Holiday Excitement!

Both of the kids are soooo excited for the holidays! They are at such a great age and believe in the magic of it all.:)
Chris is so excited and his list changes every day. Today he wants the Big Time Rush c.d... They are a pop boy band and he is in love with them. He watches them and tries to do the dances! We also enrolled him in Tae Kwon Do and he is so excited to start this week!


Addie has been a challenge at swim lessons. During the first two, she refused to join the class for the first five minutes. She literally threw a fit and cried. It came out of no where. And then both days, it was like a switch went off and she jumped in and started swimming. She's way too advanced for her class, but I can't really ask to move her up when she was throwing a fit! At least now she's over it and having fun! She is so smart, but sometimes the girl really lacks common sense. We like to call her J.D. I know that she knows all her numbers and letters, but when she plays "name that number" game with Jack, Mage, and Chris, she is the weak link. She just blurts out any answer as fast as she can. And yesterday, we were all hanging out at my parents and the boys took their clothes off. Addie came up to us and said, "I'm soooo cold. I better take my clothes off." Oh, Addison! She's still really into playing "mommy" and every baby doll is named Bella. She also keeps talking about how she wants "Baby Alive" but she refers to it as "that poopin' baby!"

It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas...

The Christmas decorations are just starting to make their way out... and I tried to be crafty. Some turned out great... but then some tanked. Let's just say six yards of burlap that I bought to turn into Santa's bag of toys didn't make the cut.:)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving from my favorite Turkeys!!! I know, I know, this is the last year I'll get Chris the turkey shirt... It's a little too young for him... but he did love it.:) He wore it to school and when Addie and I visited his class for a Thanksgiving activity, his teacher told me how much she loved his shirt... and then she said, "And I just love that he would actually wear it!" Ha!



We had a really uneventful feast. Brendan was supposed to be working so we didn't travel to the lake... but his schedule changed at the last minute and he was able to make it to dinner which was hosted at my mom's this year. The entire family was there and it just reminded me how thankful and lucky I really am. The boys played crazy and Addie was her sweet self. Well- for those minutes when I had the camera out, that is.:)

School Projects

Both of the kids continue to LOVE school. They had the whole week of Thanksgiving off due to holidays and both of them were asking when they could go back! It's so cute to see their school projects.

Addie brought home this turkey feather. The kids never pay the fish any attention- but of course the fish made her "thankful" list. It cracks me up because this is just like what Chris used to always put- everything was about the fish!

Chris did this all by himself- how sweet- He's thankful for God. I asked about the picture and I'm pretty sure he was trying to draw Jesus because he said, you know how they had long hair. It kind of looked like a dog to me. And then our house... we have a covered front porch and it has a railing at the top. Chris described how he drew that part of the house- and he said, "You know mom- It's the jail cell above our front door." LOL. Oh- and I was a little confused about the red house. Duh mom, bricks!


And lastly- this picture just warms my heart. He pointed to the stick figure in the middle and said, "I'm thankful for the army men like Mr. Shetler who fight for our country." He described the guy as saluting to the flag/star. How sweet is that? Our friend Mike is serving our country overseas for a year- and Chris must really think about him.:)

Fun In Da 'Hood

I've been horrible about taking pictures lately- and without pictures, I'm bad at blogging... I apologize! Things have been extremely busy these past few weeks. Both kids are in swimming- Chris has Snow swimming on Mon/Wed evenings and Addie is taking lessons on Tues/Thursday evenings. I'm learning more and more every day that my life is actually getting way easier- but WAY busier at the same time! On a few afternoons and weekends, we LOVE playing with our neighborhood friends. They actually built trails in our hood and the kids have loved playing on them- They also like to sneak back to the contruction hills and "climb" the mountain... Shhhh.:) The sunsets are sooo pretty from the back of our house in the evenings- I just wish the sun didn't set so early- I hate daylight savings time- We have way too much fun outside!


Oh- and look at Chris- doesn't he look so much older and mature. Where has my baby gone? He's had yet another growth spurt and has really started to thin out. Yesterday, he was racing Addie and it was like something out of a movie- his pants fell straight to the ground and he fell! I actually need to go buy a belt! Oh- and his front tooth is getting loose!



My sweet Addie Tay things she's way older than she is. She hangs out with third graders and they love her. She is just "with it." Although she is making mommy said- she has begun taking her bow out when she sees her friends don't have one in.:(

Tearjerker

Lately, I've been realizing how big the kids are getting... and it makes me sad. It also makes me happy because it's exciting and easy and they make me proud... and all that good stuff, too. But it still is very bittersweet.

Just this week, I tried to kiss Chris... and this happened:
Me- Chris, give mommy a kiss before you get on the bus.
Chris- Mom, I told you... I don't kiss you in front of my friends.
Ramsey (Chris's friend who was waiting with us on our front porch)- It's o.k. Chris... I won't tell anybody. Ha!

And then tonight, Addison was sitting by me on the bleachers and we were watching Chris at swimming. She got soooo happy and couldn't get over herself. "Look Mommy, Look Mommy!!! My feet touch." She was able to sit on the bleachers and her feet touched the ground just like a big girl!

This month, I treated myself to not one, but two new c.d.'s. I never do that... but the kids and I have loved them sooo much. Addie is officially addicted to the song "Stuck like Glue" by Sugarland. You should hear my car with the three of us singing! Poor Chris- He has his mommy's rhythm. He's off... but he can carry a tune. And Addison- she has got it goin' on. Girlfriend can sing. She can dance, too... but in her everyday life, she can sometimes be a klutz. Brendan and I laugh at her because she's always running into doors or falling out of nowhere.

The other c.d. I got is the new Taylor Swift c.d.... Chris likes the song "Haunted" just because of it's name... and he thinks it sounds scary... But my favorite song is "Never grow up." It's soooo good... and the lyrics make me want to cry every time:

Your little hand's wrapped around my finger
And it's so quiet in the world tonight
Your little eyelids flutter cause you're dreaming
So I tuck you in, turn on your favorite night light
To you everything's funny, you got nothing to regret
I'd give all I have, honey
If you could stay like that

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
I won't let nobody hurt you, won't let no one break your heart
And no one will desert you
Just try to never grow up, never grow up

You're in the car on the way to the movies
And you're mortified your mom's dropping you off
At 14 there's just so much you can't do
And you can't wait to move out someday and call your own shots
But don't make her drop you off around the block
Remember that she's getting older too
And don't lose the way that you dance around in your pj's getting ready for school

Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
No one's ever burned you, nothing's ever left you scarred
And even though you want to, just try to never grow up

Take pictures in your mind of your childhood room
Memorize what it sounded like when your dad gets home
Remember the footsteps, remember the words said
And all your little brother's favorite songs
I just realized everything I have is someday gonna be gone

So here I am in my new apartment
In a big city, they just dropped me off
It's so much colder that I thought it would be
So I tuck myself in and turn my night light on

Wish I'd never grown up
I wish I'd never grown up

Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
I could still be little
Oh I don't wanna grow up, wish I'd never grown up
It could still be simple
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, just stay this little
Oh darling, don't you ever grow up
Don't you ever grow up, it could stay this simple
Won't let nobody hurt you
Won't let no one break your heart
And even though you want to, please try to never grow up
Oh, don't you ever grow up
Oh, never grow up, just never grow up

Fall Farm Day

I'll take 71 degrees on any day... espeically a beautiful fall, November day! We ventured to Ticonderoga Farms today with the Hayes clan and spent all afternoon playing in tee-pees, tunnels, log homes, going down slides, and even seeing chickens. Sooooo much fun! It just make me dread winter so much more.:(

For the Record...

Chris- my handful to the fullest- got his first report card this week. When I went to his conference, his teacher gave me a new sheet that said the teacher's were not going to give any "O's" for outstanding during the first quarter because they felt all the kids had room for improvement- so they recieved "S's" for satisfactory... She then said they had since changed their mind and that some kids in fact deserved "O's"... and Chris was one of them. In fact, he got straight "O's"... and after going over his report card, he had the highest marks possible! She said that they "love having him in class, he is the best role model, works hard, and is so sweet." She also said he has it all together and "is doing great academically, socially, and emotionally." She went on and on about how great he is!!! There was not a bad word said about him. Am I bragging? YES!!! She then looked at me and I guess could read my facial expression and said, "I take it he's not like this at home!" Ha! For real, Chris is a great kid, but he's just Chris... If she saw me holding my breath at the bus stop every day because I'm afraid he's going to go crazy, she'd understand... So- a big Woo Hoo goes to Chris- he is really making us proud this year.:) I know that not every conference or year will be like this- but I'll take it!

Neighborhood Playdates

Chris and Add are quite the social butterflies... Every single day, they invite kids back to the house to play. The weather was great this week, and we had afternoons full of soccer games, dodge ball, riding the barbie jeep, golf (Thanks Averey for the clubs!), t.v. tag- you name it, we played it. The kids even made guns out of sticks-I didn't let them bring guns out- so they found a way to make them... which led me to dragging huge empty boxes out of the basement for tunnels and targets as we played "army traning." It was hilarious... I would yell, "hit the deck" and they'd all lay on the ground in perfect position. I wonder if I'm known as the crazy lady. Hey- it was fun.:)

Splish Splash

They were takin' a bath. Brendan let the kids take a bubble bath and that was the start of a new love affair. The kids learned that once you turn the jets on, the bubbles multiply, and multiply, and multiply until they overtake the tub... and they LOVE it. Me, not so much... it's a big mess- but it's worth it to keep them entertained for a while.:)

Never Gets Old

Chris and Addie really are close siblings... They love each other sooo much! I never get tired of seeing them fall asleep side by side... It warms my heart!

Fun at the Lake

Mommy had such a good time with her friends. Brendan was even quite romantic- getting my friends and I a hotel room for two nights.:) The weekend was so much fun, and I for the first time, I was o.k. with being gone from my kids... I know that they were having a blast with Gram and Pop Pop!!!! It looks like they had such a fun weekend!!!

Aunt AA

Mommy got to have girl's weekend and the kids had a fun weekend away with Daddy at the lake. The kids came home and got to see their Aunt Ashley... She taught them how to march and parade around my house singing "Hoo-rah for Hoover" and they haven't stopped since... Thanks Ash! We've decided that we're going to live at the beach for two weeks together this summer with the kids. Lord help us!

Just another Manic Monday

The kids had a day off from school, so we had to make the most of it!!! Danielle and the girls came over for a pancake breakfast and playtime... As usually, the kids were craaaazzzzzeeeeeee.:)

May The Force Be With You...

I never thought I'd give in, but I did... and I love it! Chris wanted to re-do his room as a Star Wars room for his birthday... With the help of Gram and Pop Pop, we were able to get new bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. Brendan and I bought a framed movie poster from the art gallery, and we pulled toys and things from his collection to finish out the room. When Chris was at school on his birthday, Papa came over to hang shelves and move furniture. When Chris came home, we totally surprised him with the room makeover... and he LOVED it!

Here is a picture he drew at school- The sentance said, I can___________ and Chris filled in "lightsabre fight with my Daddy."... Or at least his version of that- It's sooo cute.

And here is his shelf of legos. He's obessed with Star Wars legos and he's actually o.k. with putting them together and not playing with them... He loves playing with the little people, but he likes to keep them on display. He was actually able to do some of them on his own... And thank you Aunt Paula for his birthday surprise... it's somewhere on this shelf already!:)

No School!!!

We had the day off from school today, and the kids and I found a great way to stay busy... We hung out at the gyms and went swimming with the Hayes clan. Always a good time!:)