Proud

I am proud! Really. Really. PROUD!!!


I am proud of this one.....
with her tongue out and everything as she completes her very-first-ever crafty project. It's hard to believe she is such a big girl now and can do things like puzzles and craft projects!

I am proud of this one too...carrot-covered face and all! He is such a sweet, sweet boy with the BEST laugh in the world. Seriously....it has to be the best, hardiest laugh out there!

And I'm proud of this one....you know the big one in the picture! He just finished his second young adult novel. Nope...I don't mean he finished reading his second young adult novel....he finished writing his second one!!!! All in less than a month's time!

Wouldn't you be proud too...if you were in my shoes?

A little this & a little that...

Our Thanksgiving was a less than traditional this year...but it was the most relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving we've had in years! :-)

Originally we were just going to go to Thanksgiving lunch with my family at IHop. But after a few days of that not sitting well with me, I decided to take matters in my own hands and make a real Thanksgiving dinner myself! :-) We still had our IHop lunch...but our day also included...

A lil showing off our super cute dress and pretty awesome stripey tights!

It included a lil' playing with our own box of toys!
Of course, we had to have a short lil' lesson on patience as we wait for everyone to sit down for dinner. Nothing can keep this girl a way from her turkey!

Dinner wouldn't be complete w/out a sliver pumpkin pie with twice its weight in Cool Whip!
Finally, a bit of cleaning up made our Thanksgiving day complete. I am glad we decided to go ahead and get a turkey (breast) and cook our own little meal. Although, I am surprised at just how much food a lil' turkey breast makes. I am seriously glad that I didn't get a whole turkey. It is also pretty amazing at how much turkey Bethany can put a way. She had three pretty large-sized servings. Turkey is, by far, her favorite meal!!! Our lil turkey just can't seem to have enough!!!

After all, you are what you eat!!!

Why I am Thankful!

It isn't too hard to think of reasons to be thankful...especially when I see this:

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!

Excuses!

So it's been over a week since I've posted something on our blog. Sorry about that!

But I do have excuses! Wanna hear them?

Good, really, you don't have a choice. I'm giving you my excuses regardless!

Our one and really only excuse is that we're busy!

We are busy covering up our baby brothers, while trying to keep our own feet covered at the same time.
We are busy putting up our Christmas tree...

paying extra attention to overload some of the lower branches with 3 or 4 ornaments at a time!

We are busy dressing up in our pretty dresses and eating scrumptious apples.

We are busy force feeding our baby brothers "macaroni and cheese."

We are busy feeding ourselves our own bottles since Mom and Dad are too busy to hold it.

We are busy sitting as still as possible while....

Mom cuts our hair!!!
We are busy cooking up some trouble before...
our sister comes to take over the toys.
See!

We are busy!

But, good thing, we are never to busy to snap a couple pictures along the way! :)

Reading to Owen!

Bethany loves to read books. She's gotten in the habit of reading before and after bathtime.

She does a pretty good job at reading the pages. She has so many stories memories...it is pretty remarkable!

Here is a quick video of reading, "How Does a Dinosaur say Goodnight."

A "Head" of the rest!!!

Owen's six month appointment was today.

He did a super duper good job. Much better of a job than he did while he was supposed to pose with his birthday sign. *Sigh* I just don't think that he is going to cooperate the rest of the time I give him his monthly birthday sign. He totally had NO desire to hold it up like a big boy.

Oh well, at least he is pretty cute!!!

The Dr. said Owen is doing great. He is developing right on task and is looking perfect.

Here's his stats:

Weight: 18lbs (54% tile)

Height: 26.75" (55%tile)

Head: 18.5" (99%tile)

Actually, truth be told, Owen's head was off the chart. Literally, OFF THE CHART!!! She pulls the charts on the computer and his dot was above those little growth lines.

See...Look for yourself. That green and red dot is Owen's head!

Looks likes his head circumference is the same size as the average 2 year old! Golly! That boy must be housing some serious brains up there!!!!

It is so hard to believe he is six months already. We don't have long until we have another mobile baby on our hands. It is so nice that we can plop him down and put some toys around him without him crawling off to explore the house on his own!!! Yet again, he doesn't really seem too interested in moving...so we will enjoy that while it lasts! :)


Although, how hard will it be to spot him if he does start becoming mobile soon. You know, after all, he does have a nice, large noggin!!!

Guess!

Guess what we did today....

...in our so-cute-aught-to-be-illegal overalls.

Perhaps, it also included some "tiger" attacks from our sister.

Well, after a million wet weekends in a row, we finally got to go outside to enjoy a nice, dry, autumnal day.

Not sure what to make with all the green grass around him, Bethany made sure to take charge of the situation and show Owen the ropes!

Finally, the boy gets to sit in the grass and explore. It looks as though he really likes being released from the constrictive nature of the walker and his mother's arms.

A little swinging action was also part of the Great Outdoor experience this weekend. Bethany loved sharing her swing with her baby brother.

Maybe...she just like pushing him around without being corrected or redirected.

You may not be able to tell from his photo, but the boy really enjoyed himself on swing. The funky look on his face, I attribute to the fiery sunlight beaming in the poor child's eyes.

Bethany really enjoyed pushing the lil' guy around. That is, you know, until the swing came back faster than expected and popped her in the face.

Which, of course, got the "Attack Mommy so I can get over the throbbing pain in my lip" plan rolling.

Nothing diverts a 2-year-old's attention like knocking down a poor, unassuming mother!

Big Girl in a Box!

The best toys are the simplest...

And here's an obligatory picture of Owen, too! 6 months old today!

These Two!!!!

These two...

I gotta tell you....

These two mean the world to me!

I just love them to pieces!

Happy Halloween!!!

Somehow it is already time for Halloween! Seems like it was just yesterday we were lathered in sunscreen hanging out near the sprinklers and under the shadiest tree!!!

We had a fantastic Halloween! It was the first one we didn't have a sick or hurt baby on our hands! ;-) Let me tell you: a sick/hurt baby has a way of ruining the fun!


Although, Owen wasn't quite sure why we were transforming his sister from a cute lil girl to a cuddly, roaring, tail-swing, dino-head avoiding Dinosaur!


Bethany practices saying, "Roar!!!" As to be expected, Bethany has no desire or intentions of wearing the dinosaur head. We tried all the typical tricks....but...sigh...that little girl has a mind of her own. She only wanted the Dinosaur Tail...No Head!!!
Owen's turn to try on his chili pepper. I was so super excited to dress him up as a chili pepper. I bought this costume last fall when I was just a few months along. Little did I know that a costume that says it fits a 0-9 month old wouldn't fit our lil' chubbers! What a stuffed pepper...the poor thing couldn't be more uncomfortable looking! On to Plan B....Bethany's old tiger costume!
What an unlikely couple...a dinosaur and tiger!
Bethany got to join a pair of dice, a pilot, a firefighter, a pirate, a princess, Robin, a witch, a soldier and Elvis on her first trick-or-treating extravaganza!! She was totally intrigued by all of the commotion!

Finally working up the nerve to go to a door without Mom by her side.Neither Elvis nor a dinosaur may be around anymore...but they sure somehow made a fantastic duo around the neighborhood!Of course, they aren't no dummies. If there shall be a wagon, they shall ride!
What a fantastic Halloween! Bethany thoroughly enjoyed herself and she finally broke the spell of Ole Hallow's Eve!!!

Painting pumpkins

no knives here...just paint... brushes...

pumpkins...

and a hard-working, focused 2 year-old!!!

Pumpkin Time!

What else does one do on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in October besides to pick pumpkins!

Bethany was super excited to get to pick out her first pumpkin at a pumpkin patch. I am sure Owen would've been excited too if, you know, he was interested in things other than drooling, pooping and babbling to himself. But he's not...which explains the nonexpressive facial expressions.

Out in the pumpkin patch, searching and searching for the best pumpkin out there!


It didn't take Bethany long to find the perfect pumpkin. She did have minor reservations with the dirt on pumpkin, but after being reassured that it will be ok...she did settle for this pumpkin here. Although, it was as she said heavy!
My lil' pumpkins posing with their lil' pumpkins.

Bethany also had to show off her rock that she found. I think she was almost more proud of that rock that she was of our pumpkins! :) Now it is time to get decorating!!! We'll keep you posted with their progress!