Drum Roll...

I know Uncle Rob is laughing from NYC.  These boys LOVE the drum set.  It cracks me up b/c Dom seems to just "have rhythm" and Vince has to think about it.  Just one more example of how they're different.  

You've got a friend in me

One more recap...this is a recap of our friends this year.  Some of the pics are in the family video b/c they are like family but we've had SO many fun times with our friends (both kids and adults) and the kids have grown SO much, I thought they deserved their own video (plus I really like making these videos)

The Best Days of Our Lives

Here's a recap of 2013 (make sure the volume is on).  Looking back at these pics makes me so happy.  I love seeing the smiles and laughter!  Love my little family!  I hope 2014 is just as great!  

Happy Birthday Erin K

We celebrated Erin K's birthday on Friday!  Dinner at Firebirds...without kids...with adult beverages...it. was. awesome!  The guys were there too but they don't pose for pics as willingly.  Love these girls!

Merry Christmas!

Seriously?  Is Christmas over?  How is that possible?  Hope everyone had a great day and got to spend it with family!  

We had some special visitors on Christmas Eve.  Uncle Rob and Aunt Judy (their godparents) came by while they were in town.  The boys always love when they visit b/c Uncle Rob has more energy than them...combined.  Its Rob's "thing" to get our kids the loudest and most obnoxious gifts he can find.  Well, this year he outdid himself.  Enter....the drumset.  Yes, Vince now has a drum set....and he LOVES it.  We apologized in advance and warned poor Aunt Judy that we would be returning the favor one day.  I have to admit, it was super cute seeing Rob and Vince jam out together to Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.  But a drumset, really?   

 Dom got a Switch N Go Dino that he loves too...and yells at Vince every time he comes within a foot of it.

Once Rock Band was over (and we popped some advil), the boys changed into their jammies and got ready to read our last book...Twas the Night Before Christmas.  They look thrilled, don't they?

 Once the boys went to bed, Santa arrived...and boy did he deliver a ton of presents!

 Dom was awake at 5:30 but we had to wake Vince up!  WHAT??

 They were both beyond excited!

 This is an after but it doesn't do my living room justice.  There are a ton of toys out of view in this pic....it looks like Toys R Us threw up in my living room.  Good thing I'm off tomorrow....

We decided to host dinner this year but thankfully our moms each brought a lot of food and Tony cooked the turkey and mashed potatoes...so really, I didn't have a ton to do.  

No pics of us stuffing our faces (it was SO good) but we did get a chance to sneak outside for a few family pics.  Love his one of the kids and grandparents.

 I wanted to be in one with Tony...but we know how much he loves taking pics so I photobombed the grandparent picture instead.

 Mom and Dad and their foster child, Cierra.

As I was cleaning up and everyone was leaving, Dom pointed to the remaining ham on a plate.  I didn't think he would actually want it once I gave it to him...but once again, Dom proves me wrong.  He just started chowing down on it.  Cracks me up!  

We had a great Christmas!  We are so lucky to have our parents so close and that they get along and actually like hanging out together.  Having one giant Christmas dinner with everyone crammed in our little house (made even littler by the massive amount of toys taking up space) is so much better than multiple dinners and traveling all over town.  I second Vince's thought that "this was the best Christmas EVER"!

Elfie Picklepants

I'm a little sad that tonight is the last night of Elfie but also pretty stoked that tonight is the last night of Elfie.  He is a LOT of work but the kids love getting up and looking for him.  We will miss him around here.  Guess Elfie's gonna have to step it up next year so he doesn't repeat everything.  

Day 19 - Super hero Elf (yes, I need a hobby...that doesn't include Pinterest)...

 Day 20 - Gone Goldfishing

 Day 21 - Coloring an Elf

 Day 22 - The Skylanders took him hostage

 Day 23 - A little privacy please...(I know this is gross but I'm a boy mom, they LOVED it)

Day 24 - Dinosaur stampede

 Day 25 - Elf bowling

Day 26 - Elfie's last day :(  A friendly game of Scrabble with some North Pole Buds (the board says Merry Christmas Vince & Dom).

Elfie is leaving this note for the boys

I can't believe my next post will be Christmas Day!  WOW!

Instagram

I can't believe today is Christmas Eve Eve.  CRAZY!  These last few weeks have gone by so fast. Here's the latest Instagram pics.  

This is from last weekend, when Dommy wasn't feeling well.  I know you can't tell it from this picture but he was under the weather....and thoroughly enjoying the extra "snuggle in mommy and daddy's bed" time.   I love that guy.  I don't know how I'm ever gonna say no to that face.  SO. DAMN. CUTE!  

 CHEESE!

He stayed home with Tony last Monday and with me on Tuesday.  He got over his tummy issues but then sounded raspy and junky in the chest so I took him to the Dr and he had bronchitis.  We sat thru a nebulizer treatment in the office and started augmentin.  I hate seeing him sick but we had a fun mommy day...full of dress up (chubbiest Captain America EVER)...

 ...and arts and crafts.  He really liked painting!  

 He was quite pleased with his picture.

Then on Thursday he got to play hookey again.  He had speech therapy then an eye exam.  Tony was afraid he couldn't see very well since he always holds things close to his face.  I didn't know what to expect at the eye dr since its not like he can read the letters or anything.  They dilated his eyes and the Dr just looked at them.....but this whole process took 1.5 hours...at LUNCH TIME and NAPTIME.  Ugh. Luckily Tony works right across the street from the office so he came to help me.  Dom did great with all things considered but I was whooped from the busy morning and I was beginning to lose my patience with everyone.  Anyways, in between appointments I treated us to some yummy donuts.  He picked the bright green one with gum drops on it.  Shocker.

 This is what happened as soon as we got home.  Thank you baby Jesus.  We both needed this.

 Just like his big brother - HOT WHEELS!

 Saturday, all the kiddos got together to exchange gifts.  As a group, we really spoil these kids.  5 kids, a million presents...not too shabby.

 Vince exclaimed "This is the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!"....and it was.  He got a nerf gun from Eli and a trash pack game and some Beyblades from Hannah and Ellie. He was in heaven.

Dom got some LOUD trucks (thanks Eli) and this awesome Power Rangers costume (as well as a Hulk costume and Power Rangers backpack) from Hannah and Ellie.  Dom LOVES playing dress up.  

O M G!  We all died laughing.  He was all about this costume.  Eli got those Socker Bopper sword things so the two of them beat the crap out of each other with them.  It was HILARIOUS! All we kept thinking was "Poor Miss Monda, she is gonna be MAD when you two start fighting on Monday".

 HO HO HO

 Its not very often my big kid falls asleep in my lap but when he does, I love it!  We snuggled for awhile before I took him to bed.

 I had the kids help me make Christmas cookies.  What a disaster :)

Diabetes, anyone?  

 Vince and Hannah had a big date at the movie theater Sunday night.  Erin and I took them to see Frozen.  Vince refused a picture.....he acts like I ALWAYS want his picture....wait, I do...poor kid.  It was a great movie too by the way!

Next up - checking in on Elfie Picklepants....