The Stratton's Video Delivery Service

We apologize for the recent delay in delivering your videos. Our company has undergone some recent changes and has had to reevaluate it's production line process. In order to thank you for you patience, and show our gratitude for your loyalty, we bring you two videos from the Stratton family archive. We hope you enjoy your videos. They were ranked high when shown to our focus groups.



May I also apologize for the sloppiness of our camera man, woman, person, etc. In the excitement to catch this rare ritual, of the oldest twin brothers asking for music and breaking out into dance, she failed to position the camera correctly. We try hard to ensure a quality viewing experience here at Stratton's Video but often times our camera men, women, people, etc. are over worked, sleep deprived, dazed, confused and perhaps a little absent minded.



Once again we apologize for the delay in delivering your videos to you within a resonable amount of time. We ask for your continued support and loyalty and promise to keep delivering videos on a monthly, bimonthly, trimonthly or whenever we can get to it basis.

Sincerely,

Founder, co-owner, and all of the above of Stratton's Video

A Boy and His BALL-oon

We bought the boys balloon's for Valentine's Day and, by doing so, we found a new best friend for Big H.

His Balloon with went him everywhere.




He ate with it. . .



took it on walks. . .



and slept with it. He was in balloon heaven!



He'd walk around the house saying, "Ball? Ball?" He'd ask for it all the time. But slowly, one by one, all the BALL-oon's popped- or became severely deflated.

There was a silver lining. A friend of mine watched the boys, while we dealt with a slight family emergency, and she gave Big H the perfect gift: Two BALL-oon's. This silver lining was short lived however when, after one walk, both of those BALL-oon's disappeared. I'm just hoping he forgets about them until his birthday.

Our 3rd Anniversary

It was over a week ago and I'm finally posting about. We had a wonderful Anniversary!

On Tuesday the 8th we went to see "Tangled". We haven't been to a movie at the theater forever. We went with all three boys and they were fantastic! We loved the movie by the way. Craig has been talking about it ever since.



On Wednesday the 9th (our actual Anniversary) we spent an evening at home. We had a nice dinner of Alfredo with spaghetti noodles and Chicken Salad. We couldn't find a sitter so the boys joined us. I'll admit the evening looked bad when the children all screamed for an hour or more and I tipped my full glass of sparkling cider into the Alfred sauce, but it turned out to be really nice.



Then finally on Friday the 18 we took our Anniversary pictures.






Thanks for three great years sweetie! I'd never want to go back because I love how much more I love you now!

Happy Valentine's Day!

We had a great Valentine's Day just spending time with friends and family.




Our first Valentine's adventure was making some fun Valentine's for Grandparents, Aunts,Uncles and friends




I got this cute idea of making their feet look like hearts. Well I didn't realize how big the finished product would be- especially after we added a few pictures. Yes they are huge Valentine's, but they sure are cute.





On Valentine's Day I waited in line forever to get a heart shaped pizza from Papa Murphy's. We invited my parents over and had a nice dinner. Then we decorated homemade sugar cookies and delivered them to the neighbors.

In this picture Big H actually looks like he's doing some decorating. We just decorated the boys a cookie and let them pick at it while we decorated the others.




We took some to our neighbors and the boys nursery leaders. Can I just tell you how cute it was to see Little H waiting outside the door holding a plate of cookies. I had to grab the camera before we hit the last house, but this doesn't even begin to capture the cuteness.



Hope everyone had a good day!

9 Stars Gets You a Prize!

As I mentioned in earlier posts, the boys have a rewards chart now. When they do something really well I give them a star. After 9 stars they pull the paper off at the bottom to reveal their prize. So far they have earned a trip to the store to get a treat, a night of staying up late to watch a movie and a trip to a playplace. The picture above is from the night they stayed up to watch a movie. They sat next to each other on the couch, ate popcorn and snuggled a little. It was the sweetest thing until they started fighting and popcorn got spilled everywhere. After this night they learned the word "Movie". They pronounce it "Moofie". The movie they watched that night was "The Letter Factory". It's one that I've been using to try and get them into movies. Now every second of the day they ask to watch the "Moofie". And, yes, it has to be "The Letter Factory".

Today I took them to a playplace. My plan was to go and have Craig meet us there on his way home. Well Craig's work had another idea and they called him in for a meeting of some sort. So there I sat, by myself with my three children at the Del Taco Play Place. I worked it all out rather well though. I knew I'd have to get the baby a bottle, so we took care of that as we were walking in. The counter to get the food is just a step away from the playplace door so it wouldn't be hard to leave for a sec to grab my tray. And then we changed bums on our way out. We stayed there until nap time, so I came home and put the twins right to bed. Aren't you impressed? I am! ;)

*The funny thing was that I was juggling two playplaces in my head. Would McDonalds be easier? I would have to wait for the food, before entering the playplace, with the kids because the playplace is in the back of the store, but I could fill up the baby's bottle with ease because they have bathrooms inside the playplace. Or go to Del Taco? Retrieving the food would be easier there, but in order to fill up the bottle I'd have to either:

• leave the kids while I ventured clear across the restaurant to the bathrooms- not really an option.
• ask for a cup of hot water when I ordered- assuming they had some.
• Or fill the bottle up with all three kids as I entered the store.

There is another option where I take all three kids out of the playplace to go to the bathroom with me, but that sounded so ridiculously inconvenient it didn't even make the list.

McDonalds won originally, but quickly lost when we found out their playplace was being remodeled. This was after I had gotten everyone out of the car too.

Happy Happy Birthday to You!

We just wanted to wish a very special Grandma "Happy Birthday!" The batteries died in the camera so that is why it was cut short. Sorry about that. Hope you enjoy it still.

I figured a post to wish Grandma S a "Happy Birthday" was also a good post to write about the cute things the boys have been up to. Plus I want to get them written down before I forget.

*Last night I asked the boys if they were ready for bed. Big H promptly folded his arms ready to say prayers. Funny thing is that I had not remembered to say prayers before bed that night. Glad my little boy is there to keep me in line!

*Along with folding their arms the boys have learned to say, "Amen" when the prayer is over. And, boy, do they have the most enthusiastic "Amen" you have ever heard.

*The boys are HUGE helpers. Yesterday we went to Carls Jr and Big H needed a diaper change. So off to the bathroom we went, but I forgot wipes. So we went back and grabbed some wipes. Little H decided to follow us back to the bathroom. I finished changing Big H and then I decided to change Little H because it had been a while since his last diaper change. Apparently he had pooped too, but the bad thing was that he had diarrhea so now his little bum was toasted. Well I had forgotten to grab some bum cream. I tried calling Craig but his phone was dead, so I looked out the door to see if I could get his attention. Craig was looking for Little H- he didn't know he had followed us to the bathroom- so he noticed me standing at the door. I sent Big H to his Dad and asked Craig to send him back with some bum cream. I went back in the bathroom to tend to little H, who screamed and hollered as I wiped his bum. Then I went to the door to check on Big H. Well, there he was, standing right outside the door, bum cream and all. It was the sweetest thing in the world!

*Little H loves to be a big brother. Last night he wanted to help Daddy with the baby. He got things for Dad like burp rags and wipes. Then I helped him get a binkie for Baby M. After delivering the binkie, Craig said, he climbed up on the bed so he could hold Monty and help him feel better. What a sweetheart!

Each time the little boys help it feels my heart with such joy. They have grown so much, and they are just such little sweethearts.

*Baby M has been a big helper too. He plays with toys pretty well, and he just gets calmer everyday. He keeps mom happy by laughing and smiling, and he's been sleeping without having to be swaddled. I sure love that boy!

Well hope you had a Happy Birthday Grandma S! We love you and appreciate everything you do!