Holiday Cheer

You know how the holidays are.  Eat, sleep, run around town like a crazy person, repeat.  That pretty much sums it up.  Here is a quick holiday recap:

Thanksgiving!  We've been "alone" for Thanksgiving for years.  I think maybe we're going on 7 years?  Anyway, each year we usually cook or big spread and share it with friends.  It takes forever, it's exhausting, the kids don't even eat what I cooked, and the smell usually nauseates me so that by the time we actually eat I don't want to eat it.  Doesn't food cooked by someone else always taste so much better?  This year I needed a major break.  So we said screw it and went out to the fanciest place that would allow two kids that didn't always sit still with a white napkin across their laps.  A very non-traditional Thanksgiving!

Waiting for our table.  These boys were hungry!

Dinner time!  Everyone thought Ez's glasses were so cool.  The kids mostly ate the cheese rolls.

Then it was off to the Smithsonian's Air and Space museum.  When we first moved here over 2 years ago we went here almost every weekend.  The kids loved it and hey, it's free!  Gotta love that.  Ezra is still extremely into space.  That was actually one of the first 'super autism powers' that we noticed that Ezra had.  At the age of 2 he could name and identify all of the planets in the solar system.  More on that later.  Anyway, Ezra still loves the Air and Space museum and asks to go here almost daily.  Ezra: "Mama, go see planets."  Me:  "Ezra, it's time to get ready for the school bus."  Ezra: "No!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go see planets!"

This is their favorite room.  Asher doesn't like the flash so he's plugging his ears.

I asked Ezra to look at me and the camera.  He got embarrassed and shy and covered his face.

"Cool!  Astronaut!"

It was a bitter cold day.  The boys were too cold to walk so Jason carried them.

Friday it was all about the Christmas tree!  I love alive Christmas trees and whenever we can- we try to get live trees.  Asher was a having a bad day so just me and Ez ventured out to pick the perfect tree.

Picking out the perfect tree.

Ezra stood back because he was terrified of the chain saw.

One last trim before we take it home!

And the finished product! 

Snuggling by the fire watching home movies.  These kids like watching themselves!

On Saturday we ventured out to ICE at the Gaylord National hotel in National Harbor.  Every year the Gaylord National does a special ice exhibit called "ICE" where everything is carved out of ice.  EVERYTHING!  The exhibit is kept at 3 degrees and you have to wear these special coats over your own coat.  We crossed our fingers, paid the $30 per person admission, and hoped that everyone would have a fun time.  We didn't last as long as we'd hoped.  Asher by the end started getting super whiny and just wanted to be held.  He was freezing and we should have been better prepared and put the kids in full on snow clothes.  Next year!

This little stinker was frozen solid by the time we were done.

Brrr!

This is the view from the top of the slide.  Ezra loved the slides even though his bum was frozen by the end!

Ezra was the only one that would pose for me!  It was SOOO cold!

We finished up the Thanksgiving weekend back at the Air and Space Museum.  Ezra was begging us to go back there.  So we somehow ended up back there again.  We're pretty lame parents, I guess!  It was a packed weekend.  Now that Thanksgiving is over, let the Christmas festivities begin!

Best Friends

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  Tis the season to be thankful!  Today I am so thankful that these two little buddies are such good friends.  They need each other!  In a world where they will constantly be different from their peers, I am so happy that they will have each other.  Of course I will be there for them too, but it's comforting to know that they will have a buddy that they can actually empathize with.

Riding the metro!

Grocery shopping!

At a birthday party

 Don't get me wrong, they fight like cats and dogs.  Ezra is very sensitive to sound and he often doesn't like the little non-word noises that Asher makes.  Asher isn't great at sharing yet (we're working on it) and he is constantly taking things from Ezra.  Constantly!  He wants to be just like his older brother.  These are just two small examples, but they fight like regular brothers fight.

I caught them holding hands!  Sweetest moment ever!

At George Washington's Mount Vernon.  Their favorite part is the miniature model of the house in the visitor center.

They love going for bike rides!

 On the flip side, they are the sweetest kids to each other.  I know that they love each other.  Ezra is such a loving older brother who is always concerned for Asher's safety.  We go to therapy a few times a week and we usually take the elevator up to the office.  Ezra gets so concerned if Asher is too close to the elevator door.  It's actually really funny and I usually have to explain to the other passengers in the elevator why Ezra is freaking out.  When we wait for the bus in the morning Ezra gets concerned if Asher steps a foot on the street.  He will look at me and then says: "Asher, c'mon!" to get Asher to step back onto the sidewalk.  It's honestly quite adorable, even though it is a little bit mother hen of him. :-)  Then Asher always gives things to Ezra when he is crying or having a tantrum.  He will hand him a bag of goldfish or one of his small cars.  I know they love each other even if they show it in a different way.

Snuggling and watching a quick show before bed.

Playing catch at the pool together.

 So today I am so grateful for these two boys.  Thankful that they have each other and thankful that I have the privilege of being their mama.

Sharing some iPad time together!