The Whitesides: A Little Catch Up Of The First Of The Year

January

Once again, time seems to have gotten away from me it seems. I had planned on writing in this blog weeks ago, but it seems like every time I remember to do it, someone needs me, something else needs my attention, or lets be honest, I am just way too tired. And before I know it, it’s been almost 2 months since I wrote. So, lets see if I can remember everything.

The month of January has been bitterly cold here in Chicago with a couple of crazy winter storms and terrible winds that take your breath away. We are trying to stay warm, but that wind is absolutely awful.

January also for some reason, seems to always be filled with sickness, and we were no exception. All four of us have been sick with one thing or another. Poor Ian can’t seem to shake off whatever he’s gotten. I think he’s been sick now for a month straight. Poor kid. First he got the flu, and then he started teething, and then got a cold and a sinus infection. He is just miserable, and there is not much we can do for the poor kid. In fact, as I write this, Ryan is trying to get him to take a nap that he so desperately needs, but is having trouble taking. So sad and frustrating!

Nik has been doing great in school and in tumbling. He loves to show us what he’s learned in tumbling and is tumbling all over the house. It s pretty fun to watch him and makes me happy to know that he is learning and enjoying himself. I think since he is loving it so much, I will sign him up for a competitive tumbling program.

Nik loves games and it seems like he is always begging us to play one. I feel like I am continuously picking up game pieces everyday! But I love that he likes games so much, and we enjoy playing. Ryan has never been much of a game player, but hopefully with the rest of us loving to play, we will eventually get him to love them too. Nik’s favorite game to play right now is Monopoly. Each Sunday, he pulls out the game and we sit down at the kitchen table and play. Ryan’s a good sport and plays for the first little bit, but inevitably it comes down to Nik and I and its pretty fun.

January has been filled with one dance party after another for the boys and I. We love to put on some good tunes and dance. I taught Nik how to slow dance with a girl and how to spin and dip. He loved it and ever since, you can sometimes catch him, when he thinks no one is watching, spinning and dipping an imaginary partner. He is so cute! (He also likes to give flowers to one of the little girls in his preschool class. What a sweet kid!) It’s also fun to see Nik dance his little heart out doing cool moves and spins on the floor. Ian is fun to watch too. He loves to bee-bop. He’ll sit on his bum or kneel and bounce with the beat of the song. He also loves to be held and danced with. I love that my boys love to dance and hope they continue to love it.

Nik is so funny. I love listening to him. He is always coming up with creative stories and singing nice songs, and saying funny things. The other day, Nik was saying the prayer at dinnertime and in his prayer he said, “Please help my mom not to be a villain.” Um, apparently my son is worried about my dark side. He also told me the other day “mom, when I’m dead, I want Heavenly Father to make me into a superhero.”

Nik made a skeleton sticker with glasses and a mustache and wanted me to take a picture.

Eating a Yummy Cupcake

Cupcake Nik wanted to try out his new superman cape from Grandma Whitesides. Apparently jumping and leaping off couches are mandatory activities for superhero's.

Grandma Whitesides made the boys an awesome teepee. The boys absolutely love it! We have had fun family movie nights with it and it seems like not a week goes by, that the teepee is up and the boys are playing in it and laughter and squealing abound. Thank you Grandma!

Something fun that the kids are loving lately, is playing with all my pots and pans. They love to get them out and play with them, especially to make a band. They drum on the pans and also have a few other musical things like the Elmo guitar and the little toy piano and toy tambourine. Its pretty fun to watch, maybe not so nice to listen to, but at least they are having fun. (Maybe at some point in the future I can have my pans back.)