Adieu 2008!

Our year is wrapping up - what a year it has been! Here are some highlights of things we've seen, heard & learned:

1. Three children can make a LOT of noise.
2. Three boys can make quite a lot of ruckus wrestling, jumping and chasing each other over and over.
3. The beach can be quite chilly (and WINDY) in March.
4. Babysitting isn't cheap for three kids.
5. Once dusting spray (such as Pledge) is sprayed on hardwood floors, that spot will be eternally slick. No matter what.
6. We don't give little brothers wedgies.
7. You CAN have too many toys.
8. There is nothing better than the beach in June.
9. Things that come out of our nose go on tissue. NOT on walls.
10. Again, we've learned that kids are the greatest gift. We have more than we ever dreamed we'd have in our three little boys. And with one more on the way, hopefully, we'll continue to see the kids as gifts that we should cherish and enjoy every moment, since it all passes so quickly.

Air DrewBear

Well, maybe not yet, but Drew is loving the new basketball goal! He is gearing up for basketball season (he's on the school 1st and 2nd grade team). He really enjoys it and John and I are enjoying it too. One of our neighbors once commented that it always looks like we're having a party in our driveway with all our kids out playing.

Holiday Pictures

Announcing Burke #4

That's right - we are expecting a fourth Burke to join our family in July 2009. We are still in the first trimester and it's been no fun this time around. John joked it's because I am older. He also thinks it might be a girl.

I would guess boy - we seem to have a track record established.

Anyway - more to come on baby #4!!

A Holly Jolly Christmas

We all had a wonderful holiday! The boys received many neat gifts and toys and were thrilled. Here are some pictures!

The pictures here show their favorites - the Indiana Jones set, the Super Sleuth Changing Tree and Bo's chocolate santa. We were watching the older boys open their toys and didn't see Bo grab the chocolate and open it. Silly!!

What I love about Christmas

1. Our family advent calendar - it's the same one we had when I was little and my grandmother made it. I still love it. I am still fighting to put the star on though - used to be with my sisters, now with my kids!

2. Having a cookie jar full of homemade cookies (although we have none now, I've been under the weather). I will be home tomorrow making thumbprints, cookie press spritzers and sugar cookies.

3. Making a gingerbread house. Again, slightly not well, so this will also happen tomorrow. This year, the boys and I are making a village. Jack wants to make a store and a house. Drew is still deciding. We're using graham crackers for theirs...

4. Watching how excited the boys get Christmas morning - waking us up very early... Last year, I think I still had my glasses on when they were opening!!

5. My absolute favorite is having family at our house on Christmas Day. I love to have people over and the more kids we have, I don't have parties much. Thanks to our terrific parents, they all come Christmas Day. Drew loves this too! He calls it our 'Christmas feast'.

6. Watching Christmas movies with the kids...

7. Getting ready for Santa with cookies and reindeer food.

8. Listening to my kids debate what is most important about the holiday season. We love Catholic school - they both say Jesus and being with family.

Have a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Christmas is inching closer and closer... Drew and Jack are anxiously awaiting Santa Claus and the toys they've asked for. They have both asked for Clone Trooper helmets and blaster guns. Jack also asked for the Super Sleuth Changing Tree and Drew has asked for Indiana Jones things.

We celebrated my mom's birthday this week - HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA! The boys are home with John today. I look forward to being with them all tomorrow and through the holiday. Here are some pictures of Saint Nicholas' visit on December 6th and Bo's intense infatuation with Christmas lights.

I AM the crazy one.

Okay, I am quirky. I know that. I don't wear a watch. I like the blinds in my office at a certain angle and get very disturbed when one is off kilter.

Anyway, my alarm clock at home is no exception. It runs a little fast, so I got used to it being 10 minutes ahead (helps keep me on the ball). Then daylight savings time began and I didn't switch it. Two days in, I realized I liked it. When I wake up at night, if it says "5:15" - I knew to roll that back to 4:15 - in my mind, a bonus hour!

As I was laying in bed this morning deciding I had to use the bathroom regardless of how chilly it was (we have an electric blanket!), I looked over at the time and it said "5:30". Ahhh - another hour. Then John said his clock didn't go off and we had to get up. "What," I said... I proceeded to remind him that no, it was only 4:30.

That's when he revealed he fixed the clock for me yesterday. On one hand, a very kind thing to help me out. At the same time, daylight savings time hit me again this morning... Oh well.

The Guys

Top things I've learned about holidays from my kids

* Make plans for events and be prepared for them to change.
* Have them WRITE out (or do it for them) their Christmas list to avert last minute wants ("Sorry honey - Santa already processed your list!")
* You can believe in Santa and not elves - completely YOUR prerogative.
* It's easier to teach a dog to ice skate than to get that 'perfect shot' for a Christmas card. Seriously.
* Christmas trees are absolutely FASCINATING to a one-year-old.
* Said one-year-old will find a way to get to each and every ornament on the tree.
* No amount of advent preparation can compete with the man in the red suit bringing toys.
* This is the best time of the year because if they do something wrong, then OOPS, Santa just took one toy off the list.
* This is the worst time of the year because the Santa threat can backfire into whining and tears - FAST.
* You can watch Christmas movies every day and not get tired of them.
* You can get tired of your child's wish list very quickly.

Most of all - enjoy the season - the magic of Christmas a gift itself...

A Christmas Peek

We were treated to a wonderful weekend at Callaway Gardens this past weekend - a great getaway with my family... The boys really enjoyed the holiday lights and the birds of prey show (strange combo - the lights were Saturday night and the show was Sunday afternoon)... Here are some pictures from the trip!

My Boys

They wear us out. They frustrate us at times. They spill a full bowl of cereal on the couch (when they aren't supposed to eat on it). They use potty words every now and then. They don't put their toys away many nights. They scream if they don't get to play long enough in the tub. They think we are running a diner and can fix a different meal when dinner hits the table.

But we wouldn't trade one single solitary minute of being with them. They are the best things we've ever been part of creating :)

Drew and Basketball

Drew's school had a basketball tournament yesterday. Mainly to raise money, but it was fun. I also need to preface this with saying Drew hasn't ever played basketball before or really been to a game for that matter. As observers, it was well worth the $2 admission to watch these first graders attempt to play. HYSTERICAL.

The only goals scored really were by a girl in his class. There were a couple kids that seemed to know what to do more than the others, and then there was the one child that would grab the ball and literally fall on it to claim it. HYSTERICAL.

Drew did get the ball and had to dribble down the court - where he passed... Nicely done, Drew Bear. He is also signed up to play for the school on the first grade team (we just signed up...).

Fall Fun

We had such a wonderful weekend - I wanted to post some pictures from the weekend...

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween to all our friends! Here are some shots of our pumpkins and Jack's class program yesterday. He did such a great job singing and dancing!

Pumpkin Carve

Here are my kids and John's cousin's kids AND of course, of friend Cooper...

Pumpkins & Fall Festivities

We have been quite busy - pumpkin carving, halloween at our Zoo, my niece's birthday and a couple illnesses circulating in the family... I wanted to post a couple pictures from the weekend. Drew is feeling better from his cold, but John is still under the weather and is heading to the doctor AGAIN today. He went three weeks ago, and is actually just as bad now as he was then.

Aunt Katie hosted a pumpkin carving this past Sunday for the kids - they had a BLAST! Drew designed and carved his own green SPOOKY pumpkin. Jack wanted his somewhat scary and Bo's is his standard face - mouth open in an 'O' shape. Too funny. I included pictures of Bo and my niece from her party riding in the little car. I also put a picture of each boy from the zoo festivities - Bo dressed as a bee (all three have worn this costume at age 1), Drew was Obi Won from Star Wars and Jack went as Harry Potter.

Note: these are NOT the costumes the older boys HAD to have for Halloween. They told me they are saving them for Halloween.

Happy Birthday Aunt Katie!!

Pumpkin Patch

We love the pumpkin patch! The boys had so much fun playing, climbing the hay stack, riding on the wagon and choosing their own pumpkins. Drew went with a green pumpkin this year - strange resemblance to my 'watermelon' I grew this summer (some readers may remember THAT debacle). Jack found a large, tall one. Bo just wanted to roll the pumpkins around.

The boys are doing really well. Drew received high marks from his teacher at our parent-teacher conference and did great on his report card. Jack is really coming into his own - he can write all the letters in the alphabet now and writes words. Amazing - he could barely write Jack a couple months ago. Bo loves his big brothers. He was home sick this week a couple days (just a bad cold) and missed Drew and Jack so much. Last night, they all three ran around the house (literally running the circle) for an hour. Bo laughs so hard that he squeals at the older two. Drew and Jack wrestle with him (well, they let him sit on them and bounce). No small feat considering how big Bo is!

I think the last picture is HILARIOUS! Bo had a great time and just didn't want to be still for a picture. When Jack wrangled him in, wow, this is what we got!

Happy, Happy Birthday!

Uncle Kevin and my dear friend Josh both share a birthday today - Happy Birthday to you both!