It's been a while....

.....since I've posted. I've just been a bit consumed with the holiday preparations and life with 2 kids. I also had a fun chance last week to run up to SLC with some friends and meet up with my sis Julia. We had some fun going to the Carrie Underwood concert and watching a taping of the Good Things Utah tv show. Good times.

Now I'm feverishly trying to get some Christmas gifts done and get ready to spend time with the Ellis clan for Thanksgiving. Should be good fun. I know Gabe is THRILLED for the sugar cookies with Grandma Tammy and can't wait to see his cousins.

But I have had several people tell me recently that I need to get more Gabe-isms up on the blog. My first thoughts were that I probably haven't shared much lately because Gabe hasn't done much other than boss me around - but then I remembered he's sweet some of the time. He can be a hand-ful, but I keep telling myself that his strong personality will get him through tough times in today's world. Hunter is going to be strong willed too I have a feeling. Here's a few things about the boys:

GABE:

• I asked him what his favorite part of Primary was today. He said, "When I got to see YOU! I think I need to give you a hug now." (They have been bringing the nursery kids into Sharing Time with the Jr Primary to get them prepped to come into the Sunbeam class in a few weeks. I teach a 6-7 year old class - so he gets to see me too.)


• In regard to the last one - I was telling Gabe today that he only has a few more weeks left in nursery at church - and then he'll be a SUNBEAM. He got so upset and started throwing a little fit. He finally said, "I don't want to be a sunbeam and you can't make me - even if it IS in the song!" (Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam)


• I was telling Gabe what I was going to be doing on my quick trip to SLC and that I was going to see Carrie Underwood in concert. He looked at me and said, "No mom, I am pretty sure that it's Carrie Under-WEAR!" (and he didn't even laugh at his silly joke - he was serious.)


• Last week we were eating dinner and Gabe says, "So Mom -when are you going to go to the store and buy the presents for Santa?" I asked him what he meant exactly - afterall - Santa gets the presents at the North Pole and delivers them to us on Christmas Eve...He said, "No he doesn't - YOU buy them FOR Santa." I had to quickly change the subject because I was a bit nervous that the conversation seemed to be leaning towards the idea that he might know more about Santa than he really should.....and at 3 years old?!?!?


• Gabe is pretty enthralled by the idea of a Christmas List. Whenever he sees something he wants he'll refer to "THE LIST". The other day he said, "Mom? Do we have a see-saw?" No Gabe - we don't. "Oh - we better get out the list!" I hear that several times a day. His list is getting pretty long!


• The boys were in the bath tub tonight. I warned them that I didn't want them to splash me because if I got wet I would probably get mean and yell. Gabe got really upset and said, "Oh please Mom - don't do it! I just want you to be a MOMMY!" (I loved that he didn't think that getting mad and yelling was the same as being a Mommy....)


• I asked Gabe what he was thankful for. Here are a few of the ideas he's come up with: turkeys, hands, firemen, fingers, Mom, Dad, Hunter, ME (Gabe), counting, bees, bow ties (and then he said, "Do I have a bow tie? Why not?"), Mommies, noses, tv, movies, and his friend Noah.


• Just lately Gabe has started wanting to look at books when he goes to bed. I love it! I'll let him get like 2-4 books to look at (after we've read our stories together) and then I'll give him 5-10 minutes to "read" in his room by himself. Then we'll go in and turn off the light for him. I love that even though he can't read the words quite yet - he still has a love for reading. I hope that keeps up!


• The boys have a lot of grandparents living (2 grandmas/grandpas, 5 great grandma's, 3 great grandpa's, and a great-great grandma/grandpa) - they are really quite lucky. But sometimes it gets kind of confusing because there are so many. I guess Gabe picked up on the fact that a lot of times I explain which ones we're going to see and he's started to explain it to me. For instance - if we're talking about Nana and Papa he will pause and say, "You know - your mom" or "You know who papa is - he's your dad".

HUNTER:

• I sang a couple of little kid songs to Hunter this week with actions. He totally caught on to them and sings them around the house all the time now. He's still not really talking - so no one else probably has a CLUE what he's doing - but he loves to sing "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home", "Head, shoulders, knees and toes", "Popcorn popping", "Once there was a snowman". It's SO cute!


• Hunter is such a happy kid most of the time - he smiles with his entire face and has the widest grin. I love how his smile makes me feel!


• Hunter is so jealous of his big brother - especially if Gabe goes somewhere without Hunter. Lucky for Hunter he got to go play with Gabe and his friend Noah this week for many hours - as well as a few other ours at another friend of mine's house. He loves getting to do things with Gabe.


• Hunter loves ducks. Weird huh? He loves to quack like a duck and can spot ducks everywhere.


• Hunter likes to say "Ho-Ho-Ho" - like Santa - and he says it with his whole body - it's funny because he kind of "shakes when he laughs like a bowl full of jelly" (You know - from Night Before Christmas?)


• Dancing - Hunter loves to dance too - and he dances with his whole body too.


• Gabe has never liked to spend time by himself - at all. He wants to be by my side doing something, or being entertained at all times - but Hunter can often be found in his or Gabe's room surrounded by toys or piles of books - just entertaining himself. It's cute that he's ok being by himself - but it also gets him into trouble at times.


• Web-cam - We have a web-cam on our computer and if Hunter ever sees a picture of Nana on the computer (like if I'm chatting with her on Instant Messenger) he starts climbing all over me to get up to see her and chat with her. He LOVES talking to all of his grandparents on the web-cam!