WE DID IT!!!

ALMOST by ourselves!

This is reason #4,217 to live by family. Preferably handy family. Even better would be handy family that babysits.

But, alas, we don't, so we make do.

So our battery has been giving us trouble, and after Bryan had to push the van out into the road so we could go beg our neighbor Brad to jump it, we had enough. (He also had to jump it at work the other day, and we have had at least 10 other times in the last 6 months. What can I say? We are slow learners- and poor.)

So I did some research, and found that Costco's batteries have very good ratings (Consumer Reports), and it just so happens that we have a Costco membership. So we robbed a bank (our own, don't worry) and bought a new battery.

BUT, they don't install them there. Of course.

Well, we figure, it's JUST a battery, how hard could it be? The guy who sold it more or less (read: less) told us what to do.

Let's just say they should come with an instruction manual. There is nothing in the owner's manual for the van, and we cannot even find anything online about how to do this.

So after much trial and error, we do what we always do, (when we don't call Bryan's dad) and call my dad. (I keep trying to get him to move out here and be our handyman/ babysitter, but apparently $5/month is just not enough. I did offer him free food and the whole basement, but I guess I will have to try again when we have a little more money- no such luck yet.)

As usual, it was a pretty simple thing, but we made it MUCH more difficult by our ignorance. Let's just say that the terminals are made of lead (reminder- lead is very soft) and, well, we made a bit of a mess of it. But the second one came off easier than imaginable!

Really long story short...

Here's Bryan, tightening up the last of it.

(He did have my sunglasses on, (can't find the safety goggles, as usual) but apparently decided he could not wear them for the picture! It was quite the fashion statement, let me tell you!)
All pretty and clean!
And best of all...
IT WORKED!!!
Here's hoping that it continues to do so...

I'm working on it!

I'm getting hate mail again, because of a lack of pictures. All I have to say is...you can come do some of my laundry and cleaning and cooking and then I can upload picture!

I have a ton of pictures, just haven't had time to put them up, but I haven't forgotten...hopefully soon...

Guess what Bryan found?????????

No, not a dog, thank Heavens.

The hardware to Selah's crib!

Too bad I ordered a new set 3 months ago!

Now, if he could find the hardware to our bed and the boys dresser, we'd be in business...

(USUALLY that stuff goes in my jewelery box when we move (I have no jewels to take up space) but for some reason, he put it somewhere else, and 7 months later...we are still searching through boxes!)

My poor child's life is ruined...

Okay, maybe that is a little melodramatic.

Tonight, Bryan was bathing the boys while sweet little Selah was, as usual, refusing to eat.

And I hear...

"If there is no such thing as magic, is Santa really the Tooth Fairy?"

Oh Dear. Just ignore him, Bryan, I think to myself.

Well the next thing I know, Jonah comes into Selah's room and has a goofy grin on his face.

And then he says:"I know the truth about the Tooth Fairy."

"BRYAN!" I growl.

And then there's Bryan, with an equally goofy grin on his face.

"What?" says he, trying for innocence.

HA. He looks guiltier than the Devil himself.

And then Bryan says, "He was asking questions, and he's a smart kid. He was going to figure it out himself! I didn't think we should lie to the kid anymore."

(Note: I was tired of the Santa Claus thing this past year, and Bryan gave me the guilt trip about how fun Santa is for a little kid. Gee, guess he changed his mind right quick!)

Jonah, "I know about Santa Claus, too." Small smile playing at his lips.

I roll my eyes and glare at Bryan.

We do family prayer, all the while Jonah looking goofy, and then put the boys to bed.

And Jonah says, "Do you have any more secrets? Because if you do, I don't want to know them."

Bryan stays quiet, and I hiss, "Keep your mouth shut."

And a minute later Jonah says, " I know what else." He is not looking so smug this time. "The Easter Bunny." He looks like he just lost his best friend. But then, he pretty much did, with the whole Santa thing.

I sigh, and say good night.

We go downstairs with Selah and then Jonah comes down to tattle on Noah for kicking the bed, and says "I know what else isn't real. The Elf."

And there you have it folks. In less than a half hour, all of his childhood dreams have shattered around him. Poor kid.

Now we just have to keep him from ruining it for his siblings.

SIGH...

The last Buckeyes game of the season...or the first of the year!

We are hoping for a repeat of our first meeting with Colt McCoy! The boys stayed up until 9, and were very good, both actually watching the game!

Practicing, in case I cannot get into the Academy, I plan to go to OSU and play football!

I do love the Buckeyes, but I REALLY do not care for this highchair thing.

Noah and Ricardo, watching the Bucks.

(Still didn't understand that he is not supposed to be playing in the basket!)

Pretty interesting, eh?

(It's the Best Damn Band in the Land!)

Stuff

These are my glasses that Bryan was kind enough to fix. After 3 tries with super glue and a try with Welder, Bryan decided to bring out the big guns, namely the culinary torch. Because I refused to buy a new pair (I only wear them in the morning and at night, didn't want to waste the money) Bryan made it his personal mission to fix them. Wasn't that sweet?

They're fixed now, just a bit crooked. They serve their purpose of getting to Selah's room in the dark!
Here's the all too chipper girl who was up 5 times last night. She looks better than I, I assure you!

Sitting in my new highchair eating my new bug.
(Loves the bug. The highchair, not so much.)

WHAT? You haven't tried firefly wings? You are really missing out. They are excellent!

Apparently the words "Noah, do not play in the laundry basket it is not a toy!" do not mean the same thing to Noah as they do to me.
You will never believe what he is doing...

DRIVING THE ZAMBONI!

(He dressed himself again. shirt is Backwards, and brown and black? UGH!)

Selah had her 4 month check up today. She has evened out proportionately. She is now 25th percentile for head, length, and weight. Doctor was happy with everything, said she is just petite. And although she is getting over her 4th cold, it is a relief to not have anything major to worry about!

Bryan's closing in on 30!

We celebrated Bryan's 29th birthday Saturday. Hard to believe this is the last of the 20s. We both have a morbid view of it and don't feel OLD, per se, just sad to be one day closer to death. We kind of surprised Bryan with Eric and Tammy coming over (he knew something was up) and has lasagna for dinner with creme brulee and vanilla bean cheesecake for dessert. (We are not cake people.)

Noah, the Cantor, leading the song. That is the "all join in" sign.

Bryan lighting his own candles.
Yes, with the culinary torch.
Heaven was smiling on us though and there were no incidents.

Oops. Missed one.
(No there weren't 29 candles, just as many as I could fit. And there was so much wax on the cake, it was inedible. Guess that's what happens when you use a blow torch to light candles!)

Noah enjoying his cheesecake.

Note that there is a fork on his plate...

May I have a chocolate candy cane now?
NO.

The boys gave Daddy a build your own light saber kit.

(Not pictured, Eric and Tammy gave Bryan a cord to connect the computer to the TV. Now we can ALL watch Bryan play his games. Gee, thanks. It was better than the alternative- a Wii.)

Could it be?

IT IS!

Bowling shoes for me!!

Noah, trying some sparkling cider.

He didn't much care for it.

(The boys do not like carbonation- yay for us!)

No, I REALLY don't want anymore, Mr. Eric.

Trying out his new shoes.

Selah getting spoiled.

She was SUPPOSED to be napping. (She wasn't having any of that!)

Playing Cranium- with Selah.

You can't tell, but she has the dice in her hand and is listening to instructions from Daddy.

And the throw!

YAY! Purple again!

She kept rolling purple for Mr. Eric and Ms. Tammy.

(Purple is the best you can roll. Apparently she wasn't on our team!)
She's also wearing her new shirt. It says "Mommy and I LOVE to shop"

Totally unrelated,

Selah is 4 months old!

New Year's Eve with the Wilhelms...

I just bet you wish you were here, ringing in the New Year with us!

Bryan had to work, so the boys started off the day by playing in the new snow right after breakfast. They only lasted about 10 minutes, then came in wanting cocoa because it was so cold (it was about 15 degrees). I think that the novelty of the snow no longer outweighs the cold.

Then we played a round of Jonah's new game, Cranium Cadoo (Cranium for kids). Bryan LOVES to play Cranium so I was excited to find the kid's version. (I like Cranium, but still rank Catch Phrase as my favorite.)

Don't peek, I am making a Frisbee.

OOPS! You were supposed to guess!

LOOK! It's snowing on the table!

(He was very proud of his "snowflakes.")

Of course, no holiday is complete without trouble from Noah.
He decided to "make his hands feel better" by rubbing large amounts of Aquaphor all over them. (That jar is $11, so I was not thrilled.) Then, when I caught him, he said "my hands feel MUCH better now, can you please wipe me up." On a positive note, he only got it on himself and his clothes!

Bryan took the boys sledding when he got home and then we had dinner (homemade pierogies courtesy Mrs. Staat- Yum!). Once dinner was over, it was time to celebrate!


Jonah and Noah "celebrating!"
(They are in a sleep on the floor phase. I am thinking that mattresses for kids are highly over-rated and over-priced!)

And Selah was supposed to be "celebrating" like the boys, but when I snuck in to take a picture, she just looked at me. (Note the hat is once again ABOVE her head instead of on it.) So, I fed her, and we all went to bed. Happy New Year, Wilhelm style!

Selah had a New Year's gift for me- she slept until 5:30! (from 10:30) Which would have been even more awesome if someone had not been shooting off fireworks at what we assume was midnight. But hey, you can't win them all!

Hope you all had at least as much fun as we did!