Alyssa and Daddy went on their first date. She wanted to get dressed up and wear a dress and the red glitter, Dorothy shoes. (I thought maybe this one time she can wear them out. ) They went to Daddy’s favorite restaurant in downtown Franklin and then went shopping to buy some jibbets for her crocs. I am glad someone gets a date with Daddy.
We had a blast tonight. The neighborhood is so much fun when it comes to stuff like this, and it was a great way to meet some new people. We were probably the first to head out for candy, but several followed right behind us. Megan loved to walk up and down the sidewalk, but had to be confined to the wagon eventually. I thought it would be so fun for her to be walking to trick or treat, but it was a hassle to follow her around. But everyone who saw us, loved the costumes. We were even know as the Oz family by the end of the night. Click to see more pics.
It is finally beginning to look and feel like fall… at least what I have heard “fall” is. We generally grab a light jacket when we are outside and the heater is actually on in the house. The trees have not been spectacular this year, but some are finally turning pretty colors. We visited a pumpkin patch with Amanda and Mallory and had a neighborhood chili cook-off and pumpkin carving party last weekend. Tonight we will trick or treat! I hope it is as much fun as I remember it being. We could have gone to a few trunk or treat type events, but we will do it the old fashioned way tonight! Check back for pics, they are sure to impress.
We have also had a house full of guests in the last 2 weeks. Ethan’s mom, then Kedra, then my mom. We had a great time and I loved the company. Yes, with Kedra’s kids it was twice as many kids, twice as many tantrums, twice as many meals, baths, etc… but it was awesome. Thanks for sacrificing your sanity to visit us. Who wants to come next??
Happy Halloween from Nashville.
I guess I should stop giving people a hard time for not updating their blog, since mine is 2 weeks old. In my defense, I have been sewing.
We also took a quick trip to West Virginia to visit Ethan’s grandparents. The girls did okay in the car, but 8 hours is pushing their limit…okay my limit. Ethan said I am worse than they are. I do much better when I drive. Being the passenger with two kids behind you is actually a lot of work. Grandpa has a farm that he acquired in the 60s or so. Aunt Sandy said she, Terry and Tim, planted a lot of the trees when they were kids, and then their dad took them out for a root beer. Oh, the days when getting a soda were a treat. Pretty cool to see how big the trees are now. There are some horses nearby that we fed. Alyssa did a great job until she got stung by the live wire keeping the horses in their pen. Needless to say, she was done after that. A related cousin in some way came over to visit with us and he and Alyssa played ALL DAY. I think she misses playing with kids her age. But the best thing about the farm is having a weinie roast. We get the fire going and roast hot dogs and make as many smores as you can tolerate. I think Ethan won.
Alyssa had her first art show at school this week. It was so cool. They had done some really good stuff and even helped hang it all on the wall. One picture is of her by her flowers. They were told to cut out the pieces, could not draw out anything, then assembled them all together by herself. I was impressed with that artwork. She also had a family picture. I love that Megan still has hair that stands up – like it did when she was younger, and that Noah is always in the sky with brown hair. It was a fun occasion to see what she does at school and meet her infamous friend, Keely.
We flew to Houston to celebrate Megan’s birthday. We wanted all her friends and family to be able to share in this special day with us. We decorated and baked and iced to get ready, and everything was great. Megan’s cake was delicious. I made Alyssa’s first cake, so I felt it only fair to do the same for Megan. Oma baked the cake, Nana made the icing and I decorated. It was a great team effort! Megan enjoyed her cake and ate every bite that her friend Dawson didn’t take from her. However, she would not use her hands. Not sure why, but dove in face first for each bite. Thank you to those who drove a little farther to celebrate with us. It felt like planning a small wedding or something…I am glad to be back home with nothing but Halloween costumes on my plate. And maybe the living room, dining and office curtains.
It is true. At least the calendar says so. I am amazed each day as I look at my girls and realize how big they are getting. I mean Alyssa looks like a 10 yr old to me in her Gap, Stretch-flare jeans. And then I watch her walk into school all by herself and she looks so little. Megan has grown up too. She can stand like a champ and cruise around the furniture, but has only taken one or two steps. She can “oooooh” at anything and say “ma-ma” and “da-da”, but doesn’t have much desire to talk either. So while I cannot believe she is actually one year old, in some ways she is still my baby. She likes to explore a lot more than her sister and does a good job entertaining herself. Not so much with toys, but that is okay. She has begun some separation anxiety and likes to ride on my hip most of the time. She has started drinking better out of the cup and has been eating all table foods for awhile. And I regret to say that her party will not be her first taste of sweets.
She loves her sister. She loves to swing. She loves to crawl in and out of places, especially cabinets. She loves to get next to my bookshelf and look at me and shake her head “no”. She smiles, but does not giggle much. She does this thing where she sucks air in and makes this squeaking noise instead. She kicks her legs when she is excited, like when Daddy comes home. She is wonderful. Thank you Lord for this year with our daughter. Thank you for blessing our lives with another child of yours. Grant us many more years to enjoy these gifts.
Happy 1st Birthday
(Megaty Meg, Megster, Meggie, Meg Meg) Megan
There is a video of Alyssa telling her bible stories.
This is an 11mb file and runs 7 minutes. But very cute and worth watching to see how much kids really listen. Thanks to her Daddy who reads her Bible stories all the time.
That was the best way to explain soccer last year.
But this year, was a different. I knew going to the game today that things were different. It is amazing how much Alyssa has changed and matured in a year. There was a big difference in my 3 yr old and my 4 yr old. She did great today. She ran and followed and kicked and smiled. I could not have asked for a better day. Check out the video and pics. Alyssa is in orange with the white shoes 🙂
I am still taking pictures, but somehow they don’t make it to the blog. I have uploaded some new ones to the gallery. Everything from bike riding to spaghetti. Enjoy.
