the week before Christmas in photos

So it's Christmas Eve and we have done so much that I need to blog about! But instead I'll just show you the fun in photos. Last weekend we went to Nashville to celebrate Aunt Elizabeth's birthday and also exchange presents with everyone there.

Kate and Audrey wore their matching dresses (thanks, Aunt Elizabeth!). Audrey was enamored with cousin Kate!Miles & Kate had lots of fun opening presents and playing together.Here are YaYa & B with their grand kids. Not the most cooperative bunch!Aunt Elizabeth celebrated her 29th birthday!
Since we were halfway to Memphis, Mimi & PawPaw came to Nashville to see us and drop off Christmas presents. We had a really fun breakfast!
Then we came back home and a few days later BeeBe & PopPop came to visit for Christmas. They're having lots of laughs and snuggles.
We've also had lots of visitors at out bird feeder by the kitchen window. It makes for lively mealtimes.
We finally went to see Santa on Christmas Eve Eve. Thank you, PopPop, for waiting in the 1hr 40min (!) line while we ate Chick Fil A. After lunch everyone was excited and ready to see Santa.

But then we got there and we weren't all that excited anymore. It was pretty close to naptime, too! But Miles took care of telling Santa what Audrey wanted too.
And today we made cookies for Santa. Miles is an enthusiastic sprinkler!
Now the children are tucked in their beds, and we're having dinner before Santa comes! And then we get to celebrate baby Jesus's birthday.

.:: ~ Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night ~ ::.

Audrey's debut

Audrey's stage debut was a little rougher than Miles's. She held it together, barely...


Miles's show to come....

Rock 'n Roll Girl

Updated: I just realized that by linking from Facebook, any of you who weren't on FB can't see this!! Sorry, I was trying to use that host site. Here it is again from YouTube.

Audrey is a little rocker. In the car she asks for "Geen Day, peez?" The other day she was rocking and singing along and I caught her... for a while.

A Christmas dress

Not to turn this into the "All About Audrey" blog (though one day that will probably exist!), but look at her cute new dress! Aunt Elizabeth made it for her, and cousin Kate has a matching one. They'll be so cute together at Aunt Elizabeth's birthday party. Thank you so much!

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Yippeee!! Snow!! The first snow of the season fell today and it was a pretty good one. We woke to a light cover on the grass, but it continued to fall and cover everything except the roads. Since Miles had a birthday party to attend this morning, we headed out while it was falling right after breakfast. While it did snow last winter, this was the first time for Audrey to get out in it. She looked like the Stay Puft Man in her pink snowsuit. I picked up rain boots for both of them at Target yesterday and hers were a little big. The worst part for her was the mittens, so after a few photos, Wayne took her inside.
Miles and I stayed out a little longer so we could work on a snowman - his first ever! We've had snow every year but it's never been nice & sticky like today's. It was a wee-snowman but it still counts. We had to defend it from Chelsea, she thought we were making a toy for her. Miles later added a second carrot in the bottom part of the snowman.... you know, his bellybutton.
This year the excitement level has ramped up over years past. We're having lots of fun playing Christmas music all day long and adding decorations around the house. They've enjoyed "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and I've been recording all the Christmas shows for them. We may have to slow up in watching some of them. Audrey tried to take a lesson from Buddy the Elf....
Merry Christmas everyone!

Over the river & throught the woods....

We had a fun trip around the state visiting family for Thanksgiving this year. We started with a few days in Memphis and had 2 Turkey dinners. Although by the looks of these pictures we lived in fast food joints. Here's Miles with PawPaw in the "classic" McD's in Cordova.And with PopPop after a play land lunch at Chick-fil-A. Even Audrey made it up through the steps and down the slide.We were so excited to see our Great Grandmas!
And Aunt Megan! oh , and Uncle Kyle too. Kyle's really glad Miles is entering the age of Legos.... man those things took over Kyle's room when he was a kid. We loved seeing their new house. I got some house envy seeing their awesome back yard and attic (!). And we got to meet their new doggie, Molly. Such a cutie.
Then is was on to Nashville for Thanksgiving day. This was the first year we made a point to watch some of the parade, and I think the kids liked it. Cousins Kate & Evan came over to play and eat.
Although they look enthusiastic, I don't think the boys ate much besides turkey. Miles wouldn't even try the cranberries, sweet potatoes or pears. I tried to explain that it was dessert for lunch, but he didn't care.
Audrey refused to eat at all, until Kate came along and fed her. They were both in heaven. Audrey being fed by her big cousin, and Kate having a real live baby to feed.
Now we're home and ready for Christmas! We've got the tree up and some decorations in some other rooms. Our Elf from the North Pole (named Broderick) showed up yesterday after a rough morning. Santa thought he should come keep an eye on things. Miles wrote his very first letter to Santa and Broderick took it back to the North Pole. This morning Miles woke up to a letter back from Santa and a candy cane! Miles asked for two things, a Bat Cave and the Robin Hood movie. I think Santa will be able to make him happy on Christmas morning!

Santa loves Chick-fil-a too!

practice makes perfect... or at least less wobbly.

For posterity and future personality tests.

Miles came to me last night while I was reading The Lost Symbol and wanted me to read to him. I told him I would as soon as I finished the chapter (Dan Brown chapters are 3 pages long). He asked what I was reading & I told him, "It's a mystery book. That means something strange happened at the beginning and we have to read to find out why and who did it."

And HE said, "Just flip to the end and see what happens!"

The roof is on fire!

For the last few months, Miles's school has been doing a "Learn not to burn" unit on fire safety. We've been making escape plans, choosing meeting points and stop, drop & rolling all around. Yesterday was the grand finale with a fire department presentation at his school. Since it wasn't his normal class day, Audrey & I took him to participate. Here he is with his buddy Eli trying to smile for mommy. Too bad the noon sun was right behind me! They showed the kids all around the fire engine, but the absolute coolest thing (for them) was when one of them got to open the storage door on the side. See the blond head behind Miles? That little door was the best!

Here's Fireman Sparky (seriously?) with all his gear. He dressed out so they could see what a fireman will look like and not be afraid. Audrey was afraid.
There was a miniature house where they reviewed fire safety and then got to practice climbing out a window. We still need ladders for the kids rooms, but he has practiced opening his window.
In other news.... Santa can cancel his trip to our house this year. Miles already has the greatest toy in the world: a big cardboard box. It's not as big as the huge box from our kitchen remodel, but it is just as much fun. His favorite thing is to trap himself inside with Audrey. They just sit there & giggle & peek out the cracks. This one might stick around for while, it is GREAT entertainment!

my little faker...she was acting sick 30 min. ago. Not so much anymore!

candy!

For the second year in a row several families from our street gathered here to set out for trick or treating. Unfortunately, the forecasters were wrong (shocker!) and the rain held on through the evening. Despite the fine drizzle, we all traipsed up and down the street, knocking on doors and ringing doorbells. We had the wagon train going again, but ended up walking for the last half of the trip. Audrey got the hang of it pretty fast. The photo in the top right was after the first house when she discovered they put CANDY in her bag. By the last house she was grabbing treats at the houses with the best of them. She walked right up and said everything she was supposed to, although too quietly to be heard.

Miles wavered between Superman and Imagination Mover Rich and I made him decide earlier this week, since Rich required some work. So after the GRE was over (oh yeah, I did it! and I'm pretty happy with the results. thanks for the prayers) I got to work making the shirt. A few iron-ons, some red duct tape and a glow stick for a scribble stick and viola, he's a mover. I'm sure no one knew who he was, but he loved it.

We got a later start this year so it was dark by the time we wrapped up. Both kiddos held in long enough for a treat when we got home - Rice Krispie Treat for Audrey & 4 pieces for Miles. They loved their costumes so much they wore them Sunday to the playground. Miles has already decided to be a witch with a pointy hat next year, we'll see how that goes. Might have to introduce him to Harry Potter.

Miles at 4

Here's a peek at Miles at 4. Daddy's trying to get him to say "slappin' the bass, mon", which is a line from the movie "I Love You, Man". Then Miles decides to tell a story, then play air drums. Enjoy.

sack race

preK halloween party!

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playground fun

Halloweenies

Sorry, grandparents, I didn't get the annual Halloween photo taken and mailed in time for Halloween this year. This will have to suffice...I'm still studying, Thursday is the big day. After that all my stress will be on writing the perfect "personal statement". Oh wait, first stress will be throwing together Miles's costume in 48 hours. We didn't buy the official "iMovers" suit (cough...$100...cough) and I only found the blue jumpsuits in England - couldn't get it here in time. So we have blue pants, got a blue T-shirt and I will be printing iron-on logos and applying red duct tape to the legs and sleeves. With a little prior planning I could've found one on esty, but oh well.

Arrrrr, mateys!

The first concert

Since Miles is such a music lover we thought he should enjoy some live music. He keeps asking us to take him to Green Day or Foo Fighters but, um no that won't happen until he's a teenager. When leaving the Black Crowes a few weeks ago I noticed a poster for the Imagination Movers and got tickets for the 2 of us. It was on a school afternoon so Audrey could stay a full day while I took Miles downtown. It was so much fun! They came into the crowd and were all over the place. Very high energy - they had Miles bouncing and shouting along, I'll admit I did some dancing too. They bill themselves as "Beastie Boys meets Mr. Rogers" so yeah, I liked it. If you want to listen to some songs, click here. He's considering being Mover Rich (usually the drummer, but lead singer in picture) for Halloween, but we'll see.
Here he is shouting his favorite snack. He shouted "raisins!!" but then whispered in my ear "Actually my favorite snack is popcorn with candy corn and m&ms." Good taste, my friend.
Little Miss Thing is still full of life. One of those full body tantrums led to a chipped front tooth, but it's not too bad. Because of that we had her first dentist visit, joy. He scraped some tartar from her teeth (which she hated) and he showed me why we needed to ditch the pacifier now. She's been paci-free for almost a week, but is not happy about it. Every day is better than the last.

I made this growth chart for her with some leftover cabinet trim I found in the garage. She's about 2.5', and yes her hair is super curly & red. I wonder what will happen as it grows out. Actually not ALL of it is curly, she has an area on the top of her head that is straight and therefore longer than the rest. She also has one straight area at the nape which gives her a rat-tail. So her first haircut got rid of the mullet and the second will get rid of the rat-tail. Maybe it won't be long until her Farrah-do grows in.

I have some exciting news, I'm in the process of applying to graduate school. I'm going to get my MS in Information Sciences, which is the new-fangled name for a librarian. It's not just books, you know! So the first hurdle is the GRE which will be next week - pray for me, please! I've been reviewing all the geometry and fractions that I used to know & even love. Truly, I loved geometry. But now? Audrey's puzzle just doesn't cut it. So Miles has been helping me study, I have my GRE book and he has his letters/numbers book and we work while Audrey naps. Although he did tell me, "Mom, you can't be a librarian, you're already a mom!"

After the GRE I have to write a "personal statement" as to why I want to do this and then in January they start reviewing applications. If I get in, I wouldn't start until next fall. But I'll update as anything exciting happens!

Who wants to be a millionaire?

The one dollar allowance brought on the million dollar question from Miles... "Why do they want us to buy that?" Actually it was more than the dollar, it was also the free Handy Manny tattoos we got at the Disney Store last week. Miles wondered why in the world they were giving them away?

What a wonderful door for a mama to open! We started talking about our/his money and how we have the power to choose how to spend it or NOT spend it. We talked about advertising, TV shows, magazines, and even signs on the street calling us to buy something. And then we talked about what he does want to spend his money on, and oh boy, he'd better start saving those dollars. He wants to go to the Eiffel Tower, Alaska, the Taj Mahal, the Golden Gate Bridge, Machu Picchu, the North & South Poles and the Trans Siberia Railway. Okay, so he was eating dinner on his world place mat at the time. But he does want to travel to a lot of those places.


I guess everyone is talking about money these days. Heck, even Gwenyth sent me an e-mail about it (you know we're BFFs). As nerdy about money as his mom & dad are, we figure it's not too early to teach him the ins and outs of savings. And now when he asks for Chick Fil A for lunch or a toy at the store I just say, "do you want that or.... to go the Eiffel Tower?" And he usually says "Eiffel Tower!" Wonder when he'll wise up on that trick.

And sweet Audrey, I seem to have left her out over the last few posts. She's entered the terrible twos in full force. We're getting the full body flailing on the floor, screaming, pinching & scratching (I'm the main receiver of the pain). Joy. She has been teething something terrible this week and has had all the fun stuff that goes with that. She's into everything, check out her hands in the photo below. Um, that's magic marker. And it was all over the floor and a cabinet too. And while she has given up napping with her pacifier at school (they are so awesome) she refuses to do that at home. Or maybe it's that mommy & daddy are wimps. It could be that.

But ohhhhh my goodness how she can make your heart melt with her "iwa wubna oooo mom-eee" {translation: I love you, mommy}, or dad-deee, or Mouwse, or Chechee & apaw-woh. such a cutie! We've been working on please and thank you, so she'll randomly pipe up with "tank ewe, mom-eee" or "peas!" But the best are the sneak attack hugs, usually targeted at Miles, but they are absolutely the greatest, sweetest thing in the world. Both of them!

Just got paid

He earned his first allowance this weekend! He went with Wayne to Kroger and wavered between a Hot Wheels car and M&Ms. The candy won.

Wayne said he handled his own transaction and he was so excited when the lady gave him some coins AND candy! He thought he hit the jackpot. Too bad it was only a dime and some pennies.

Big Guy

Miles graduated to a booster seat. I cannot believe he is old enough to use a seat belt! He loves it. We got the same seat that his cousins have, so of course it's the coolest thing ever. And it has TWO!! CUP HOLDERS!!! Don't worry, we already broke them in with some Cherry Limeade after school today.

He has grown up so much, even since his birthday 6 weeks ago. He's very independent - when it's time to get dressed he goes in his room, shuts the doors then emerges fully dressed a few minutes later, most of the time. Sometimes he comes out and streaks around the house a few times first. Not to jinx myself, but he hasn't thrown any big fits lately. He's been diligently working on writing his letters and spelling words. He got a Magna-doodle for his birthday and uses it to practice his letters: "Mom, how do you spell 'football'?" We're even working up a chore chart so he can earn some money every week. So far we have 1) feed the dogs 2) bring in trash cans 3) empty top rack of dishwasher 4) pick up toys/clothes.

I am kicking myself for not having my camera, but he & Audrey were the cutest things ever after school yesterday. For pick-up, I entered school in through his room and said "hi" but then went to Audrey's room first. I let her walk back to the 4-year old room and she was shouting "Miwes? Miwes?" all the way. It actually sounded a little like "Mouse? Mouse?" She walked right in, went over to where he was sitting for story time and climbed in his lap for a hug. He sat there snuggling her and grinning for the rest of the story. So, so sweet. If only they could be like that all the time, right?