Let it Snow...

let it snow, let it snow...

 

These boys (Graham) wanted to go outside and play in the snow like Curious George.  So, we got everyone all suited up, trounced out to the back yard and ta da...

 

Track's 1st experience with snow...

 

Graham's 2nd experience... I think it snowed in Feb 2011 - weird that I remember that.

 

 

 

 

 

This whole excursion lasted 5 minutes before Graham said "i don't like the snow, it's cold" and Track was crying.  Shoes off, layers off, inside the house to jump on the trampoline.  Apparently, since Curious George is a monkey the cold doesn't bother him - or at least it never appears to.  He plays in it all the time, building igloos and snowmen galore.  Not so with my little guys.  Too cold to hold.

 

Let's Hear it for Snow in Texas.

Christmas Morning...

 

 

Ready for Christmas morning at our duplex.  Track got a new reading chair, just like big brothers...

 

Mike was up with the baby around 7:30a.  I got up at 8:30a and we woke this bug guy up at 9 something...no amount of excitement can stop the sleeping over here!

 

Mike spent HOURS erecting this beauty in our duplex living room.  I mean where else can you setup a 7ft wide trampoline, but a giant weird duplex room?

 

Both boys were PUMPED.  They have jumped on it for hours since.  Best surprise Christmas gift ever!  Mike and I had decided not to "spend the money" on this when we were out shopping, but it somehow ended up in our garage on a lone shopping trip done by Mike.  I am actually THANKFUL it did...it's a great way to expend energy when you can't go outside. 

 

More Opening...

 

Loves the plastic puppy bath toys...

 

and lastly, I was laying in bed last night and "elfed" all of our faces on a Office Depot app.  Hilarious.  It reminds me of my dear friend Cara who sent these out to us every Christmas.  Cara died almost 2 years ago and I feel like I have been reminded of her left and right in the past 6 months.  She was funny and this makes me miss her.

 

Let's Hear it for a Great Birthday.

Big Boys...

This is a  post only a mama could love...

 

We went to see the trains at Northpark today and to upgrade the boys snug shoes to something more comfy.

 

Look at how cute their little legs and shoes are...

 

Graham is 3 and in a size 11 and Track is 1 and in a size 7...WOWZERS.  I am going to be up to my eyeballz in men's STINKY giant shoes in no time.  I secretly love it (shocking I know)...

 

Special and more special in this picture...but you can see a frontal view of their bigger kicks.  Graham got Nike Frees and Track got Chuck Taylor's - very fitting of their personalities.  I must be pregnant because I started tearing up when I saw them in their new shoes...my goodness!

 

Let's Hear it for These Big Babies.

Christmas Babies...

 Christmas Jammies - TAKE II. 

 

Look at Trackers tummy again - so cute.

 

 Perfect Santa baby.  Posed for picture with extreme poise.

 

 Naughty Older Santa Brother...too silly for pictures.

 

Weird smile... 

 

 And finally a Graham staple...Beaver Face.

 

The photo shoot didn't last long and ended with the little pushing the big off the fire place. 

 

Let's Hear it for Matchy Matchy.

What's Better...

What's Better?

 

A baby that sleeps until 9am on Christmas sheets in mismatched jammies....

 

A morning game of Candy Land with dad in mismatched jammies...

 

Or being 28ish (I think) weeks pregnant with another dear child...

 

Or this weird bOOb scarf I found on Etsy for all the women in my life.

 

Does it get better?

 

Let's Hear it for the bOOb Scarf - Bizarre.

 

Shameless...

I have gone back and forth on my parenting skillz here and there, but for the most part I feel like the babies should do what I ask "because I ask them" and the Lord gave them to me to parent.  You know "it's their job kind of thing".  Then I heard our pastor say something along the lines of..."the best way to motivate your children is to shamelessly reward them".  Well, I will admit by shamelessly reward them to me that means pick out a $15 toy at the toy store or instead of water you can get Kombucha at Whole Foods, but in true Mike Hummel fashion he upped the anty...

 

By now you know BIG FUZZY BALL means I just did the #2 deed on the potty and I am a BIG TIME BOY.  So the night before this big red fuzzy ball was doled out Mike promises this child that if he goes poop on the potty he will take him on the Dart Train all the way down to American Airlines Center to the Mavs Game.  Now THAT is a shameless reward.  I hear this conversation going on in the other room and all I can hear is the Hummel cash register a-dinga-linging.

 

So of course the next morning the little guy sits down and gets to business...

 

I texted  Mike and said something along the lines of "get your wallet out and buy this child some basketball tickets." 

 

Here is my big boy with his Mavs jersey on, a monkey basketball shirt on underneath and approximately 50 labels on his clothes that say "my name is Graham, call my dad at xxx if I am lost".  Ok, so there weren't 50, but I did label him and then had a talk with him about where to tell someone his label is.  Paranoid much?  I mean who wouldn't want to steal this child, cute, polite, funny and smart to boot.

 

Mike got home with a few pictures that are priceless...

 

Waiting for the Dart.

Little known fact about Graham...if he stays up past his 8-8:30p bedtime the wheels fall off in an extra energy kind of way.  There were about 10 pictures of the child running on Mike's phone.  JOY JOY JOY.

 

Riding the elevator at the Mavs game.  Super exciting to a 3 year old.  He also informed me that his daddy said he could walk up the elevator when he is 4, but until then he has to stay still...ha.  Good rule, Mike.

 

They stayed at the game for all of 4 minutes.  Mike said Graham was too crazy to be contained around the other patrons.  So back to the Dart they went.

 

More running...

 

Daddy and G...

 

On the train...

They got home at 10:30p.  I think in total they rode the Dart for a combined 2 or 3 hours...ha.  Mike was worn out and Graham was so PUMPED.  He has not stopped talking about the train with his dad to EVERYONE.  Mike even went the extra mile and bought a homeless guy dinner with Graham as a teachable moment and the guy couldn't get a word in edgewise because Graham was telling him about going on the Dart train with daddy and pooping on the potty.  Hopefully, the homeless guy was entertained.  Graham just wanted to move on to the next train - forget the teaching dad.

 

He was SOOOOO tired.  Sweet baby.  I think I asked Mike 1,000 times when they got home if everyone thought he was SO CUTE...ha.  Crazy mom central.

 

He has done his biz on the potty everyday since the moment that stopped his world - DALLAS AREA RAPID TRANSIT - Ick.

 

I'm thankful for a husband who knows what shameless means, and who realizes that money is just money - that you can't take with you.  I'm thankful these kids have a dad that delights in them and LOVES to spend time with them.  They are lucky to have us balance each others extremes...if it were up to me -NO REWARDS...if it were up to Mike $20K rewards!

 

Let's Hear it for Being Shameless

Christmas time is here...

Christmas Tree up in the dOOplex - CHECK.

 

Christmas Jammies and sweet boys- CHECK.  (look at Tracksters cute tummy.)

 

Gifts wrapped, work party ta-done-zo - CHECK.

 

1st Christmas Card received - CHECK.

 

Our Christmas Cards are out - CHECK.

 

Hair did - CHECK.

 

Christmas Program at church - CHECK.

I love this picture because at this event there were probably 100 kids (which seemed like 1,000) and they were all over the place.  On the stage, falling off the stage, dancing, etc,  This is Graham and Ethan doing some moves to Joy to the World.  What I love about this picture is that Graham could not have been clapping or dancing any harder at this point.  It was truly JOY in this child OVERFLOWING.  I was crying at multiple points watching him dance his pants off - because it was funny, but also because it was so innocent and sweet.

Advent Calender - CHECK.

 

New Stockings arrived - CHECK.

Our new stockings are hung on our giant dOOplex chimney with care - CHECK.

Shane & Shane Glory in the Highest CD - CHECK.

 

A few more gifts to grab and we will be ready to celebrate

.

    For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders ; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.   There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace...

 

Let's Hear it for Christmas

Goodbye 1226 Northlake...

Well, last Friday we moved out of our 1st home.  Crazy.  Mike got a bunch of guys to help move all of the big stuff on Thursday and then we all slept in our beds one last time.  It was eerie with nothing in the house but beds.  We all woke up the next morning and starting taking a part beds to move them to our (drum roll please...) dOOplex -ugh. 

 

Ok - In all reality I am thankful for a roof over our heads, a yard for the boys, and a kind landlord.  I just didn't imagine moving from my comfortable 1st home to my new 25ft brown paneled palace that costs more than out mortgage!  We are hopeful we can find a home before the baby is born in March, but even if we don't God is STILL good.

 

Ah, so there are ALL of Graham's books and socks.  Turkey.  I'm pregnant, so I get a pass on cleaning underneath the child's bed, right?

 

Goodbye 1st Nursery.

 

Goodbye Master.

 

Goodbye 2nd Nursery.

 

Goodbye Dining Room.

 

Goodbye Landry.  We left her as a house warming gift - hope they're getting along!

 

Let's Hear it for Moving On.