you know what you jus' did? Kno' wha' you jus' did?" Actually, I said, "Can they each have a cookie?" while looking in the direction of the singleton. Her response was a grunt in a "negative" tone. I then said, "c'mon!" to which she reluctantly busted out a second cookie. I wanted Donovan to crumble them in his hands and then hand them back to her, but we just walked away and enjoyed our cookies. Consistent with my father's training, we only ate samples and did not buy anything. I think we might join Costco.

From there, we went to Toys R Us. The boys hung out with the Little Tykes Fire Engine Car in the back corner of the store, which they absolutely loved. It was nice until a lady approached me and asked me if their mother was shopping somewhere else in the store and how wonderful it was that someone with XY chromosomes and related to the one's he was with by paternity was spending time with his children in a public place. I don't remember how I responded but I was polite.

We then left Toys R Us after about 20 minutes of free play time with the Fire Truck (which I think they may be getting for Christmas) to go to Brookfield Square Mall. On our walk over, we almost got hit by a car speeding in the parking lot. Thank you safe lady driver in the mid 1990's Geo sedan, color blue, for almost taking out my children and our stroller. You just missed us, and we could have used a new stroller.

The best part of the evening happened when we sat down for dinner. This very nice couple was sitting next to the three of us. We chatted for a little bit while I got the boys ready for dinner and I learned they were recently married (five months ago). The woman told me that she "always wanted twins." I looked at her and only smiled, and I did not question whether she was sane or a masochist (but I could tell her new husband was not excited about her exhuberance). But Donovan immediately responded to her by throwing up all over himself and his Brookfield Square green high chair. Probably too much cookie. I then had to clean up barf in front of 20 people. The nice couple smiled and walked away. I do not know if they want children anymore.

In light of the sample lady from hell, the people who do not think a father is capable of taking two toddlers to the store alone, parking lot racecar drivers, and vomit, the most important thing is that Donovan, Hayden and I had a really good time together. I have always enjoyed taking them to the store and the mall. They always love just looking around at the lights, merchandise and people, and they have seen a lot of really neat things, including the Gravedigger, Gilbert Brown. I'd do Friday night over again in a heartbeat.

Special Shout Out

to Grandpa Dan for (1) delivering our snow blower, (2) taking away our old broken one and a bunch of other stuff, (3) fixing our toilet, (4) rebuilding our countertop behind the stove, (5) building floor tiers for our hardwoods to stone floors, and (6) watching the boys!

and to Aunt Laura for coming from Eau Claire to watch Tubby and Chunkilla on Saturday night while Melissa and I went to a party and for Aunt Laura's help on Sunday!

Thank you very much!

This is what happens when we get left alone in our room

Maybe I can fit in this box

I am gonna be this tall some day, without even having to stand on the toybox

You do not want to know why I am squatting . . . too late!

Toddlers!

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this gate. I don't think the gates are going to last much longer. They are figuring out how to get out and get through.

Tackle playtime in the new living room!

Our 10,000th Visitor

does not get a prize.

We are Thankful for . . .

Our broken jogging stroller which will hopefully be fixed some day

Toys!!!!!!!!!!!

But we are not thankful for swings that are too small for both of us to fit in and people who try to fit us in one swing.

Happy Thanksgiving

Pictures of these two turkeys to follow!

Going to the 2008 Holiday Parade

The boys got to go the 2008 Holiday Parade on Saturday! Hayden didn't mind getting bundled up (it was cold)!

Donovan did mind!

Behaving for the first 15 minutes of the parade!

The last half hour (Chase chase chase)!

Weigh Out and Weigh Out

The boys went to the doctor Friday afternoon. They got shots. They absolutely hate shots. Hayden screams right when he gets into the examining room since he knows shots are coming. We both go because it is difficult to deal with two unconsolable children during this process.

At the Friday appointment, Donovan weighed 28.0 lbs and was 32 3/4 inches long. Hayden was a bit tinier at 23 lbs 8 ozs and 31 3/4 inches long. Donovan, though, has given Hayden a great opportunity to catch up! Last night, Donovan blew out the o-rings that keep the food from coming back up his throat and proceeded to barf through two bed sheets and three towels that we laid down for him through out the night! Way to go Doodle! Hopefully he feels better today, but he will be on the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast).

Sick

Poor Tubby has the chucks. He can't keep much down. It started this morning when he was laying in bed with me and Melissa. Clean up in aisle H immediately commenced along with a scrub-a-dub-dub of the sheets and pillow cases. Breakfast was a separate disaster. Fortunately, Doodle hasn't erupted yet. He and I went to Menards and the grocery store tonight. Hayden stayed home and watched Yo Gabba Gabba on the DVR. Donovan will probably erupt tonight and give us a nice double dose tomorrow.

The boys home life is finally getting back to normal. After being banished from the living room and dining room for a week while the hardwood floors were refinished and being allowed on that hallowed ground, they were instead wisked away to Rome to send off the camper for the rest of the winter, then to Wausau to see Great Grandma Lucy, then down to Madison to Carson's birthday and then up to Eau Claire to see Aunt Laura and Uncle Scott and then back home, all in three days. The drive home from Eau Claire was a real joy with icy roads slowing traffic to a crawl for the last leg of the drive. But the boys now have all their rooms to roam in. I do not know if we will even both putting the Superyard (Baby Gitmo) back up for them. Maybe to protect the Christmas tree.

But with all the fun, it is often so busy that you forget to stop and watch them grow up, which they are . . . very quickly. They build things, tear things down meticulously, give hugs, and share (when asked or forced). It seems like something new happens each day. I can't wait for it to be loading the dishwasher.

Illegal voting by Doodle and Tubby?

Bad Mini Schnauzer!

At the Veteran's Day Parade!

I have a wonderful lesson I can tell my sons after tonight

Any person can grow up and be elected President of the United States (provided you meet Constitutional eligibility requirements).

Post-Culvers Car Ride

What a way to spend Saturday night after Candy Commotion Frozen Custard. Thanks for the Culvers subsidy Grandma Carol and Grandpa Tom.

Halloween = Skunksarific!!!!

The boys had a great Halloween and their Skunk costumes were an absolute hit everywhere they went. We thought about helping the boys take their skunk costumes to the next level by not changing their diapers for three days, but the possibility of a severe diaper rash was simply too great. Thanks Grandma Sue for the great costumes!



Playing with Pumpkins at Betty Brinn!

Check last October for boys picture on the couch in the halloween sleepers and pumpkin hats. That will show how much they changed in a year.

www.despair.com

We Love Despair.com there latest Demotivators are hilarious . . . especially the one about blogging: http://www.despair.com/blogging.html

Blogging - Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few!

Halloween Costumes

We decided what the boys will dress up as for Halloween. In fact, we unveiled their costumes last Friday night at the New Berlin Therapies Halloween Party. The costumes went over very well. We won't tell you what they are yet, but we will give you a couple of possible costumes below to guess from, and we guarantee it is one of the options below. Post your guess in the comment section:

(1) Barney Frank and Ted Kennedy
(2) Milli and Vanilli
(3) Leprechaun and a Troll
(4) Skunks
(5) A scarecrow and a Crow
(6) Mummy and Frankenstein
(7) Bumblebee and Jar of Honey
(8) A Cigarette and Ashtray
(9) Pumpkins
(10) Carrot Top and Judas
(11) Lemmings
(12) Bill Ayers and Timothy McVeigh
(13) A giant Kandy Korn and a Giant Smartie Pack

Post your guesses!

Raising Hell in Door County!

Door County

Every year we go to Door County during October to enjoy Door County and fall colors at their finest. We also go to watch the degoatization of three to four goats perched on the roof of a fine restaurant. Free the Goats.

One of Donovan's and Hayden's father's favorite places to be is Door County during the fall. Unfortunately, this year the boys are up having fun in Door County with their Momma-ma, but their dad is not. But their dad can't say that is the worst thing, because the goats have it a lot worse than him.

Fun with Leaves

Either our camera is trippin' or Hayden is standing in a pile of psychedelic leaves . . .


No one wants to play with the push mower . . .

Leaves make me laugh!

I got my shovel and I am ready to eat dinner!

Hanging out at the Park!

On our way to Jacobus Park!


Boing, Boing, Boing!


He's Crushing Me!!!!!!!!


Get your butts back here!


Hayden throwing up after a wild wagon ride!!!

Tubby Bear Gulya and Doodle Gulya

Its official! We legally changed their names at the County Courthouse today! It only costs a couple of bucks and we can change it back in a couple of days if we want. Let us know what you think and if you think we should keep their new names or change them back!

Our first Visit to Apple Holler

We went to Apple Holla' (at me baby) on Saturday. We didn't go to pick apples. We didn't go to pick pumpkins. We just wanted to go somewhere, and we decided there was no place better than Stone Fire Pizza and since we already went to SFP on Friday night (SFP is the best $27.00 we have spent in a long time, and if you got kids, then go there for dinner and games, plus the flu is free for every person) . . . ! For those of you unfamiliar with SFP, it is a mixture between Chuckie Cheese and Shakeys without the mice and annoying characters running around. Also, the parents were not completely wasted as is a major problem at the Chuckie Cheese in Waukesha County.

After we caught every communicable human disease at SFP on Friday, it was only fitting that we go to Apple Holler to catch all possible communicable farm animal diseases. But instead of accumulating contagions, we just had a nice time. It is a well country-style decked out place (unfortunately a little expensive) with a lotta hay, pumpkins, apples, people, animals, corn stalks, corn, dirt, homemade jam, and other country stuff. But best of all, nothing beats hanging out on a farm with one-man reggae music in the background (the musician was pretty darn good too).

We went through a corn maze, hung out on haybales, played in the corn box (sand box filled with . . . you guessed it . . . corn), and we had a nice big oozing and gooey caramel apple. We had a good time, and we would reccommend going to Apple Holler. We still reccommend Stone Fire Pizza in New Berlin more, but that is because not much can top Stone Fire Pizza Co.

The Corn Pit and Train at Apple Holler

Donovan and Hayden had fun in the corn pit. It was quite populated with 20-month somethings, so they were the small guys in the pit. This pit was much more popular than the pig rendering pit at Apple Holler. We learned the corn pit is much cleaner than sand, but the corn castles are extremely difficult to build without glue.


Donovan and Hayden distracted by the dead body recently uncovered in the corn pit.


Fun on the Train!

Feedin' the Goats at Apple Holler

We stopped to feed the goats while we were at Apple Holler.

Thank you goat, Donovan and Hayden for not looking at the camera. That said, I think he was the silverback goat, because he was a BFG.



Um, that is not food for a goat.