Christmas Elf 2011 (Shoe night)

The Christmas Elf was very good to us this year.  We have had this tradition for years and long before this whole Elf on the Shelf business!  You put out your shoe the night before Christmas Eve and the elf fills it up with goodies!  I love this tradition!

Here are the shoes at our house

Bennett was so excited about this dinosaurs and Henry loved his new rattle.

We went to my dad's house after we opened our shoes at our house.  Dad had breakfast and shoes waiting on us.

The elf at Dad's house ALWAYS gives an apple and orange.  We also got Frozen Frog gift cards!  Neil even received a bag of Fritos...this is one smart elf!

Pops with the boys

What a fun morning!  Neil was hunting so we picked up his shoe for him.  He loved it!

Christmas Eve Eve

We had a very eventful Christmas Eve Eve.  We had a suprise house guest that stayed over on his way home to Alexandria.  I allowed him to spend the night because he brought me 10 boxes of Trader Joe's cornbread! Delish!  Monica, Tyler, Caleb, and Kennedy stopped in to say hello, too.  We headed to Neil's Aunt Catherine's house for Christmas with his grandmother.  She gave all the older great-grand boys remote controlled cars.  They loved them!  Henry received some cute Gymboree blocks.  Catherine served chili and hot dogs.  We got home late that afternoon and I whipped out some cake balls for Beau and Leigh's tacky Christmas sweater party.  Needless to say, we were exhausted after this day!

This is what I woke up to...TJ cornbread!

Caleb and Kennedy

Beck with his man-purse, Bennett, and Neil

On our way to Catherine's...we had our first pull over to pee stop!

Off to Aunt Catherine's...

Cousin Virginia and Henry

Neil's grandmother trying on Kelly's booties!  ha!  Looking good at 94 isn't she???

Cousin Elizabeth and Henry

Bennett thought he was so cool looking down on the place...but then he wanted me to come up there to get him.

Lunch with cousins...Bennett, Emily, Clara, and Gabriella

Grandad, Henry, and Rebecca

Bennett opening his car!

Matt helped Henry open his blocks...thanks Matt!

Gigi and Bennett...This is a sweet picture except that Bennett took her brownie off her plate and shoved it in his mouth right after!

Grim (Gigi's husband) and me...we are birthday buddies (January 16th)

Bennett had a little accident while he was playing and we forgot his undies and  pants in Neil's car.  The only kid sized undies there were Isabella's Cinderella panties!  ha!

Missy and Henry...this was Missy's first time to meet Henry.  He fell asleep in her arms.

Next stop...Tacky Christmas!!!  Thanks so much to Dad and Carolyn for keeping our boys!

I made our sweatshirts from all the leftover cotton balls I had from Bs party.

The girls

Neil, me, Casey, and Matthew

Matthew, Trey, Neil, and Beau

Leslie won a gambling set from the tacky Christmas gift exchange

We gave this "eggstractor" and Neil demonstrated it.  It takes peels the egg in one swift motion!

We stopped down the street to get our photos a Christmas display!

Buteau's, Montgomery's, and us!

We put out our shoes so the Christmas elf could fill it up...coming soon!

Pictures with Santa 2011

We had a nice time visiting with Santa on Thursday.  Bennett ran right up to him and said "Hi, Santa!"  He also asked him "Did you say Ho, Ho, Ho?"  He really like Santa this year way more than last year!  Henry was asleep when it was our turn to see Santa.  He was a sweet boy and didn't really notice that he was in Santa's lap!

Nice blue socks!

Santa was sort of creepy.  He took his hat off and wrapped Henry up and pretended to go to sleep.  He also said "shhhhh" to Henry.

First outing in UNDIES!

I think I was happier than anyone to get out of the house today.  We ventured out to try out our undies and new found toilet-learningness.  Our first stop was the library because I know they have clean family-friendly restrooms.  We arrived and were surprised to find out that they were having story time and singing today!  He went right to the restroom and then we went to play.  He had a little false alarm during the story time where we went to the restroom to PLAY.

After an eventful keeping our undies dry outing, we met Neil and his co-workers at Genghis Grill!  YUM!  Neil has been mildly obsessed with it since he first went last week.  It was pretty good, but the big bowls of raw meat grossed me out.

The boys are in their TECH gear because Tech plays TCU in the Poinsettia Bowl tonight!

Story time

They even let you pop bubbles.

Carolyn and Pops met us at Genghis...what a surprise!

Coloring the stitches perfectly at the library.  He saw another little girl doing this so he copied.  Sweet boy!

Overall, I am impressed with Bennett and his toilet learning.  He is doing a great job!

Elfing

Bennett, Henry, and I went "Elfing" the other night.  It is just a Christmas form of "Booing."  We were elfed a few days ago and it was now our turn to return the favor.  We elfed a few houses and gave out a couple of neighbor gifts.  Bennett likes ringing doorbells and knocking on doors until someone answers.  Our neighbors were so sweet and one even invited us in to see all their Christmas decor.

We gave this fab gift to a few people.  I love this idea I found on Pinterest.

Potty Training Day 3

Well today is the last day of the 3 day potty training method.  Bennett woke us up this morning at 7am screaming "MommyDaddy I need to tee tee!" I ran in there and walked him to the bathroom.

He got on the toilet and said "I tee tee like Nana and Grandad. And I tee tee like Miso, Mixon, and Otis (the dogs).  I wear underwear like Nana and Grandad. Miso and Mixon and Otis don't wear underwear, they wear buttons."

Love it!

I checked his undies and bed and they were completely DRY!  I am one proud mama!  Way to go B!

So, later on this morning Bennett was sitting on his "special seat" and said "I want to tee tee on the towel." I said "No, we tee tee in the potty."  Next thing I know...he peed on the towel ON PURPOSE! Ugh.

Later, he was playing and dribbled a little bit and said "I need to go tee tee!"  I am glad he caught himself and then ran to the potty to finish.  What a good boy.

I was so excited that Casey and Mason brought lunch over for us.  It was so nice to see someone else!  Thank you, Montgomery's. We love Chick-fil-a!

Living in a t-shirt and undies is fun!

We are out of stickers because they are all on this chart!

So glad the 3 days of confinement is over.  Bennett woke up after his 3rd night in undies DRY again.  Too bad when I walked in his room later PEE smell hit me in the face.  So, I guess he did wet the bed. Boo.  Oh well...I am so proud of his success!!!  Our first outing...tomorrow!

Potty Training Day 2

Bennett woke up a little wet this morning.  We aren't sure if it was sweat or pee so we just washed the sheets to be safe.  Bennett wakes up sweaty every morning so that's why we didn't know for sure.

I AM SO PROUD of my Bennett.  He is doing a great job learning to listen to his body for signs to use the potty.  We did have 3 accidents this morning, but he kept his undies dry the entire rest of the day..even during his 3.5 hour nap...this is one proud mama!

I put him down for his nap and I have to say...I was a little scared that it was going to be a huge pee puddle in his bed.  And I kept wanting to wake him up since he just kept sleeping.  But, when I woke him up at 5...he was DRY!  WAY TO GO BENNETT!!

Thankfully, Amy brought lunch over for us to enjoy.  It was so nice to have her over for lunch.  Thanks, Amy!

Here he is showing off his undies!  He thinks the superheroes are so cool.  There were 3 characters on this pair and he asked me who they were...I only recognized Spiderman. Neil got home and informed us that Ironman and Cyclops were on there as well.

This is Bennett's "special seat" on the couch.  

Comments from Bennett today:

"Mommy, do you wear underwear?"

Me: "Bennett are you wet or dry?"
Bennett: "wet hahahaha DRY"
Me: "yay!"

Later on in the day he decided he wanted to potty alone and he said:
"I'll be right back, you stay over there!"

Me: "Are you wet or dry?"
Bennett: "dry, dry, dry, dry, DRY"
Me: "Way to go!"

When done he said: "I already went!"

Rebecca stopped by to visit and she went to the bathroom and Bennett said "you want a sticker?"