Mendes Boys

With my switch in phones I will be experimenting with blogging via the iPhone. Hopefully I will be able to keep up

One more year and so much to be grateful for…especially these three wonderful boys.  We spent our New Years at home and I dont’ think the boys would have wanted it any other way.  We played checkers, Guess Who?, pick up sticks, jacks, Wii and did lots and lots of puzzles.  We had such a good time.  The best part for them (especially Nathan) was that we allowed them to stay up really really late.  Of course this put me out of my comfort zone for sure, because I’m really OCD about 8pm bedtime.  But it was worth it.  They did so well and we had no meltdowns.  At about 2am Nathan started dragging butt big time, which surprised me.  He is my night owl.  Then again…his other two brothers had a nap during the day and he didn’t.  I’m looking forward to what this year has in store for our boys.  I’m sure it will be another great year!

I imagine this is what Santa feels like once Christmas is over…cause I sure know that’s how I’m feeling…drained, completely exhausted.  But it was so worth it.  The boys had such a great time.  This year we didn’t have our usual visit from Santa on Christmas Eve, where he comes in and has some milk and cookies before leaving.  Instead he made a quick stop, knocked on the door and when we went to see who it was, the kids had their presents at the door.  Our boys sure are blessed.  We spent Christmas Eve with family and friends and were up until 1am.  Then we got to get up the next morning and start all over again with our traditional breakfast at our house in the morning, Christmas day lunch in Atwater at Vo Vo Eulalia’s house and then Christmas day dinner at Vo Vo Lucy’s….it was a very full day – too much eating if you ask me, but what great memories we have created.  One more week and we will have rung in the new year… a chance for new beginnings…new traditions

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Two weeks, 14 days, in which the Mendes boys will spend together without a break from each other.  We know what this means right?  Mommy better hold on tight, cause it’s gonna be a wild ride.  I am going to TRY TRY TRY to keep things lively and interesting so as to avoid the dreaded “I’m bored”.  They are a little burnt out on Christmas movies – Thanks to ABC Family’s 25 days till Christmas.  The good thing is that Daddy will be home for almost all of the vacation and they LOVE to spend quality time with him.  We’ll have to try and avoid meltdowns at all cost.  It will all be about making memories.  We have our Chrismtas Eve dinner to look forward to where Santa comes and visits and we get to spend the evening with family and friends.  Going to spend some time to plan out what we’re going to do.  Daddy goes to work tomorrow so we’ll start the planning and festivities then.  So blessed this Christmas season to be with family and that we all have our health.

The Dennis Earl PTA participated in the Reflections Program which is an arts recognition and achievment program for students.  Every year there is a new theme and this year the theme was Beauty is…

Nathan chose Beauty is the Past and he drew the following picture

This picture online doesn’t do justice to the actual artwork we submitted.  We matted the picture with green then orange and put it on a light blue foam board.  He is very proud of his work, as are we.  The artwork will be judged over the next couple of days.  We should know by Monday if he will go to the next level, which is competing against other schools.  Whether he wins or not this was a great process for him to go through.  He thoroughly enjoyed it.

Nathan came home and told us all about the speech he got to watch at school.  Regardless of Political views and/or opinions of adults, I really am glad that the school decided to allow the kids to watch this.  These are moments in time that will make history and our kids will remember as adults.  Nathan was very touched by the speech.  He came home and told us about it almost verbatim.  We ended up watching it during dinner as a family and we had a great dinner conversation about the speech.   How great to discuss things like this with your kids!  Their point of view is so innocent.  I am happy for the kids at our school that were allowed this opportunity.

Reading at our house is truly something that we enjoy.  The boys all enjoy reading time, especially when mommy reads to them.  Nicholas has especially started showing lots of interest in specific books.  He’s at the age where he loves to read the SAME book every night.  Even though he knows what will happen next he still sits there wtih abated breath.  I enjoy reading out loud to the boys and doing all the different voice changes.  It can sometimes be kind of corny, but the excitement on their faces is worth it.  Currently the books of choice for Nicholas have been;

This book is fun and he absolutely loves it…there is repetition through out the book “GiddyupGiddyup as fast as you can, you can’t catch me I’m the gingerbread man.”  I think that’s a great selling point for him because every time we get to that part he gets to read it with me.  He feels like a big boy reading with Mommy.

The next book that he is completely in love with is;

 This one is super cute and just like The Gingerbread Cowboy there is repetition throughout this one too.  I just found that there is another book with the same Big Chickens…I’ll have to look into getting that one for our library of books.  Anything to keep them interested in reading!

Here is a drawing of Mommy and Coloring by Nicholas…

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Here are a few more…

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This is Nathan’s awesome attempt at drawing Bumble Bee, I have also attached what he drew from…

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