Finally! Big Enough Paper!

Anderson mastered writing all of the letters of his name a few weeks ago, but we hadn't been able to fit them all on one page of paper yet. Writing at 3.5 years old requires lots of space, especially when your name is so long!  But, in one of Mommy's birthday presents was an enormous sheet of paper!  So, Anderson was thrilled to write his full name all on one page, although it still barely fit!

Happy Birthday, Mommy!

I had such a sweet birthday this year with my boys.  Reese took them shopping on a special trip to Walmart where they got to pick out a card, flowers and balloon.  Anderson was so proud of the red roses that he picked and presented to me.  Everett was very adorable bringing me my balloon.  (I think an extra birthday bonus would've been to be a fly on the wall during this shopping trip.)  As it turns out, Reese also let them pick out cupcakes for me which turned into Reese convincing Anderson over and over that we didn't need a sheet cake that was big enough to feed 48 people.  They were able to all agree on a dozen Elmo cupcakes.  :)

This worked out well, though, since Anderson's present idea didn't quite go how he wanted.  He really wanted to get Mommy her very own Lightning McQueen t-shirt to wear.  They had to settle for Cookie Monster if it was something Mommy actually was going to fit into since she's not the size of a toddler boy.  

After a family dinner out for sushi (thank goodness it was a Wednesday night at 5:30- we weren't too disruptive), we came home for cupcakes.  I had to put on my new shirt before I could have one.  ;)  

I was also so excited to get this necklace that I had dropped a huge hint about last July to Reese.  It's a square calendar pendant that has a stone that looks like a diamond (April's birthstone) placed on the month of April which is the month that both boys were born.  I've been hoping that this was coming, so I am thrilled to have it!

Leila Capture the Month Pendant

Reese also has a surprise planned for me while we are in Vegas in a few weeks, so I'm anxiously awaiting to find out what's in store for me!  Thanks to my sweet guys for a love-filled birthday.  It was a very special day!

Going Once...Going Twice...Where My October/November Went

Right before Everett was born in 2010, I joined the Carrollton Early Childhood PTA with a few of our playgroup friends that live in Carrollton.  The CECPTA is affiliated with the National PTA and provides support, education and activities for parents of infants and toddlers.  There are lots of socials, parties and playgroups that we attend with our CECPTA friends as well as the monthly meetings where the children are treated to great programs while the adults get to socialize and participate in parent education.  At the beginning of this year, I joined the CECPTA Board as one of the Fundraising Co-Chairs.  That put me and my partner in charge of coordinating the organizations' only fundraising event, our 21st Annual Silent Auction.

So, where did all of my free time go the past few months?  To sending emails, making phone calls, designing print materials, organizing donations, planning auction details and just general begging for money.  :)  The auction was held on November 11th and was a success!  With close to 100 attendees, almost $8000 was raised.  Things went smoothly overall and it was a fun event.  Here are a few pictures, although the same excuse applies here too: I was so busy at the event itself I didn't even have time to take proper pictures!  Oh well!  I guess there's always next year  ;)

Raffle Table (4 Day Cruise & Hotel/Dinner Date Night)

Yo Ho Let's Go! Happy Halloween!

I'll just pretend it's not mid-November as I'm finally posting Halloween pics.  (An explanation-post as to why following soon.)  Regardless of the time, I couldn't skip documentation of the fun and cuteness of my little pirates.

Anderson loves a cartoon on Disney Jr. called Jake and the Neverland Pirates and I was happy to steer him on the path towards something a little different than Lightning McQueen for a change.  Anderson's costume was a Gymboree costume from a few years ago that I found on Ebay, which I loved.  Once Anderson decided to be Jake for Halloween, he was quick to decide that Everett had to be Cubby from the show since he's Jake's sidekick.  (And...according to Anderson, "because he's short.")  Everett's costume was my first 'homemade' costume, thanks to my sweet neighbor who helped with the sewing.

Both boys had lots of opportunities to wear their costumes since we went to so many fun activities.  Here are some pictures of our Halloween fun!

Anderson as Jake the Pirate

Everett as Cubby

At the Trunk or Treat Social with the Carrollton Early Childhood PTA

Children's Party at Daddy's Office

Mommy Pirate joins the fun on Halloween

Daddy's team at work dressed as Peter Pan so it worked perfectly for him to be Captain Hook!

Everett at the Prestonwood Carnival

Anderson running the wheel-barrel race like a pro!

A few trick-or-treating stops around the neighborhood to finish the fun!

Teamwork & Yogurt Melts

The teamwork between these two little guys at a mere 1.5 & 3.5 years old is a little astounding, if not frightening to say the least.  Today while I was cooking dinner with them under foot in the kitchen, Everett pulled out a bag of yogurt melts from the pantry.  Basically, they are freeze-dried drops of yogurt.  Fantastic for lunchboxes and snacks, but not as pre-dinner munchies.  So, I told him that I would not open them.  He worked at it for a bit, trying his hardest to pull apart the sealed top (a ziplock-type press-seal).  Along comes Anderson who offers his help.  Everett, who usually screams like a banshee the moment Anderson nears him to take something from his possession, was eager for some help.  Anderson worked at it without success.  Again, I reminded both boys that they were not going to get any yogurt melts now, but if they ate a good dinner they could have some afterwards.  I then stood back to watch.  It was a few moments later that I heard Anderson tell Everett under his breathe that "we'll just have a couple."  Then, Einstein Everett got the idea to head to the pantry to retrieve tools for the job.  What did he return with?  A plastic knife.  Anderson applauded his effort and set to work now using the plastic knife as a prying tool.  Everett, sensing Big Brother's approval, headed off to the pantry to get reinforcements: another plastic knife.  Two of them have to be better than one!  It was around that time that their hard work and colluding paid off.  The plastic knife did its job, sliding effortlessly in between the seal.  The looks of joy and accomplishment the boys exchanged with each other were priceless.  Then, they both looked at me.  I had to smile.  I let them each have two as I again quoted the same scenario for earning more.  For what it's worth... neither of them ate a great dinner and neither of them remembered at all about the yogurt melts.  I think Reese and I are definitely in for it in the future if these two can abstain from pestering each other long enough to work together.

Noah's Ark Day & Donuts With Daddy Day

The Thursday before Halloween was a busy day at the boys' preschool.  Since it's a Christian preschool, they hosted Noah's Ark Day and invited all the children to dress up as animals.  I put my creative skills to work and turned the boys into a pair of giraffes.  Since this was smack-dab in the middle of coordinating Halloween costumes as well, I searched out the most cost-efficient way to create a second set of costumes for the boys.  Enter Wal-mart's Garanimals brand brown sweatpants and turtlenecks along with some good 'ol fashioned masking tape.

Anderson stretching out his loooooong neck.

 Showing his tail.

Everett looking very giraffey.

The best picture we could muster of the giraffes two by two.  

Anderson headed into school.  See ya later, alliga...uh..giraffe!

On the same day, Daddy was invited to a very special event in Anderson's class.  It was Donuts With Dad Day.  Since Father's Day is a summer holiday, the preschool holds this event to invite the dads into the classroom for some special time.  (They hold a similar event for the moms in the spring around Mother's Day.)  Anderson was SO excited to take Daddy into class with him and to get to have such a yummy treat!  Mommy snuck into class before leaving to take a quick picture:

Here is the interview that Anderson was proudly showing Daddy:

Anderson had also made Daddy a nice blue and green tie to wear while he was in class.  Sometimes Daddy even comes out in the mornings dressed for work wearing the tie and makes Anderson smile.  When Reese called me after leaving Anderson's school, he was proud to tell me a story.  He said that after the pledges and before the prayers, the teacher held up the Bible and asked the children "What is this?"  Anderson was the only one to loudly exclaim without hesitation "God's Holy Word!"  I know Reese's heart beamed.  I'm really happy that Reese was able to visit Anderson's class.  I know Anderson was very proud to have him there too.

Texas State Fair

A mid-October tradition of ours is to visit the Texas State Fair.  We literally waited until the last minute this year, going on the next-to-last day it was open.  It's a quick adventure when you are dealing with a 45-minute+ drive there, two kiddos who are on two different napping routines, and two kiddos who really want to walk unrestricted on their own, but can't because it's so crowded and chaotic.  But, we all had a fun time, nonetheless and are very happy that it worked out for us to fit it in this year.

First up: some rides before the lines get too long.  Anderson loves the rides!  Everett really wanted to go on them!  Next year he should be tall enough to go on them with Big Bro.

Year 2 for the Giant Monster Truck ride with Daddy

This little train was the only ride Everett could go on. He was so excited! Later in the day we walked by it and Everett wanted to get on it again so badly!  

One of Mommy's favs to do with Anderson ~ the giant slide.  

Anderson &n Daddy on the Kiddie Rollercoaster

Both boys really enjoyed the interactive kids' activities at the fair.  There was a great Hands on the Farm area that allowed them both to do all sorts of activities like they were on a farm.  Anderson was most thrilled with the bag of pretzels that he got to buy with his money that he earned from his crops that he grew and sold.  They also loved feeding and seeing the animals in the petting zoo arena.

Everett was very excited to feed the camel...

 ...until the camel tried to eat his hand.  ;)

And, oh the games.  I only have a couple of pictures of the carnival games.  There's a good explanation of the reason, though.  Each time we neared a carnival game booth, both boys began to turn into wild monkeys.  Not to mention the multiple signs posted on all of these kids' booths that said something along the lines of "If your child touches a duck, you pay for it."  So, they were both screaming to play the games, hands flying and grabbing at all the beautiful, cheap stuffed plush, and Mommy and Daddy were trying to explain to a 1.5 & 3.5 year-old why they only got to pick up one duck out of the pond of a thousand. They did enjoy picking out a prize from the tiny buckets labelled "Small Prize" stuck over in the corner of the booth.  (At least they weren't old enough yet to beg us to try and win those giant ones hanging all around them.)  Then, the monkey-wrangling and screaming would commence as we would try and get them out of said carnival game booth.  It was torture for us and momentarily Heaven for them.

The food at the fair was kind-of a 'miss' this year for us.  We all had the standard corn dog and tater-twisters along with some lemonade.  We shared some Dippin' Dots ice cream (Everett & Mommy's favorite) and as we bribed Anderson to leave walked back to the car, shared a funnel cake (Daddy & Anderson's favorite).  So, no adventurous tastes of fried bubble gum or other winning delicacies of the deep fryers.  :)

Here's our favorite tradition from the fair.  Piling into this tiny photo booth always brings about such laughter and the moment when we first see the photos printed out is priceless.  I'll throw in last years' for comparison, too.
2011                                                     2010

The second picture from this year just cracks us up.  Right before we took it (and you literally have like 3 seconds between takes) one of us yelled out "stick out your tongues!" and were only half-expecting Anderson to even join in.  When the pics came out we were hysterically laughing at Everett and his sneaky little tongue!