Holidays

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving, even if we didn't get to spend near as much time as we would like with everyone. The kids had fun visiting with Uncle Matthew, and always have a good time at Ray-Ray and So-So's, on Thanksgiving Day. They then got to play with their cousins and my dad's kids on Friday and continue the fun with cousins, including playing at the park across the street, on Saturday. They were big days for two little ones (they are still little to me but don't let them hear you say it or you will promptly be told that they are big kids), but they did good! The kids don't quite understand Thanksgiving and Christmas, and surprisingly didn't like Thanksgiving food as much as I thought they would, but they sure are excited to see all of the lights and Christmas trees starting to pop up around town. They keep asking me if it is Christmas and I try to explain that the whole month is "Christmastime," but of course they don't quite get that. We will put our tree and lights up this weekend, will visit Santa soon, will start the Elf on the Shelf craziness, do the Christmas calendar, hopefully go to the Ice exhibit or the light show, take some Christmas card pictures, and Katie gets to go see the Rockettes with So-So, so maybe it will all start to make sense soon that we get a whole month of Christmas fun! I haven't done one bit of Christmas shopping, but I am excited about their Christmas morning this year - I think they will be so excited and finally start to really dig this Santa character! I have long said that one of the most challenging things about a marriage is coordinating holidays and this year is no exception, especially since Christmas falls on the weekend. Hopefully, though, we will get to see everyone again. Vandy is playing a bowl game in Memphis on New Year's Eve which throws another wrench in the plans, but we are hopeful that we can make it to that too! Somehow I always forget how hectic and busy the Holiday season really is - if I did remember I might actually make good on my promise to myself to do some things ahead of time!

No big plans this weekend (for us that is, little Bug has a fun-filled weekend of dance class and Rockettes), but we will surely get some pictures and I'll update here! Work has been crazy busy lately, but all the big projects are coming to an end so I am definitely going to try to update here a bit more!!!

Funny Kids

This age is almost equal parts exasperating and lots of fun, and with two three year olds we get a healthy dose of both! Katie has discovered nightgowns thanks to my sister and is overjoyed at getting to wear dresses (she is still obsessed) to bed. She has relented and will now wear jeans to football games (they got to go to the tailgate again with us for the last game), but any other time it is a battle to get her dressed (she literally undresses the minute we put jeans on her) until she is satisfied that she is sufficiently girly. Tyler is starting to pick up on humor and is always trying to tell you jokes and riddles (that usually don't make much sense, but that crack him up). He is also getting pretty silly - like yesterday when I picked him up at school he told me he couldn't walk because his legs were stuck in circles and he was walking around and around with crazy legs laughing like a hyena. He is doing great on his letters and letter sounds and both of them quiz me and each other all the way home each day on letters, shapes, colors. Their new demand is "momma talk to me," and they love to have conversations that are really funny to hear when they recreate them when they are playing on their own.

It is back to decision time. We have decided that we want them to go to a more traditional pre-school the year before they start Kindergarten and that will be next year if they start when they are about to turn five. Deadlines are the end of December for most programs, but we are still hesitant about them being a bit too young (especially when you look down the road and realize they will be 17 when they start college). I definitely don't think they would benefit from two more years where they are, but maybe one more year and then a new program although I think they would do great in a true PK program next Fall. We are weighing our options (since some end with a school day and don't offer aftercare, some are too expensive if we can't get financial aid, and some aren't really that much different from where they are now other than location), but the main decision on the horizon is just if we want them to be the youngest in their class (I am confident that they will be ready for school according to assessments even if we do it when they are about to turn 5) or the oldest and spending probably too much time in a preschool environment working on things that they already know.

Anyway, we keep going back and forth so the decision will probably be made by us not making a decision in time! I didn't get any pictures this weekend with the kids in their Vandy garb, but I do have these random ones that show them happy and grumpy - something that can change minute by minute!

Another Big Thank You Needed

We went to the beautiful wedding for my cousin this weekend in Mobile. It is about a six hour drive and we went down on Saturday morning and left to return home early Sunday morning. That is a lot of time in the car with two three year olds who after sitting in car seats with us on a time schedule would then have to be in an environment where they would be expected (probably just by me) to be on good behavior. So, we are very lucky and grateful that Ray Ray and So So watched the kids for us and made it possible for us to spend time with family and get there and back much easier than we would have with them in tow. It was no hardship for the kids, though. Despite Katie running a low-grade fever tonight and obviously feeling pretty crappy, she keeps excitedly telling me about the people she spent time with and asking to see them again - they both seemed to have a fun day with their Grandparents at a friend's house. Tyler does not understand why Katie is getting more attention than him tonight, but I would rather deal with his jealousy than him sick too so I am hoping he doesn't get it! All in all I think it was a good weekend for everyone and we are so, so thankful that we have somebody to help us out in times like these that the kids love so much and have so much fun. AND we are thrilled that we got to go to the wedding (which incidentally made me feel old because a person that I remember as a baby should not be old enough to be married)!