Only In The South

I can't actually believe I saw this...there is just so much wrong with the picture...the spot that really isn't a spot that the truck is parked in. The truck bumper hit the carriage. The huge trees hanging out of the back. When the driver parked the truck, he acted like he parks like this all the time. And I can't forget to mention that the guy walked into the liquor store. Seriously...only in the South.

Here Comes Christmas

I know I am a little behind, but we have been partaking in a lot of Christmas activities! This is my favorite holiday and it seems that Arabella is following right in my footsteps. She is so excited and loves to help with the decorating, cookie making and counting down to the big day! I hope that Max is going to be the same. My parents (and family) made this such a special time when I was growing up and I hope that I am doing the same for Max and Arabella.

One of the first things Arabella wanted to do was write a letter for Jack to take to Santa. She wrote it all by herself and made sure her list wasn't too long!

Next up was the decorating of our Christmas tree.  Arabella made sure to show Max how to touch the branches gently.  It was way too cute.  I think he understands, but not sure he wants to comply with the "rule" so all the fragile ornaments are up pretty high!

I've caught him on more than one occasion, using the stroller walker and ramming it into the tree. He also uses it for leverage to reach for higher ornaments. Little stinker!

Arabella also made her gingerbread house. She was excited to do it again this year and has told me that it is now a tradition and we need to make one every year. She was very worried that Jay would eat it before family got here for Christmas, so she made a sign to tell him he couldn't eat it, at least not just yet.

Every day the excitement is building in our house! Here Comes Christmas!

11 Months Old

I wish the title of this entry were a joke, but sadly it isn't. Max turned 11 months old today...it just doesn't seem possible. It seems like yesterday that I was pregnant with him and to think that almost a whole year has passed since he was born is insane. He is getting so big - he loves to eat anything and everything by himself. He has 4 teeth coming in, the top 2 have just started to poke through. He is always on the move and wants to be wherever Arabella is. He loves to be around her. He was sleeping through the night, but that has changed recently. I am hopeful that he is just going through a growth spurt or his teeth were bothering him. He needs to start sleeping again and get back on his schedule. Wishful thinking since this month and Christmas will probably throw everything totally off. He is cruising around the furniture and will climb up the steps if we leave the gates open...I usually catch him a few steps up and quickly run behind him to let him crawl to the top. When he gets there, he is so excited and proud of himself. He is babbling constantly and I love it. I miss him being a tiny little snuggle bug but now instead of snuggling, he gives you a bit of a hug when you pick him up. I feel like I am missing milestones of his. I am sure they will come to me at some point. Anyway, Maxton, we love you and really don't remember our family without you. Happy 11 months Bubs. Now if only we could slow down the clock...

This picture is hysterical...they were wiggling around and Arabella is so "cheesing"!

We Gave In

Arabella has been asking for a pet, specifically a dog, for as long as I can remember. She wanted one in Montreal and we told her that we couldn't have one in our house there because our yard wasn't fenced in. When we moved here, she told us we could get a dog now since we had a fenced in yard. I would love to have a dog, but Jay doesn't want the extra responsibility. I know that most of it would fall on me and that Arabella would love to have one and I think Max would too, but for now we will wait. We compromised with her, well Jay made the compromise with her, that she could get a fish, IF she took care of it. That means cleaning the tank and everything. I will not be cleaning a fish tank! She agreed and started doing research last month. We figured the standard goldfish would do, but they found out that it is cruel and unusual punishment to keep goldfish in a bowl...they need space, cold water and more...otherwise it is not a good environment for them...who knew. We had a goldfish for years growing up in a regular bowl on the kitchen counter...he seemed happy...or so we thought. So after lots and lots of research and making the deal that she had to be "good" for the whole month of November, we would get her a fish. I thought I would never hear the end of it. It seemed as the day got closer, it is all she talked about. She knew what kind of fish she wanted and we even had a print out from PetSmart of all the supplies she would need. She even watched videos on YouTube with Jay on how to clean the tank. She and Jay settled on a Betta fish, she wanted girl Bettas but when we got there they were all out, so she agreed to a boy Betta. She liked him because he had lots of pretty colors and she has named him "Diner" - no clue where that came from! I thought this would be a $20 investment, but after our shopping trip today and dropping $50 on the fish and accessories, did you know that Betta fish need a heater to keep their water warm? They also need silk plants and not the plastic ones otherwise they might snag their fins/tails, and we wouldn't want that to happen. Anyway, let me introduce you to Diner -

Diner seems happy and I just hope she keeps up her end of the bargain and this fish lives the 2 - 4 years it is supposed to...

Happy Thanksgiving

We had a very low key and uneventful Thanksgiving. It was just the four of us and for a change we were at home instead of traveling. I missed being around more family, but it was nice to not have to travel and feel rushed through the holiday. Arabella's break from school started on Wednesday which was nice. She has become my little kitchen helper and we made the pumpkin pie together while Max was napping. She loves to mix the ingredients and help in what ever way she can.

She even helped on Thanksgiving with seasoning the turkey, mashing the potatoes and making the stuffing. It was so nice to have a little helping hand in the kitchen. We had a full blown meal...with way more food than we needed...turkey, stuffing, sausage stuffing (my grandfather's recipe), mashed potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. It was all so yummy and we all enjoyed it. Max went to town on the turkey - he couldn't get enough of it! It seems he enjoyed his first Thanksgiving!

From the looks of these two photos, you would think they hadn't eaten in days!

We all have so much to be thankful for. Each day I learn about gratitude and what happiness is all about from Arabella and Max. They are the world's best teachers. I think we had the perfect Thanksgiving. Happy Thanksgiving from our house to yours.

Thanksgiving Festivities at School

Last week, Arabella had a few Thanksgiving festivities at school. On Monday morning, the entire kindergarten class put on a Thanksgiving skit. It was no more than 15 minutes long, but it was the cutest thing ever. Arabella was so excited to be a "Pilgrim woman" and say "Mercy me" during the skit. The children were broken up into groups of Pilgrim men, Pilgrim women, Indian men, Indian women, Turkey's, and corn. Each group had different lines that they said throughout the skit which was narrated by a teacher. They then sang a few songs at the end. It was a fun way to start off Thanksgiving week.

On Monday evening, we attended the Thanksgiving Spectacular. This was a group of kindergarten and first graders who had been practicing every Monday after school with the music teacher since September. Arabella loved being a part of this show - I even had the opportunity to help supervise the rehearsals. They sang 4 Thanksgiving themed songs and it was so nice. The songs were about gratitude and being thankful. I think it had a really nice meaning and again, it makes you realize that this week is about more than just turkey and football. Arabella had a speaking part in the show and she got to say what she was thankful for - her friends and family. She is so sweet. Max was a trooper throughout the show even though it was right at his bedtime. I think it helped that there was plenty to see and he really liked the music. You did a great job Arabella, I am so proud of you, you sang your little heart out and it made me so happy to be able to see you up on the stage. Keep up the great work!!

I also volunteered to make a pie for a "Pie's for Teachers" event that the PTO holds each Thanksgiving. They ask volunteers to make pies so that every teacher, support staff member and other school personnel and even the bus drivers get to pick out a pie. It is just a small way to say thank you for all their hard work. I think it is such a heartfelt and nice gesture to do. I decided to make a truly Southern pie...chocolate pecan...didn't come out too bad for my first time making this type of pie!

Jack's Back!!!

Arabella was very worried that Jack, our elf, wouldn't know that we had moved from Montreal. She had asked me about it a few times, and I assured her that he would be able to find his way to our new house. She thought he would go to our old house and when we weren't there, he would just go back to the North Pole. So you could imagine her surprise when she found him last Sunday morning. She was so excited - this picture doesn't do it justice...

And Jack is already making new friends around the house. We found him one morning with Max the Mountie, Pinocchio and a Tom Turkey!