Open for Comments

Ok, so being the blog novice that I am, I didn't realize that my comments were turned off. They are now on. So, feel free to comment on the complete adoreableness of my offspring!

Not to be left out of the fun

In case you thought Nate was left out of all the birthday fun... here's a quick shot of him enjoying the festivities:

Brianna Turns 4!!!

Brianna is now 4! Can you believe it? I can't. Here are a few pictures from the birthday parties. (Yes, that's plural)

What's a party without balloons?

And Presents.....

And, of course, there must be cup cakes!

Manger Days

At Preschool the kids have a special day called "Manger Day" where they each dress up as someone from the Nativity Story. Brianna was an angel. Here are a few snapshots of Bri, her "most best friend Annelise", and the whole class:

Those poor nativity animals

From the mouths of babes.....
My mom was reading Brianna a book about the nativity.
Brianna looked up and said "Grandma, why are all those animals so sad?" (the animals around the manger).
My mom responded "Bri, I don't think they're sad, i think they're just serious because they are watching baby Jesus.".
"No Grandma," said Bri "They are sad. Do you want me to tell you why?"
"Yes, Bri, Why are they sad?"
"Grandma, those poor animals are sad because they are so hungry and Baby Jesus just keeps laying on their hay"

Pumkin Pie

Bri and Grandpa Don helped me out on Thanksgiving by handling the Pumkin Pie. It turned out amazing. Bri was very careful to get all the ingredients into the bowl. This was a first for both Grandpa and Brianna!

First Snow

Ok, so the first snow really happened a few days ago, but I'm just getting the photos up now. The kids were amazed at how cool everything looked. Just wait until there's actually a bit more than a dusting!

Of course, now that the conditions outside have changed, our morning routine has changed a bit as well. No longer can I just scoop the kids out of bed and put them in the car with bare feet and PJ's, now they need a few more layers. Of course, I haven't quite moved totally from pajamas. Under all those layers are the PJ's.

Snuggles

When Jeff and I were getting married we went back and forth over whether to get a Queen or King size bed. The cost of a king seemed like a lot more to our soon-to-be-newlyweds budget so we ended up with a Queen. Over the years there have been times that the extra few inches of a King size would have been nice.

This weekend I was remembering how much effort went into the decision of which mattress, what size, what frame, etc, etc, etc. and I realized I never could have imagined then what my life is like now.

Cuddled in this sometimes too small bed with me were my husband, a nearly four year old who was cuddling next to me pretending to be asleep, and a seventeen month old who feels that our bed is the perfect place to practice his dive-bomb tactics.

Yea, it's a bit snug. Sometimes I think that there may be more practical places for the whole family to watch Clifford in the morning, but I have to say, I wouldn't change a thing.

Nate's new diggs

"Why pull the toys out of the toybox one by one when you can simply immerse yourself in the toys for the duration of your playtime?" I'm sure this must be the question that Nate was asking himself when he climbed up and into his toybox for playtime.

It has become such a frequent playspot for him that now Brianna feels the need to shout "Mommy, he's in there again" whenever he climbs back in.

Now, I'm going to ask everyone to simply ignore the fact that he's chosen the pink high heels to play with. He can't figure out why daddy won't let him put those on. (Daddy has decided that carrying around a purse filled with dinosaurs is his limit).

Mommy, you smell like coffee!

Ok, so it's not the nicest compliment to get, but it's probably not the worst thing either. We were cuddling right before Bri's nap on Sunday and she made this announcment. I asked "I that a good smell? or a bad smell?" she didn't waste any time before letting me know that it was "a good smell, it smells like you". Hmmm... Perhaps this means that the rest of her life she won't be able to walk past a Starbucks without thinking of me. I can only hope!

My Day at Preschool

October 22 was parents day at Brianna's preschool. I was able to experience the whole day with her. From arts and crafts to learning stations! What fun we had! I'm still singing the song that begins circle time:

"Hello neighbor! What do you say?

I say today is a happy day.

Greet your neighbor,

boogy on down,

give a little bump and turn around.

Sit Down!".

Everytime I start Bri says "no mommy, not that one!" It has motions, but I figured sharing the lyrics would be enough.

I was suprised to learn just how much Bri had learned. It's amazing how quickly she's picking things up. She can count to thrity, say the days of the week, month and so much more. She knows lyrics and motions to so many songs and she has playmates that she interacts with on a regular basis. I knew she was loving preschool, but it was great to see it first-hand.

Time is flying by!!

I just uploaded over 300 pictures from my digital camera. Some were from last spring... Yikes! It was then that I realized I had better get a better system for remembering some key items from major family events.

So, here I am on the blogging bandwagon. (Thanks GR Baby girls!) Wish me luck!