Felix James is 8

Felix is 8!  Seems like yesterday he was a cute baby with so much energy it came out his toes!  

Today he loves:

telling jokes, using big words, reading, playing the piano, baking, video games, Pokemon, riding bikes, training his gerbils, anything science, Cub Scouts, spending money, basketball, taking care of his baby brother, teasing his other siblings, being comfortable in his PJs, playing with friends and much more

Love you Felix!

Dinner and dessert at the Cheesecake Factory

Rex has a big grin because Felix had just hugged him after opening Rex's gift to him.
These hugs come very infrequently and Rex wants them so badly! 

Felix wanted time in the massage chair at the mall for his birthday

Trying to take a picture with the all the kids

The birthday boy still isn't too old to hug his mommy :)

Practicing piano in his undies

Christmas 2013

Christmas has come and gone.  Christmas with a newborn makes it so hard to be energized to create memories and do fun stuff, so I wouldn't say our holiday was super exciting, but we managed a few things:  gingerbread houses, playing in the snow, visiting a retirement home with the Cub Scouts, carrying on our knock and run secret Santa tradition and of course opening gifts.  

This was the year (*Santa Spoiler Alert*) where I broke the news to the kids that Santa is merely a fairy tale and Mom and Dad are the gift buyers.  Maybe I should have left the fantasy alone for now, but it was just SO exhausting keeping up the charade, and our kids were under the impression that Santa will give you ANYTHING you ask for and I was tired of the lies I had to spin to make them understand that, NO, he won't bring you ANYTHING.  The boys are now under the impression that Mom and Dad are rich in order to afford the gifts they've received...another fantasy that will be crushed soon enough.

All in all a good Christmas.  We're healthy, together, warm and trying to be better each day.  My New Year's Resolution?  Wipe my kids' faces clean.  What kind of mother am I?

The boys in Pokemon heaven

Give Daphne a baby doll and she's in heaven

Max is living my Christmas Day dream

Our Christmas Day Snowman Family

Brotherly Love

I came across some choice quotes I had written down courtesy of Felix back in October 2011. 
I thought they were worthy of sharing:

Felix:  I'll bet your [Rex] brain is filled with squashed flies or something.

Felix:  Sometimes I imagine him [Rex] falling in a black hole to calm myself down.

Such a stinker!!

Snow Days

 

 

Our family as miniature snowmen

Snow angel

Watching the snow plow clear the street

Sledding

 

Our bird of prey on the trampoline

Daphne with her likeness as a snow girl and Rex as a snow boy

Quick! Catch that gerbil!!

We had our own little "Secret of Nimh" episode this morning with our gerbil, Rolly. 
Here's a run down of the morning's events:

7:03am - Everyone is still in bed and Felix thinks he sees a mouse-like shadow scurry across his bedroom floor...he wasn't wearing his glasses.

7:13am - Felix is digging around in the gerbil cage when I hear him say, "Rolly's not in the cage...Rolly's not in the cage!...ROLLY'S NOT IN THE CAGE!!!...oh my heck."

7:14am - A search of the house ensues with the following dialogue:

Felix:  We'll never see him again!!
Rex:  (wailing) Ro-o-o-o-o-ll-y-y-y-y-y!!
Felix:  (frantically) I WANT ROLLY BACK!!!!
Felix:  Why would he run away??  We took care of him!!
Rex:  It's like he doesn't even love us. (sobbing)
Rex:  He won't be able to celebrate your birthday with us, Felix. (more sobbing)
Felix:  I'll never see him again!

7:23am - Rolly sighting in Mom and Dad's room
7:26am - Rolly caught
7:27am - Rolly back in cage
7:28am - (according to Felix)  Gus (gerbil #2) biting Rolly's bum as payback for escaping
7:30am - Felix holding Rolly because he says, "I need to hold him.  I think he's untrained after being out in the wild." 
7:33am - Rolly back in the cage with extra reinforcement

Notice the hole on top where Rolly must have escaped.  The cap was not put back on last night. 

Before

After - Gerbil Alcatraz

More of Max

November 8, 2012

November 9, 2012

November 18, 2012

November 21, 2012

November 26, 2012

November 27, 2012

December 19, 2012

December 26, 2012

January 13, 2013

January 16, 2013

January 25, 2013

Big Sister of the Year

    

    

Daphne loves having a baby brother.  She always wants to hold him and is always saying, "Oh Max."  She has already started dressing him as a princess (which I'm sure will leave some sort of scarring in his future) and loves inviting him to her tea parties.  She is great at getting diapers for him, feeding him a bottle and replacing his pacifier.  She is also great at scaring her mom when she lies on top of Max's head, rolls around while holding him, nearly dislocates his arms trying to make him stand and forces the pacifier into his mouth.  She must remember how Rex smothered her with love as a baby and is paying it forward to her baby brother.