choo! choo!

Choo! Choo! Choo!

What's coming down the track?

Choo! Choo! Choo!

It's something big and black.

See it steaming as it chugs along.

Hear it ringing as it says, "Ding, Dong."

Choo! Choo! Choo!

There is goes again

Choo! Choo! Choo! Choo! Choo! Choo! Choo!

It's a big black train!

Who Whooooo, Who Whooooo

It's a big black train!

Recently my dad has taken up collecting trains. We had fun playing with some of them in July while we were visiting my parents home--watching them go around the track on the balcony or racing them down the long hallway. At the time he told me that he had collected some for his grandchildren. In the last week or so we received four very large boxes FULL of trains. Some of them we'll save for when the boys are older--as they are a little more delicate--but for now, we set up a small track around the Christmas tree. The boys love it! William is very good to not make the train go too fast and always makes sure that the cars stay connected.

James, however, gets a little crazy and wants to make it go full speed (which then causes the train to derail)... so we often have to place the train cars up on a shelf until it's time to play with them.

We look forward to many years of playing with these trains.

Thanks so much Dad!!!

"And I had but one penny in the world. Thou should’st have it to buy gingerbread."

– William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost

Since last year's attempt at a gingerbread house failed I decided to suck it up and buy a gingerbread house kit. We put it together for family night on Monday. James couldn't resist snitching the candy--again....

and again...

While William and I had fun decorating the house (and tasting a few candies as well.)

secret hideout

Recently, my boys have found a new hiding spot. Everyday they take out the toy baskets, sit their little selves down, and shut the cupboard door as far as they can. Although it's nice and spacious for James, I think it's getting a bit cramped for William. He doesn't seem to mind though. They are so easily entertained!

William was sad so James went to comfort him. I'm the luckiest mom to have such sweet boys.

It has gotten quite chilly here. This afternoon William and I enjoyed some hot cocoa--our first of the season. Here is William's drawing of the two of us enjoying our delicious beverage:

William is red. Mom is purple.

YUM!

crunch!

For about a month now we have been having a mouse problem. When I'm sitting in a quiet house (which isn't too often) I can sometime hear something crawling around the ceiling. I often find a mouse dropping or two on my canned food in the garage. Rich and I have both seen it scurry away. So a few weeks back I bought some mouse traps. I didn't want to see a dead mouse though. Lucky for me they make some where the mouse crawls in and is trapped so you never have to see it... just throw the whole thing away. Well, this mouse is smart and wasn't going for it. In fact, he mocked me by leaving a dropping on top of the trap!

On Tuesday I was getting the boys ready for storytime. I had just finished strapping in James and was walking around the car to buckle William. Rounding the front of the car I saw something from the corner of my eye and then heard a CRUNCH as I took another step. I figured that I had smooshed a cricket and turned to see. Boy was I wrong! It was the mouse!!! Seriously, I couldn't have done that if I tried! I felt so bad as it convulsed around and started bleeding. Hurrying, I scooped it up with some old magazines and threw it in the trash. It was awful! I realize that I wanted to kill it in the first place--but not like that! I know I'm crazy, but I still feel bad when I think of it.... but at least it's not living in my house (or garage) anymore.

guess what?

So I figured it was about time we shared our news.... That's right, baby Crane #3 will make his/her debut sometime at the end of May. We're excited to have another baby in the house. The boys came with us to the doctors and William thought it was pretty cool to see the ultrasound. He's convinced that we are having a girl.

Several months ago we were shopping when William explained to me that we needed another baby. You see, James is a big boy and we need a baby brother for him. I asked, "what if it's a girl?" No... it had to be a brother. On several different occasions he told me similar things. Then one day, just for arguments sake, I explained that we already have 3 boys in our family and that I'm the only girl... so we need another girl. Well, that logic struck a chord with him because ever since then we can't convince him otherwise. Hopefully he's not too disappointed if we find out it's another boy! What do you think we'll have? (Take the poll on the side.)