The best days are when the whole family is home and we have nowhere that we have to be and nothing to do for anyone else. Of course, Trevor and I did go grocery shopping this morning just to get it done and so Brendan could nap with quiet.
Trevor tried a one-nap-a-day routine today and did pretty well. A little bit earlier lunch, a 2.5hr nap, a snack, play, dinner, bottle, play, bedtime. He slept in until almost 8 this morning after being up twice in the night. I like the schedule as long as he doesn’t pull the 45min nap stunt!

Bill made Trevor’s day by finally allowing him to play with the xbox controller. He has been begging to push the buttons for months and it has been off limits.

Bill gave him one of his own, but Trevor is too smart. He knows that the white one is not the one that Daddy uses when the game is on.

Brendan had a no-cry trach change today, he was just such a super good baby for me during the whole routine. I was impressed. We noticed that the new trach tube box always has this super fat paper in it, so for the first time ever, I unfolded it.
It is in 2pt font and printed in no less than 17 languages. I didn’t read it but Brendan did.

That is the whole trach tube on the paper. With all that instruction written, you would think that the thing made waffles, washed cars and put on a laser light show.

Brendan thought the old trach needed a bath.

The instructions needed a bath too. If I had more time, we could make papier-mâché crafts from all that paper. We get one of these every week.

The boys enjoyed playtime with Daddy today

Brendan learned a little trick from Trevor. He is really looking for the credit cards that Trevor hides under the rug.

While Brendan tried to go to sleep for the night, I took Trevor for a quick walk outside. He loves to go down the street a few houses where my neighbor has up a few Christmas lights.

Funny thing is, he is the only house on the block that has more than a couple strings up on the edge of the roof or a tree or two. It really sticks out!
Trevor loves the display and the music. He was really dancing tonight, his favorite was “Carol of the Bells”.
I will have to put on the old claymation Christmas special for him!

Another really busy day today, we accomplished some sorting and clean up in the house and otherwise chased after babies.

It has been raining and raining here for 3 straight days now. In the midwest, rain like this would bring out a million earthworms all over the sidewalks and driveways. I remember so many times walking to school dodging worms so that I didn’t get worm juice on my shoes. Out here, all this rain and we have one skinny little worm show up!

Trevor, meet worm.

After this photo, Bill put the worm back in the planter so he wouldn’t get squished on the sidewalk.

“So, you say these are Trevor’s favorite toys? heh heh heh”

Brendan was a good boy and did his exercising today.

The boys did a good job playing together with the shape sorter tonight. It kept them entertained for quite a while.

I call this “The Negotiation”

I am exhausted tonight, the boys kept me hopping. Bill was able to spend the evening with his dad for a Christmas party at the group home. We are both relieved that we have a nurse tonight!

My heart is heavy today, and I feel grief and sorrow for those who have lost loved ones, especially children. I can’t even wrap my mind around how they will begin to cope with these tragedies.

Bad news seems to come in avalanches. Yesterday I heard that my niece lost a best friend who was only 12 years old. I went to bed thinking of Kayla and her friend’s family and their loss.
This morning, I woke up to the sound of helicopters hovering over my house. On the adjacent stretch of freeway, a horrible hit and run accident happened at 3:30am. Three men in a car, two of them twin brothers, were rear ended by a speeding SUV. One of the twins in the backseat was killed and the other two passengers were injured.
Then I find out via facebook this afternoon about the shooting in Connecticut and I am simply just shocked, in disbelief.

We had a pretty rough morning with babies crying and everything just seeming to go wrong. I felt so helplessly frustrated and insufficient. And yet, it passed, we had a good evening, we kissed and tucked our two boys in to bed tonight and we will wake up to do it all again in the morning. I have no right to complain about difficult tantrums when I think of all the moms and families with big holes in their lives now.

I will try, like aways, to put aside the difficult emotions and the negativity from the day and post pictures tonight and reflect on what is good in our lives. The world can be so ugly, every day. It is just not all our burden to carry, we do what we can and keep moving on.

Little Bob and Freddy, a.k.a. Trevor and Brendan (as in “oh no no no no siree, Bob!”, and ,”ok ready, Freddy! Let’s get this over with”) started out with a great morning. They thought they would be like mommy today eating her cereal.

I want to eat Brendan up, he is so cute in his blue shirt. It has been chilly here and I am happy to be able to put him in clothes for a change.

The boys love playtime with the new tables

Until Trevor goes crazy and throws all the toys away

And then he gets “the look” from Brendan

And then he plays nice

Good night, may we all wake up to a better tomorrow!