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?

PI, SC

Did you miss us? We've been playing all week long at our favorite beach, Pawleys Island, SC. For the 3rd year we were joined by our friends Robb & Yen, and this year we got to meet their 7 month old daughter Elizabeth. And in a crazy coincidence, some friends from Knoxville who have a son in Miles's class were 3 houses down from us.
The weather was gorgeous with a couple of big storms at night. It is so cool to watch lightning over the night ocean (at least it's cool when you know there's not a hurricane behind it!). One afternoon there was a rainbow stretching from shore to the sea, huge and bright. Our house couldn't have been closer to the ocean, it literally lapped on our steps at high tide.

Audrey did not like the ocean when we got there. In fact as I carried her over the waves she screamed, "DON'T LIKE! DON'T LIKE!" But by Friday she was running into the waves, trying to stand in the (her) waist deep water and not minding at all when she got knocked down.

Miles loved every bit of it, splashing in the surf, digging in the sand, all of it. Until bedtime when he would tell me how much he missed his doggies Apollo & Chelsea.
And anythig can be made better with a Cherry Limeade!

More pictures are on the Shutterfly site: click here.

The Fair!

Beebe & PopPop were here this week and took Miles to the Tennessee Valley Fair for some belated birthday fun. Hooooooo boy did they have some fun! Miles rode his first rides - the ferris wheel, the Wacky Worm, the Sizzler, the Up Up & Away, and the Mardi Gras funhouse. I don't think I ever got to ride that many rides when I went to the fair!

He saw all the cool horticulture and some animals, but the coolest thing he did was at the Bovine Birthing Center. Yes, he saw the birthing of a calf. Don't ask him to show you what happened. He will. And I'm not explaining any further details! But after it was born they came over to him and asked him what he wanted to name the new boy. He chose "Miles". What a lovely name!!
We also celebrated his 4th birthday again, this time with a doughnut hole cake at his request.

The stitch count won't increase today! Miles was playing batman and crashed onto a side table, cutting his eyebrow a little. The dr. said it would heal just fine.

we love Sonic happy hour!

Power of the T

It's football time in Tennessee! It's been a while since we've had a reason to be excited about football season, and though there's still a lot to prove, we started off with a bang. There's a lot of hype for them to back up, so well see how it goes this weekend.
Our neighbors Janna & Rob invited us to go to the game with them. They had seats in a skybox, which was somewhere I'd never sat before. There was a great view (see Wayne's view, above), air conditioning and a full buffet going on through the whole game. They did have game dogs and popcorn, but also BBQ, etouffee, bananas foster and a Mayfield cooler stocked with ice cream novelties. I brought Miles a "power T" cookie, but I think he had plenty of fun at home during the game. Janna & Rob's daughter came over to play during the game (don't worry, we left them with TWO babysitters). When we walked in after the game, Miles came running out saying, "No, leave! Go back!" They were having a blast.

Check out Miles's cool game day shirt. My friend Amy makes all sorts of cute items like this, and gave this to Miles for his birthday.

{Practicing his touchdown yell}

Sunday was a fun afternoon with Tracy, Jennifer & Davey (who were in town from Atlanta), Lori and Elise & Daniel. Miles & Davey had major lego fun and did a little wrasslin' before watching Robin Hood. The rest of us (including Audrey!) sat around the kitchen table laughing all afternoon. I'm sorry we didn't get a photo before Elise & Daniel headed out for Boomsday. Can't wait for everyone to come in town again!