The Trains at NorthPark

We made our annual visit to the Trains at NorthPark on Friday, and Nana met us there to join the fun!  Lincoln was so excited about all of the different landscapes, trains and train cars.  I can't decide which was his favorite . . . the State Fair of Texas display or the Thomas the Train display.  We definitely spent the most time checking those out. 

Beau had a great time too.  I think he loved that he got to be a big boy and see the trains just like Lincoln.  He sang "Choo Choo Boogey" a few times from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse movie!  I think his favorite thing was yelling out when he saw a Frosty or aSanta on a train car.  He did a lot of shouting! 

This picture is 100% typical of our family!  Lincoln is smiling super sweetly but definitely not looking at the camera, and Beau is eating something!  Seriously, I can't imagine a more true picture! 

Beau really enjoyed all of the Christmas activities that NorthPark had to offer.  We stopped to listen to a middle school band play Christmas Carols, and he was jamming out!  Poor thing almost jumped out of my arms when they began to play the Charlie Brown Christmas tune . . . so exciting!  Jingle Bells was a favorite of both boys.  They sang along, all the while envying the boy who was actually playing the jingle bells in the band!  After a yummy lunch, Beau rushed over to hear the choir singing carols.   

Lincoln made sure we stopped to visit the ducks and turtles, and he insisted that the turtles were saying "arf"!  I'm not sure where he got that, but he thought it was hilarious!  Linc also loved the band and choir, and he was glad to see that the Gingerbread Houses were still holding up from his last visit a few weeks ago.   

Before heading out, we stopped for a cookie break with Nana!  The boys picked M&M cookies, of course.  They were super yummy!  No trip to the mall is complete without a yummy cookie, right?

What a fun outing, and one that we will continue for years to come!  (Until they think Mommy and Nana and trains are totally uncool!)  We picked up a new pair of Christmas Eve pjs at Hannah Anderson while we were there.  Beau spotted the bag in my car the next morning, and his little brain went into overtime . . . he shouted, "Nana bag", "pjs", "Chick fil A", "yummy", "marching band", "drums", "jingle bells", "singing", "rain" in rapid fire!  I know he was remembering each fun event of our visit and yelling out the key words.  What a smartie!  I acknowledged each one, and he was looking proud of himself for remembering it all.  It was so much fun, how could we not remember it all!

Speed Racers!

Lincoln and Beau have been giving the race car ramp a lot of attention lately, and they think of many creative ways to use it.  The latest use of the ramp is a crash-bridge.  One end sits on the table, and the other end sits on the window ledge.  The cars race over the bridge only to crash into the window.  Fun!!! 

There are so many squeals that come from the playroom, and I'm glad these are squeals of delight!  Another bonus is that this is age-appropriate for all.  Beau just can't stand to not participate in Linc's activities, and this one keeps them both happy.  They even willing to take turns sending the cars flying! 

I get a request each evening to take their picture after the bath.  They love their Christmas pjs so much, and they always want to see how cute they look in the pics I take.   

We have a long weekend ahead . . . I'm hoping for lots more fun speed racing!

The "Christmas Hotel" Visit

We met Nana and Pops at the Gaylord Texan Hotel on Saturday morning to check out their fabulous Christmas displays.  There were so many thing so see, and they boys were amazed right away!

They both loved watching the fish swim.  Lincoln decided he needed to throw something in, and Pop Pop provided a coin.  (He might have knocked out a fish with his killer throw!!)  Beau didn't feel the need to disrupt their habitat, and he just enjoyed their swimming! 

Daddy helped Beau get a better view of the trains on the bridge.  The trains were a big winner with Linc and Beau! 

Our visit to the Gingerbread Houses sparked many comments about building our own at home.  They had one that was super life-sized, and there were many smaller versions to admire as well.  Beau looked longingly at the one decorated with Reece's Pieces . . . he didn't want to leave it, and I"m sure he was trying to figure out a way to get his hands on some yummy candy! 

Another special train display really captivated their attention.  We stayed her forever just watching the different trains going by.  One train had Santa riding on top, and Beau and Lincoln loved to wave and yell each time he passed by. 

Beau made sure to tell me "Look" several times.  They were totally amazed! 

There were several cool exhibits that we didn't do, but they are already on our list as the boys get older.  Sledding on snow ramps looked like a blast, but those sleds were going really fast.  We also didn't brave the Ice Tour because it's totally 5 degrees in there . . . next time! 

Lincoln stopped yapping for a second to pose with Mommy, and I was happy to hug my sweetie!  We found the Madagascar shop, and the boys went crazy for Melman the giraffe.  Lincoln gave us all a serious lecture about giraffe beginning with the letter "G" before we could move on.  Got it, buddy! 

Our attempt at a family photo was not too successful.  Everyone might have been over stimulated and super hungry . . . 

As we were driving to lunch, Beau gave me the sweetest, saddest, tiredest look EVER!  He definitely needed his microphone to keep him happy, but he wasn't singing to many cheery songs!  

Luckily, Kincaid's was nearby.  We all had yummy burgers to end our field trip, and everyone left happy and full!  Lincoln gets so distracted while eating and needs constant reminders to take bites, but Beau is one dedicated eater and never let his little burger far from his mouth.  It was so much fun to visit the "Christmas Hotel" and have a great lunch with Nana and Pops. 

Holiday Activities

It has been a super spectacular festive weekend at the Kuhlman house.  Lincoln's Preschool treated us to fun Holiday Program on Friday afternoon, and he had so much fun singing with his friends.  After our Mi Cocina dinner, the Robison's came over to visit on Friday night.  Lincoln was especially enamored with baby Jackson.  He really wanted to be near him and watch over him.  Samantha entrusted Linc with the task of "babysitting" Jackson for a few moments, and Linc was totally serious about it!  Beau was really interested in baby Jaxx too, but he's a little more aggressive with his attention.  He needed to be kept a little farther away!

The boys have really loved to hang out by the tree, and they brought their chairs and (of course) cooking stuff on Saturday afternoon.  They made tea, soup, sandwiches, and veggies while they enjoyed the lights and watched the train go around.  Christmas tree picnics are the best! 

Nana found the cutest Christmas pjs for Lincoln and Beau!  I didn't get a picture of them in their matching red & white striped reindeer pjs, but Linc was hamming it up for the camera with his Santa suit pjs after Sunday night's bath.  That is one super silly and super skinny Santa!!! 

Our weekend also included a wonderful trip to the Gaylord Texan Hotel (the Christmas Hotel according to the boys), which I'll share pictures from tomorrow.  We all love celebrating the holiday season so much.  I made the boys strawberry shortcakes for dessert tonight, and Beau sang "Happy Birthday to Jesus" when I gave him his plate.  So sweet . . . and apparently he was listening when I told them that Christmas was really about celebrating the birthday of Jesus!

PJ Picture Time

After my two cuties got all cleaned up in the bath, I couldn't resist making them pose for a few pictures.  Seems like a simple request, right?  Not so much!  Everytime they said "cheese", they were looking somewhere other than the camera (iPhone).  When they both finally looked at me at the same time, they both had strange "not cheese" faces.  Oh, well!  They still looked cute in their pjs.  The differences in their body types is never so apparent as it is in pjs.  Lincoln is totally like Daddy - long and lean, no belly or booty and super skinny legs.  Beau is definitely a Freeman - not long or lean, full belly and booty and chubby legs.  As different as they are, they are still the cutest things EVER!

A few pictures in, Beau decided to bust out his independence.  He happily turned around and leaned his belly and chin up against the wall.  He repeated "turn around" a million times.  All of my requests that he actually turn around were met with a sly giggle and more repeats of "turn around".  Little stinker!  Linc tried to talk some sense into Beau, but that was no use.   

Beau finally gave me a few half turns with a sly look on his face . . . like "I'll tempt you Mommy, but I'm not doing it!"  Sweet Lincoln tried to wait patiently for Beau to cooperate. 

Beau gave us the "turn around" a few more times then ran off!  Lincoln was happy to ham it up for a minute, and I got a funny shot.   

I love happy, clean, sweet smelling boys.  Even though I love how energetic and fun they are all day, I especially love the time after the bath.  Quite time with a few books, a few songs, and a few prayers is the most special time of the night.   

Update on Gingerbread House

In case there was any concern that our Gingerbread House would remain incomplete, there wasn't even a chance!  Lincoln woke me up this morning telling me that something was missing and more icing and candies would make it all better.  Dutiful as ever, I found the appropriate icing and returned home to happy kiddos.  We used some of our treat candy from Auntie to finish the job, but I think Lincoln and Beau ate a lot more M&Ms and Reece's Pieces than they put on the house.  I have temporarily let go of my need to have things staying in order, within the lines, and just as the picture looks.  The boys love the way their house looks and are so proud of their accomplishment.  So it doesn't look like Martha Stewart made it . . . Oh, well - fun for all!

First Gingerbread House

One Christmas tradition that I love is making a Gingerbread House . . . and I've never even made one!!!  I always see the kit at the store during the holiday season and have grand plans, but those plans have never actually been acted on.  This year seemed like the right time, so I bought one a few days ago.  The boys were so excited when I showed them the box and described our plan of constructing and decorating our very own Gingerbread House.  Lincoln seemed to know quite a lot about them, and Beau was quick to learn to say "Genna Bed Ouse" a million times!  Oh, and he also shouted "Candy on it" a million times, too!  The boys were busy dividing up the candy packets, and I went to work building the house.  I followed the instructions to a tee, in fear of our house falling down due to poor construction.  Where the instructions said to put a thin line of icing, I put a thick line instead.  It seemed a little shaky at first, so I went with the thought of more is more (instead of less is more)!  I'm glad the candy distracted them from touching the masterpiece while it was setting  up.  A few times Beau (ever the parrot) was repeating my chants of "don't fall down" and "come on icing"!

Somehow they managed to eat a yummy dinner of chicken quesadillas and fruit salad, all the while keeping an eye on the Gingerbread House that was (hopefully) getting all set so we could decorate it.  After 30 minutes, I decided it was time to test it out.  It probably wouldn't pass code, but it seemed sturdy enough! 

I divided the candy into two bowls, and they went at it!  They loved choosing a piece and placing it on the house.  I was pleased that it didn't cave under their (less than) careful technique! 

Sometimes decorating a Gingerbread House is serious business!  I love the look of concentration on their faces as Linc placed a candy piece.   It's like a delicate house of cards in our minds!

They loved this activity, and Linc was especially concerned that he put three peppermints on the roof to match the picture on the box.  He gave Beau specific orders about where to put the other two peppermints, but free thinking Beau was doing his own thing with them!  Our finished product met all of their expectations, and they are still raving about their Gingerbread House (Genna Bed Ouse)! 

To the experienced Gingerbread House maker (or even to those how just look at them in awe and never attempt), it seems that ours isn't decorated all the way.  Remember my anxiety about it caving in and using really thick layers of icing to hold the pieces together . . . well, there wasn't much icing left for decorating!  The boys didn't seem to notice, and they were pleased with the finished product.  Lincoln might have checked out the box later and questioned why we left of the candy on the front of the house, but that little aggravation hasn't come up again.  They are both super proud of their first Gingerbread House, and I am too!

Loving Sweet Lincoln

I haven't dedicated much space to Lincoln alone lately, and there is so much to say!  He's the sweetest, smartest, most imaginative little guy ever!  Lincoln loves preschool, and Ms. Shaye confirms that he's definitely the most "in to learning" and "knows all the answers" to everything.  She has him mentoring the younger kids, and they love him!  She still finds ways to challenge him and help him learn more, and he's always coming home with new tidbits!  His class FINALLY got to the letter "L" this week, which is super special for obvious reasons.  The will practice writing the letter, study many words beginning with L, and make lots of L crafts.  He's so excited!  We have begun to tell "make believe" stories lately, and he loves this!  We take turns making up the amazing adventures.  His imagination is unbelievable, and we love to hear what he comes up with.  Lincoln is amazingly aware of everything, and he keeps me on my toes every second.  He is a complete sponge and never forgets one single word that I say . . . so I have to use my words carefully!  He lifts me up as a Mom on a daily basis, and I am so thankful for his sweet heart.  I am so blessed to hear him say, "Mommy, you are so beautiful!" and "Mommy, you are the wonderfulest Mommy ever" and "You are the bestest Mommy ever" several times a day.  I swear he's the sweetest thing EVER!  I always respond that he's the sweetest thing ever to tell me those things.  Occasionally he tells me these things after a frazzled moment when I perhaps wasn't my most beautiful/wonderfulest/bestest ever, and what a great reminder that I should live up to his opinion of me.  I think I am forever a better Mommy because he reminds me to be.  Lincoln mostly loves Beau so much, and he mostly wants to hug him and mostly wants to invite Beau to play.  He's mostly a great brother and mostly Beau's biggest fan . . . mostly.  I can't even believe that Lincoln has grown into such an amazing little boy.  His maturity and geniousness amazes me every day, and our family is so blessed to have him as big brother.

Houston Christmas Party = Fun with Nana and Pops

On this sunny and warm Saturday in December, Kevin and I headed south to Houston for the Belukus Christmas Party.  Nana and Pops came over to stay with the boys, and they had lots of fun planned!  Lincoln and Beau were happy to give us hugs and kisses just get out the door . . . they were excited!  The first item on their agenda was the Richardson Christmas Parade that came down Coit on Saturday morning.  I understand that they enjoyed watching a few fire trucks, a marching band, lots of people and a bit of candy.  Thank goodness for candy!

School was in session, and the boys worked on their letters.  Lincoln can definitely recognize and write all the letters, and he's a master at listing words that start with a particular letter.  Beau desperately wants to be part of the lesson and repeats the letters and sounds too.

Houston was fun and super busy.  We stayed at the Westin Galleria, and I was able to lots of shopping at the mall downstairs and drop off my bags upstairs in our amazing hotel room.  I won't lie that the mall has a super confusing layout, and my directionally-challenged mind ended up in the wrong place several times.  Kevin accompanied me for a few minutes but decided that I walked too fast, so off he went on his own errands.  The Christmas Party was held at their own brewery in Houston (Karbach Brewery).  So much has changed since last year when they were a "up and coming" local craft brewery, and there were only a few of us that gathered in the upstairs tasting room.  They have added so much staff and reconfigured the entire brewery to add so many more brewing areas.  Our dinner was super yummy, and in just a few days this entire area will be overtaken with giant tanks to hold the newest recipes.  It's amazing how quickly Karbach has grown, and they are even thinking that it's time to offer their product in Dallas!  After dinner, we had lots of funny gift exchanges, many accolades offered by Chuck and Ken, and plenty of socializing.  Super fun Christmas Party! 

While I was sleeping in (thank you merciful Lord), Linc and Beau were cruising around NorthPark Mall with Nana and Pops.  Of course, the ducks (and turtles) were such a hit!  They look so old in this picture . . . I almost cried when I got the text! 

NorthPark also had lots of fun Christmas houses to check out, and I'm still hearing about the music house and gingerbread house.  I guess we'll need to go back so I can check it out!  So much fun builds up a big appetite, and the boys were thrilled to have an indoor picnic.  I think they got to watch Mickey Mouse Christmas while they dined . . . what could be better?!?! 

This was my 3rd night away from Beau (yes, he's like 21 months old), and I think everyone enjoyed the experience.  I had fun shopping alone, we had a fun grown-up night, the boys had a great time checking on the cats, visiting Marte and Scooter, and going to the mall.  We're all settled back into "normal" with a trip to the grocery store and a yummy dinner prepared by Daddy this evening.  Back to school and work tomorrow . . . I feel like this weekend flew by!

Birthday Party for Pop Pop

Pop Pop had a special birthday this week, and we celebrated with a special birthday dinner!  The Parmesan meatloaf, steamed green beans and salad were super yummy.  The Stein's cake was extra super yummy!  The birthday boy with his cake . . .

. . . while we sang Happy Birthday with gusto!  Lincoln picked out the party plates and napkins, and he also gave the instructions about how the cake should be decorated.  His favorite color is green right now, so the cake had to be "banilla" with only green writing.  

 Daddy got the Charlie Brown Christmas train down from the attic with all of the other decorations, and the boys were so excited to set it up under the tree.  That one is a Pop Pop specialty, so no one touched it until he arrived!  Some of the boys were patient during the construction, but they were both pleased with the end result. 

Happy Birthday, Pop Pop!