Jaxon Basketball

Jaxon played basketball this year. And wouldn't you know it....I missed any action shots of him. Well you will just have to take my word for it that it was great. He has improved so much this year. He FINALLY believed me that his glasses have helped him to see. I mean honestly he and I wear the same prescription and there is NO WAY I would be able to play basketball or even tie my shoe without my glasses/contacts! He is making shots almost every game. His team did awesome as you can see on the pic.
His coach was FANTASTIC! This was Phil Tate [Tysten's] Dad. He coached Jaxon in USA soccer as well. He called us up and asked if Jaxon would like to join a team he was putting together for the second year in a row and man can they play well. What a great job. Jaxon had a blast! He still needs to work on his layups. But he is improving every year! We appreciate those Dad's that can help teach our boys the fundamentals of sports! What a fun season!

3 Months

WOW where has the time flown? I tell ya....for the past three months so much has changed in our lives. I honestly don't think it is because of only one event or even two. Our entire family has changed. Not for the good or bad just changed. The birth of a baby is such a change on a family in and of itself. We have lost two family members that were around well before any children came around. Work for Gregg. Work for Mom. Everyday there is something new with the boys. How does one cope? Well for me it has been pretty hard. I mean really hard. I know it was hard with Zeke. Gregg was in school earning his Masters Degree and working full-time. It was tough feeling like a single mom to three boys. But with Ella it has been even harder. I feel like there is never enough time in the day. I am pulling my hairs out all day. I remember feeling like when I had Kaden I was worried my love for Jaxon was so strong I didn't know how I would be able to split it between two. But I tell you try it with 4 and it is way worse. I love my kids and feel like everyday I spend trying to keep the house clean instead of enjoying them is just damn frustrating.
I really try to listen to people who have 'been there' and 'done that'. You ask them and the tell you enjoy it now because one day they will be gone and it will be all over. It is so so hard you know. But I really listen to them. I get in my fits where the house HAS to be clean and EVERYTHING has to be in its place. I mean I am an anal accountant you know?! But then when all my frustration and fits have passed I sit and reflect on what I have missed out on fussing about dusting and vacuuming.....I let three months pass by! I let three months pass by......
I am not writing this right now to get any pity party by any means. Only as a reminder to myself that FORGET IT! Seriously! Forget it! You can do it! You can let the house faulter for a day, two or even a week. The house can be cleaned. The memories are going to be gone. Enjoy life for what and when it is!

Just look at my sweet little baby! She is hjust darling. Such a blessing. Such a challenge to juggle 4 but honestly those things in life that are the hardest are the things that are worth the most. I know it will get easier....it better for goodness sakes! :)

Right now Ella is sleeping so good [not at night though]. I can't complain. She is pretty much clockwork. She sleeps and is up for only 1 1/2 hours then back down to nap. She seems like she is ALWAYS asleep! I wish I could! She is such a sweetheart and pretty much only cries if she is tired. She doesn't even cry much when she is hungry. She is NOT sleeping all night. She is still up 2-3 times a night. This is wearing on me quite a bit! I am so tired! But I know it seems like it will be forever, but only another month or two and hopefully she will be all night. She has teased me a couple of times and slept from 8pm til 5am....this was only temporary but great while it lasted!
All the boys have fallen in love with their baby sister. She is darling and because she is asleep so much there is so little time to hold and squeeze her. They have to fight me over holding her, because when she is up I want her all to myself. Kaden seems so at ease with her. He loves to walk with her and talk to her. Zeke will always walk up and give her loves and hugs. Jaxon is a bit nervous because she is still so small. But I think he is getting more comfortable. He is always afraid he is doing something wrong. Little does he know he is great at being her big brother. Dad um well Dad would be perfectly happy if she were just locked up and never let out of her bubble! OH can you say over protective? I mean it!!! I just can't wait to see how he is when she is older!

Cats Craddle

Jaxon had an 'old fashion day' at school this year. He came home with this wonderfully 'cool but really hard game'. After he showed me what it was, I squealed with delight! :) I love cats craddle. I would play it for hours with my friends. I would bring it to school and play it with my friends all recess long. I showed the boys and we played for a while this afternoon. I was so pleased! After a while they got the hang of it and thought it was actually fun. Ah how do they come up with these 'new things'?

Scientist at heart....

Such a funny story.....
Kaden got this little container [which happens to be a baby bottle with a lid] from a friend at school. He put some type of liquid in it and some sort of red lead from a pencil. When the red led turned the liquid red he thought it was some type of potion. Kaden would take this to and from school everyday for a couple of weeks. He would add different type of things to it and put it in the fridge every night. He told me that it was a type of poison he thought he had created because it destroyed everything he put into the container. Me with all the muster I could, kept a straight face and believed his magic scientific potion. I told Gregg about it one night and asked him to help play a trick on Kaden. I asked him to pretend he got some of the liquid on him to see what Kaden would do. Gregg hammed it up. He got some ketchup on his hands screamed really loud and shouted, 'what in the heck is this red liquid in the fridge?'. After quite a bit of panic from the boys Gregg ran upstairs and showed us his wound. After a while the boys were startled. Then all of the sudden the light went on for Kaden. He started to panic and yes started to cry. He knew that his potion had really worked and hurt his dad. Jaxon even thought it really had. They were both in shock! oh it was so funny. That was about as much as Gregg and I could take then we busted our guts and laughed. Kaden took a minute [a while actually went to bed mad] before he saw the humor in it. Gregg and I won't forget the day Kaden's scientific potion burned his dad!

Basketball

This year Kaden played basketball and has improved so much from last year. He has gotten the concept of basketball and is becoming more and more aggressive. He has not been showing any type of shyness this year. He gets right into it. He made a basket almost every game. He played with many of his friends from school this year and his friends Dad [Tim McCoy] coached him. He said the best thing his coach taught him this year is how to do a layup. While this still needs a lot of practicing....:)

Airsoft .....

For Christmas this year the boys [Jaxon and Kaden] got air soft guns. Zeke got an awesome new Nerf gun [as if we really needed a new one....]. The boys love them! Jaxon surprisingly didn't want to use his very often. Later to find out because he only had 500 bb's and didn't want to waste them. You know I was going to say such a weird thing for Jaxon but you know it isn't really. He IS my saver. He saves money where Kaden likes to spend it before it hits his pocket. Much like how he spent/used his bb's. Very funny how that works eh? Now we have green bb's all over the back yard since the snow has melted. I wonder how they will go with the lawn mowers? I will let Gregg deal with that one. For now we have green bb's all over our backyard as well as all over the front walk and the carpet in the house?! Such little annoying things to step on you know. The price we pay for fun with guns. It seems as though there are things you just can't keep away from boys. There are things they are just innately attracted to......guns are one of them.
Funny little side note...look at Kaden....see his tongue? Gregg has told me that was something he did all the time when he was little. Kaden runs and plays sports with his tongue out. Basically when he is concentrating on anything out goes his tongue. So funny! What a funny thing he got from his Dad!

Christmas

This Christmas just flew by..... If I didn't know any better I would almost say it missed us. So much has changed....so much! So much to get used to....so much. So much adjusting....still trying to adjust.

This Christmas was just totally different. With our new little one here things went different. I didn't do the day after Christmas shopping like I usually do. I did get a list. When 4'oclock rolled around (and I was up feeding Ella) the thought rolled around in my head of 'oh I should just go and meet them'. Then the momma in me kicked in and when I looked over at the thermometer that read 10 degrees outside I shivered bundled Ella back up and went back to bed.....Gregg did pretty good actually. He intended on going in the morning (not 4am) and get the stuff on the Christmas list. However, he in his true form didn't really get going until around 3 in the afternoon. At which time he tidied up the house then got ready and went. I think it was an eye opener for him. When he first called me at the store and said 'Carrie this is stupid they don't have anything on the list' I replied, 'well people have been shopping for over 12 hours and they are probably all gone, (which is part of the reason we go at 4am--the other part to be with sisters!). He scored and got almost everything on the list anyway. He spent more than he should have (as usual) but I think he had a little bit of fun, and was pretty proud too! :)
Isn't this just was Christmas is all about? I just love sweet brother hugs....this came right after Zeke opened his pillow pet dolphin he wanted so bad. Jaxon gave it to him.
It is so funny how much they look alike...with the exception of eye color (for now). They are both little brownies and have so many of the same looks.
Jaxon could be found in this position if I let him all day everyday! Seriously! He loved the awesome rocker video game chairs they got and had to try it out playing his new game.
Kaden's favorite of the year was his Bandit. Oh how he loves it. He thinks he rocks at it. In fact, a couple of days after Christmas he told me he had a dream he was in a professional RC race and he won! He jumped over the snow all day with his bandit.
dun, dun dun dun da dun dun da dun....(if you don't get it it is supposed to be the star wars theme music for Darth Vader) Zeke sings this over and over and over and over and over and...well you get the idea. He LOVED his Anakin Starfighter this year. He is zooming it as we speak! :)
Sweet little Ella, didn't make a peep this year... She loved her little pink hippo Zeke gave her. And she will one day appreciate all the effort her daddy put into her room too!
Nana and Papa have been coming over for years for breakfast...since the Nordfelts have decided it is too much for them to pack up right after opening presents in the morning and trekking for 5 hours to get here for Christmas day! ( I can't say as I blame them) But sadly to me, I started doing Christmas morning in place of it and Smarts and Drapers came. Then Smarts decided they didn't want to. My other sisters didn't want to participate either....this really hurt my feelings so I decided I just couldn't do it any more. I can't keep getting my feelings hurt on Christmas because my sisters don't want to spend time together......so I don't do Christmas breakfast with anyone other than my family. It is still a great time. In fact, this year Gregg cooked it for us. He pulled out the Camp Chef and put on his shorts and boots and went out and braved the chilly air and made us pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs and hash browns. yummy! Love you hunny!