How to lose a tooth in the Starr Family

One night shortly after Christmas, we were talking at dinner and somehow came up with this crazy idea to build a contraption to pull out Barrett’s wiggly tooth.  Then, we said we’d make a video and send it into that video show and then the boys started talking about how they were going to spend the money they would win…you know how it is when you buy a lottery ticket and spend the next hour planning exactly what you’d do (cuz your odds are so good, how could you NOT win?).

Well, yesterday was the day.  The tooth was ready to come out.  I am a little embarassed about how long it took Cody and I to figure out how to set this thing up so it would work.  This is the kind of thing I would have loved as a kid, so I knew we HAD to make it happen.

Here’s our video: (tell your ears I am sorry…I can’t stand the sound of my voice on this video…ugh!) Cody and I think the best part is the “roar” sound you hear from me during the slo-mo part!

Of course I had to get some pics of the toothless wonder brothers. (Kyle knocked his tooth out a couple months ago in a furniture jumping accident…the poor tooth never saw it coming) The tooth fairy left Barrett 2 one dollar bills folded into a shirt and pants origami style.

Seizing the Day

We woke up this morning to find fresh snow blanketing the ground.  Surprise!  I guess I missed the weather report last night because usually if there's the slightest chance of snow around here the weather people get all excited and the news stations send out reporters wearing heavy winter coats to the streets to show us bridges that are not-yet-but-have-the-potential-to-freeze.  I didn't see any of that but I remember muting the news last night so I could concentrate on the book I am reading.  

Anyway,  it was a nice surprise.  The boys spent about five minutes throwing snowballs at each other before school. Good thing because the snow was melted by the time they got home.  I had a lot of work to do today and I had planned on cleaning, but I decided I needed to procrastinate seize the day instead.    I took Annabelle (and Minnie) out for a few photos in the snow.  I think this was more important/urgent than cleaning.  

A year in review

For me, looking back on the previous year is good for my heart.  I look at the pictures and I don't see any pictures of myself nagging the kids to clean up and go to bed.  There's no pictures of sibling rivalry or name calling...just warm memories.  After a while, I tend to only remember what I have pictures of and I hope my kids are the same way.  I hope they remember going to the pumpkin patch and boogie boarding at the beach and forget about me getting frustrated for having to wait for someone to get his shoes on because we're running late...again.  I hope they remember the time I poured a million Legos all over the floor so they could experience making snow angels in their favorite toys.

I had the boys do some looking back on the past year and write down some goals as a part of a New Year's Eve activity. Here's what they wrote:

Kyle in 2012
favorite color: purple
favorite movie: Star Wars
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite activity: homework
Fave book: The Big Book of How
Fave song: Gangnam Style

Greatest lesson learned in 2012: Not to jump on furniture (that's how I knocked out my tooth)
Favorite Memory of 2012: When Mom gave me my tricycle (??)

Looking forward to 2013, I want to learn: How to load games on the iPad
I want to get better at: Basketball
My biggest goal for 2013 is: to get better at playing Skylanders.

(not the kind of goal I had hoped for...)

Barrett in 2012:
favorite color: blue
favorite movie: Three Musketeers
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite activity: tooting
Fave book: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Fave song: Gangnam Style

Greatest lesson learned in 2012: I am good at math
Favorite Memory of 2012: When I got Skylanders for Christmas

Looking forward to 2013, I want to learn: How to do multiplication
I want to get better at: math
My biggest goal for 2013 is: to get The Malevolence (from Star Wars) Lego set

(ugh. are all kids this materialistic? I wish he had said "save up for the Malevolence" at least...)

Anyway, here's a little graphic year in review!

more from Christmas Day

The boys woke up at 5:15am on Christmas morning and looked at their gifts under the tree. They were very excited and woke up Cody, me and Gigi.  Then they played with their new toys for the next 2 hours until the rest of the family woke up. So, sadly, I do not have a "surprise" picture of the boys, but I did get a couple of Annabelle seeing her new toys from Santa (and the boys are in there being excited with her.)
Spontaneous Thank You hugs

the aftermath: notice the rug...a  gift that morning from Cody to me and we put it down before opening the rest of the gifts (old rug is still rolled up in the corner), Casey is wrapped up in his new quilt from my mom, Cody's new Keurig is under a new grey shirt, Annabelle is in the breakfast room eating a applesauce pouch, Cody is holding his mom's new iPad from his dad and telling her all about what it can do. Stockings haven't been opened.

Right before Christmas Annabelle started saying "ho ho ho" and every time she said it she would hold her belly with both hands...Don't know where she learned this but it's too cute!

Now that we have opened our presents, my mom sent em the brainstorming list of gift ideas the boys had for what they could give to Cody and me for Christmas.  Here are their ideas:

Mom

Cookie cutters

Computer

Microphone (to yell at us)

Canvas/chalk board (easel)

Purse

Scarf

Golden ornament

Paint brush

iPad

Dad

New car

Batteries

Golf cart

Watch

Jacket. Heavy

iPad

Duh, Duh, duh, du, duh, du, duh...I'm dreaming of a White Christmas

As a kid growing up in Houston, we did a lot of dreaming and wishing for white Christmases.  We even did weird superstitious things like wear our pajamas inside and twirl around in circles chanting "snow" repeatedly.  It never worked.  I don't think we ever had a white Christmas. EVER.

Obviously, I was very excited when I looked out the window on Christmas Day this year to see sleet and rain turning into actual snow!  Then, actual snow that was sticking and accumulating...on Christmas Day!  

Christmas Eve

  

Gearing up for Christmas

I always have big plans for our family for the days before Christmas.  There's so much to do to soak up the season and spend time with the family.  I always seem to run out of time or energy or both.  Despite not starting my Christmas shopping until the 16th of December, we managed to squeeze in some good stuff too like sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows, watching Christmas movies, Advent crafts, decorating the house together, Preschool Christmas programs, shopping for the Angel tree kids, crazy elf on the shelf shenanigans, and visiting Santa.


I thought for sure that Annabelle was going to be happy to see Santa this year.  I thought she might be confused and call him Papa after our Christmas card session where Papa dressed up as Santa.  Annabelle kept saying "Aw, tute (cute) Papa!" But she wasn't fond of this Santa.

The Christmas Card picture mentioned above...Norman Rockwell inspired.

Buddy, our elf, zip lining through the house Watching the Mickey Mouse Christmas special for the hundredth time this year. This is the new ornament this year. Cody and I picked it up as a memento of Holland while we were there in April.

Annabelle had her first preschool Christmas Program this year.  Her class shook bells to Jingle Bells.  So cute!  It's always so hard to watch your child on stage looking a little scared when they can't find your face in the crowd.


Then, there's that special moment for a parent that happens during these things...Out of all the warm adoring eyes in the crowd, her eyes find yours, and she smiles and relaxes...



...then she runs so fast off the stage to give you a hug you don't have time to adjust your camera settings!