Year End Dashell Stories

Dashell continues to be one of a kind. Brigg thinks he is probably our silliest kid, which is saying something considering what goes on around here on a typical day. He is a huge tease, makes funny voices and can be just plain crazy. After our trip to Disneyland, I took his fantastically ugly mouse ears and used my sewing machine to adjust the size of the chin strap so they stayed on his head a little better. He was so amazed at the fix that he became convinced that my sewing machine could fix ANYTHING. The stack of things on my sewing table has grown to include a broken plate, a torn art project, a book with a page missing, a broken car, a wooden alligator with a leg missing and a tractor missing a wheel. I have to gradually moe the things somewhere else so that he doesn't get upset at me for refusing to use my magic sewing machine to make them better. He also created a new song for himself during the month of December that he would sing as he ran around the house. It was very to the point and repetitive: "Look at me, look out for me. Look at me, look out for me." I think the combination of a request for attention with a warning of the consequences is perfectly suited to this particular child. His hugs can still give you a split lip if you don't see them coming in time, and I do wish that were an exaggeration. He runs so hot and cold, sometimes you don't know what you're going to get. He has been an unexpectedly helpful and sweet big brother to Pilot. Before Pilot could crawl, he would lay by him on the floor and say, "Pilot, if you want a toy, just tell me and I will get it for you." Brigg travelled by himself to Sydney andJeff's wedding in December and Dashell insisted on packing him a bag of toys for the airplane. When it came time for going to Santa at Christmas, Dashell's requests were a PEZ dispenser and a Buzz Lightyear toy for Stratton so that he wouldn't have to share his anymore. He has to be one of the only three year olds I know asking for toys for their brothers. On the other hand, the mishief and trouble in him is alive and well, too. We got a plate of fudge one night from some friends after the kids had gone to bed and I left it on the counter and didn't think about it again until the next morning when Stratton came running upstairs yelling, " Mom! Guess what? Dashell can fit 4 of those chocolate squares in his mouth at once!" By the time I got downstairs, most of the fudge was history, although Stratton had pitched in, too. He still makes the Hulk face sometimes when he gets too wound up, and then you had better watch out because he could bite, head butt, kick, body slam or lash out in some other way. He continues to talk up a storm with only a few little funny turns to his words. Our favorite is when he says " What on urf is that?" And that he calls the Wappetts, Whoppers and vice versa. And the pretend voices he makes for all his make believe personas, builder man, dump truck man, space man and so on. He even has a voice for when he's pretending to be me. All in all, he continues to be more charming than is good for him and get into more trouble than we can believe sometimes. And we love him!

The long awaited PEZ of Christmas.

Birthday #3 for Dashell

Remember how I mentioned how much Dashell LOVED the chainsaw he got for Christmas? Even before he got the chainsaw and was still using wooden spoons as his chainsaws, he had requested a chainsaw cake for his birthday. I know it isn't perfect, but I'm just proud of myself for coming up with something remotely resembling his favorite Husqvarna.

We celebrated his birthday on New Year's Eve this year, and I think we may continue that for at least a couple more years. He loved having fireworks for his birthday.

He kind of felt like this was the first birthday he had ever had because last year we just put a candle in a Christmas cookie and he couldn't remember before that. He was soooo excited to get to have a birthday and had to be reminded a couple of times that all of the presents were for him...that had never happened to him before! I even talked him into wearing my favorite clothes for him because he was so excited he was less opinionated about his clothing than normal. 

 

Now he is my great big Sunbeam and ready for anything. Since his birthday he keeps asking how long until he is the same age as Stratton, only he thinks he can somehow catch up and they will be the exact same age at some point. 

Here is Pilot enjoying his first New Year. He just loved being in the middle of all the action and smiling at anyone who will look at him. 

Here he is trying out some of the next size up snow pants and furry hat. Poor baby has to put up with his Dad dressing him in all kinds of funny outdoor gear.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning

Christmas Eve we all went cross country skiing and then came back to the house for soup and Christmas treats and our traditional Christmas Eve Nativity and stories.

My two wise men.  

The group in Bethlehem

After the extended family went home, we hung stocking and left a letter for Santa repeating Dashell's request for a PEZ dispenser and some of Stratton's ever changing and growing list. I hope Dashell keeps his request at a similar scale for a few more years!

The builder sets from Dr. Sawdy were an instant hit.

Even Pilot enjoyed his toys more than the other boys seemed to at that age.

And Dashell LOVED the chainsaw from his grandparents....it has been a constant in our home ever since, sound effects and all.

December Recreation

Pilot discovered that he has a sense of humor...mostly teasing his brothers and laughing at almost anything. 

Stratton continued working on his skiing skills. 

As did Dash. They are both still a little shaky on the downs, but great on flat. 

Stratton started practicing snorkeling at every opportunity....pretty much the bath. 

Dashell got potty trained! And yes, this is what potty training looks like at our house in the dead of winter...biking around the garage in rubber boots and undies with a snow shovel. I am thrilled to be back to just one boy in diapers and have re-learned the location of every bathroom in town and more importantly, where bathrooms are sadly lacking. I have not missed the mad dashes for public restrooms with all kids in tow, but I guess it is still better than diapers. 

Year End Review a Little Late Part 1

This end of the year catch up has been on my list for 3 full months now, and since we are a quarter of the way into the new year now, it seems that I had better do it now before I lose all hope of regaining lost ground. After we came home from Thanksgiving, we jumped into the full swing of December and Christmas preparations. We decorated our tree the first week we were home.

Stratton performed with his preschool at their annual Christmas party and did a fantastic job. We were fully anticipating a repeat of last year's mouth full of his hands, sneaking off to the side and zero singing performance, but he stood front and center and smiled and sang all the songs and did all the actions. It was amazing to see what a difference a year makes! It was a really fantastic party and Stratton gave a great performance. 

Pilot went through an intense jumping phase where he spent hours of every day in his jumper going bananas. He has since given up on the jumper, but for a while there it was indispensable. He could really get swinging, too. I already miss the sound of the spring going while I cook dinner. Having him crawling around underfoot is significantly more tricky. 

We visited the Christmas Ice Park so the boys could drive the ice truck. 

Pilot didn't enjoy it quite as much once his cheeks got cold, but it was one of our first times out with him below zero and we were still working out the kinks of keeping a baby under 1 warm in Alaska. Shockingly, outdoor gear manufacturers seem to assume that babies won't be outside below zero, so it is very tricky to find warm enough gear until they hit about 2. But I think that now, as winter comes to an end, we have figured out the best options for keeping Pilot warm and happy on our outings. 

We also had our friendly neighborhood moose take up residence on our back porch. Our jack o lantern from Halloween was still out there and he decided it made a nice snack one night. The dogs started barking one night, so I cupped my hands to the glass, and this guy was literally 2 inches from my face through the back door looking right back at me. Scared me to death to have him so close. 

He was a regular knocking at our back door for the whole month. I think he kept hoping we would put out another frozen pumpkin for him. We still see him every couple days, but he has stopped hanging out on the back porch as of late.