California trip

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During the Pixar Parade at California Adventures, Buzz Lightyear comes out on top of a two-story float.

Luke: Buzz! BUUUZZZZ! Look! I got a toy train from my mom!

Disneyland Miracles

1. Luke took an hour and 45 minute nap in his stroller.
2. Then, Asher took a 45 minute nap in the stroller.

3. The boys quickly learned that it was easier to see everything from the double stroller, so I didn't have to use the leash my MIL thoughtfully lent us. (The CC boys are not stroller riders usually.)
4. We WALKED onto Pirates of the Caribbean
5. We never really had a tantrum, well, maybe one when I realized I had lost the keys to the car.

Would you like to know how I lost the keys to the car?(click on the picture below or scroll down)...

6. Disneyland Security found my car locked and running in the parking lot at 9:50 am--broke into the car, took the keys out and held them for us until we returned at 7:30 pm that night.

Yes, my friends, we were so excited to go to the Magic Kingdom that my mom and I packed up the double stroller with blankets, sunblock, diapers, wipes, and boys. Then, we proceeded to lock the car while it put into "park" with the keys in it, and left at 8:40 am.

Still, it was a magical day in the Magic Kingdom. Too bad Nate had to spend the day in a certification class cramming for an exam.

Dad Love

Emily: Asher, you have to leave both of your cars in the car, so you don't loose them.
Asher: No, Mom. I'll just put them in my pocket.

(A three minute argument ensues. I loose.)

Nate: Asher, buddy, you need to leave both of your cars in the cars, so you don't loose them.
Asher: Ok, Dad.

But I still love technology...

Lately, Nate and I have discovered the joy of letting Asher have time on the computer, XBox, and my iPod. He spends most of his time writing his name on my iPod, playing pbskids.org on the computer, and playing a racing car game on the XBox.

I try to monitor him while he does this. I can see what he's doing on my computer from the kitchen, and I figured my iPod was pretty safe and that he wasn't really all that interested in straying from the XBox racing car game and Netflix kids uploads on the XBox.

I mean, the kid can't read or write...how much trouble can he get into?

Well, last week, we learned that Asher can buy apps for my iPod. He bought 2 at $5 each.

Then, tonight, Nate walked in to watch Asher playing his car game, and Nate was impressed that Asher had earned enough points to get the fancy hover car he was driving. That's when we figured out that Asher learned how to get into the game's store and buy himself new cars with Nate's precious XBox points.

When he ran out of XBox points, he figured out how to get off of the game and into Nate's XBox account to buy more XBox points with our credit card. Um, I can't remember if he figured that out.

All I know is that our iTunes and our XBox accounts are now unsynced from our credit card, which is probably a good thing, but kind of a pain because apparently, even free downloads (podcasts and the like) from both want to be connected to a credit card.

Our fault for not being more observant parents, and then, my mind races--if he can do this at 4, what sorts of trouble will he get into when he's 8 or 12 or 16? Or when he, gulp, learns to read?

I need to go take some Tums...

A Favorite Christmas Present

It took me a while to get a semi-decent picture of one of my favorite Christmas presents this year. In fact, I think you all must come over and see it in person because really, my pictures don't do it justice.

I've asked Nate for a gift from my friend, Aimee's Etsy shop for a few birthdays and Christmases now, and he'd keep loosing the link. So, this year, I was rather annoying. Sending him links, having Aimee send him links, and asking him every couple of days if he did it.

He did, and I LOVE what he and Aimee picked. Aimee does the most beautiful stained glass work with Madonna and Child pictures. (Well, everything she does is beautiful. I mean, you should have seen this woman's home in Massachusetts on a graduate student budget, no less!)

Every time I look at this piece, it just lifts my spirits. To think of my friend's hands making it, to see the picture of Mary and Jesus, and to bask in its warm glow (again, you can't tell from the picture, but really, it glows!). It's just wonderful.

Oh, and my other favorite Christmas present? Nate taking down ALL of Christmas while I went on a day trip with my brother and his wife during the Winter Break.

Luke, the Black Sheep

Or, is he a wolf in sheep's clothing (in a family nativity play from the holidays)?

Would that explain the knife and slightly devilish grin?