Happy Thanksgiving!!

This year we spent Thanksgiving at my parents' house. It was really nice, because Sean's family was also there to celebrate with us. We are so blessed that both sides of our family are so close that we can spend holidays together.

I absolutely LOVE Thanksgiving - you get to spend time with family, eat lots of yummy food - and most of all - the start of the holiday season.

Hope everyone had a wonderful day!

What's Thanksgiving without a few rounds of Euchre?

Little Miss

Ava - when did you get SO big? I snapped these pics one evening when Ava was watching "Max & Ruby", I thought she looked so cute sitting there like a little lady.

CAUGHT, Part 2

It appears Aidan is practicing to try out for the US Olympic Bobsled team. Is there really NOTHING this little boy won't try to get into?

We had no idea how good we had it with Ava - she never tried to pull any of this stuff!

CAUGHT!

This weekend, I was in the middle of trying to get breakfast ready for the family. I put Aidan in his room, opened his toy box and took a few out, then asked Ava to play in there with him.

Things were going really well - the kids were playing nice and quietly, and I was able to get started without a toddler pulling himself up my leg and a three-year-old wanting me to pick her up and dance with her.

That's when Ava came into the kitchen and said, "Aidan's in the toy box!" Lately, she has been in a heck of a tattling phase, so we usually blow it off. She told me again, so I said, "Oh, is he reaching inside to get a toy out?" Expecting Ava to say yes, instead she said, "No, he's IN the toy box!".

I walked into his room to find the following:
Stinker.

O, O, O, Who's That Kid With the Oreo Cookie?

IT'S AIDAN!!

This past week, we let Aidan partake in his very first Oreo (well, it was a mini-Oreo, but he doesn't need to know quite yet they come in a larger size - and we DEFINITELY can't let him in on the Double Stuf secret yet).

The experience was everything you'd expect it to be: first, apprehension; next "mmm, this is pretty good"; finally...disgusting chocolate mess.

This is part of Aidan's training so he and Ava can take on the Manning brothers in the Double Stuf Racing League.

Parents, Lock Up Your Daughters...

...Aidan is walking!

The past week or so, Aidan has really shown interest in learning to walk. He had been taking one step here and there, but the other night he let go of the wall and took about 6 steps to Sean.

Tonight, for some reason, he decided he wanted to do it. Mommy spent about an hour letting Aidan practice letting go of the couch to test his walking skills.

As soon as he would take a few steps, we would all get really excited and clap - which resulted in a huge open-mouthed smile on Aidan.

I captured a clip of him in action...it won't be long now until he is in an all-out sprint. We're SO proud of you little man!

Mommy's Little Helper, Part 2

A little while ago, I created a post talking about how much Ava loves to help Mommy. The other day, her helpfulness continued.

In the normal morning rush, I was trying to get both kids fed, lunches made, and finish getting myself ready. Aidan's toast popped out of the toaster and I asked Ava to put it on Aidan's tray. I expected her to simply put the toast in front of him. Instead, she went the extra mile: I turned to make sure she was complying, and saw her tearing it into smaller pieces for her baby brother. SOOO sweet.

Ava can sometimes be on the moody side, but when she wants to be, she can be the sweetest little thing you can imagine.

Horsin' Around with Daddy

Here is a glimpse of a typical night in our house. Usually after dinner, Ava requires Sean to get down on the ground and act like a dinosaur. He is such a good sport especially after a morning at the gym and a long day at work.

This night, Daddy was able to give Ava a ride as well as tickle Aidan and make him happy. Usually, Mommy sits back and watches with a smile on her face enjoying the laughter that ensues.

Stumped

I always told myself I would never post my political views on this blog, but I feel I have to say something.

I don't get why people are saying "they are having a horrible day" or "I'm scared" or "I just want to hide out the next four years". What about the last eight years we have been through? I could say I wanted to hide out, but I didn't. Were these last two terms that good? If so, PLEASE tell me what good things have come from the last eight years.

The fact of the matter is, we desperately needed change - and it is painfully obvious that millions of people agree. Also, it is the people that are "too far left" or "too far right" who are most of the problem. They need to come to their senses and see we need to work together - not against each other. If we can start to do that, maybe we can reunite our nation.

The people have spoken VERY clearly. The best thing we can do is to support the one we chose to represent our country.

A Wild Ride

OK, so as soon as I experienced the very upbeat announcement of who our new president was going to be, I headed to bed. Shortly after that, Sean came into our room and said, "Come here". Not thinking there was much to get excited about, I walked into our living room to see police lights flashing in our neighborhood and officers walking the streets and in-between houses with flashlights and shotguns.

Naturally, I FREAKED out. We checked the kids - they were fine. I called the dispatch and found out there was a suspicious person in the neighborhood who took off running when approached.

I am pretty sure the police are gone now, but I am not sure if they found who they were looking for. Looks like I will be pulling an all-nighter on the couch.

Hopefully, I will be able to report some good news about this later. But right now, I am still worried...

ROCK THE VOTE!!

OK, so I am sitting here at around 5:20 AM on the verge of getting ready for the day so I can go do my civic duty and vote. Hopefully, I won't have to wait in line very long, so I can run home to help Sean get the kids ready.

This is probably one of the biggest elections EVER. So if you are feeling compelled to vote - THEN GET OUT THERE AND DO IT :)

Are You Ready for Some Football?!

Mommy and Aidan were sportin' and supportin' our Colts gear in the hopes they'll pull their heads out of you-know-where and finally start to play this season.

Here is the infamous Manning/Harrison combo:

Come on, jerks. Let's get a "W"...

An '80s Flashback

Today we went to Memaw and Pepaw's to visit. When we were there, Memaw told us she had found an outfit Sean wore as a baby and she wanted to see it on Aidan.

We squeezed his chubby little legs and super long body into the shortalls and snapped a few pics. I thought it was so cool that Aidan got to slip into an outfit his daddy wore in 1980.

Here he is rockin' the brown houndstooth:

Fall Party

What a HUGE weekend we have had! First we had our big Halloween festivities, then we went to a Fall party with some friends at their family farm.

We got to pet the horses, Ava got to ride one named Ladybug, she chased some chickens, there was a hayride, a bonfire, and lots of food and fun.

Here is Ladybug all saddled up with Ava looking like a seasoned pro:

Happy Birthday Memaw!

Today is Memaw's birthday! If you see her today, make sure you wish her a happy 40th birthday :)
(Sorry Memaw, I know this isn't the best picture, but it's the most recent one I have!)

Happy Halloween

We had LOTS of fun this Halloween. As you can see, Ava was a ballerina princess and Aidan was Count Dracula (I know, the total opposite ends of the spectrum. What can I say? Ava is a diva and Aidan is pure boy).

This year, we took the kids to David and Jenny's neighborhood to Trick-or-Treat with Ian and Logan. After about an hour or so of Trick-or-Treating, we all went back to David and Jenny's for a nice bonfire, s'mores, and cocktails for the adults.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect, and the kids were great. Looking forward to it for next year!

Ava and Aidan with our pumpkins before leaving:
Ian, Aidan, Logan, and Ava:

"Sam the Fireman" and "Ballerina Princess":

Mommy and her vampire:

Logan and Aidan - this is the way to do it!:

The kids enjoying the spoils (of course we adults checked the candy to make sure it was safe):