Kisgen Kids: Super Cute things our boys have done or said over the past few months

Santa's Kisgen Elf preparing a level area for a super Santa delivery for the boys

All the boxes and bins of holiday decorations, wrapping paper, gift bags and other Christmas cheer was at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me to start unloading them. I had one role of paper from last year that I had saved because it was pretty and it had half a role of paper left on it. I started doing some laundry and heard the boys having fun. i come out in to the hallway to find my leftover paper in squares through the hall and in to the living room. Cooper saw my face but before I could say anything he said "Mom we are using it as our map" and they kept playing and looking at their map and following them.....how could I be upset at that? So much for a year of saving the paper, but a cute story at least.

Not-so secret gift keepers: I let Cooper and Carter each pick out a gift for each other this year. Cooper was excited for what he picked out for his brother and I made sure that during the entire process I repeatedly stated that it was a secret and a surprise for Carter to find out what it is on Christmas. The second we walked in the door, Cooper blurted to Dad and Carter, "It's a surprise Dad I got Carter big boy sunglasses for Christmas" with Carter looking at Cooper puzzled. We shushed him and I guess theoretically Carter is too little to remember, but it was just another funny little thing haha moment of holiday life with two little boys. It helped me learn my lesson though, as packages were delivered I would say to them that it was so and so's present and they would ask what it was. Did not want to make that mistake again, so just left it generic.......sure enough when Patrick got home from work, Cooper said "Dad, a package came today it was your Christmas present, but it's a surprise." Patrick is such a sneaky gift surprise ruiner anyway and I knew the boys had no chance of surviving their Dad's tricks

All during Christmas holiday season, Carter referred to our tree as "CHRISAM TREE". It was adorable.
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Around the middle of December Carter got an accidental big boy bed. We were not quite ready, but the boys decided it was time. We are used to Cooper coming down on his own, but one morning two little boys showed up downstairs together to tell us good morning and Carter kept saying he got a big boy bed over and over. Cooper had loosened Carter's crib rail and swung it open and showed Carter how to climb out. I went upstairs to determine what had become of the crib to find it was very cleverly put back in to place and I had to figure out how they did it. We took the rail off completely in hopes Carter would do alright since he was typically really good at going to bed. Wow, he was DEFINITELY not ready. There were many weeks of Patrick and I reading up on the best parenting techniques on getting your toddler to stay in bed. Each week seemed to be a different method for us. I have to tell this particular story........Dad went to lay on Carter's floor to "tame the beast" that would not stay in his bed (but if Dad was in the room he would not get out of the bed). It had been a while and I heard Patrick snoring in the baby monitor. I went upstairs to get him up and find Carter wide awake in his bed butt naked and Patrick asleep. Carter had taken off his jammies and diaper and tee teed in his bed all while his Dad had a nice cat-nap. My husbands face was pure shock, his words were "I am humiliated and feel completely defeated by a 2 year old".

One morning, as we are getting ready to leave for work/school, Cooper looked and me and said "Mom you need to go finished getting dressed". I need to mention I was fully dressed and accessorised and loving my outfit that day haha. I responded "what do you mean, do you not like what I am wearing?". Cooper kindly responded with a yes nod.

Bedtime stories: Cooper Kisgen has amazing creativity. It is not the first time I have mentioned it, but when he tells bedtime stories I am always wowed. The parents are the ones who are supposed to tell bedtime stories, right? Well it began as Dad's talent and I had to learn them so I did not miss details when I retold or I would be corrected.....then Cooper was constantly telling us to wait wait you forgot this or that. It grew in to Cooper taking parts of movies and stories and making up his own. His details are amazing and so fun and delightful to listen to. I always get a big grin when Cooper says "want me to tell you a story?" no matter where we are. Sometimes its dragons, sometimes is knights saving a princess, there are always friends and Cooper is always the main character. How does it start again, oh yeah ONCE UPON A TIME.

Xmas movies Lost N Found Since December 25th I had been missing every single Christmas movie we owned. They were neatly in a basket by the tree Christmas Eve night I remembered when cleaning and get everything set up. I could not locate the movies anywhere when I went to put in Frosty or Rudolph for the boys. I grossly went through the holiday trash that had already made it outside looking for our classic Mickey Mouse holiday specials. I was sad I would have to start over buying their favorite holiday DVD's. Weeks went by and everything was packed up. Around February 5th in fact, a T.V. remote came up missing just a few hours after we had last used it. I finally looked at a subwoofer box that has a small opening in it that sits next to the television stand in the living room. I thought hmmm if I were two I might be curious what I could stick in there. The problem is you can not stick your hand in this "slot" or see because it goes straight down. Patrick and I saw no way in to this thing but I insisted he try and take this sound box apart. We found the remote plus ALL of our holiday movies plus a random assortment of things we thought might be missing. It was quite a laugh, I had lots of people looking for these movies.

Our first meet of our newest family member, beautiful Michael Antley was New Year's Eve. Sweet baby girl!

Figerwork Since shooting fireworks on New Year's Eve with the Antley's, Carter has believed he is a "FIGERWORK". He says, "Look at this Figerwork pewh pewh". Please pay special attention to the spelling and you will see how cute it might sound to hear. He loves Katie Perry's song too "Baby You're a Firework".

Cooper and Carter's GG & GG Steve thought the boys really needed to have Nerf dart guns for Christmas. Ok sure, so it was fine and they had fun watching the little darts soar and make whistling and pop noises. One Saturday morning, Patrick and I were enjoying our sleep. I heard the boys whispering in Carter's baby monitor so I knew it was about to be wake up time. I was quite surprised that within 2 mintues of their bedroom whispers, nerf darts were whistling over our heads and heard Cooper tell his little brother "Carter lets get them"....then Carter asking me to help him load more darts so he could attack us some more. Now that's a way to wake your parents!