Santa, Snow and Family

Christmas morning arrived with a bang. We had Santa, snow and family--the only thing missing was Tom, who had to head to Frankfurt on Christmas Eve. For such is the life of a pilot :( Nonetheless, it was a good Christmas.

Sam's surprise from Santa

Imagine that, Santa brought Tommy a truck.

Sam and Tommy open presents.

Finally, on his last two gifts, he got the hang of opening a present.

Christmas Morning, Mansell Style

Tommy and Papa (one of the few times the little runt would let anyone hold him)!

Christmas chaos

More Christmas Pictures

Sammie and cousin Lynsie

Quintana-Banana

Tommy and Granti-grew sharing (yeah right!)

The Best Part of Christmas - Candy!

Sammie and Nicole help Aunt Lorena make fudge.

Snow Day

Fortunately for Sammie, it snowed the first day we arrived. Tommy wasn't so happy about the 4-wheeler, but Sam-I-Am was. (The snow reminds me of why we stay in Arizona!)

Christmas in Arizona

We kind of get an extended Christmas this year. Since we were headed to Utah, some presents were shipped to wait until Christmas day, while others were opened before we left. As you can see, we caught Sammie off guard with the Wii!

Merry and Bright

While it might not have been as fancy as Temple Square in Salt Lake, we had fun at the Mesa Temple nonetheless. It was chilly (at least for us!) and Christmas music played in the background. I can say that if we were cold in Arizona at 50 degrees, we will freeze on our trip to Utah! Yikes!

Growing Vocabulary

Every day Tommy's little vocabulary seems to expand, but Dad was beaming tonight when Tommy said "airplane" for the first time. (It actually sounds more like eye-cane, but you get the idea.)

He just might speak before kindergarten!

Christmas Fun

Do you ever imagine how fun and wonderful something will be (and then you take the kids with you and that idea goes out the window?!) Such was the case last night.

With Tom back home for a few weeks, we planned all these Christmas activities we wanted to do, and had the idea our kids would be angels and have fun and cooperate (yeah right, these are my kids we're talking about, and keep in mind Tommy has mastered the art of the tantrum). As you can see, the merry-go-round was quite a hit, but we still made a memory nonetheless.

I'll always have etched in my mind our family driving in the rain and singing Rudolph (from Papa's Christmas CD) at the top of our lungs (actually I don't think Tommy was signing, but rather screaming!). At least it made for another Mansell madhouse adventure.

Fun With Santa (depending on who you ask!)

If you think I'm sitting on this old guy's lap you're crazy!

Maybe he's not so bad afterall.

I've had it! Get me off or I'll scream again!

Saturday Morning Cartoons

They may be six years apart, but some things they prefer doing together.

Close, But Not That Close!

I would say that when it comes to mother-in-laws, I lucked out. I hear friends and family alike complain about their mother-in-laws, but I think Jen and I are close and get along great together.

As Tom was out of town, she was nice enough to accompany me to the GI specialist for an appointment for Samantha. I tend to stress about a lot of things, but especially issues concerning my children.

As I was filling out paperwork, I noticed a "couple" (even had matching rings-yeah!) come out of an exam room with their little boy. One "dad" carried the diaper bag and the child, and the other "dad" followed behind. My cereal churned in my stomach at the thought of the "life partners," but I went back to paperwork and didn't think much else about it. I didn't realize Jen noticed as well.

We went back to the exam room and sat down on the row of chairs--first Jen, then myself, and poor Sam was in her lovely hospital gown on the examination table (I don't remember Tommy's exact location, but my guess is he was swinging from a light fixture at this point). Anyway, the doctor (who spoke with the accent of Apu on the Simpsons) introduced himself and was trying to figure out who was the mom, etc. Having forgotten about the "life partners" who had previously graced the room with their "speshial" presence, it took me a second to figure out what Jen was talking about when she said the following:

"I'm the grandma, and this is the mother. And she's married. To a man. I want to clarify that from the beginning!" Once I figured out what she was getting at, I nearly wet my pants laughing. Like I said, we're close, but not that close!

Choo, Choo, Tommy is 2!

Yesterday was Tommy's 2nd birthday. It's depressing to me how fast the time goes! I don't think he had a clue it was his birthday, and didn't quite grasp the idea of opening presents or blowing out candles--he had better things to do. I guess there's always next year.

Fun, Uncle Denny Style

While Tommy's middle name is actually from Papa Denny, he seems to follow after Uncle Denny in many respects. Especially his affinity for cars, trucks, or anything that's loud and moves fast! Couldn't keep him off the Razor.

Christmas Tree Pictures

You wouldn't think it would be difficult to take a picture of two kids in front of the Christmas tree. However, when Tommy is involved, even the smallest task can become monumental! It took me about ten minutes and fifteen pictures to even get these.

Thanksgiving Pie

Both kids got in on the action of making a homemade cherry pie (at least mostly homemade--I used prepared cherry pie filling). We spent a quiet Thanksgiving afternoon with Shari's family since Tom couldn't be home. He was actually in the United States, just not in Arizona, so he had his Thanksgiving dinner at Cracker Barrel.

Thought I might weasel my way out of cooking a turkey this year, but not so. Tom has informed me that when he comes home next week, he'd like a "late" Thanksgiving dinner with the family. One more thing to add to my list of "things I am thankful for"--a husband who never lets me get bored!

Bad Hair Day?

Apparently he is having a bad hair day. However, I tried to explain that in order for that to happen, you have to have hair!

Traditions

In relief society last week, I listened to women talk about traditions that their families have during the holidays. I couldn't really think of any that have stuck in my family, but it just occurred to me today that Tom and I have a tradition that dates back to our honeymoon.

When we were in Jackson Hole browsing through the gift shops, we picked up an ornament that we wanted for our first Christmas tree together (mind you, it was only June). Ever since then, we pick out a new ornament for the tree each Christmas season (now we let the kids do that for us).

Today, Tommy picked a race car ornament (sorry Tom, he still seems to love cars a little bit more than planes!), and Sammie picked a cute little penguin inside a mitten.

We also try to pick up ornaments throughout the year at any special places we visit. This year I think the only place we picked up an ornament was in Key West. Since I don't get out as much since we don't have flight benefits anymore, I guess I'll have to have Tom pick up ornaments from around the globe (that way, he can reminisce over all the cool places HE has gone while I've been home changing diapers).

Out of Character

Lately I have been doing things that are very out of character for me. Or could it be, that in my old age, I am getting much more forgetful?! I like things organized, very organized (even my DVD's are in alphabetical order, and a long-sleeve shirt can't hang in the closet with the short sleeve shirts). I think it's the combination of age and doing too much multi-tasking that's getting me into trouble.

Explain how a wife, who has packed her husband's suitcase since 2000, would forget to send him even one pair of jeans or shorts on a trip lasting anywhere from 8 days to 3 weeks?! (Not to mention the trip before that when neither Tom nor myself remembered to grab his jacket as we headed to the airport!) Then there's the fact that I lost my keys one week ago, and still haven't been able to find them. I'm using Tom's set as a loner, and if those disappear as well, I'll really be in trouble.

I've had way too many blond moments lately--I think it's all the blond highlights, and I'll consider going a nice shade of brown in the near future!

Messy, But Organized

Although Tommy is famous for making messes around our house, he still seems to feel the need to organize his clutter (can't image where that comes from!).

The vehicles are always lined up.

After stealing t.p. from the linen closet and throwing it everywhere, this is how I found the rolls when Tommy was finished.

Modern Art

I think times have changed since my day. Had I brought home a turkey 20 years ago to decorate as a school project, I would have considered myself lucky to have some nice crayons and markers to complete the project with.

However, crayons and markers weren't even allowed on this project of Sam's. We had to be more creative (more expensive!) and use items such as cereal and various other art supplies.

After a pricey trip to Michael's, Sam finished her turkey w/ crunched ramen noodles, pipe cleaner, glitter glue, wiggle eyes, feathers, felt, posterboard and pom-poms. So cute, you could just "gobble" it up!

The Art of Sharing

Sharing is not something you see everyday at my house. Sammie is six years older, and has many prized possessions she won't let Brother touch. Brother will be two this month, and has mastered the word "mine," and believes anything and everything belongs to him.

But you have to admit, it is cute when it happens.

Halloween Fun

Poor Daddy! Halloween is one of his favorite occassions, and he was somewhere between Hong Kong and Australia! Mom probably didn't do Halloween as good as Daddy would have (I didn't even carve the pumpkins!), but we still had fun.

Handing out candy in style!

Ah, the all important task of sorting and counting . . . (can't imagine where she gets the "need" to organize from?!)

Mommy's Little Monsters (or Vampires)

I vant to suck your blood . . . acutally, I just want Mom to take this stupid costume off!

Tommy and the Trainer

If you know anything about Tom, he has plane on the brain--always. We can be having a conversation about our children or something serious, and next thing you know, his thoughts have derailed and he's suddenly talking about motors, speed controllers, ailerons, etc. And no, not for the 747--for the remote control models. I have always said I would find great pleasure in taking a baseball bat to the 20+ planes in our garage, but I don't think that would make for a happy husband (and if Tom ain't happy, ain't nobody happy).

So, since he loves flying nearly as much as he loves breathing, I have to put on a happy (or maybe tolerant would describe it better) face and go with the flow. On Tom's last break at home, he spent one week in Utah to humor me, and the other doing absolutely nothing but working on the d*!# airplane in the picture above. It was a pipe dream (oops, I mean just dream) from nearly a year ago, and he was even bright enough to offer to build his brother, Gary, one as well. (Something about grand memories from the Trainers they had back in the golden teenage years.) His "goal" (if that's what you want to call it) that week was to "maiden" the Trainer. Hour after hour, day after day, was spent in the garage--cutting, covering, sanding, and building. On his last day home, with only two hours of precious daylight left, we (the whole fam damily) headed to the flying field to watch old glory take flight, and that she did.

I was armed with the video camera to record such a momentous event in the history of our family, while Sammie was armed with the digital camera to take still shots. While Sammie and I played along, Tommy was obviously mesmerized. (Is this a taste of what's to come??!)

P.S. If you think I'm a tad bitter about the models, you'd be absolutely, positively, 100% correct!

All Boy, All the Time

Other mothers with little boys tell me his antics are perfectly normal--"he's just a boy." While Sammie was a hard newborn, she was an excellent toddler and the "terrible two's" weren't that terrible at all. However, my little tornado is giving me a run for my money.

He devises a way to get into everything, and he can't just walk, no, no, he has to run and jump to get where he's going. Not to mention climbing on everything. His favorite spot is to stand smack in the middle of the kitchen island. As soon as he has been reprimanded, it's right back to the stool and onto the island once again.

Cars, trucks, motorcycles, and planes (go figure) seem to litter every room in the house, as well as the matching sound effects. He's even taken over Sam's pink Polly Pocket car--doesn't matter if it's pink--it's still a car nonetheless.

Here are a few Halloween decorations--keep in mind I only put out a few, because you-know-who would be bound to find and destroy them. He's quite fond of rearraging this table, and the witch usually ends up in the pumpkin's mouth.

Did I mention trucks, trucks, and more trucks . . .

and more cars . . .

It's a good thing he's a cute little guy; otherwise I would be tempted to sell him to Toads'R'Us.