Merry Merry Xmas!!

Merry merry xmas!!! Best (well I say that every year, but really - this year was awesome)...CHRISTMAS ever this year. Ages 5 and 3.5 couldn't have been more fun on xmas morning and getting ready for the big day. The boys were all about Santa and Toodie (their elf on the shelf that the looked for every morning and were always saying "watch out, santa and toodie are watching you).

Things my little man were into this XMas:

Jared: the xmas movie ELF, which was so fun cause its one of my favorite xmas movies. Into black spider man and transformers and still Zhu Zhu pets. We are doing over your room and it has a desk with it. You tell everyone you are so excited for your new office. Love you!

Liam: Obsessed with his tools still. After opening all his many many xmas gifts hes still walking around with his tool box which he takes with him everywhere. Grocery store, friends house, car rides, walks - hes always prepared to fix. Loved the movie and SONG frosty the snowman. Also loves the sone Dynomite (not xmas but still made our xmas mix for him:)

Nolan: Is ALL about red spider man. Everything is spider man and everything is red. Grammy got you a spider man winter hat with a spider face and eye cut outs. You wear it everywhere and talk about him 24/7. You are also dressing yourself which for you Nolan is scary. The things you put together are so random and crazy - you dance to the beat of your own drum and I love that about you.

BABY O'CONNELL: We found out on 12/18 that you are a BOY!!! People expect for me to be dissappointed that you are not a girl but I am so not. Girls would be fun too but I have the most fun w/ my little men and cant wait for another one. So excited to meet you in May sweet boy. My belly is getting large and you are starting to kick like crazy. The boys ask every day if you're tall enough to come out & ask to kiss my belly. They love you already too!!

Thankful Thanksgiving:)

So much to be thankful for this year. My amazing husband, parents who I adore, brother and sister and brother in laws, inlaws who couldn't be better and my amazing, lovable, funny, squeezable boys!! My heart is so full -- and the thought of being so lucky to be getting one more just melts my heart.

The boys have a lot to be thankful for.

Liam "I'm thankful for my moster truck bedroom"
Nolan "I'm thanful for mommy and daddy and my trucks" and later that day....ME: "Nolan I'm so lucky you are my little boy" NOLAN: "Mommy, I"m so thankful for chocolate cake". Haha!!
Jared "I'm thankful for my new office (cracking me up cause he thinks he's going to have an office now that his new bedroom set has a desk!)"
Later that day "I'm thankful for my brothers - I really love them"

How lucky am I?! So thankful for our health and for each amazing member of our family. XO

Potty Training...O'Connell Boy Style

Just jotting this down...just in case J, L or N has a boy one day and that cute little boy gives them the same problems mine gave me. Peeing...no problem. They all were peeing like champs by 3 years old. They love to pee and especially love to pee outdoors. Maybe its my fault but it was so easy to potty train during the summer when they were outside and only had a bathing suit on or naked (yes, you adore being naked) in the pool. Just last week we were at Grammy and Papa's and we couldn't find you until we looked out the door and saw three naked bums lined up with pants down...peeing in the drive way. Now I'm trying to drill it into L & N's heads that they CAN'T pee outside when school starts.

As for #2...haha...Jared was over 4.5 when he finally stopped hiding and started going on the toilet. The only way I got him to go was when he did go in his pants...I made him clean himself up. What a mean mother I am. Nolan...you are amazing at this and love going on the toilet. Yeah Nolie Pie!!! As for Liam...you are like clock work. I put a pull up on you every day at nap/noon and every day you go in your pants and ask me to come change you. Since I know you know when you are going - I put an end to it yesterday. You were cracking me up!!! I told you htere were no more diapers in the house at naptime and you said "mommy, I think we have just one more & why don't you go get some at the store" Haha!! I stood in the hall way and you kept asking for one. Finally...you started shaking the door like you were crazy person...then when I walk in I find you rummaging through your closet - desperate to find a diaper. I plopped you down on the toilet and you finally went....hoping this is it for diapers!!!

Cute bum:)

Liam looking at Nolan not wearing a stich of clothing..."Nolan, HONEY, WHAT happened to your hienie (spelling? but he meant bum)"...

Nolan "It's a boo boo and I got it at the heinie store".

Haha!!

Wells Maine Vacation...Manfredi Style!

We had the BEST week away with Mom and Dad and Jay and Kris David and Mia came up for 4 days. The house my mom found was litterally sitting on the beach. It had a big deck on the front of the house and a smaller porch - on the ocean. The boys were in their glory (and so were Jon and I), digging in the sand, jumping in the waves and playing with their cousins - all DAY long. I could get used to beach life...enjoying lobster, coctails on the deck every night. Such a blast. Loved being with everyone for a weeks straight and already can't wait till next year.

Outlet shopping:)

I never wrote about this one but it made me laugh out loud for days!! Had to run to the Wrentham Outlets to pick up a quick gift so brought all 3 boys along for the ride. We're walking through the Gap outlet and I see Jared walk up to a female manaquin and grab her hand. He looks up at "her" with his big blue eyes and says "will you marry me"...ok, if I could purchase the servaylance video I would cause it was too funny for words. As if that wasn't funny enough - he then pulls her arm OFF!!!! I of course am then fumbling with this girl to re-attach her arm, in hysterics cause I really do have 3 of the funniest boys on the planet.

Good times:) XOXO

Grocery Run/Fiasco!!

Had to pick up a few last minute items at Stop and Shop today with the boys. WHY, why why do I think these quick visits will ever go smoothly when all they want to do is run through the aisles and carry & pick up very breakable t hings off the shelves (Nolan was walking around with two jars of pasta sauce - thankfully no brakage and I got them back on the shelves before a catastrophy!!!).

The check out counter was UGLY - No lie, a 5 foot tall display of kit kat bars right near us - you can see where this is going, right?!. I don't know who knocked it over but just imagine 500 kit kat bars all over the floor. I am still sweating thinking about it. And all there saying is 'can i have this one, i want this one". On a good note - the store opened a new check out aisle to get me out of there ASAP. Ah,,,the joys of boys:)

Liam and Nolan on Easter

Jared and Daddy!

Nice Weather!

Outside.ALL.DAY!! Love it, we were outside from 9AM till about 5Pm the other day. Nothing like wearing out 3 crazy boys. It's the best that we can be outside now after being cooped up for a very long winter. Jared just asked me if we could build a snowman out of grass. Haha, I guess he misses the snow just a little. Liam and Nolan went out with Grammy and Papa the other night to pick out their birthday bikes!! Nolan loves his bike and keeps telling everyone about his big boy bike. Liam is a little cautious - he sits on his bike but knowing him it may take a while for him to warm up to it. They also went out for McDonalds w/ G & P and had such a good time!

Things in the O'Connell house are great. I have been watching baby James on Tuesday's and my guys love it. James was crying the other day and Jared ran over to him and assured him "it's ok, daddy's here:)" haha. Liam and Nolan love to help out too.

Pictures!

Had the boys pictures taken by Tony (fabulous photographer who I work for at Pentimalli Studios). I was a bit nervous because I have only taken them for their pictures a few times and each of those times was a disaster because my boys have been ALL OVER THE place and acted like they ate a pound of sugar before we left the house.

Today was slightly crazy but on our family scale - it went amazingly well. Jared sat and smiled and just hammed up the camera. When Tony asked Jared if he liked soccer he said "No, I like football". Well Jared, who's your favorite football player "My DADDY"...haha, it was priceless and I think Jon was in his glory.

I can't wait to see the pictures:)

Church with my Jared

Ok, I know I'm long overdue but Jared hasn't been to church in a very very long time (OK, he's never been to church other than his Christening and his first Christmas). We say our prayers daily but really - the thought of JOn and I bringing our sweet terrible twos and him has been an overwhelming thught. ** Let's picture three cute boys screaming and running around, maybe even hurling some song books over to the next aisle**

So fast forward to the past few weeks when I have been talking church up for Jared. Reminding him that his great Papa Manfredi is up in heaven with Jesus watching over us. He was so excited. He kept telling Liam and Nolan "I'm going to Heaven with mommy and you can't come". Haha - love this boy!! Right when we pull into the church parking lot he asked "Mommy - does Jesus have a car". "I'm so EXCITED for church" Where's God? Where's Jesus? Does God feed baby Jesus a bottle??

"Why did Papa Manfredi go to heaven?"

Christmas!

My boys:)