SNOW FALL in Boston!

We finally got a good bit of snow this weekend and the boys have been excited to play in it!
Yesterday Daddy took them on the sled around the neighborhood and they "sled" down the driveway. This was after making snow forts of course. Jackson decided that he needs his swimming goggles to make the snow fort with, we'll see if we can find them because it is common sense that one would wear swimming goggles to see through the snow!
Here they are sledding- Jackson in front, Shane in Back.

Photos from the cousins visit!

Shane December 2012 letter

Dear Shane-
As 2012 comes to a close, this will be the last letter of the year that I write to you. 2012 has been a good year and you my little guy have grown a lot this past year. I didn't write you a letter last month and I am sorry for that, it was a busy time.

We spent Thanksgiving up in NH at the Mount Washington and I think your favorite part of the trip was swimming and seeing Santa on the Cog Railway. Your cousins came out from Ohio for a visit and I think that was the highlight of your winter holiday celebrations. It wasn't until just the other day that you started talking about Santa Clause- up until that point it was all about your cousins and when your cousins were coming. We had a great time with your cousins! We went to Payson Park and you played football with Zach. Zach was kicking the ball and you continuously tried to told the ball for him to kick- it was very cute to watch!!!!You always wanted your cousin Abby and if she wasnt' playing with you on the slide or something, you were calling her name. We also spent one morning at the Museum of Science and had a great time there- again you just wanted to be with your cousins! We celebrated Christmas early with our family and Auntie and your cousins were there as well as Uncle Adam and Dave, Auntie Val and Uncle Terry. You and your brother had a great time with all of the people around. You and Jackson play well apart and actually at school they tell me that  you play apart very well. But I have noticed that you like to have your brother around and you will ask me "where is my brother?". All in all it was a great visit with your cousins! and I hope we will have the opportunity to visit them soon.

We celebrated Christmas at Nana's church in Stoneham and you were very intrigued by what Nana was doing and when mass was over you ran right up to her and gave her a hug. We had Christmas dinner at home and then the Legor's came over for an afternoon visit. Joan gave you some glow in the dark necklaces that link together and they kept you busy for a long time!!!Now that Christmas is over you have started to ask about Santa but you have also gotten the Christmas flu that is going around and you haven't been feeling well for days now. And you have also refused to take the purple medicine- you only want red. Jackson is running around telling people that Nana gave you a cold and Shane took your cold and he (Jackson) is fine.

Swimming continues to go well you graduated to the next swimming level and are enjoying that. You are also taking a little gym class at the Arlington Boys and Girls Club and enjoying that as well. I love you Shane Kilday! You are mommy's sun, moon and stars.
All my love-
Mommy

Jackson-December 2012 letter

Dear Jackson-
This will be the last letter I write you for the year 2012. I was remiss in writing your November letter so apologies for that. The Holiday season as we call it is coming to a close and it has a been a busy few months. You continue to grow and talk more and enjoy your friends. Every where we go you make new friends.

We spent Thanksgiving in New Hampshire and Nana joined us and we had a great time, I think your favorite thing up there was swimming and seeing Santa on the train ride. We had an AMAZING Christmas season and I'll post some photos in a bit. Auntie and your cousins came out to visit us and in all honesty, that was all you cared about - every day you would wake up and ask if your cousins are coming today? When they came it was excitement beyond belief. On the day they arrived we spent the day at home and went to Payson Park after lunch at your favorite place.... Comellia's Pizza. At the park you were very busy collecting sticks, digging holes and building "things". We went to the museum of science one day and we visited with Nana as we had an early Christmas at her house with your cousins, Uncles Adam & Dave as well as Auntie Val and Uncle Terry- it was a blast! There was so much energy in the house we had a great time! One night you also made our annual ginger bread house and Christmas cookies with your cousins. We had a great visit with them and I wish we all lived closer so that you could play with them more often.

We went to Church this Christmas at Nana's church and you were very interested in where Nana was and what she was doing. Christmas day was at home and you said phrases like Oh Wow and This is great! I think your favorite gift was the pirate ship from Nana. The Legor's came over later in the day and you LOVE the Nutcracker suite stage toy that Joan brought you and some mornings I come down stairs and you are drinking a juice box and playing with the Nutcracker Suite toy, hitting the music button again and again.

You and Shane continue to be the best of buddies and like to do things with each other and you let people know that you are brothers. Today daddy took you to Skye zone- a trampoline place and you love it there. Daddy sends his love and today he is calling you his action hound. You love your fly ups when we go to bed and lately you have taken to going to bed with your flashlight. Last night I went in to check on you and you had the covers over your head with your flashlight on- very cute.

Happy New Year Jackson, you are mommy's sun, moon  and stars.
Love always-
Mommy

play time

my boys at school Jackson left, Shane right.

Misc. happenings around the holidays at home and about

Well this week is Chunukah. Sesame Street had a special on it and we have attended two Chunukah parties! The boys had a blast and loved the dradles and the chocolate coins more than the dradles. For some reason neither one wants to eat the chocolate candy but they must have it in their possession at all times- bed time especially and that is an odd one- so at night there is a lot of crying about their chocolate coins but none the less it is all good.

Jackson is an early bird these days and he has started a new thing. He goes down stairs, plugs the lights on the tree in- O.K. can live with that. But then he must go into the pantry and look for drinks- Juice boxes or what have you and he struggles to open them and then he goes and hides under the table to drink all of the juice. The other day I cam down stairs and both of the boys were under the dining room table, feet hanging out. When I peeked under there they both had juice boxes, the ipad and they had gotten into my purse and taken gum- all of the evidence was on the floor! And of course, when you confront them they just hide deeper under the table like they did nothing wrong.

On another note, Keith and I met with the teachers at school last night. The boys are doing well but there is some concern over their speech articulation and the school thinks they should be evaluated for speech therapy. Not a big deal, just something else to look into. I'm sure with some speech therapy they will be pronouncing more words just fine in no time. It wasn't until after the teachers mentioned it that I also agree, there are some things that Shane will say that I can't understand and Jackson will "translate" for us. They are lucky to have each other.