Couldn’t decide if I wanted this printed with or without snow. ??Jim finally made the decision for me and voted NO SNOW. ??I printed it on styrene so that I can include it with my Christmas decor.

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Wheeewww…December…as always flew by! ?? January has been off to a busy start too. ??Maybe Feb it will be quieter around here? ??Doubtful. ??Last night I was thinking I may ask for a mommy day alone day for my birthday in March…can you tell the rush is getting to me?

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TANNER

In December I realized that Tanner is now officially two years out from getting his driver’s permit. ??Freaky. ?? He has been asking me about various driving regulations for quite some time now (which has its ups and downs as he is also started to backseat drive a bit…oh joy!). ?? Years ago he told us he wanted a cobalt blue truck when he gets his drivers license. ??Not sure what will happen with a car purchase but it amuses me that my indecisive kid has known the color of his vehicle for years and it has not changed.

This kid, unlike his compulsive-ish parents, is a saver. ??By Christmas, he had about $500.00 saved up plus gift cards. ??Since he can never decides what he wants, he just saves and saves. ??Shortly after Christmas though he decided he wanted to invest in a larger 1000 piece lego project. ??I was glad he did it because I wanted him to enjoy some play time. ?? Troy is LOVING Tanner’s lego projects and tries to make it a team effort every time Tanner breaks the goods out. ??Tanner tries to set him up with his own stuff (which is such a sweet big brother thing to do). ??Troy lucked out with two big brothers who are home schooled. ??He has the greatest playmates ever.

Did I mention in a recent post that I am finally at that teaching stage where I had to hit the books myself? ??I don’t remember algebra! ??So…now I have added algebra (and spanish and geography) to my own daily school work. ??I do Tanner’s entire lesson so that I can teach it to him the next day. ?? Turns out, I am actually enjoying my daily lesson. ??Weird isn’t it?

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TY

One afternoon while at the park, Ty comes up to me and tells me that he met a kid with Asperger’s. ??Our conversation went something like this:

Ty: ??Mom! ??I just met a kid with Asperger’s!

Me: ??Oh really! ??How did you find that out?

Ty: ??I asked him?

Me: ??You ASKED him if he had Asperger’s? ??What made you think to ask that?

Ty: ??Well he kept talking about legos and stuff over and over and over and I talk about stuff over and over so I thought maybe he had Asperger’s too so I just asked and then he told me he did.

LOL. ??True story.

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While watching What About Bob?

Tori: ??Mom does Bob have asperger’s?

I must admit add 1 part Bob Wylie and 1 part Buddy the Elf and you do have a character that does remind us an awful lot of our joy boy. ??:)

 

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Ty to Uncle Dusty: ?? Uncle Dusty – I LOVE you. ??Even WITH your tattoos. ??(oops! ?? hee hee)

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In December, our family was visiting Grandpa and Grandma in Ahwatukee. ?? While there, a police officer came to the door. ??Turns out, Mr. Troy speed dialed 911. ??Awesome. ?? Anyhow, I was really amused when Ty greeted the cop at the door like this:

Ty: ??Hi officer! ?? My name is Ty. ??I have never met a police officer before! ??How are you?

And he sticks his hand out to shake his hand. ?? I knew that would happen when he met his first law enforcement official. Knew it. ??The look on the cops face was pretty priceless.

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Ty after cleaning my bathtub for me:

“Mom. ??You and Dad need to not let the bathtub get that dirty again! ??That was really hard to clean!”

“Reeeeeeeaaaaaaalllllllyyyyy “, said in my best Ace Ventura Pet Detective voice (which is admittedly not that good but you get the point)

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Tori: ??Mom I have a headegg (headache)

Ty: ??Tori! ??You are just trying to get out of school like I am!

Thinking he should have left that last part out.

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Tori comes into our bedroom sobbing.

Me: ??What’s wrong?

Tori: ??Ty told me to stop!

Ty: ??I was just standing there! ??I didn’t do anything!”

Tori: ??He told me to STOOOOOPPPPP!

Ty: ??Tori!!! ??I have heard that Frozen song 1000 times! ?? I am tired of hearing the same thing over and over and over and over. ??I don’t want to hear it anymore!

Jim and I both tried to respond but after the initial deer in the headlights look we gave one another, we both just broke out into a fit of laughter. ??Why bother pointing out the plank eye issue? ?? Pot meet kettle. ??Sheesh.

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On New Year’s Day morning, Ty woke up and said “Wasn’t last year fun mom? ?? And this year will be even better!”

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Ty’s allergy tests came back and showed that Ty is allergic to all kinds of things. ??Luckily, his allergies are all mild (rated all 1’s and 2’s). ?? The sheer scope was pretty impressive though. ??They didn’t test food allergies, just environmental. ?? The Dr. wants to put him on daily zyrtec but I have been putting it off because Ty doesn’t seem to have daily allergy issues to me (Tori and Troy are definitely worse) and I don’t like to medicate my kids if I don’t have to.

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TORI

“I wish math would have never been invented!”

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Tori and Troy welcomed the new year in with nasty colds. ??Bummer. ??I had to laugh when I gave them both medicine in medicine cups and on their own, they toasted each other. ?? To a good year? ??Hee hee.

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Makes me giggle every time I hear Braxtyn and Tori (BFFs) calling each other “Sis”.

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In November, she learned to ride her bike without training wheels!

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Tori: ??I want to pretend to do a youtube video on how to do nails. ??How should I start it out?

Me: ??Today I will be teaching you how one applies stickers to toenails.

Tori: ??I have no idea what you just said. ??What? ??Shouldn’t I start with ??”Hi my name is Tori?”

Me: ??Uh…ya.

Tori: ??Okay. ??I am just going to do it my own way. ??I may say some of what you just said.

Shocking.

 

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I made a candy cane garden on Christmas Eve (buried tic tacs in sugar and next day they grew candy canes)

Tori: ??Hey mom. ??Why are there wrappers on those candy canes?

Me: ??(Snap!) ??Well…uh..some food grows wrapped. ??Like corn. ??You know?

Tori: ??Huh. ??I was thinking that maybe you stuck those in there wrapped when you got all the candy out to stuff our stockings last night.

LOL. ??The funniest part to me is that I couldn’t tell if she was teasing me or not. ??Her humor can be dry. ??That made me laugh all the more.

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And Da Baby

First thing when he woke up on Christmas morning he said, “Is Santa here?” ??So much for my unbeliever stance. ??The kids just won’t have it. ??They did their best to make a believer out of me this year.

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Troy: ??Mommy! ??I can’t find my happy! ??(At breakfast one morning…at least he KNEW he woke up on the wrong side of the bed)

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I think the only person getting morning quiet time around here is Troy.???? He wakes before everyone else, turns on the christmas tree lights, snuggles into a chair and plays his kindle.

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When I am not doing what he wants, “Awwwwwww…I am going to be sad.”

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Troy still says T for C ??and W for L and R.

Tinny and Tooper and Woosy. ??(Quinny, Cooper and Lucy)

Tan’t tatch me (Can’t catch me!)

Five wittle monkeys swinging on a twee. ??Teasin Mr awigataw tan’t tatch me. ??Tan’t tatch me. ??Awong tame Mr. awigatah tuiet as tould be.

He also says “th” for F.

Tan I have some tookie buttah on my wathle? ??Troy is a big fan of cookie butter (and syrup too).

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Took the kids to the train park (Adobe Mountain) and Troy LOVED it. ??Cried his heart out all the way home when we left. ??He liked the models just as much (and more) than the ride on. ??For Christmas we ended up buying him the Thomas the Train that slides down the 9 foot track and he loves it. ??Combination of two of his favorite things: ??Fair Ride and Train = happy little boy.

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Troy’s nightly song list has expanded:

I Love You, You Love Me

Animal Crackers in My Soup

5 Little Monkeys Swinging On a Tree

Bear Hunt (or Lion Hunt)

I Have a Little Turtle
(I have a little turtle, who lives in a box. ??He swims in the puddles and he climbs on the rocks. ??He snaps at the mosquito, he snaps at the flea, he snaps at the minnow and he snaps at me. ??He caught the mosquito, he caught the flea, he got the minnow but HE DIDN’T CATCH ME!)

Bringing Home a Baby Bumblee

(I am bringing home a baby bumblebee. ??Won’t my mommy be so proud of me? ??I am bringing home a baby bumblee. ??OUCH! ??He bit me! ??I am squashing up a baby bumblebee. ??Won’t my mommy be so proud of me? ?? I am squashing up a baby bumblee. ??Splat!)

Troy loves this song but HATES the second verse. ??He won’t let us squash up the poor little baby bumblebee. ??We have to invent new second verses at night. ?? I knew when he was a newborn he would be my sensitive one. ??I predicted that so accurately.

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I love it when he kisses me and then follows it up with “You’re welcome.”

 

And to close out 2014 and welcome in 2015, I will share with you the toast that Ty gave out our family New Year’s Eve Party:

 

“To a great year, great family, and to all our friends and to good food and a good life….AMEN”