Big 2 Birthday!

We decided to have a quiet family day for the kids' birthday, and celebrate big at the party at the Monkey Room. We decided to take them to Chuck E Cheese for lunch, and by the way, that is the exact opposite of quiet. The kids took off as soon as we got there. I was surprised that they were pretty brave with all the older kids running around, and it is definitely overstimulating in there. We had to drag Brady out kicking and screaming, and Gary barely got him into the car seat. They were passed out before we even got home. They were so tired that we were able to wiped down their hands, faces, take of their shoes, and get them in bed without waking. It was at that point that Gary and I realized that one of the passengers did not make it home. Baby was no where in site, and there is one and only one baby. Gary flew back to Chuck E Cheese with a bad feeling that Baby was gone. Before you all start to grieve . . . Gary did find Baby. She had fallen out on the sidewalk, and was laying there waiting for her rescue. Tragedy avoided.

We also let the kids make and eat cookies,and open presents. We probably crammed a little too much into one day, but it was great. They are our angels!

More Celebration in the Oaks pictures

Celebration in the Oaks Pictures

Celebration in the Oaks

We saved up our energy to go to meet Holly and her family at Celebration in the Oaks. I am going to attach several pictures, because the kids had a great time! It was so wonderful to see them enjoying the storyland, climbing in and out of the little houses, sliding, running, etc. It was a great family outing.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Some of you reading this may think it is crazy to make a big deal about snow, but if you live in New Orleans, it is definitely rare. We were blessed with beautiful snow last week, so it was all anyone talked about. I took Brady and Reese to watch it through the window. They watched for a little while, and then went back to playing. Since I am a lazy Mom, I did not take them out in the snow. I think we were all content to just stare at it!

If you don't realize how rare snow is here, just talk to the locals. Gary can pretty much tell the exact year/date of each snow he has experienced in his life. And most of you know that Gary is not a spring chicken! (just kidding honey)

Here Comes Santa Claus!

It is time for pictures with Santa! Brady, Reese, and I loaded up the car with all our necessities (stroller, snacks, "baby", plastic hangers, and everything else Brady can scoop up on his way to the car). Of course, when we arrived at the mall, we were told Santa doesn't start work until 11pm! Boy Santa sure has gotten lazy. I should have tracked him down to find out what his suggestion would be to keep 2 toddlers busy for at least an hour waiting for pictures!

Well, we found some cookies and "riding toys" near the food court, and that was all they needed! They had a great time going in and out of the rides,and I didn't even have to put quarters in! Now I know where to go for free entertainment!

Our Santa experience actually turned out really well. I was certain that one (or both)children would be wailing, kicking, or biting at Santa. When I took Reese out of the stroller, she ran straight up to Santa down that ugly red carpet, and she hurled baby at him. For those of you that don't know baby, that means Reese has accepted you into her circle of friends. Baby is also in the picture, because Santa insisted. I only have one picture with my camera, but I actually got a few good ones through the photographer. Brady was very matter of fact the whole time, and I knew he was ready to get down to destroy Santa's set-up. We made it out without much commotion and called it a day. You can't take advantage of these pleasant outings, because they can turn ugly fast.

I am attaching pictures on the riding toys and Santa.

Bruiser

After Lesley and Taylor left Saturday afternoon, the kids continued to have a great time playing together. They are so entertaining to us, as well as themselves. However, their play turned into Reese bonking her head on the back board of the couch (under the fabric), and she immediately had a huge, discolored lump on her cheekbone. It looked horrible, and of course, she wouldn't let us put any ice on it. Apparently, pizza was all she needed to forget about the battle wound and carry on. It looked even worse this morning. Many of the people at church were taken aback, and asked what happened. I hope we don't get turned in. They are almost two is my best defense. They injure Gary and I more than they injure themselves!

More Thanksgiving Pictures

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with Lesley and Taylor visiting for the week. My in-laws welcomed us all for a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner, and all three of the kids had a blast. Papa Charles' birds and turtles were a huge hit. They also loved crawling in Pepe's dog cage and munching on some snacks. Gary and I suggested we just close and lock the cage for awhile, since they were so happy, but no one really thought that was appropriate. Maybe next time.

Cold Day

Well, we have only had approximately ONE cold day so far, so I had to get a picture with Brady and Reese bundled up. They really loved the gear, but figured out real fast that it was hard to snatch things with those mittens on!

Abi's Wedding

The kiddos made it to their second wedding service since birth. It was much easier last time, since I was in Justin and Ragan's wedding, and did not have to keep them happy during the service. Abi's wedding was beautiful, but unfortunately we didn't get any good pictures of the beautiful bride or the service. I was chasing Brady and Reese all over the park, but the parts of the ceremony that I did hear were beautiful. Brady and Reese had a good time anyway! Thank you to Jonathan, Phyllis, Shelley, and Brian for helping us keep them entertained!

Trunk or Treat

We went to the church for trunk or treat this year, and it was so fun to see Brady and Reese trick or treat. I don't think they knew exactly what was being put in the bag, but they liked the way it sounded going in! Reese was a professional. She went trunk to trunk, stood behind all the big kids, and opened her bag for the goods when it was time. Brady was a little less organized, and he fought the dog hood for quite awhile. Truthfully, I thought they would both refuse the outfits, so we must have done a good job distracting them. They obviously have never had candy before. Mean ole parents. I caught Reese chewing on the stick of a sucker, so we let them have one. Now it is all over. They loved them so much they were stuck to the costumes, they sat still (which is a miracle in itself)! On Halloween night, we put them back in their costumes and stayed outside the house to pass out candy. They would go right up to the trick or treaters and stare at them with their intimidating mouse/dog stares. It was great.

Jello

Brady and Reese tried jello for the first time. I hate the stuff, but they had fun digging in it with Christmas cookie cutters. If you look closely, you can probably see Reese's shiner from the Monkey Room.