MyCrazyKids

Today concludes the kid's summerbreakathon. While I already confessed that today was not the best of days, it wasn't bad either. Just didn't go as planned.

That said, the kids were pretty funny today. When they start to play off of one another, it's a riot.

Mackenzie spent a lot of the day treating Zach as her own live baby doll. For the most part, he played along. Quite well. She dressed him. Tried to change his diaper. Took him on a walk in the stroller. Fed him. Her own live baby.  Seemed to work, for the most part.

When they weren't playing MommyM and BabyZ, they were getting into trouble. Zachy really seems to like when Mackenzie shows him how to get away with things.

After I got out of my two minute shower, I noticed it was quiet. I called out and heard nothing back. I find them in the kitchen, standing with the refrigerator door open, eating random things. Mackenzie's response? I didn't do it, Zachy did. Did you see me with your eyes? I know better, Zachy doesn't.

Nice try. She does that a lot these days. Blames things on other people. Zachy. Stuffed animals. Pretend babies. People who are nowhere to be found. The age of mistruths has officially begun.

For the record, I do feed them. You wouldn't think so. Later in the day they started to eat dog food. Seriously. The thing is, half the time they won't eat what I make. Something tells me the last five sentences are going to come back to haunt me someday.

Then there was the bathroom incident. Again, quiet kids. I find them in the bathroom. Putting lotion on. Mackenzie starts to lecture me, tells me I can't be in their house and to go away. Zach starts to laugh and chimes in, pushes me and says Go! Go! Next thing you know they're brushing their teeth.

I have no control. They are two months away from two and three and I have no control.

But they do make me laugh.

Yes they do, my crazy kids.

And, I love them.

VeryVERY much.

DayNine

Where to begin? I feel so out of blogtouch. We have moved. We have moved. We have moved. Hallelujah.

The kids LOVE their new home. Mackenzie LOVES being in 'town' and closer to people, places and things. Everyone is happier.

Today was day nine in new our home. Let me see if I can give a brief summary of how things went our first week and two days here.

While Mom packed up the rural house, M & Z wanted to make sure they weren't left behind.

A week ago Thursday, Dad brought home a big moving van. M & Z thought it was pretty cool. (M uses the word 'cool' now as in, 'Such & such is so cool.')

The next day we woke up, Mom packed up her car, including the kids. We headed into town, to our new home. Zach immediately went to work on the project he adopted the first time we saw our home, before we even knew it was our home, putting rocks in the water.

Meanwhile, Mackenzie helped by taking out the empty boxes.

LUckily I'd been off the day before we moved, so the playroom was play-able. Took a few days to get it in order, but it was definitely play-able. And thank Goodness, cause Saturday we had a playdate! C & B and Momma J brought over pizza and the kids got to play.

 Have I mentioned how super-duper big & awesome our new playroom is? It really is. Every time M shows it to someone, she says, And there's even a bed in here in case we have someone sleep here.

Zachy and Gunky had breakfast together on Sunday morning. Could they be any cuter? Seriously.

Oh, and while we're on cute Zachy, he has slept just fine in his new home. Puts himself to sleep, in his crib, sleeps all night. He's one well adjusted boy! M has also slept fine, I just wondered how he would do, since he's younger and, well, since he actually goes to bed by himself.

Later on Sunday, Missy. Good ol' Missy, made it out. She's our Farrel cat, which explains the cat trap.



Rufusdog arrived on Wednesday. He was a bit nervous at first, but once he figured out he could start digging new holes in a new yard, he adjusted.





As we continued to settle in, the kids played.

And helped.

For Zachy, that is helping. Mom thinks so too, as long as it keeps him busy. Until they all fall down, of course.

Friday, we had playdate #2. That's right, TWO playdates in a week. Have I already said Hallelujah?

A & C and Momma T came over on Friday. What a great time the girls had! And Z too.

This weekend, we continued to unpack, but still had some fun. Today we went to a park. And a dog park. Simple fun. There were lots of kids there. Z loved watching some older boys play. M really wanted them to invite her to take a turn in their human hamster ball-thing. They didn't. She handled the disappointment well.

That's sort of our week. Except for all the trips we made to Walmart and Target. Daily, I think. Tomorrow we are going to our Zoo. Wednesday we have yet ANOTHER playdate. Life is good! It shows in their smiling, loving faces.



CrazyCute

Mackenzie and Zachy have been CrazyCute together lately.

Increasingly, they play together, semi-cooperatively, albeit with somewhat different understandings as to what exactly they're doing. Over the weekend they were playing wheelbarrow together. She would pull, he would push. They would put stuff in. She was playing 'road construction.' Who knows really what he was playing. I guess he was playing the 'push the wheelbarrow and put stuff in' game. Oh yah, that one.

While they've always had their 'moments,' the last few days they've been in a groove and let me tell you, when they get going, they're insane! Earlier she took his hand and said, Come with me Zachy. I wanted to add, To the dark side.
'Puppet show'  has been a recent favorite for both of them. A tent is popped up, puppets are distributed. From there what happens is up in the air. 'Puppet show' usually ends with them hysterically rolling around in the tent until it is sort of twisted all around. The puppets? Who knows what happens to them.

On our way home from the zoo yesterday, every time I spoke, Mackenzie would tell me to Stop talking. Who imitated her? Zachy, of course. She found this funny, which meant she hammed it up, which meant so did he, which meant every time I opened my mouth I had her yelling Stop talking in unison with him uttering three syllables sounding sort of like that.

Last night after we got home Mackenzie ran and pretended to fall down. She then fake cried. Zachy thought this was absolutely hilarious. He proceeded to mimic her. Next thing you know the two of them are on a roll, literally. Running, falling, fake crying and rolling around laughing. How cute is it? Indescribably.

Tonight they decided to gang up on me with playdoh eating. Zachy started this one. He put some in his mouth, made sure I knew, then took off running, laughing. Mackenzie was amused by watching me struggle to catch him, so once I finally confiscated his playdoh, she lured him over to her playdoh. From there they successfully pulled off a divide and conquer type maneuver. Funny. To them. Not me. Okay, it was.

Earlier they hung out in the pack and play together. Mackenzie yelled out, Look Zachy is snuggling with me! And he was. I melted. That's the first time they have really snuggled up together. Then he sat on her, starting off another silly sibling goof fest.

I love this. I love watching them have fun together, even it means they're creating havoc together. I love the sweetness of their developing relationship. When the three of us were out walking today, I said to Mackenzie, Tell me something you like about Zachy. She replied with, I love him. He plays with me.

WackyWednesday

Another Wacky Wednesday. Cooped up all day thanks to cold, windy weather. So, time for some Mommy Musings. Our day is going something like this...

• It's almost unfair to the rest of the humanity that I get to be greeted with so much cuteness first thing in the morning. Mackenzie groggily walking out and then sitting on my lap, curling her angelic self into a ball and then shortly after Zachy walking out, smiling, laughing, and wanting Up! Ah, the Love!
• Mackenzie coughed and said she feels a little sick. Does something hurt? Yes, my blister (from six weeks ago) and the thing on my bum bum.
• This reminds me of last week when she had a very little fever, which I made the mistake of letting her know. For the next thirty minutes, or so she said over and over and over in her most pathetic voice: I just a little sick Momma. (fake cough) Did you hear that?
• Zachy loves his 'Gunky' (the monkey he got at the zoo). When he sees him, he squeals, laughs and says 'Gunky!' Then gives him big hugs, sometimes falling to the ground he is so beside himself with delight.
• It's 8:22am. Already I have: Caught up some blogs I read and facebook, made breakfast for the kids, made quinoa, made my vegie/egg and  qunioa scramble, mediated up several totarguments, straightended up the playroom, put away some laundary, made salads for today and tomorrow, talked to my sister for twenty minutes, did the morning dishes, changed Mackenzie's clothes - twice, which reminds me, I think it's time to change Zachy's diaper and get him out of his pajamas- opps.
• Mackenzie bops Zachy on the head with a potato. He cries. I tell her she needs some 'calm down time.' She walks into her room and walks right back out and says in her most shallow humoring voice:  I had my calm down time. Sorry Zachy. Ten seconds later, yelling: ZACHY, YOU NOT MY FRIEND ANYMORE! How'd that calm down time work for ya Mackenzie?
• Missing: Zachy's cute blue sneakers. Oh where, oh where could they be? Gone over a week now. Not looking good.
• When did potatoes become toys?
• Where did all the potatoes go? Have I mentioned Zachy likes to throw things away? Hmmmm....bye bye blue shoes. But, I found the potatoes.
• Guess Dad's buying some new blue totboy shoes on the way home from work today.
• Somebody, ZACHY, sure learned the word 'cookie pretty fast. And, even learned how to put two words together as in 'More cookies.' Who said sugar does no good?
• Cold, windy day. How do we get the sillies out? A tot-friendly agility course through the house. Let the games begin!
• Every night Zachy and I read the book 'Yummy Yucky' before bed. Yet, trash cans, kitty liter, pouring food on his head, and dog food continue to be his favorite things. Clearly he's missing the whole point of the book.
• Made what seemed like a healthy lunch for my kids. Did Zachy eat? No. I think he live on air.
• Mackenzie likes quinoa. A lot.
• Now he's eating playdoh and fake food. I'm insulted. Surely what I made was better than that!
• Sometimes Mackenzie puts her hands on her hips when she is making a point. Looks cute when she does it. Probably not so cute when I do!
• Other times she has the cutest ever hand gestures and expressions.
• Note to self: Don't leave two toddlers, ages 1 and 3, alone with a box of tissues. The quiet is not worth the mess or the time you will spend cleaning it up, which will be longer than the quiet.
• Mackenzie has decided not to nap today. And not to have quiet time either. Instead, she exercised with me. On an exercise ball. Watching her try to balance was funny. She kept saying This one is tricky! At one point the 'instructor' asked Did you feel that? And she shouted out YES!
• Mackenzie just had an I'm too busy playing potty accident. I asked if it was all over the floor and she, very generously, said Yah, you can go and clean it! Awwww, Thanks, Mackenzie. Next time maybe just maybe you'll pay attention I when I suggest you use the potty since it's been awhile. Or, maybe not, since I clean it up!
• Zachy just started blowing kisses and waving and saying Bye. Seriously cute.
• And now he is into saying Hi. Work those social skills totboy!
• BuddyCat finally scratched Mackenzie. It was a long time coming. He's a pretty unbelievably patient cat.  Glad he didn't get an eye...YIKES!
• Mackenzie is sitting at her table eating yogurt. Zachy is walking around her table, laughing for unknown reasons.
• Poor Mackenzie is tired. No nap, bedtime awhile away.
• Time to burn off some more energy and distract...pillows all set up for running and jump in the pile of pillows party! Woot-woot!
• Zachy just poured yogurt all over himself when I wasn't looking. That'll teach me.
• Mackenzie ate a bizarre amount of yogurt today. Or maybe it's just all on Zachy's head.
• Evening ended with me getting a five minute snuggle with both my babes. Long day, perfect ending.
• Both kids fast asleep by 7:15. Mackenzie snuggled up next to BuddyCat and Zachy holding on tight to his Gunky. I am content. And in Love.

RunningRambleNo.2

Whata week. Mostly good. We had a 'Moment' on Wednesday, but otherwise, not a bad week.

Wednesday I think we were all feeling a bit caged up. Especially me. After the holidays, the snow and then just not getting out, we've been home way too much. But, today we went to the zoo, full post with pictures to follow shortly.

I never really got around to posting this week other than my 2GoodTuesday. I started on Monday with some randomness, but never really finished. Then added a bit on Wednesday and then Friday. Also never finished. So, here's a combined RunningRamble effort from our at home days last week. Since they cover different days, ignore any 'time references!'

• I love the mud in the backyard since the snow melted. Really I do. So, so, so glad my kids are outside in the mud in their socks.
• Speaking of socks, Mackenzie has sock neurosis. They hurt her if there is the slightest crinkle.
• Mackenzie just called out from the playroom, 'I at the hospital. My baby is going to be a little born.'
• I think Zach threw away one of his Fisher Price toy milk bottles.
• Mackenzie is wayyyyy too fixated on Olivia. She now wants to be called Francine. Make that Queen Francine.
• Zachy came in and brought me his shoes to put on. The bottoms of his white socks are, not surprisingly, black.
• Yesterday Zachy and Mackenzie were outside. I hear him crying. I go see what's wrong. Mackenzie has been 'washing' him with cold, muddy water. Sweet sister.
• And, yesterday Mackenzie pretended to be a puppy, In doing so, she decided to pee in the backyard. It was as funny as it was disturbing.
• When I clean the playroom, I inevitably stop at the play kitchen. Do you think maybe, just maybe, this is some form of MommaRebellion?
• I just made broccoli, cauliflower and cheese soup, from scratch. Zachy is a food thrower. Why did I think this was a good idea?
• I made the mistake of referring to Mackenzie as 'Princess Mackenzie.' She's taken on this role and run with it. Demanding. Expects me to be at her beck and call. Oh wait...nothing's changed. Just another day with a three year old.
• Zachy comes up to me sometimes and just gives me a totboy hug. He's getting the whole cuddle idea too. Love it.
• Mackenzie is an expert Snuggle-bug. She Loves it. I Love it.
• Today I saw a wasp and the other day I saw a bee. Come on guys, it's January! We had snow. Shouldn't those things be gone by now? And I mean totally gone. Annoyed. And concerned, because if they have survived, they must be some sort of super stinging insect, bug or whatever they are species.
• Zachy is taking two to two and a half hours naps. Ridiculous! I might regret saying this, but bygosh he's become a good sleeper! Who'da Thunk that would even be possible!
• Mackenzie has a thing with closing all the doors off the living room. Wondering what it's about. I think it has something to do with her totfears and feeling safer and more in control with the doors closed off.
• Zachy just dumped dog food all over and said, Ut-oh. As if he didn't know that was going to happen!
• 'Momma, I need to jump way higher, so I will grow taller!'
• When I picked Zachy up yesterday, they said he is their favorite eater. He sits at the table, crosses his hands in front of him, and waits. Are they sure they were talking about my son, the food thrower?
• 'Momma, I having a bad, bad day because I got a papercut. Will you call the doctor so I can go in and say I got a papercut, please!'
• Mackenzie made sure I called the doctor. She asked to talk to the Doctor and wondered why the Doctor was not talking back. I made up some lame excuse. Told her the Doctor was busy writing everything down. She bought it and kept talking.
• Mackenzie playing Mommy to Zachy, sweetness.
• Mackenzie playing Doctor with BuddyCat. Have I mentioned how bizarrely patient that cat is?
• I will never get over how cute it is when Zachy puts a choking hazard in his mouth, seeks me out, laughs in my face and runs away. Cute and unfortunately dangerous at the same time.
• Zachy seeing his Favorite Book, 'Yummy, Yucky' and saying Ugy.
• Zachy now plays 'Baby.' He gets on the floor, crawls around and says, Baby. Hmmm....wonder where he got that idea?
• Zachy clapping and saying Yayyyy during the movie Happy Gilmore when Gilmore was playing golf.
• I am ashamed to admit this, but our 'Christmas tree,' a small, humble artificial one is still up. Maybe by February?
• Yippeeee! I found the missing milk bottle. He didn't throw it away. The wagon now has six again. Whoppeee. My life is complete.
• Mackenzie gets into arguments with RufusDog and BuddyCat.
• Mackenzie commenting, while lying on the couch, that something was Stinky. I pointed out it might be RufusDog or perhaps BuddyCat. And she replies with, Or maybe you, Momma. For the record, I was nowhere near her at the time.
• Zachy seeing Puffs and calling them Uffs.
• Mackenzie came up to me with her mouth wide open and then said, Momma, mouth is open. I tired.

TotMusing of the week:

Quite awhile ago, after Mackenzie had done something that upset me, she suddenly started to sing me the ABC song and I started to laugh. On Wednesday, I got upset with her after she dumped her smoothie all the over table for an 'art project.' When I was explaining my upset to her, she said:  Momma, Do I need to sing you the ABC song?

HappyEnding

Zachy got sent home yesterday from Totcollege with a fever. 102.2. He looked droopy and tired. A little crabby. Went to bed early. Fever continued today. Crabby most of the day. Napped at 8:40 am. Poor tired little guy. Not much of an appetite. Took another short afternoon nap. Crabby. Clingy. Fever. Had a little food in the evening.  Just not himself.

This means Mackenzie had her moments too. She was upset because he was sick and she wasn't. The nerve of him! But all in all she did alright. She did demand a turn in the Ergo Carrier. A few other odd requests, but she's three and life's a sibling competition, right? Not only that. He being sick definitely cramped her style. And that has to be hard on a three year old!

Then they took their bath. All was going smoothly. Even crabby Zachy was happy in the bath. Mackenzie wanted to stand up and I asked her to sit down. She explained to me that she was Mommy and taking a shower and said, 'You understand why I can't sit down now, right?' Funny girl. I got them out of the bath and Mackenzie sat in front of the heater while I got Zachy dressed, but I only got as far as his diaper. Next thing you know he's walking away from me and takes off his diaper. I now have two naked, but clean, toddlers on the loose. He starts to scream and laugh and scream and laugh. And then he bends over to get more air power for his scream. So she starts in. Next thing you know they are both running through the house. Screaming and laughing. Was he really a feverish crabby boy all day, I wonder? And then they get on the bed. She starts jumping and he starts to try. A good ten minutes. And then the toilet paper. They got a hold of a roll together. All through the house. Laughing. Toilet paper all over. All over the house. All over them.

Gotta roll with it. Gotta laugh with it. Gotta love it. A Happy Ending!

FotoFriday1.14.11

It was a beautiful week. Temps up some from the biting 20's and 30's we had last week. And the snow melted, so except for some muddy spots, the outside was a much improved for some play. Thank Goodness! Another week totally caged in would not have been a good thing!



Pretending she is in a parade and waving to the crowd. With her helmet on.



He LOVES this thing. It became the most coveted 'toy' of the day.



And then he decided to 'shovel' snow. And hand it to me.



Taking a bike ride/walk together.



Running, playing chase.



Being a 'Jumping Girl!'



Using tape to 'fix' her Treasure Chest she said, 'I the good tape leader. I fix this super good.'
(And the 'outfit'....from her dress up clothes.)



He has decided to walk down slides. Next thing you know he'll be walking on water.



Playing 'Hi,' He would go from slot to slot and then pop up and look over.
Baby Belly Laughs. The BEST!

Sibling Game of the Week...

Doctor.



After she finished his exam, she said, 'He was a very patient boy.'



Looking at his face, I think 'paralyzed with fear' might be more accurate.



Zachy Photo of the Week...



Zachy eating a meat and cheese sandwich.
He pokes it piece by piece and then opens it up and eats the meat and cheese, leaving the bread for Rufus.



Mackenzie Photo of the Week...

She looks so cute, doesn't she?



TotboyAndLollipopStealer

My kids seem to develop and do amazing things days much faster than I can possibly find the time to adequately document. It's constant. They are such little developmental sponges.

Zachy is a little totboy now. He's no longer a baby. He is full on tot. Still not in a defiant way, not yet anyway. But, he's grown. His wobble walk is less wobble. He tries to run now. That's pretty priceless. Today he learned how to point to his nose and ears and wiggle his hands, all in one day. He already had the tummy and the head down. He was playing Peek-A-Boo and, very softly and deliberately, said, 'ee ba boo.' He practices new words all the time. His actual vocabulary is still pretty minimal, although I suspect he says a lot more than we realise. And regardless of his use of actual words, he communicates what he wants very well and understands seemingly just about everything.

He imitates Mackenzie now. Loves to do what she is doing, which at times is okay and other times not so okay. One day she was pretending to fix her kitchen with some tools. He wanted some of that action, bad. But Mackenzie was not in the mood to share her game or the tools. Later, after she had gone to bed (he stays up about a half hour later), he went right to the tools and started to fix away. He even reproduced the sounds she was having her tools make.

Today they played doctor. More like Mackenzie played doctor and he decided, after she forced him, to comply. I look over and he's laying there while she examines him. When I walked over she asked me to take off his shirt. I didn't. But I laughed. When she was finished, she said, 'Your baby was very patient today.' She doesn't miss a beat, that girl of mine.

Things have been pretty good lately. Zachy is sleeping better and OHMEGOSH he goes down to sleep by himself. He cries for a minute or so (tonight just a whimper) and is quiet. Now if only I could get the three old to follow suit! I am convinced she is going to cosleep until she leaves the house. This morning she woke up and I was already out of bed and she came out and said, 'Momma, I was worried about you.' Probably more like she was a bit scared (she has definitely entered the stage of the scaries), but it was sweet nonetheless.

Oh, and BIG NEWS....Mackenzie got a real haircut (1-8-10)! Well, I cut it. She had gone with me to get a haircut and I asked about her hair, which I think might make the Guinness Book of World Records for slowest hair to ever come in. But it was cotton candy like in the back. The woman who was cutting my hair explained to me that I needed to cut it regularly in short layers to keep it healthy and growing in (Rookie Mom, I know). Mackenzie would not let her cut her hair, but the stylist showed me basically what I needed to do and I did when we got home and it looks a TON better! Yay! I know she still wants 'True Princess Hair' (Shame on you Dora the Explorer), but I think just seeing real hair on the floor felt good for her.

I cannot believe how fast they are growing up. They learn new things and change every single day. It's impossible to keep up with! They are constantly doing things that amaze me. They make me smile. They make me laugh. And, yes they make me crazy. But at the end of the day, I will have inevitably fallen more in love with both of them.

Now, for a few TotMusings...

• Last Spring Mackenzie and I went on an 'Adventure.' First stop was the car wash and, despite all we did afterward, all she could talk about was how much she did not like the carwash. On Saturday I asked her if she wanted to go on an 'Adventure.' Her response, 'Okay Momma. But I no like the car wash very much.'
• Mackenzie and Zachy were playing Merry-Go-Round; Her 'spinning' him around on an upside down Little Tikes Table. She would say, 'Zachy do you like this?' And he would say, 'YAH!' Trust me, hearing a sixteen month old and a three year say that over and over again is very amusing!
• Zachy loves meat and cheese sandwiches. Actually, what he really loves is the process of taking out the meat and cheese and eating it. He dismantles the sandwich, bit by bit. It's intense.
• Mackenzie called Zachy 'Dude' the other day. I have NO idea where she got that.
• The other day a plane was in the sky and Zachy started to wave and say, Bye bye. Mackenzie did the same thing at his age - it's in the Tot A curriculum, I suppose.
• Mackenzie likes Lollipops. Today she manipulatively told me to go in Zachy's Room, while looking at the Lollipops. I played along and she came and found me and said, I a Lollipop Sneaker! I going to tell everybody I a Lollipop Sneaker!

HoHoHoAndSnow

Feels like it's been awhile. Holiday Craziness will do that to the best of  us.

We went to Grammy's house in California for Christmas. Grandpa Jon of course was there and Grandma Cheryl and Grandpa Charles flew in from El Paso. Cousins and Aunts all stayed in Texas, so Mackenzie and Zachy had four grandparents all to themselves.

The night before we left, Mackenzie enjoyed some time with Fisbee, whom we said our good-byes to before leaving on our adventure. He brought Mackenzie a Pinky-Dinky-Doo DVD for the car ride and Zachy a frog drum. Did we get a good Elf or what?!?! I'm pretty sure that departing gifts are not in his contract.

We drove to California on Christmas Eve day. The drive took about seven hours. Both kids did fantastically. I was a-mazed. We ended up stopping at a Carl's Jr. that, unbeknownst to us, had a playarea. That stop lasted about a hour and was per-fect! Otherwise we had two brief potty stops. Mackenzie did not nap. Zachy oddly only napped for about forty-five minutes the whole drive. Total fuss time was maybe ten minutes. Did I already say that I was a-mazed? I cannot recall what time we finally made it, but I think it was five-ish, Cali time (six-ish our time).

 Zachy was strangely entertained by this rattle for the majority of the drive over.

And Mackenzie was just carefree and feeling the spirit of our adventure.

After some dinner, Mackenzie and Grammy made some cookies for Santa. Grandma Cheryl read her 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. We put out the cookies and laid down to sleep. Both kids were sound asleep by eight.

Zachy woke up first on Christmas Day. We went downstairs and he was all over Mackenzie's doll buggy. Shhhh...don't tell her!

We looked around a bit, but had to wait until Miss Mackenzie woke up to do anything more. Lucky Zachy is One and didn't yet know that there was fun to be had inside those wrapped presents. But, we walked around and I explained it all to him while we waited.  (Here he is looking at and up the chimney.)

Once Mackenzie got up, we woke Grammy up. Mackenzie was veryvery excited when she saw her buggy. That was her main present. Santa also got her a Baby Alive doll and a game. She was a happy camper.

Santa brought Zachy a clacking alligator that he can pull along, a Milk Truck and a game. All a big success, but he is One and, as such, he loved the boxes just as much. Oh, and I almost forgot, he got this thing where he pounds in the balls. He LOVES it. Oh my, the boy is a good pounder, an aggressive pounder. Hilarious and  somewhat concerning at the same time.

Of course there were many more presents to come and in fact, I do believe we spent the next few days opening them bit by bit. The Grandmas were very pleased with their sweatshirts.

As for the rest of the visit to Grammy's...the kids enjoyed playing piano.

Zachy enjoyed the stairs, way too much if you ask me.

Mackenzie hung out with the dolls.

They played Rudolph together.

We went to Balboa Beach. Both were soooo excited! Their little faces lit up BIG!

Mackenzie wanted to go on the Ferris Wheel and Bungee Trampoline - maybe next year Totgirl! But, she did go on the Merry Go Round.

At the end of the day when I was putting her to bed, we said our usual, 'Thank you for a good day.' After a pause, she said, 'Thank you for the Merry Go Round, Momma.' Ahhhh....Melt my heart!

Those are the 'hightlights.' Tiring for all, but a good trip.Both kids had a really good time. Mackenzie had lots of fun having so much undivided attention. People to play preschool and infant room and read stories and take walks and play ballerina dance and to perform for and I could go on and on and on. Everyone could not get over what a wonderful imagination she has and how really funny the girl is. And funny she is! Zachy loved the attention as well, although he still stays close to Mommy and Daddy. But he did enjoy the stairs, a lot as I mentioned. He also loved going on walks and playing outside. Everyone was in awe of what a super little guy he is. I mean really, a super little boy. So easy going and delightful and sweet. 

The car ride home, well that was pretty much the exact opposite of the car ride there. Still not too much napping, that was the same. But a lot more fussing. Mostly dear Zachy. He had a rough time. We seemed to have to stop more and the stops were not as 'friendly' to our needs. The best stop, strangely, was at Quartzsite. Who'da thunk?!?! Zachy and Mackenzie enjoyed playing in dirt.

And cruising around the gem and rock mart.

Mackenzie was not a big fan of the bathroom at the Carl's. But, she agreed to go in the car. Thank Goodness for totpotties!

Other than a lost totgirlshoe and a horrible salad from Carl's, Quartzsite was the best of the bad stops we made on our return trip. Following that stop, Zachy sacked out, for a short while, but the fuss-break was nice.

And home we finally got, eight long hours later. We were all happy to arrive. Zachy needed some lovin' and holding, but once he got some good food in him, he was good as new and had forgotten the trauma of the eight hour drive from down below. Mackenzie fell right into the comforts of home. They went to bed by about eight-thirty and Mackenzie was asleep in, no exaggeration, less than two minutes. I think Zachy took a bit longer, but not by much. We were all POOPED! And, we all slept in until SEVEN-ish! Oh My. I loved that. Loved it a lot. I have not gotten that much sleep in who knows how long? Over a year, maybe two. It was like a Christmas Miracle and having the winning Lottery Ticket at the same time. Yes, THAT great. Hey, I'm pretty sleep deprived overall!

Yesterday it started to snow and today we have been snowed in. I was supposed to work today, but the roads were too bad to drive in, so we had a snow day!

Zachy wasn't too sure about it. He tried, yes he did, but it was cold and I think he wanted his dirt back!

Mackenzie enjoyed the snow though! She thought it was great....until she fell, but that was a good half hour later and she went back out later.

So, there it is, in a nutshell. Our HoHoHoAndSnow.

I leave you now, with a couple TotMusings.

1. Zachy had taken Mackenzie's Hello Kitty bucket. She was upset. I asked her, 'Mackenzie were you playing with it?' She responded, 'It's My Hello Kitty!.' About three times we went back and forth until finally she replied with, 'Momma, I NOT sharing it!'
2. I was changing uncooperative Zachy's diaper (he is a Wiggleworm and thinks it's funny) and needed wipes. I asked Mackenzie to get me some and she came back yelling, 'Doo-daa-daa-doooooo, Mackenzie to the rescue!'
3. Zachy's new thing is to take off his diaper and then have me chase him around to get it back on him. Yesterday he happened to have a little pee issue when the diaper was off. He looked at it with some concern and said, 'Ut-oh!', then tried to wipe it up.