Christmas and New Year's Eve 2014

We got a fancy camera for Christmas in hopes that the quality of our preserved memories will improve.  Thus, why I'm going to try and resuscitate our dying blog, which has been comatose for at least a year (if not more).  So, without further ado, pictures with witty captions from Christmas and New Year's Eve.

Bingo.  It's the annual Christmas Eve tradition that keeps the kids away from the presents under the tree for at least a couple of hours.  Noah has taken over the prize buying, and he always does a wonderful job of getting something for everyone.  Note:  the Ninja Turtle bubble bath was a HUGE hit, and the bottles are still being played with today.  Each year the boys get a little better at putting their markers on their boards, and this year we were able to make it through several rounds at a nice pace.  

We attempted family pictures in front of the tree with the new camera and a tripod.  Almost everyone made into this shot.  There aren't a lot of pictures of the Mr. and I lying around, so I'm a big fan of anything that documents that we were in the same place at the same time.  Given the fact that we are dressed up, still, and smiling, well, you could just take me out to the graveyard and bury me today I'm so happy.  

 Ole' Handsome Brown Eyes.  I never get tired of this guy.

 Although he wasn't super cooperative, he was at least still. Gotta love Wyatt.  He is a charmer.

 Cyrus crawling up my lap in is new Christmas Jammies

 More Modeling of Christmas Jammies

 Christmas Morning After The Unwrapping Went Down

 Many Lego sets were received, and many Lego sets were assembled.  Amen.

 He is so nonchalant about his loot, but he was actually pretty happy.  He got art supplies, stickers, tangegrams, and books.  He promptly put together a very large mural of piles of stickers covered with marker and glitter (mixed media, of course).

 Silly face. Yes, they received Pringles from Santa.  He's a smart man, that one.

 Later that night, I took a few pictures with my camera to just expirament.  

 New Year's Eve was actually quite a bit of fun.  We started the evening off by making a large banner that had drawings from things that we did/were important from 2013 (thank you Cyrus for donating your art supplies for the cause).  Some highlights:  watching Nacho Libre as a family, camping (Dad's favorite), Cyrus' hurt hand, Wyatt's newfound back massage skills, Minecraft, Mom's job at PAWS, and Ninjago.  We hung up our banner and watched it fall down several times throughout the evening.  

 Before the party, Wyatt gave Dad a knee massage with a suave look.

 Cyrus trying to jump on top of me.  You can see the balloons that we hung up for our party.  We popped one every hour or so. Inside was an activity/fun thing to do.  They included: making homemade pizza, playing hide and seek, watching Nacho Libre (again) while eating nachos, making t-shirts, making duct tape wallets, eating candy, and toasting at midnight.  They had a great time, although Cyrus only made it until nine, and the big boys were asleep by 12:09.

 Cute Cal

 Strong Cal in a Yoshi t-shirt

 The Pizza Making 

  The drinking

The end.

Trip to Tennessee Summer 2013

This is a big photo dump from the trip to Tennessee.  We had such a great time, and we miss everyone so much.  

Dinner with siblings and without kids and Noah. :( The Cruze Family Fund paid of for a delicious meal at the Cheesecake Factory where choosing what we were going to eat was half of the fun.  I've never seen Cally come up with so many great suggestions.  The best moment was the check:  confirmation that the Terrible Cruze Math Gene is alive and kicking.  

Two trips to Metcaffe Bottoms in the Smokies.  My boys were initiated into crawdad catching and river wading.  I was initiated into lots of muddy shoes!!!

Lori Cupp always has the best ideas:  tying the boat to a tree and letting the kiddos play around in the boat.  They  loved it!  The downside was when I took all of those small, small kiddos down without life jackets!  Mid jaunt, I thought, "If this thing tips, I'm screwed!"  It was a touch scary.

I also don't have a picture of cally floating on her stomach down the river.  I wish I had snapped one.  She looked so peaceful!

Wyatt enjoying, no, savoring, his first trip in the bed of the "trash truck."  We took a little drive around the old farm.  Luckily we weren't chased by any bulls or cows.  Phew!

Shaf......such a great picture.  I also love that it's Sweet Emily holding his picture.  

Another picture of a thrilled Wyatt.  I promise he seemed to be having a good time.  

We went out on Norris Lake with the Atkins Fam.  We had such a fun, fun time! Wyatt was terrified of the water, though he did get in.  He cried a little when he fell off of the tube and slid off of a bank.  Cyrus had the time of his life:  jumping off of the boat, being pulled on the tube, and driving!! You can spot Calvin being pulled on the tube.  He would have stayed all day if we let him. 

Eldon twirling the kiddos on the floor.  Fun times!

Cyrus being tortured by said Uncle.  

We also got to spend some time at Jump Jam.  We do love the trampoline parks!! Wahoo!

Shaf is such a great grandpa.  I told him I wanted to put up a tire swing, and he did all of the work. It reminds me of a sweet picture of Shaf pushing Noah and Nathan on a tire swing when they were little.  The boys loved it!

I love this picture of Grandma Daniels.  It was so good to see her.  

As we were leaving Scott's house one night, he pulled Wyatt out of bed to put him in the car.  He had him on his back, and Wyatt stayed asleep.  Even as Scott squatted down, Wyatt slept.  So funny.  

Lori humorously gave Cyrus as many towels as he wanted when he complained of being cold.  

We were ready to come home, and the trip back was a doozy.  

We missed the connection in Texas, but they put us First Class for the last leg.  It's too bad that after we had been in the air, they turned around to have us board another plane (some kind of malfunction).  I'm glad that we were on a safe plane.  They stuck us in first class again, but because it was so, so late at night (1:00 a.m.), we didn't get the full experience.  I had heard rumors of candy bars being passed out of beautiful baskets in first class, but all I got was two cups of Dr. Pepper in a glass cup.  *Sigh* Next time, I will get my candy bar.  Mark my words!!

The time went too fast, and we were sad to leave.  But, we were so glad to be back in our own beds.  I don't have any pictures of the Shafers.  I am bummed that I didn't catch all of the fun that we had together.  They spend hours playing with Mimaw and pepaw. 

To Do List for 2033

In 20 years, if my children don't have their own children, I am going to visit their homes and complete the following TO DO items:

Calvin's House

1.  Carve my initials in his kitchen table and claim that I didn't know it would never come out.
2.  Pile all of my clean clothes in the dirty clothes so I don't have to put them away.

3.  Just after he spends 30 minutes making me dinner and just before he takes his first bite of food, I will ask him for a milk refill.

Wyatt's House

1.  Pee in his shower with my clothes on just to make Calvin laugh.
2.  Sprinkle legos on the floor of his bedroom.
3.  As soon as I walk in his front door, I will take off my clothes and sit on the kitchen table in my undies.

Cyrus' House

1.  Pee in the clean sock bin while I am in time out.
2.  Climb into his bed in the middle of the night and in my very best loud whisper ask for a drink of water. (repeat this one 3 times in one night).
3.  Right after he makes his bed, I will burrow under the 6 decorative pillows and make them tumble to the ground.  I will probably do this one 5-6 times a day as needed.

Merry Christmas

Things That Make Me Laugh

Obviously, this picture of Wyatt from the app "Fat Booth" on my phone.  Calvin took everyone's pictures, but Wyatt's was the best.  Too bad he slept through it!

 This John Stamos Tweet.  I loved Full House, and I love this joke. 

 Letting Cyrus take our picture at the airport.  I'm actually glad that it's so blurry.  It makes it that much more difficult to see my flared nostrils.  

The Pesky Pest and His Wily Antics

When he was born we named him Cutie.  And he is a cutie.  But he has now adopted the role of "pest."  And he excels in his new position.  When the boys are at school, he strolls into their bedroom and picks through their toys, playing with whatever he wants.  When they come home, he is so indignant that they don't want him to mess with their stuff (it's his!! isn't it???).  

He is guilty of sitting too close to you on the couch, swiping your cookie from under your nose, and coloring on your coloring book.  But he doesn't stop there.  Their Mom is actually "His Mommy!" and he doesn't like to share her.  After all, we do spend about 7 hours a day together without them around. I'm pretty sure he thinks they cramp his style when he gets home.  

 Perhaps Cyrus' greatest threat is his love to escape from home.  He sees the front door as his ticket outta this place, and whenever it opens, he tries with all of his might to race through and b-line for the sidewalk.  I'm still trying to figure out where he wants to go???  I'm guessing Dairy Queen?  Wal-Mart? Constantinople?  It's hard to tell.  He can climb over the wall in the backyard and the gate leading around the corner.  I am "this close" to getting a leash, invisible dog collar, or at least a bell.  At the park he tries to run away.  At the store he tries to wander off.  At church he tries to leave the nursery.  But at Target he doesn't try to climb out of the cart (he knows better than to leave the popcorn and soda).  Buckle him into his cart! You say!  I do! I say!  I'm telling you - - - he is a regular Baby Houdini, escaping from all that keeps him bound.  

 For all of his busy escaping, you wouldn't believe that he would ever sit still.  But he loves to color.  For hours at a time.  One week he went through 2 coloring books.  He doesn't just color the picture.  He likes to color the entire page one color - top to bottom, side to side.  He likes a solid page of color. His medium is marker though he will settle for a crayon in a pinch.  He has been known to sit down and color in the middle of the gym floor and color while basketball-ers try and play around him.  He's insatiable.

 This little short stack also loves to climb all over me and Noah.  At nightly prayer he climbs on top of Noah's shoulders.  While I'm curling my hair, he climbs on the bench and tries to sit on my shoulder.  I once busted him trying to climb on top of the car in the garage.  He was working his way up the windshield as if he were hiking Mt. Everest.  

 And last but not least, the Pest is 100% Boy.  I can prove it with the following quote (said after we put up the Christmas tree):

"Mom, I yike the kistmas twee.  It's bootiful.  I'm gonna punch it."

P.S.  If you ask him how big your bottom is, he is almost certain to tell you that it is either big or medium.  If you ask how big his bottom is, he is almost certain to tell you it is small.  He knows his stuff.