The Wetherells

Christmas at Grandma's

2010-01-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

Well there's no shortage of Christmas-ish games to play at Grandma's house. Miniature snowy neighborhoods all lit up and magnetic ice skaters set the mood.
We were minus half the family this year but still had a great Christmas Eve together. The Strubens and other Wetherells were missed.
Jeremy passed on his pearls of wisdom to Reese

and Graham headed for the big present.

Uncle Josh helped the manimal tear into his gifts

and Marin excitedly played peek-a-boo behind her new kitchen (complete with sizzling stove and ringing phone). It may sound like overkill, but they love love love how the stove lights up and makes sizzling noises. This brings me to the point of batteries. I guess I'm just not used to little kids' presents because I was totally blindsided by the constant need for batteries. I should have known better, but I didn't and we ended up making several trips to the store for the costly things.

Marin and I both like this Sleeping Beauty nightgown that KK gave her.

Dr. KK to the rescue.

Look Auntie Steph, cars, real cars!

Mema and Papa's 60th Anniversary

2010-01-01T18:26:00.001-08:00

We were in Lindale the weekend before Christmas for their 60th! I can't imagine living 'til 60, not to mention being married that long. We had a party for the ever-spry couple at their church and got to hear some childhood stories from siblings and friends. And as usual we stayed at the ranch, which is always fun for us city folk.

One morning we went on an adventure through the woods with Madalyn and Andy pointing the way...

built bridges over small streams...

wandered through the forest...

and eventually found the lake.

Graham, who thought we were on a dinosaur hunt (he really did), finally gave up his search and had fun throwing sticks in the water.

The Little Man

2009-12-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

Here's just a cute video of Graham singing. I love it. I especially love how he stops and says "cheese" to the camera because he thinks Jeremy's going to take a picture of him.

Momentous Day, Part two

2009-12-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

So I just wrote about the snow on Dec 4th, but something just as important (if not more) happened that very same day. My mom, who I've been begging to get her ears pierced for years, finally did the deed. She's always said that she doesn't want to bother with earrings, but out of the blue she announced that she thought she'd finally get her ears pierced. So at the age of ___ she and I went out in the snow to Claire's, the pre-teen heaven, and sat in the brightly colored store while a lady with no sense of humor at all pierced mom's ears. I couldn't believe it was really happening after all these years.

Showing her idea to prove that she is indeed over 18!

It's hard to see, yes I know, but there are little cubic zirconia in those ears.

Winter Wonderland, Houston Style

2009-12-08T19:31:00.000-08:00

December 4th was a momentous day for us. It snowed in Houston. Real snow. We don't own mittens or gloves (because we live in Houston, duh) so we all had numb hands as we frolicked in our winter wonderland. Jeremy suited up,

Marin checked the weather,

And we headed outside!

Even Grammy was in town to enjoy our unusual weather.

In-law feud? I'm not sure.

Work, shmerk, it's snowing!

Sickies

2009-12-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

Marin and Graham have both had Swine Flu in the last week and it has reminded me of something I really like about having sick kids. Ok, so there are lots of not-so-nice things about sick kids (barf, etc.) but I just love how sweet they are when they feel bad. There's no talking back, no whining, no fighting between siblings. Just a sweet, snuggly kid who wants hugs and love. I love that.
So Aunt Corey was here over Thanksgiving and took some pics of us outside (yes, Graham was sick while we were taking pics). I'll soon post some of them because there were lots of cute ones. Santa, can I get a super expensive camera for Christmas so my pics look like Corey's?

Halloween, Finally!

2009-11-13T12:34:00.000-08:00

Halloween was on a Saturday this year, which was fun. We started the festivities by carving pumpkins with Marin's friend Audrey. The girls carefully drew out their jack-o-lantern face options and then chose their favorites. Graham snacked on apples and tried to grab the knife.

Don't be deceived, the girls only scraped the pumpkins for a second and the moms slaved away for the next 20 minutes to get all that junk out. Then we baked the seeds and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. Ok, not really, but it's a fun thought.

By 5:00 costumes were on and we were headed for our neighborhood Halloween parade. I'm still not sure why I've bothered to go for the last 2 years. It's pretty much a mob of kids and parents that walk around the block following a fire engine. No really, it's a mob. I mean hundreds of people! And this year the fire engine couldn't even be there so we walked behind a police car. It was fun, really. Actually, I'm not sure.
I did have fun watching my cowboy and cowgirl though. Their cuteness was overwhelming.

Audrey and Marin enjoyed walking together and after our stroll around the block we let them do some trick-or-treating.

Graham got candy from the world's largest whoopie cushion...

and was quickly done with the trick-or-treating. After hitting a few houses he realized that he didn't need any more candy, he just needed someone to open what he already had so he could start eating. He would hold up a piece of candy and walk up to the nearest adult (even strangers) and plead with them to open the package.
All I need is a seat and a lollipop. Halloween heaven.

And just like that, it was over. I was the saddest of all.

The Mind of a Little Girl

2009-10-28T14:25:00.000-07:00

Marin: Where are you going?

Me: I'm going to teach ballet.

Marin: Are you going to the Little Girl Nutcracker Ballet?

Me: No. Where did you hear about the Little Girl Nutcracker Ballet?

Marin: In 1 John 3:18. And when you go, you'll get glitter and diamonds and jewels from the fairies.

Pop Goes the Weasel

2009-10-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

Grammy's birthday package for Graham finally arrived and in it was this great Jack in the Box that he is thoroughly enjoying...

It's October - that means Pumpkins!

2009-10-03T19:50:00.001-07:00

We went to our local nursery and decorated pumpkins today. I do believe I've passed on my pumpkin obsession to my kids.

Marin made sure no one was stealing her ideas

And Graham just hung out.

They made funny faces,

Got tired,

And went home happy!

First Day of School

2009-09-20T20:28:00.001-07:00

Well, I tried desperately to get Marin to look at the camera. I mean, it's her first day of pre-school so she has to have good pictures! Oh well.

Marin is loving school, which I knew she would with her independent little self. The week before school started we went to the open house to meet her teacher and check out her new classroom. Marin had so much fun playing in the room that she looked at me and said, "Mom, when are you going to leave me at school?" AKA, "Mom will you please leave so I can have fun here with all these toys and my new friends." Don't shed any tears for me, I'm used to the "see ya mom" look I get from her when I drop her off at church.

My little girl is growing up and I just love her. I am so thankful for you Marin and couldn't image a better daughter.

Some Birthday Videos

2009-09-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

I forgot these videos from Graham's party. Evidently Graham thinks he turned 5.

Granimal Turns 2!

2009-09-07T18:19:00.000-07:00

Well my baby isn't really a baby anymore (tear). He's an adorable, playful, energetic ball of boyness and now he's 2! I'm just in love with the little guy despite his destructive tendencies and his ultra picky appetite. My new favorite thing is that he points to any and very truck he sees and says, "Choo choo truck". He seems to have his trains and his trucks mixed up, but hey does it really matter?
So here are some pictures from his party at my in-laws house...

"Look Dad, I made a reverse mohawk on my cupcake"

"Oh me, oh my, it took turning 2 for me to finally get some manly PJs." I should be ashamed that Graham wears Marin's old PJs to bed most nights (but I'm not).

Ballet class

2009-09-05T18:46:00.000-07:00

Marin has been super excited about ballet class and she loves going although she doesn't pay much attention to her teacher and prefers her own ADD-ish routine. She's not a sit-still-and-be-quiet child, that's for sure. And there's not a shy bone in her body. I was thinking that she would want to be teacher's pet, like me, and get all the gold stars and be the best at everything. Yeah, not so much.

Growing Up

2009-09-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

It's been hitting me lately that my kids are really growing up! Graham is no longer my little baby boy. He's now a 2 year old, a real 2 year old. I can't believe it. And Marin, well she started ballet classes last week and she starts school next week. It's really mind blowing to me. I have to say that I really like her age right now. She's eager to help because she loves the praise she gets from it and hey, I like the help. She'll get diapers for Graham and bring up the dishes. I'm just soaking it up because I know soon enough I'll be getting the "Get lost mom" look when I ask her for favors. And she says the funniest things. The other night Jeremy was sharing some of the sales techniques he's been learning and Marin (looking exasperated and falling off the couch) says, "Don't sell to me Daddy." The way she said it was just hilarious.

Here is a picture that I took at 11pm. I was making my nightly rounds to check on the kids and I came across this when I went to her room. I guess her room was too dark for her and she wanted to be near the light that was coming from the hallway.

The girl needs very little sleep and plays in her room long after bedtime until she finally falls asleep somewhere. This was the strangest place I've found her though.

Beach Days

2009-08-18T11:57:00.000-07:00

We've had lots of weekend adventures recently. Jeremy and I went on a marriage retreat last weekend and left the kiddos with his parents. When Jeremy was dropping them off Marin said to him, "Graham is going to miss you, but I'm not going to." And sure enough, she didn't.
The weekend before that, we went to North Padre with his parents. So I can say for the record that it is nicer than Galveston but Graham, Bill and I all had tar on the bottom of our feet at one point or another - draw your own conclusion. Marin absolutely loved loved loved the water and wasn't at all afraid, unlike her brother who stayed safely on the sand the whole time.

God made the...

2009-07-27T18:26:00.000-07:00

This video speaks for itself. I just love it.

ABCs

2009-07-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

My friend Mariana has been nice enough to plan little alphabet lessons for our daughters. Audrey and Marin have a lot of fun with it and let's face it, the moms have fun too. Well at least I do, seeing as how I just show up at her house and she has everything ready to go. Give the girl some props!

Funny Sayings

2009-06-26T10:45:00.000-07:00

So Marin is always saying funny things (I know every child her age does but it always seems funnier when it comes from your own kid). I forget them almost immediately but here are a few I've managed to remember...

Saying #1

Marin had been told on more than one occasion that she's not allowed to get into Grammy's tasty lip gloss. So Marin strolls into the room looking guilty and says, "I didn't get into Grammy's lip gloss. Don't smell my lips."

Saying #2

Grammy: Are you telling me the truth Marin?

Marin: I'm not lying. I'm guilty.

Saying #3

So I was trying to have a teachable moment with Marin. You see, my wedding ring had been lost for over a week and I had just found it in this basket in the guest bathroom. So here I am telling Marin how God had answered my prayers and how I finally found my ring in the basket. She laughed and said, "I know, I put it there."

She thought it was so great that God had allowed me to find the ring that she had hidden. Good thing she didn't put it in some obscure bag that I had thrown away!

Saying #4

Ok, this isn't a saying at all, it's a doing. Graham knows that he's not supposed to bang his fork (or anything else) on his highchair tray. So, he was joyfully disobeying tonight and as his fork crashed down on the tray, a cheerio went flying in the air and dropped right down Corey's (his aunt) shirt as she was eating dinner at our table. It was really funny, but maybe you had to be there.

Is this normal?

2009-06-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Uncle Andy has been training Graham in the ways of the Wetherell men. I'm not really sure what I think about this.

And the great thing is that he clobbers me at the end.

Mini Sooger Boogers

2009-06-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

You know that horrible, deplorable Jack In The Box commercial for mini sirloin burgers? Marin has been walking around saying...

Men over 30

2009-06-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

We went to the Children's Museum last weekend for a birthday party and I thought Marin was going to have so much fun. Well, she did, but someone else had even more fun. They need a section of the museum dedicated to men over 30. Seriously. I kept telling Jeremy that it was time to go up to the party room because lunch was waiting and I found that I kept repeating myself because he just couldn't be torn away from his creation (you make this flying contraption and then stick it in the wind tunnel to see how well it flies). Good times.

And now to the real kids...

Pat on the Back

2009-05-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

I was giving myself a pat on the back today because Marin was behaving so well and I was sure it was because of my good parenting. When Jeremy got home I told him all about how sweet and polite she had been. It seemed that some real progress had been made. Well, it turns out that it wasn't progress, it was a guilty conscience. Better win mom's favor with good behavior so she doesn't explode when she finds out what you did. As we were putting them to bed Graham started gagging on something in Marin's room and I was afraid he was going to puke everywhere. I would gag too if I was chewing on POOP! Marin had left a pretty little pile-o-poop in her room (I think she did it when she was supposed to be napping) and Graham found it. I think that's the second time Graham has eaten poop.
So, a word of wisdom...If your child is on especially good behavior, don't pat yourself on the back, look for the poop.

Graham...

2009-05-15T19:10:00.001-07:00

After blogging about Marin, it occurred to me that I really must document Graham's life right now since he's in such a boy stage (I say this knowing that he may stay in this stage forever). Jeremy looks proudly at his son and says, "He just has a lot of testosterone." Well, that testosterone is destroying my house and physically abusing me. We started calling him Your Highness after he began beating me when I got him out of his bed and didn't immediately have a bottle ready for him. Don't get me wrong, he's still the apple of my eye and quite possibly the cutest little guy on the planet. But despite what others had warned me about boys, I still wasn't prepared for the hitting, throwing and other acts of violence that he employs throughout the day. And now that he's getting bigger, he's even a threat to Marin. Well honestly, she deserves it.
I understand now why men are sent off to war and why men do the heavy lifting. Graham's just doing what God made him to do. I just need to figure out a way to channel his manliness. Three cheers for boys!

Look Auntie Mel, I'm pumping my legs!

2009-05-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Marin has long refused to pump her legs and I've never known if she just couldn't figure out how to do it or if she was just refusing to try. Whenever I would try to teach her she firmly resisted, saying that she didn't know how and begging me to push her. "Higher, Higher" she would yell as I pushed and pushed, my arms growing tired, but not so tired that I would refuse her the joy of swinging.
Well her Auntie Mel is visiting this weekend and the two of them went in the backyard for a late night swing. I went out and spied on them as they watched their shadows and looked at the stars. And then they hopped back on the swings and Marin did a little push off the ground and started swinging all by herself as if she'd been doing it for years. "Look Auntie Mel, I'm pumping my legs" she said as they swung together.
I almost fell over. I couldn't decide if I was proud of her or mad at her for fooling me for so long. She is a stubborn one so I shouldn't be so surprised. It's a commentary on human nature, I say.
So, here's to tricky little princesses!