We Have a Thief in Our Midst!

(Note: Let the video cycle through once, then you can enjoy the theft uninterrupted.)

Giveaway - From the Critters

How would you like to go out to your mailbox and find this little beauty sitting there?

I was recently contacted by CSNStore's promo team and they offered to sponsor my first giveaway here on Behind the Three.

Melissa and Doug is one of my favorite brands when it comes to kiddie toys. Well made and whimsical, M & D's toys just exude happiness and encourage childlike wonder. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to giveaway a Melissa and Doug Flapping Duck Push Toy, courtesy of CSN's toysandgamesonline.com. Rian and I love finding online resources for amazingly priced toys - and this site is one stop shopping! If you have little ones of your own, your best friend is expecting or if this little dude just makes you happy, please sign up as a follower and leave a comment and win the chance to give him a home. (Folks that are already a follower just leave a comment.)

Rules:
1. Only one entry per person.
2. No anonymous entries will be considered - I need a name and an email address folks!
3. The winner will be selected Febrary 5th using Random.org.

Chris

Thrice in a Lifetime

Courtesy of Anita Kunz (metroactive.com)

Sorry for the play on a Talking Heads song but I thought it appropriate. Well there has been a new development with the Critters.................(drumroll)......................talking! Reese has decided to take the bull by the horns and start talking. As his mom said, "he is so smart, well on his way to becoming a doctor." While his first word wasn't "cardiologist," it was still impressive. Reese decided to start small with the word "DaDa." Now a lot of the time he will string it together six times ("DaDaDaDaDaDa"), but there have been some occasions where he will just say it once. Of coarse it is about as tough to get in video as Bigfoot.

I think Hadley will be the next to speak, you can just see she is trying so hard. As everyone should know by now CarCar will do things when she is good and ready, so we have stopped speculating on when we think she will do things.

Chris

Happy Birthday Grandma Kate!

A Huge "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" from the Critters.

Reese's New "Buddy"

Its amazing when you see one of your children open up to someone and make a new "buddy." Reese's new buddy is his Uncle George. Reese met Uncle George over the holiday break as Aunt Jane and Uncle George were down from Winona, Minnesota. I think that George had an instant bond with his "little buddy" too.

Over the next few days it was fun to watch Reese and Uncle George interact. Uncle George pretty much became the sole person who fed Reese. Uncle George would have the bottle, bib, burp cloth, and binky ready before he would begin the feed. While this was convenient for Uncle George, Reese would sometimes get a little impatient.

Over the next few days Uncle George would come up with persona's for Reese depending on what he was wearing that day. The first day Reese was a banker due the the button down and sweater vest that he had on. The next day Reese was a pirate. This was my favorite day to see Reese and Uncle George together. George came up with some great quotes for Reese:

1. Shiver me timbers.
2. Hey buddy, pirates don't cry.
3. Hey buddy, I don't think that pirates use binkies.

There was also a lot of "ARGGGGGG's" said.

The next day Reese became a soccer player due to his striped onsie he had on. Finally Reese was a lumberjack. He had a flannel plaid shirt on and really looked like he should be toting around an axe. George informed Reese that he had a "Husqvarna" chainsaw and that he could use it. Rian nixed this idea spouting something along the lines of Reese being too young and too small. As Uncle George would say, "Oh well, too bad little buddy, maybe when you get older."

You could definitely tell that Reese and Uncle George made an connection and Reese can't wait until he can see his Uncle George again.

Chris

Like a Tsunami

It finally happened, we the Critters are sick, all of them. On top of that Rian and I are also under the weather. CarCar appears to be the one who infected everybody as she was the first to show signs. Tuesday night and Wednesday night were less than enjoyable. Little to no sleep while feeling like garbage is not a good combo.

We broke out the humidifier that Rian registered for and let me tell you that thing can create some moisture. The humidifier looks like a frog and it appears that it was trying to create a marshland in the nursery. The floor was quite damp when we would come in the nursery but there was quite a bit less congestion to go around.

Well we are all on the mend and hopefully the Critters will not have to go through this again anytime soon. Hopefully the weather will finally warm up, we do live in Florida don't we?

Chris

Lucha Libre

CarCar was sporting her new hat on Sunday and when we arrived at Costco we saw this:

She was apparently trying to be a Mexican Wrestler known as a Lucha Libre or she was planning on holding up Costco. Luckily we were able to talk her down and we fixed her fashionista hat before we entered the store.

P.S. - CarCar is the funloving Critter so she wanted you all to have fun with this link.

Chris