Two Wheels

Saturday was a big day for Arabella, not only did she have her 1st cheer exhibition, but later that afternoon, we took to an area of our subdivision where they are starting to build with less traffic so she could give it a go at riding her bike without training wheels. She has been ready for this step for a very long time...who knows why we waited to let her try it. It didn't take her very long to get the hang of it. Jay got her going while Max and I looked on. It was bittersweet to see her riding without the training wheels...she is just growing up too fast for me...I wish I could slow down the time. She had a huge grin and a look of pure determination on her face while she was riding. She was so adorable and excited when she got the hang of it. Not only was she super proud, we are too. She loved riding up and down the street while Jay and I took turns running beside her. She is doing great and rode the whole way home on the sidewalk while I ran behind her. She has totally outgron this bike so she is hoping that Santa will bring her a new one for Christmas. Way to go Arabella! Mommy is so proud of you and can't wait to go on bike rides with you!

Not Your Mother's Cheerleading

When we moved here, I had a difficult time finding a gynmastics gym for Arabella. WIMGYM was amazing in Montreal so we had a high standard that we are used to - new gym, great coaches and a top notch program. Now I am not saying that something like that doesn't exist here in Charlotte, just that I have yet to find it. She loves gymnastics and tumbling and has been doing it since we moved to Montreal when she was a little more than 18 months. In looking for the program, we came across tumbling here in town at a smaller local cheer gym. She did a trial tumbling and cheer class and loved it. I think she loves the fast pace of the classes as there isn't much down time. So since late August, she has been going to the Waxhaw Flyers All Star Cheer and she has been working so hard with her fellow team mates.

Last Saturday, the gym had an open house because they just moved to a larger space. Arabella was so excited to show Jay her routine and couldn't wait to put her uniform and makeup (I'm not a huge fan of the makeup, but know that they need it on stage when they are competing so the judges can see their faces). When I tell you that cheerleading is not the same as when I cheered in 4th or 5th grade for the local football team, I am not lying. Gone are the days of simple routines, cheers and jumps. Cheerleading is no joke, especially here in the South. Talk about competitive and being a real sport. These girls practice hard and up to 4 or 5 days a week. The tumbling they do is crazy. Arabella is on the Tiny team and they are called the Diamonds..and just because they are between 4 and 6 doesn't mean they aren't tumbling too! They are out there working their little bums off and have their eyes on the prize - trophies from the competitions they will be going to soon! Arabella and her team did great last week and I couldn't be more proud of her. Keep up the great work Arabella!!

Arabella and her team mate Claire

Here are just a few pics of some of the other teams. Arabella seems to love it and I hope she can stick with it!

Friday Night Football

Last Friday night, Arabella and I joined our friends Jennifer and Andrew to watch Jennifer's son play his last game of high school football for Fort Mill. Arabella was excited all week to see Andrew, Jennifer and Chris play. She didn't even mind getting bundled up and even when we were freezing from being out in the cold, she didn't want to leave the game. She had to see the whole thing. And can you say, she is like her mother...she was one loud little cheerleader. Between Arabella, Jennifer and myself, cheering them on, we could have woken the dead! She loved watching the game and would ring the cow bell and shake her pom pom. It was the cutest thing to watch. Chris had a great game, but the Yellow Jackets lost and it was heart breaking to see how devastated the players were. I don't remember the last time I saw guys in high school crying - and I am talking about the players. They played their hearts out. We had so much fun and are looking forward to watching more games next fall with Jennifer when her youngest son, who will be a junior, plays.

Arabella and Andrew waiting for the big game to start!

Arabella and Chris

Snow in Charlotte

Sounds kind of crazy but after beautiful sunny and warm temperatures last weekend, we had a little dusting of snow last night. It is by no means even close to the snow we are used to, but Arabella was still so excited to see some of the white stuff on the ground! And there is something not right about seeing snow on the palm trees. She could barely contain her excitements and ran out in the backyard before breakfast without a coat on...and we needed them this morning! Good thing I kept a ton of our winter stuff when we moved here - it was just in the back of the closet - we are going to be needing it this week and next - or so they say. Hopefully, we will get more snow or we will be making a trip or two to the mountains to get our fill!

10 Months Old!

I know I say it every month, but where is the time going?!?!?! Max is officially 10 months old today and I just have a hard time believing it. Before long, we will be celebrating his 1st Birthday...YIKES! I am so not prepared for him turning 1!!

He is such a sweet, silly, loving little guy. His smile will light up a room and I just love how he gets so excited when he sees you. When I get him out of his crib, he smiles, stands up and holds onto the side and jumps up and down and just giggles. It makes my heart melt. And the way he loves his sister is priceless. He always wants to be with her and follows her around. He is cruising around on furniture and will be walking before long. He is so over eating pureed food but with just one tooth, I am hesitant to give him too many solids...but he fusses and wants what we are eating so within reason he is getting solids. He is so active, constantly moving from one place to another and creating a path of destruction in his wake. He loves to tear the kitchen cabinets apart...

He got into Arabella's bucket of Halloween candy...

He loves to climb in the dishwasher while I am unloading it...

And yesterday, while playing in the backyard, he got a hold of a LIVE beetle and tried to eat it. It was in his mouth and he started to gag, Jay then did the finger sweep and got it out but Max was pissed off and even went after it! UGH!! I can only imagine now this stuff if going to get worse as he gets older. Arabella was totally grossed out as was I...Jay just laughed it off!

The Switch Witch

The Switch Witch paid a visit to our house again this year. Arabella is so excited about the idea of Halloween and all that goes along with it, including all the sugar, fake colors, flavors and junk that that she came home with from trick-or-treating. I know there are 2 sides to the candy issue and we don't let her eat much of the crap the rest of the year...I guess being a health coach has changed me/us...and we just know what all that nasty stuff causes. In some respects, I wish it was like when I was a kid, you didn't know how bad it was for you but now, we do and it takes a bit of the fun out of it. So to try and keep the fun in Halloween and allow Arabella to keep some of her candy (she is already a bit over what we let her keep..she isn't asking to eat a lot of it) we enlisted the help of the Switch Witch. Arabella seemed to be into the idea of her. This is what she dropped in our mailbox on the afternoon of Halloween:

We talked about it and she agreed to give up some of her candy for a surprise from the Switch Witch. So upon sorting the candy, we took out all the really sweet stuff and things we knew she wouldn't like and put it in a bowl with a note for the Switch Witch before bed. We then put the bowl on the front porch near a few pumpkins so she would be sure to see it when she flew past on her broom.

One of the first things out of her mouth on Friday morning before she was even out of bed was: "I wonder if the Switch Witch came?" So she hurried getting dressed for school and ran to the front porch. I don't think she could believe it when she saw the candy gone and a My Little Pony in its place. She was so excited, I couldn't get a picture that wasn't blurry!

Since the Switch Witch was a hit again this year, I know she will continue to pay a visit to our house next Halloween. Part of me is not into the whole "bribe" of it...give me some of your candy and you will get something else. But the other part of me loves that a lot, and I mean A LOT, of the junky, gross and nasty candy is out of our house for good...it is sitting in Jay's office or sent to the troops through Operation Gratitude, but that is OK, better there than here!

Happy Halloween!!

It is hard to believe that Halloween has come and gone. Arabella was so excited this year and was literally counting down the days to today...just like Christmas! She could hardly contain herself when she woke up this morning. I was surprised she made it through the school day - she came home talking about the cupcakes they decorated at snack time and with a back pack full of treat bags and boo grams - so much so that I joked with her that she had a bunch of treats already, did she really need to go trick-or-treating tonight!

Halloween sunrise was beautiful this morning.

Arabella and her loot from school.

One of the many boo grams she received at school.

Maxton kept busy on the trampoline while Arabella and I did homework. It kept him busy and out of trouble!

As soon as we were done with dinner, Arabella raced off to get ready. It was adorable. She couldn't wait to go door to door with Charli and Georgia, her friends on our street. The girls were so cute and so excited! Max was adorable in his costume as well - and he kept the hat on! After all the times Arabella wanted to name him Pirate Boy, I knew he had to be a pirate for Halloween. Arabella looked so pretty in her blue Mermaid costume. I ended up making the head band for her and she loved it!

While they waited for the rest of the gang to head out, Jay and Arabella lit off a few smoke bombs...they sure did stink! Arabella thought it was fun, but said they were stinky! It was pretty funny to watch them - Max and I took in the show!

Before long it was time to head out. They girls were so very excited and I loved to see the huge smiles on their faces.

Arabella came home with a ton of candy...way more than she needs and can eat...she had fun sorting it and then we decided to leave some out for the Switch Witch. Who knows if she will come and switch out the candy for something else. We will have to see in the morning! Max was a trooper and stayed out for the whole time. He was so tired when he got home, lets hope he sleeps through the night.

Arabella setting out some of her candy for the Switch Witch!

Where did the month of October go. I can't believe that it is almost November 1st! All that aside, we had a great Halloween. We had weather that we are not used to - no coats or mitts needed here. We had fun with our family and friends. And it was a Halloween full of surprises and magic. Until next October when we do it all again, Happy Halloween!