What's the return policy?
Showing posts with label Videos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Videos. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Saturday, December 10, 2011
"I Feel So Old..."
Going to a Christmas program for little kids is always an experience, but going to one that features your own kids is a whole new experience. Are they really that old? Are we that old?
None the less, it was very fun to watch Joseph and Jameson as they performed in their pre-school Christmas program. Please enjoy the experience with us!
Wishing you all a blessed season of Advent in preparation of a glorious Christmas!
None the less, it was very fun to watch Joseph and Jameson as they performed in their pre-school Christmas program. Please enjoy the experience with us!
Wishing you all a blessed season of Advent in preparation of a glorious Christmas!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Birf-day!
What do you give two three-year-olds for their birthdays? Memories! They may not appreciate it now, but Katie and I will definitely cherish the opportunity we had in spending the boys' special day together as a whole family.
Friday, June 17, 2011
The Kings Of Rock
On the first day of summer, our family changed dramatically. The greatest blessing with our early summer addition is that we now have the next couple of months to create, experience, and celebrate moments together...moments of wicked awesomeness like these...
Sunday, June 12, 2011
"Heavenly" Cookies
Grandma LaLa stayed with us for a couple of days and the boys had an opportunity to help her bake her infamous (within our family) chocolate chip cookies.
Just how good are these cookies? Well, at our bedtime prayer tonight, when asked who they want to pray for, Joseph said, "Grandma LaLa...and more cookies." Amen.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Fun Run?
In theory, it is supposed to be fun for the participating kids. If this simple concept was not true, then the weekly event would not be monikered, "Fun Run for Kids." Although, looking back, maybe it is fun for the kids. Perhaps there is nothing but truth in the event's name. No where in the name of the event is a designation for a subtitle, "Anxiety for Parents." Although, this addition would be applicable - at least for this parent.
The weekly event is held at a local high school's track, and is hosted by the local running club. The supposed idea is to get young kids (from ages one to whatever) out on the track and running - in designated age groups, e.g. 1-2 year olds, 3 year olds, and so forth. Each group has an opportunity to go on the track and run a lap (or half a lap for the youngest group). The idea seems harmless enough, and on a beautiful early Friday evening, it seemed like a good idea. My boys like being outdoors. They love to run (especially indoors and at other inconvenient moments) - so why not combine these two elements? It seems like a simple math equation that should equal success!
When we arrived I was amazed at the sheer number of people...and the racing tags. Racing tags! You only get one tag for one side of the body, which is good, since the tags were practically wrap-arounds for my boys. I couldn't imagine why we were getting these, although, a thought ran through my head, "Next time, dress the boys alike, have one start the race and hide near the 200 meter mark. When Joseph gets there, have him roll off of the track and have Jameson pop up and finish!" I could see my self in the winner's circle, wearing gold chains and holding a cigar, "What!? #5913 wasn't my runner, it was #5914! Do you see a difference!?"
After daydreaming, I then watched the younger age group run (the 1-2 year old group) and chuckled as parents (mostly dads) chased after their kids - in all directions - around the track. Of course, these were the lucky ones as others were stuck carrying their suddenly immobile kid. Was I worried? Naaaaa...I have seen my boys run for hours,* and Lord knows when I need them to do something they suddenly find an extra gear of speed when running in the other direction. What's the worse that could happen? They need to walk? So be it. I might need to walk, too, and at least I will then have an excuse.
Our first problem was that we didn't get to the starting line on time. I got confused as the moment neared, and before I realized what had happened, I saw a lot of anxious three year olds and their parents (dads) taking off on the track. I grabbed Joseph and Jameson and weaved through the mass of sweaty, exhausted runners finishing from the first group (those were just the parents) and managed to catch up to the back of the pack. "Here we go, " I thought as I let go of the boys' hands, anticipating a blur of color as each boy took off by me. Here is what happened:
100 meters in the run, already far behind the field (because of me), and down goes a boy. I helped him up, like any caring, nurturing parent would, "You okay? Great! Let's go catch those people!" and held my breath. Both boys were back to their winning form until I heard the one word that could turn this "Fun" run into a "Done" run..."Mommy?"
The quivering tone told me everything I needed to know as I turned around and saw Joseph - no longer running - but standing 250 meters (more than half a lap) away from the finish line (and Mommy). "No big deal," I thought as I went over and picked him up, "I can carry him a little bit and reason with him that the faster he gets to the finish, the faster he can see his mother's beautiful face. We can do this."
"Mommy?!" This more panicked voice did not come from the boy in my arms. I turned around to see my other son - also no longer running - now standing 240 meters (still more than half a lap) away from the finish line (and Mommy). We stood in silence, Jameson's puppy dog eyes staring at my dumb-struck face, while Joseph, in my arms, pointed out the really tall lights in the stadium.
Katie, a spectator to all of this (240 meters away), recalls this moment - with a little too much pleasure, for my taste - by saying there was a moment where I looked like I was going to take the boys and cut through the football field to the finish. I assure you, there was a moment within this situation where I planned on cutting through the football field to the finish, but I refuse to say whether or not I was planning on bringing the boys with me.
None the less, I managed to coerce the boys to continue around the track - I am pretty sure I promised both of them soda, staying up until midnight, cell phones, and me doing their homework for their first 8 years of schooling.
All in all, there was sweat, tears, and a little scrapping of a knee at this event. Isn't that all you could ask for from a competitor in the "Fun Run for Kids?" Now, about changing that name...
The weekly event is held at a local high school's track, and is hosted by the local running club. The supposed idea is to get young kids (from ages one to whatever) out on the track and running - in designated age groups, e.g. 1-2 year olds, 3 year olds, and so forth. Each group has an opportunity to go on the track and run a lap (or half a lap for the youngest group). The idea seems harmless enough, and on a beautiful early Friday evening, it seemed like a good idea. My boys like being outdoors. They love to run (especially indoors and at other inconvenient moments) - so why not combine these two elements? It seems like a simple math equation that should equal success!
When we arrived I was amazed at the sheer number of people...and the racing tags. Racing tags! You only get one tag for one side of the body, which is good, since the tags were practically wrap-arounds for my boys. I couldn't imagine why we were getting these, although, a thought ran through my head, "Next time, dress the boys alike, have one start the race and hide near the 200 meter mark. When Joseph gets there, have him roll off of the track and have Jameson pop up and finish!" I could see my self in the winner's circle, wearing gold chains and holding a cigar, "What!? #5913 wasn't my runner, it was #5914! Do you see a difference!?"
After daydreaming, I then watched the younger age group run (the 1-2 year old group) and chuckled as parents (mostly dads) chased after their kids - in all directions - around the track. Of course, these were the lucky ones as others were stuck carrying their suddenly immobile kid. Was I worried? Naaaaa...I have seen my boys run for hours,* and Lord knows when I need them to do something they suddenly find an extra gear of speed when running in the other direction. What's the worse that could happen? They need to walk? So be it. I might need to walk, too, and at least I will then have an excuse.
Our first problem was that we didn't get to the starting line on time. I got confused as the moment neared, and before I realized what had happened, I saw a lot of anxious three year olds and their parents (dads) taking off on the track. I grabbed Joseph and Jameson and weaved through the mass of sweaty, exhausted runners finishing from the first group (those were just the parents) and managed to catch up to the back of the pack. "Here we go, " I thought as I let go of the boys' hands, anticipating a blur of color as each boy took off by me. Here is what happened:
100 meters in the run, already far behind the field (because of me), and down goes a boy. I helped him up, like any caring, nurturing parent would, "You okay? Great! Let's go catch those people!" and held my breath. Both boys were back to their winning form until I heard the one word that could turn this "Fun" run into a "Done" run..."Mommy?"
The quivering tone told me everything I needed to know as I turned around and saw Joseph - no longer running - but standing 250 meters (more than half a lap) away from the finish line (and Mommy). "No big deal," I thought as I went over and picked him up, "I can carry him a little bit and reason with him that the faster he gets to the finish, the faster he can see his mother's beautiful face. We can do this."
"Mommy?!" This more panicked voice did not come from the boy in my arms. I turned around to see my other son - also no longer running - now standing 240 meters (still more than half a lap) away from the finish line (and Mommy). We stood in silence, Jameson's puppy dog eyes staring at my dumb-struck face, while Joseph, in my arms, pointed out the really tall lights in the stadium.
Katie, a spectator to all of this (240 meters away), recalls this moment - with a little too much pleasure, for my taste - by saying there was a moment where I looked like I was going to take the boys and cut through the football field to the finish. I assure you, there was a moment within this situation where I planned on cutting through the football field to the finish, but I refuse to say whether or not I was planning on bringing the boys with me.
None the less, I managed to coerce the boys to continue around the track - I am pretty sure I promised both of them soda, staying up until midnight, cell phones, and me doing their homework for their first 8 years of schooling.
All in all, there was sweat, tears, and a little scrapping of a knee at this event. Isn't that all you could ask for from a competitor in the "Fun Run for Kids?" Now, about changing that name...
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| All that for a ribbon? |
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Big "F," Little "f," What Begins With "F?"
The little guys use to have an issue pronouncing the hard "g." Words like "bug" sounded like "b-uck." On some words, they would only pronounce the first letter - words like "truck" might come out as "t-uck."
SO… imagine my
To see this amazing linguistic skill in action, check out this video documenting the boys' search for their missing puzzle piece - the elusive missing piece with the FROG face on it.
Disclaimer: Don't watch video with impressionable youth, elderly, clergy, or boss.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Blast Off! The Movie
Best. Spring. Break. Ever. Although the list of "To Do's" does not end (I mean, clearly that "Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of I" article is not going to read itself), this break has allowed oneself the opportunity to spread the tasks over an entire week (i.e. Jameson sick Friday-Sunday - Joseph gets Monday-Thursday), leaving plenty of opportunities for family time (wiping noses notwithstanding) such as the carboard spaceship voyage. Yes, this was rocket science.
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| Every spaceship needs an awesome paint job. |
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| Turbo-booster mechanisim check. |
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| Checking the comfort of the steering wheel. |
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| Making sure the transmitter works correctly. The specific directions were to call Mommy and Daddy as soon as they reached the moon (or the mall - depending on where they were going that day). |
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Hoop Dreams
March Madness is a great time of year. Even though my bracket is close to being busted, nothing can bust the hoop dreams of two gym rats...
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Dance Party!
New discoveries, changes, revelations, blessings, and dance moves! Just a small sampling of what makes our hearts overflow!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Using Your Head
I have been found exactly like this video, in the corner of my classroom, after a long day.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Toybox
When the boys were born, Katie and I received a beautiful toybox from my aunts, Maripat and Maureen. It has been wonderful to have because it allows us to have toys upstairs for the boys, while keeping their other toys downstairs, in our family room.
As you can see, the boys love the toybox for another reason...
As you can see, the boys love the toybox for another reason...
Video from Fall 2009
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Fall 2009
Falling leaves, crisp weather, and football. These are a few of my favorite things about autumn. Hopefully in a few years, I can add two little boys' assistance in raking the leaves to that list.
Peace and blessings!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
New Haircuts!
New year, new haircuts they say...and the McGraw boys obliged with a snazzy new trim a'la Daddy. Suprisingly enough, both boys did a great job of sitting on Mommy's lap while Daddy did his "darndest" to not cut anything un-hair-like. Wait, he did nip Jameson once, but on the flip-side, while Jameson cried on Mommy's shoulder, Daddy was able to finish up his haircut. Nice.
The best part of the 'cuts were the antics that followed. The boys loved their new fancy follicles so much that they just couldn't wait to run a comb through those silky, blonde locks. Don't believe me you say? Check it out!
The best part of the 'cuts were the antics that followed. The boys loved their new fancy follicles so much that they just couldn't wait to run a comb through those silky, blonde locks. Don't believe me you say? Check it out!
Monday, January 11, 2010
Pooh Dance!
...not that pooh dance - sicko! Joseph and Jameson love their Pooh storybook, especially when Pooh sings to them! So you think you can dance? Check out these moves!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Halloween 2009
...which - as we all know - falls behind New Year's Day, right? Okay, so we are a little behind with the posts, but better late than never, correct? I am going to try over the next couple of weeks to get everything caught up on the blog (I am not going to say "resolution," but...maybe I am hinting towards it). I truly appreciate your patience, and please keep visiting!
Here is our video from Halloween. Since it fell on a weekend, we were able to travel up to the Quad Cities and spend it with family. Even better, Joseph and Jameson were able to trick or treat with their cousins Kevin (Harry Potter) and Brian (The Incredible Hulk). Katie and I decided to dress the boys as a chicken and an egg. If you have always wondered which came first, just look at which boy is wearing which costume (if you can tell!).
Enjoy!
Here is our video from Halloween. Since it fell on a weekend, we were able to travel up to the Quad Cities and spend it with family. Even better, Joseph and Jameson were able to trick or treat with their cousins Kevin (Harry Potter) and Brian (The Incredible Hulk). Katie and I decided to dress the boys as a chicken and an egg. If you have always wondered which came first, just look at which boy is wearing which costume (if you can tell!).
Enjoy!
Peace and blessings to you all,
Thursday, October 15, 2009
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