Thanksgiving Day!

Thanksgiving Day!!!!  We all slept in and enjoyed a slow start to the day.  The boys had breakfast picnic-style while watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  They had to jump up and dance when fun songs came on.  Silly guys!

Our Thanksgiving dinner was a little different this year.  Minnie, Bubbles, and Ally had to stay in Arkansas, and Nana and Pops were going to Oklahoma for the day.  We still planned to make our regular feast: turkey, dressing, mashed potato casserole, green bean casserole, creamed corn, and homemade yeast rolls.  That would be a lot of food for just our family of four to eat, so we invited the Katsoulis family to join us.  Nick is Lincoln's best buddy (at school, T-Ball, soccer, etc), and they don't have any family in the area.  We love hanging out with them, and it was a fun Thanksgiving treat to have them with us.  The kids play so well together, and the parents really like each other too!  Mandatory food picture before we all got seated for the prayer . . .  

The only other picture taken on Thanksgiving day was a wild one!  The kids played like crazy!  It came out that Mommy knew how to make balloon animals, so that kind of took over after dinner.  We watched the Cowboys game and made a dozen balloon dogs/swords/giraffes/torches.  Fun for all! 

We all discussed what we were thankful for, and family was the winner!  We were thankful that our families that weren't with us had a fun and yummy day, and we were thankful that the friend family that was with us made our day better.  The weekend was just getting started with more parties and lots of fun decorating on the list.  Hopefully more pictures were taken than on Thanksgiving Day!

Monday at the Arboretum

Lincoln's school took a break for the week of Thanksgiving week, so we had to plan lots of fun.  Mommy and the boys went to the Arboretum on Monday for a picnic lunch and a tour of the 12 Days of Christmas exhibit.  The picnic lunch was perfect in the nice weather!  Lincoln and Beau were happy to lead the tour of the 12 Days of Christmas displays with their maps.  They love maps!

To be honest, it wasn't the best day of pictures.  There were tons of weird cheese faces, plenty of not looking at the camera, and a general lack of interest of being photographed.  Perhaps they were too busy just enjoying the Arboretum . . . or perhaps they are just two little boys who weren't so keen on stopping to have perfect smiles every few minutes!  This was the best picture by the first stop on the 12 Days of Christmas.  Of course, it was the partridge in a pear tree! 

We admired the two turtle doves, three French hens, four calling birds, and the five golden rings at each stop.  And yes, Mommy did sing the song at each exhibit.  We stopped for a bit to chill out by the water falls.  Still awkwardly smiling . . .  

Their favorite stop on the 12 Days of Christmas was the Maids A-Milking!  Why on Earth would that be their favorite?  Because there were cow's butts to laugh at!!!!  And it just so happened that there was a funny smell in this area, and they were overcome with little boy toot/fart/poop/butt jokes!  Yeah, that is pretty much a regular thing with two little boys . . . sigh! 

We continued our tour of the exhibits and had almost finished when we found an artist doing silhouettes.  The boys posed patiently (surprise!!!), and we loved the finished product.  Can't wait to frame those! 

The boys spent a lot of time running around in the pumpkin houses.  This is definitely their favorite part of the Arboretum this time of year!  Finally a semi-good picture!

Hanging out in one of the pumpkin houses - cute! 

We found the last stop on the 12 Days of Christmas tour, and the boys made Mommy sing the whole song!!!  That was super hard, and Mommy might have confused how many ladies were dancing and how many pipers were piping, but they were satisfied! 

On the way out, two sweet and silly smiles came out.  These brothers really love each other and loved spending the day playing at the Arboretum.   

More fun is planned for the next few days . . . hanging with Nana on Tuesday and Wednesday will surely be fun.  Pics to follow!

Weekend Fun

Someone came home from school on Friday with the cutest school pictures EVER!!!!!  Love Lincoln's sweet smile and adorable pose.   

We had a rainy Saturday and spent a little time doing inside projects.  Beau practiced his letter writing and was proud to write his name all by himself.  Nice penmanship and a sheepish little smile. 

Lincoln did a few Lego sets, and he had fun "fighting" Jaw Beast and Stormer against each other.  That's a serious fighting face! 

We took a trip to the Cookie Mall (the Galleria) later in the afternoon for some shopping.  We had a few birthday gifts to buy for Auntie and Pop Pop.  We noticed a commotion as soon as we walked into Belk from the parking garage.  The boys were sure it must be another Dallas Cowboys player picture op since we got their picture made last month with Leary and Crawford.  When we checked it out, Jessica Simpson was signing autographs and taking pictures.  The boys were not in favor of standing in the line to get a picture with a girl they thought was super unimpressive!  "That is not a Dallas Cowboy, Mom!"  Off to shop . . . the boys were completely in charge of the gifts we bought, so we are hopeful that the recipients like kind-of random gifts! 

We discovered that Santa Claus was making his Galleria debut on Saturday afternoon, so we stopped by to say hi.  No one was wearing their "Santa picture clothes" so we just talked a bit.  We'll come back later in appropriate attire.  He was super nice and talked the to the boys for quite a while. 

They requested a picture by the ice rink tree . . . see what I mean about not having appropriate "Santa picture clothes"?!?! 

We met up for dinner at Manny's with Nana and Pops, and Daddy had discovered a new radio station that was super fun.  It plays music from our high school and college years (1994-2002), and Daddy couldn't get out of the car (in our garage at home after dinner) because he was texting buddies about the songs they were playing.  The boys thought Daddy was too silly! 

We had Sunday School, and Lincoln skipped all the way to the car after our fun lesson.  Such a happy kid! 

We changed clothes and headed to the club for brunch, and it was delicious!  Omelets, bacon, waffles . . . and ketchup!!!!!  The boys had the best time running around the front entrance in the leaves.  Such great weather after a yucky day.   

Lots of playing outside was necessary even though it was crazy windy.  These two should be tired and ready for bed after such a busy day, but that's not the case.  They got early baths and settled in for a little movie.  A little Muppets and Charlie Brown are a great way to end a busy weekend.

Fun Monday

One of the most exciting days of the year for Lincoln came on Monday . . . it was the start of the Book Fair!  Mommy was the volunteer for the lunch shift, and Lincoln was so excited to come shop.  He looked at each book carefully and made his selections with so much thought.  He got Lego books, Scooby books, Ninja Turtle books, National Geographic books, and even a Magic School Bus Solar System book for Beau.  Most fun ever!

Mommy and Ally were reminiscing about how much they loved the Book Fair when they were kids, and the most important decision was always the poster.  We both had numerous kitten posters each year that Minnie and Bubbles somehow allowed - crazy!!  We are both certain that back in our days a kitten poster came free with the purchase of four books.  These days posters are $4.95!  Luckily, Lincoln didn't notice and perhaps won't fall prey to the kitten poster trend.  (We are also sure that these may be the exact same kitten posters from 22 years ago!)   

Lincoln has really enjoyed his new books.  Daddy is having lunch at school on Thursday, and they are planning to take a swing through the library.  Lincoln is hopeful that he gets Daddy to buy him a few more books! 

Beau had a fun day at school on Monday too.  He made a pair of binoculars and painted them lots of colors.  After they dried, he entertained his best girl Olive!  She and Beau are best friends for sure.  Sweet Olive really "gets" Beau.  Her crazy giggles at Beau's binoculars were too funny! 

We took Lincoln for his tennis lesson, but it was too cold for Beau and Mommy to play tennis this Monday.  We sat by the fire for a while then did a few crafts in the warmth of the club.   

The fun never stops, right? 

Weekend Wrap-Up

After a busy week with a few sickies, we were ready for a great weekend.  The boys got a donut surprise on Saturday morning!  They heard the doorbell ring and couldn't wait to see what was outside . . . so fun!  (Lincoln told me not to try to keep it a secret who left the surprise because he was sitting by the window in his room reading and say Nana leave the donuts.  Seriously!)  Yummy breakfast!

We had a fun lunch with the Katsoulis family!  They came over (minus baby Tyler) for Jersey Mike's sandwiches and iced sugar cookies.  Happy kids! 

These four play together so well!  Lincoln and Nick are Kindergarten buddies and less than two months apart in age.  They are both fun players but also so kind and fun with each other.  Beau and Ellie are both 3.5 year old little siblings, and they are both a little shy at first.  They bonded over the Tom Tom stand and played great together.  Sweet Ellie always has on a cute dress . . . we got a princess dress on this Saturday! 

After a little movie/rest, the Lincoln and Beau donned their new Dallas Mavericks shirts to wear to their first Mavs game!  What happened to my babies?!?!  They look so old!

We hit up the original El Fenix by the AAC before the game, then went in to cheer for our team!  Daddy and Lincoln were watching closely.  Lincoln loved to cheer each time we scored.   

Beau loved that our team was winning, but he wasn't a fan of the loudness.  He mostly was bothered that the announcer "told us what to do too much".  That's the Beau I know!  He prefers to clap when he wants, and stand when he wants, and on and on.  Still, it was a fun experience. 

Our seats were awesome, of course.  We enlisted the help of our best man, and we loved being so close to the court.   

The boys got an ice cream treat in the 3rd quarter, and they loved that!  Plain vanilla ice cream has never tasted so delicious! 

We stayed through most of the 4th quarter, and it was late when we got home.  The boys got hosed down in the tub and were sent straight to bed.  No one dared to come out, and they were asleep in minutes!  Two little cuties helped with the Central Market run on Sunday afternoon with balloons of course!  Nothing says cute like a case full of raw chicken . . .  

When our shopping was done, we stopped at Sonic for a couple of kids meals.  It was their first time to eat at Sonic, and we only stopped there because we heard they had Wizard of Oz toys in their kids meal.  We are almost finished reading the original Wizard of Oz (chapter by chapter) before bed.  They loved their 3D glasses and fun cards.  Can't wait to get to the end of the story!

So the cold front that was promised wasn't a lie!  It got cold on Tuesday and remained that way for the rest of the week.  On Sunday night the snow fell, and the boys got to sneak out of bed at 9:30 to check it out. 

The snow wasn't much and there was a little disappointment about not getting to miss school to build snowmen.  There is still plenty of winter left for snowmen . . .

Tennis and Veteran's Day

Monday night tennis lesson for Lincoln!  Beau and Mommy had a court reserved for some tennis fun, and Daddy surprised us!  He got home early from a work meeting (in Arkansas!) and joined us for some tennis.  Beau was thrilled!

We picked Lincoln up when his lesson was done, and he had a great time.  Dinner at the club was delicious as usual! 

Tuesday was Veterans Day.  Lincoln was so proud that Pop Pop could come to the Veterans Day Assembly.  Pop Pop sat on the stage with the other Veterans and when his turn came, he introduced himself and identified Lincoln as his grandson.  They got to pose for a picture together after the assembly.

The rest of the week had a bit of crazy, but we are making it through!  More fun pics on the way!

Fun on Saturday and Sunday

Saturday was full of plans and we got busy early.  Mommy had to got to work to do some testing on our financial system upgrade, not fun!  (It didn't go well, and instead of leaving by11:30 it wasn't done until 3:30!!)  Beau got to hang with Nana and Pops, and he loved doing his crafts.  Happy boy!

Daddy and Lincoln met up with the soccer team for Jonathan's 6th birthday party at Adventure Landing in the morning.  The boys had so much fun playing arcade games.  Lincoln was careful not to spend his tokens too quickly, and he loved he games.   Nick, Canon, and Griffin stuck together for most of the gaming.  Fun friends!

The party took a break for lunch with pizza, and Kevin texted this:  "Apparently we have raised a pizza snob because he's not having any of this generic slice of pizza."  True that the boys are used to Campisi's, Carmine's, or I Fratelli's . . . like father like son! 

After pizza, the boys headed outside for go karts!  They waited patiently (or as patiently as 7 little boys possibly can) for their turn.  Again Lincoln, Nick, and Canon chose to stick together.   

The party officially ended after go karts, but the boys had an unlimited pass to play putt putt for the afternoon.  Great dads, Kevin and Corey, let Linc and Nick play a round.  They had so much fun and loved the extra activity.   

Mommy was sad to miss the fun, but it was kind of an all-guys party!  The boys got a few hours of fun making and painting a craft table with Nana and Pops.  It got a little chilly, and they were wearing a few large sweatshirts over their clothes!  They loved measuring and painting the table! 

When Mommy finally picked up the cuties, it was time for a quick stop at Hobby Lobby for a sticker pack for our Sunday School craft.  One pack of $1.99 stickers turned into three Christmas trees because who doesn't need a crazy Christmas tree in their room???? 

Sunday morning was going to be normal with Mommy teaching Lincoln's class, and Beau hanging with Daddy.  Beau changed the script and decided he wanted to go to the 3 year old Sunday School class.  He was a little shy but had fun.  The Lyon's (Jamie and Greg, that we are friends with and have 3 year old Grace) were the teachers, so that helped Beau a little to be more comfortable.  So glad that he went to his own Sunday School class!!!! 

We had brunch at the club after church and watch the first half of the Cowboys game.  Luckily, there was lots to cheer about!  These guys were way more interested in dipping their bacon in ketchup, but it was a fun brunch for all! 

We hit up Central Market and Tom Tom later and got ready for Monday.  Such a fun and busy weekend. 

Crafting and Fun

When the grocery store circulars arrive each week, Lincoln and Beau can't wait to make their "grocery lists"!  They cut our their favorite items and make a collage of what we should buy.  It's the best entertainment while Mommy makes dinner!

The late night crafting is still going on, and Lincoln made himself a strange robot costume one night.  Brown paper lunch bags, colored pipe cleaners, rainbow popsicle sticks, a piece of calculator paper, and a roll of tape . . . after 20 minutes these items transformed Lincoln into a crazy robot!  He was so proud to debut his new "living craft" to Mom and Dad.  It was about 10:00 when he came out.  Early, by his standards. 

Beau was allowed a pass to join the fun because he wasn't asleep yet . . . why are they NEVER tired?!?!  Beau loved Lincoln's crazy get up, and Lincoln loved to show off his creation to Beau.  No lack of imagination here! 

While Lincoln was at school on Friday, Beau was hanging with Nana and Pops.  The had donuts, did lots of craft and puzzles, and went shopping for the canned food drive at Primrose Academy.  (It's kind of annoying to call it Primrose Academy all the time, but Beau insists on it!)  He was happy to pick out canned veggies and fruits to take to school on Monday. 

Lincoln joined the fun after Kindergarten let out, and he and Beau were going crazy over the new Big Wheels ride.  So much fun wheeling around the sidewalk and super cute smiles! 

It's been a busy week, but we've had lots of fun.  We are having a super busy Saturday and Sunday, and more pics are to follow!