Gingerbread houses

It's not too often that maleah and I get to volunteer in Noah's class together. Yesterday we got to help them make gingerbread houses. It was so much fun. I think noah especially enjoyed the fact that we were there. And Maleah loved being like the big kids. Needless to say there was lots of candy eating, frosting wearing and smiles. I feel so blessed to be a stay at home mom that can be apart of my kids special school moments. This is what I have been waiting for!

December board

Here is the bulletin board I did for the month of december for Noah's school.  The snowman is made out of cups.  He took some time to figure out.  The kids and staff really seem to enjoy him!

New Bikes

For Maleah's 3rd birthday and our move we had promised the kids new bikes.  (That was 6 months ago!)  Then the summer went flying by and they started asking where their bikes were…so here they are!  They are loving every second and it is great to see them playing together!  

1st Haircut

I feel like the parent of extremes!  Noah had his first haircut at 2 months old and now Maleah is having her's at…wait for it…3 YEARS old!  It has been a process in the making with a failed attempt and lots of bribery.  Maleah was convinced that haircuts where only for boys (even though My hair is shoulder length and she sees me get it done) and it was not going to happen for her!  We spent  a couple of weeks prepping her about the "trim" she would receive and how wonderful she will look.  Oh, and she got a couple of My little pony toys.  Whatever works.  She did it, and it was  such a great experience! 

Thanksgiving 2014

This year we drove to NJ to spend Thanksgiving with Aunt Chrystal, Uncle Greg and the cousins.  It was an eventful 3 days, not just for all the playing the kids did, but because it snowed!  They made a snowman, threw some snowballs, and did some sledding.  It was really a site to see the fun that they were having.  And, on top of all the fun, we had lots of great food!

Maleah's version of sledding

Uncle Dave and the kiddos

Game night: kids vs parents.  Any guesses on who won?

Merry Christmas 2014...

I am ready for Christmas!  Yes, this year I actually put stuff up before Turkey Day.  I just couldn't help myself.  Here are a few shots of stuff I have done.  There is, of course, more to come.  The kids are already wanting to know when the presents will be under the tree.  I am waiting for the elves to come help me with that task!

Never saw that coming

I just have to log this as a memory I hope to forget.  A few weeks ago I came home to this baby sitting in  my kitchen.  I was busy putting things away when Mia and the dog were in the kitchen scooting around.  Mia says in a giggling voice, "Mom, there is a snake in the kitchen!"  To my disbelief, there sure was.  It didn't phase her at all.  She's totally not related to me!  So, I caught it and had Dave take it away.  4 days later we stumbled upon another one in the basement.  He was about 2 times bigger than this one.  I think I just had a mini stroke!  I don't do snakes.  We again caught it and I started sleeping with my eyes open.  Checking every bed.  So I called the pest control company whose sticker was in the basement.  This was no help.  He walked the house and told me that I had snakes because I have rats and mice in the house.  Really?  I have never seen an evidence of rodents.  Now I was never going to sleep again.  Then, he looked at the snake and said that is was probably a copper head.  I lost it again!  Nightmare city!  How could I live here if there were copper heads getting in. (Later we found out it was just a brown snake and nothing serious.)

The owner and agency handling this house ended up hanging a specialist come out to look at the house.  No one really knows how they got in, but could agree on two things: We live in snake central Virginia and they were coming in to stay warm.  So, they have begun sealing the garage up and so far, no more have invited themselves in.  I can handle a lot of things, but not snakes and spiders.  Yuck!

First Stripe

November 21, 2014-Noah is 4 months into MMA.  It has been the neatest thing to watch him grow and learn in this experience.  When we first signed him up it was a lot of learning how to sit and pay attention, since, this is not a fast paced sport.  Now, I can see his discipline and form.  Currently he is doing Jiu-jitsu and muay thai.  He just tested for his first stripe and it was so much fun to watch.  I have a video of him in the ring behind him with his instructor.  He was so excited!

Bulletin Board

I wanted to be involved as much as I could at Noah's school so I volunteered to be on the PTO as the bulletin board/advertising person.  It has been rewarding to see the kids faces each month as I work on the board.  Here is the one that I did for the month of November.  

Noah's first fun run

Novemeber 7, 2014- Noah being in school has been both and adjustment and memorable.  It took a couple months to get use to full time school in the public school setting and now he is loving it.  He has made a ton of friends and is learning so much.  This year he got to do his first Boosterthon fun run.  He was very excited to call grandparents and friends to ask for pledges because he could earn free goodies (oh and the school could earn money too!) Here are a few pictures from the day of the run.  It was beautiful out, but super cold.  Noah ran all 35 laps in under the hour and was one of the first kids done. It doesn't surprise me as he always has so much energy!  He was very proud.

Noah showing off his cool gadgets from all the pledges he got!

Happy Halloween

This was such a memorable Halloween.  First off, it was our first year as a family living in a neighborhood.  Typically, in our house in Alabama we didn't get kids coming by because we were too far out.  So, being in the city and in a neighborhood brought lots of opportunity for both trick-or-treating and giving out goods!  My sweet friend Carmen who also lives in this neighborhood had a party so we attended that and then spent the eventing trick-or-treating.  Maleah who is always into dressing up, decided last minute to be batgirl.  And, what do you know, they had one my size too!  It was so much fun dressing up with the kids.  Noah, rocked the Optimus Prime costume this year.  He was more interested in getting as much candy as possible because he believes that the more candy he has for the candy fairy the bigger his gift will be.  So, there are not very many pictures of him as he was on a mission.  We also had our friend Ryan Corder visit from Huntsville.  He too dressed up and it was a lot of fun having him here.  

I feel like this was the first year that Maleah really got it.  She was thrilled.  Every house that we went to she would say "Thank you!  Happy Halloween to you!"  I loved to see the joy on her face.  In the end, the kids did very well and enjoyed their time with their friends.  Oh, and as for the candy fairy, I think she did well too!  The kids were oh so pleased with their new toys waiting for them the next day that they never asked again for the candy.  She is my hero…Well, as long as she remembers to toss out the candy!

Here the kids are enjoying their gifts from the candy fairy!