You can't choose family, but you can Nerf them!

Time has been flying by lately.  I went away for work for a week and really missed my family - I am turning into more of a home-body as I get older.  But it was great to be away, I learned a lot at my work event and I got to visit with my favourite aunt, uncle, and cousins.  It was a thing I didn't have much of when I was growing up - extended family - so I am delighted to get a chance to have it now.

So naturally when I got home I missed my kids like crazy and I just had to take pictures of them.  They were both sick while I was gone, so I felt awful for leaving them but I left them in the best hands possible - my mom.  Who is more capable of raising my kids than my own mother?  She loves them almost as much as I do, and she very kindly dressed them in their adorable striped shirts so I just loved them even more when I saw them.

Here's Will, standing at my knees telling me all kinds of things.  He really doesn't stop talking.  And when I say "smile" he doesn't do that, either.  Oh well.

I had to take about 10 photos of Tom that didn't turn out until I got this one.  This is totally Tom.  He's so handsome.

And, sadly, this is totally Will.  Only one photo required to capture the true essence of Will.

Then I decided to take a picture of the boys together, on the couch.  They insisted Dad get into the photo - here's what I got:

If you can't pile on Dad, who can you pile on?  Tom said this next one "looks like you're giving me a piggy back, Dad!" That Tom, he's so crafty.

As I struggled to remember how to set the timer on the camera, the boys just kept playing around so I kept snapping pictures.  I love this one - look how tall Will is getting!  I was only gone a week but I am certain he's grown since I saw him last.

Then I finally got the timer to work, and after several (dozen) tries, we got a pretty good one!  Even though the kids both have colds they're both so cute.

Cuteness done.  Now it's time for serious business: Nerf gun fights.  We have a good friend who has two Nerf guns that my kids LOVE.  While I was away my aunt and I went on an expedition to find Nerf guns that take the same ammo - we can't have a truly good Nerf fight if I'm running around trying to find one kind of ammo or another.  Fast refilling of the clips is the key to a good fight!  While most people would save gifts until Christmas, I say let them fight!  So we pulled out the guns and had at 'er.  I took many a rounds in the butt, which makes the children laugh hysterically.  If you know any 3- and 5-year-olds, you know that butt jokes are pretty much the funniest things going.

Here's Will, poised to strike.

And Tom, standing on the chair shooting his dad.  I really think this is some of the best therapy around - shooting your kids and letting them shoot you.  Hopefully it's not fodder for a more expensive therapy when they're older...