Merry Christmas!

We will be finishing shopping tomorrow, but for tonight we strung popcorn and cranberries. AJ was so excited to do something "dangerous" (using a needle is in the dangerous category for us)

They love to pretend they are statues.

TK with her "string". I think she actually put three items on and then said, "mom, you can finish it, I want to draw."


Who can resist this smile!!

WHEN did he get so big?

Little Trip

We spent some time after Halloween in a great state park. We went at such a beautiful time of the year. Can't wait to go back!!

No need to bother with that homework

As parent's we are required to sign when AJ reads his homework. AJ is bored with it and would rather not bother..... so, on the way home from school, he went ahead and "signed" my name so we wouldn't have to do homework.... wonder what his teacher thought.

Halloween

Slightly over due....

Here are some Halloween pics....

TK was a cupcake maker ~ only cupcakes with frosting on top I was informed.
AJ wanted to be a ghost. He had watched "Wubbzy" and he was ghost, so AJ wanted to be one. Let's just say mom's costume making skills don't measure up to the Wubbzy standard. My mil & sitter tried to help, but to no avail.

We spent some time over Halloween with some very dear friends.

and then I went to Target and bought that kid a Batman costume. He could not have been more happy!! All night though everyone asked him where Robin was and he had no clue what they were talking about (:

Too early and too much tape

Sometimes the kids like to help "decorate"..... they especially enjoy it when the find the tape and I'm not in the room!

Family

We recently had family pictures taken and I could go on and on about how wonderful the photographer was and how amazing the print was we finally ordered. (We did order the cd too, so we have copyright approval to do whatever we want with them, which is why I posted a couple on here.) I just want to go back and order every single one in the largest print available!! - That might be a little over board!

The last year

My baby is three and accomplished so much this year! Here is my summary:

• she has left the diapers in the dust!
• started preschool
• has a new sitter
• moved into a new house
• met some friends at our new church
• can spell her own Name!!! (for all you critics that said my child would not be able to spell her name in k-5)
• went to the dentist and did great!

My hopes for the next year......

• learn to ride her bike, this means push the pedals, TK, instead of yelling at your brother or neighborhood kids to pull you around
• learn mom and dad's phone number.... we've been working on this!

I'm going to be a kid!

This is spirit week at school. Each day kids dress up using certain guidelines. AJ and TK only go two days a week. The first day was pajama day.... no problem with that, who doesn't want to stay in their pj's all day!?! The next time is dress up like "what you want to be when you grow up". I have asked him before and his response is, "Well do I have to stop playing when I grow up, because you and dad work a lot and don't play very much?" We talked about this. After that he decided for awhile he could be teacher so he could still read books. I recently asked him again so we would be prepared for school and he is insistent he is going to be a kid when he grows up. TK says she will be a monster..... a monster and a kid, I wonder how this will play out in 10 or 20 yrs.

Meet Finney.... our new addition

My mom made TK her own "princess" tent. She made a similar one when AJ turned three for him and TK couldn't be more excited to have her own space now, of course, right next to AJ's!

You can see a little of AJ's. One day we will have a wall behind their tents, but for now the area is unfinished.

We started asking TK a couple of weeks ago what she wanted for her birthday: two things: ANOTHER baby doll and ANOTHER fish. She even had a name for the fish: Finney.


It's my party!

Can you tell AJ and I decorated? He reminded me I am not the best at it.....

Who wants more cake?

AJ picked out a Strawberry Shortcake for TK. He said since we already had the doll and fish taken care off he could get something else. He is so thoughtful!

oh my babylegs

This is my daughter... she is turning 3 on Friday and likes to do everything herself. AJ has instilled a love of music in her and they often spend a good part of the morning moving the cd player from his room to her room and dancing.... dancing to a 1/2 a song per cd and then changing the cd. This was her outfit for this day.... baby girl loves her babylegs!

The best breadsticks ever!!

We stopped for some lunch and I had the best breadsticks of my life!!!

Almost all the grandkids.... Michael was too tired!

Rainy day at the lake

What should you do when you wake up and it's a rainy day on the lake? Make mom go sit on the beach with you until you are both freezing... so says AJ. (Not many pics of TK on this trip since outdoors are not her fav. She did love reading books by the fireplace though.)

We headed north for a last trip of the summer. 18 of us in the cabin for the weekend!! It was a blast.... AJ loved the fishing. They kept a pail on the dock for the minnows they caught. I think the six boys mananged to catch 4 minnows.

Can you see the love?

Be like mom

This is why I should not leave my nail polish out:

TK did her toes and fingers herself.... really not to bad!