Giving Thanks, again

So it's become a tradition in our little family to have Thursday to ourselves, and make it a quiet, casual, fun family day. Since we celebrate "official" Thanksgiving dinner on Friday (with extended family), we've spent Thanksgiving Day for the past two years relaxing at home, going to a nearby park, watching the Cowboys, and feasting on chili and Shiners. May I present our Thanksgiving dinner:


Have a wonderful day!

My Family, part 2

Most of you have seen this photo in a recent post, but as I was looking through my blog I noticed that I needed to update the "My Family" link to include Lauren!

Thus, meet my family! My husband, Greg, is a Sr. Art Director for an advertising and design agency about 10 minutes from our house. He also does a considerable amount of freelance and is definitely the creative one in the family. I am an occupational therapist by trade, but took some time off when I had the two kids. Since I'm not cut out to stay home, I am working for an awesome ministry organization as an Area Director. I'm able to office from home and therefore spend more time with the kids. Greg and I have been married for 8 1/2 years, and would still rather spend time together than with anyone else.

Noah just turned 3, has these incredibly bright blue eyes, and most likely will be our retirement someday as he is both incredibly smart for a three year old and also is obsessed with playing all kinds of sports all the time. Lauren just celebrated her 1st birthday. She wakes up smiling and pretty much giggles and smiles the day away; she's a very joyful baby girl and has the most fabulous chubby cheeks around.

That's it for the update!

Winter-Coat Weather

A blazing fireplace, a good cup of coffee, a warm sweater or comfy blanket, a bubble bath...all are definitely perks to be savored with the winter weather. The best thing about a cold front, however, is getting to dress your daughter up like this:

Birthdays, and Candles, and Markers, Oh My!

Noah turned 3 last Sunday! Since we had done a huge 1st birthday party for Lauren the previous week, Noah's was a bit more low-key. We had a birthday brunch and invited his grandparents over for pancakes, scrambled eggs, and fruit, and birthday cake in the afternoon. He's currently obsessed with all things sports, so his grandma made his this fabulous cake that he couldn't stop talking about:



















Later that day, while Greg and I were chatting in the office, Noah thought it would be fun to play with his new coloring book and markers.









The pen markings still have not come out of the table, and it took 45 minutes of blue bath water to get it off his arms and hands.









The nice thing was that we really didn't have to discipline him much. Since he's SO particular and very clean, we just made him sit in the naughty spot for 5 minutes and wouldn't let him wash his hands. It was punishment enough; he was so freaked out by the end of it that he practically tore his clothes off on the way to the bathtub! I think he apologized like 12 times that night; it was easy!

Happy-ish Halloween

For Noah's first Halloween 2 years ago, he vomited strawberry yogurt in my basket of candy. Last year, immediately following trick-or-treating to all of 3 houses, he came down with the flu and was a feverish rag doll for the next several days. This year, the excitement that is our family's Halloween continued.

Noah, who LOVES the cartoon Fireman Sam, refused to wear his fire coat because it was a starched material rather than comfy cotton, and therefore displeased him.









Lauren couldn't see, and therefore spent most of the evening on the ground.












We ended up carrying her all night, at which point she enjoyed herself and all of the passersby who were making comments about how cute and chubby she was in her pumpkin suit.












And once Noah realized that he could carry his firehat, rather than wear it, and whereupon offering it up to complete strangers they would drop chocolate and sugary treats in it, he became a fan of the whole thing. Still wouldn't wear the coat, though.












We then went to some friends' house for chili, s'mores, and a candy exchange, and had a great time. The kids crashed as soon as we got home, but the Halloween hi-jinks resumed at 2am when Noah woke up screaming and complaining that he didn't feel good and his mouth hurt. We deciphered his strange gestures to mean he had a sore throat and a tummyache from all the candy and yelling with his little friends the previous evening, and we were up til 3:30am coaxing him back to sleep.

Next year we're staying in, eating white rice and saltines, putting the kids to bed early, and renting a movie.