The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I LOVE Thanksgiving, because it really officially kicks off the holiday season. We have some traditions we have been practicing each year we've been married. One of those things is braving the crowds at the butt-crack of dawn on Black Friday. Of course, having kids has altered that tradition a bit as we can't go together anymore - so now it's me!! But I do love the thrill of a good deal...

This year I started at Target at 2:15 AM - the doors didn't open until 4 AM so I waited in line in the freezing cold with the rest of the crazies. It was actually the best Black Friday experiences I have ever had because the workers were passing out free Starbucks, bagels, donuts, and gloves for those who didn't bring any. Ummm, who doesn't bring gloves???? Rookies. They also let us wait in the first set of doors to keep warm and let people in if they had to use the restroom - they even had heat lamps set up! Target, I'll be seeing you next year :)

After Black Friday shopping, I always come home to eat with the family, then I go back to bed for a bit. When I wake up, it's tree trimmin' time! The next day we go to visit Santa to tell him what we want (by we, I mean the kids).

This year we thought Aidan would be brave and sit on Santa's lap. He talked about it and seemed pretty excited until it came time to actually make contact - he REFUSED. I simply had to take a picture of the picture to share. Looks like Sean got to tell the big guy what he wanted too:

The nativity scene my grandma made. She always loved doing ceramics, and made this set for my mom. When grandma passed away, my mom passed it on to us (these are only a few of the pieces):

She also made this Santa and snowman - both are way older than me!

The mantle. I was hoping to have our new family portrait, but I had to send it back and am waiting for the replacement:

The kids' tree:

Big tree - probably it's last year:

And the new LED lights - nice and bright!

A Sign on the Times

Sometimes, when the punishment fits the crime (for example: one of the kids decides to walk on one of their toys), we take the toy away. If there is mistreatment of toys or not sharing, they're gone for a day or two (depending on how severe the offense). We make sure to put the toys up high where they are still in sight - this way, the kids see them, but know they can't have them. No "outta sight, outta mind" in this house!

Lately, we've had some behavior challenges -mostly with Aidan - and this is what the top of the entertainment center looks like. I have heard from no less than three more experienced moms that their boys' horns and tails came out almost the exact day they turned 3. What was seemingly "the light at the end of the terrible twos tunnel", was doused as this boy has really been trying to assert himself...we're working on it!

We Are Thankful

There are so many things we are thankful for - and unfortunately it is all too easy to forget about that and take it for granted sometimes. The fact that we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food in our bellies are things I thank God for almost every day. Ava is starting to pick up on the idea that not everyone has those things and that we should be very grateful and give back when we can.

We have a beautiful, healthy family and a wonderful extended family who love and care for us. We have our health, our good jobs, two quirky pets, and extraordinary friends to add to the list of blessings in our lives. So, although it's nice to take one day each year to give thanks, I think we all need to give thanks each day for all the good things - no matter how small some of those things are - every day of the year.

It has been a tradition for our family to do a fish fry the night before Thanksgiving at Aunt Pat's. Sean LOVES him some homemade fish and chips, where I on the other hand, prefer chili dogs from one of my favorite local joints in Ohio - Rudy's Hot Dogs. It's fast food hot dogs and they sell beer! You don't see that everyday.

Thanksgiving Day was nice and relaxing and filled with all the goodness of good food and time with family. To top it all off - the kids were great in the hotel and the car (again, a couple things we were thankful for)!

Here is Aidan meeting my cousin's new baby Addison for the first time. Lately, both Ava AND Aidan have been smitten and completely obsessed with babies. In fact, Ava said one day, "Mommy, I want you to go to the hospital to get a new baby sister!" NO, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS TO MAKE, NOR DO WE EXPECT TO!!!!!!!!!
Two more things we are thankful for:

Aidan's First Dentist Appointment

In honor of Aidan's third birthday, we wrapped up his birthday week with his first trip to the dentist.

Let's just say, he wasn't NEARLY as cooperative as Ava was at her first appointment when she turned three. Besides counting his teeth, he didn't let the hygienist or doctor do much of anything else. He got to see how all the different instruments worked, and he thought that was pretty cool - as long as they weren't in his mouth too soon.

As the doctor said, "It's OK, he just turned 3 - maybe next time!". Whatever...I'm not used to that! Ava has always done what was asked for her (for the most part). These boys are a whole other story!!

Happy boy (pre-putting-anything-in-his-mouth):
Checking out bribery of getting his flashing toothbrush before the appointment was complete:

Because the light is so bright, they gave him some shades to wear:

We gave it a good try. Hopefully in another six months he'll be better...

Aidan's Actual Birthday

I realize this is a bit out of order, but I figured we chronicled Aidan's parties pretty well, but then we had Halloween come up, and you probably wanted to know about that...so here's Aidan's actual birth-day.

We woke him up, and it was kind of a bad morning: anytime this boy wakes up with a poopy pull-up, he is MAAD:
I woke up early to make special pancakes in the shape of a "3"...he didn't eat a single bite. We had candles lit and everything - he didn't even want us to sing to him :(

It might be because he was in such awe of his spiffy new Imaginext Batcave. We held off for his actual birthday to give him our present. We thought it was a good idea to let him play with it a bit in the morning before daycare, but he was pretty angry when he was pulled away from it:

The evening wrapped up pretty nicely, though. We went out to Buca di Beppo with David, Jenny & family for a nice birthday spaghetti dinner (he had 2 full plates):

This is Halloween, This is Halloween...

(...that would be the theme song from one of the kids' latest favorites, "The Nightmare Before Christmas)

This year, Mommy and Daddy got to dress up and have some Halloween fun at Ross & Ashley's party. Given that Ava and Aidan were dressing as Batgirl and Batman, we thought it'd be cute to keep with the DC Comic theme.

As you can see, Sean does a mean Clark Kent-turning-into-Superman, and this is my interpretation of Catwoman:
And Ross was pretty creepy. Ashley dressed as Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz"...I can't believe I didn't snap a pic of her! Ross decided to dress as Glinda The Good Witch. Pretty nice legs, eh?

Gross (that's all I can say):

Here are some of the shots from Halloween night and Trick-or-Treating with Ian, Logan, Katie, and Hudson:

In hot pursuit of candy:

I don't know, I think my kids definitely make the cutest Batman and Batgirl:

Group shot of a bunch of Halloween cuties (pre-candy consumption):