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Sunday, November 28, 2010

My Little Turkey

I'm Thankful...
For my silly little turkey.

I'm thankful for so many things this year.

But this little turkey
Is pretty high up on my list.

I'm thankful for the joy he brings into our home.
The giggles
cuddly hugs
loving kisses
the happy times
and the not so happy times

They are all special, because Andrew is a part of them.

I mean, what mom gets to take their kid to the grocery store and find a turkey hat?
What kid wants to put it on and wear it around the store, getting smiles and laughs from everyone we passed?

I'm telling you, the laughs are continuous around here.

And I'm so thankful for this life.


Tuesday, November 23, 2010

State Champs

Last weekend we drove to UNI to see Daddy's football team play in the state championship game!  It was so exciting that they made it that far in the playoffs, and Craig got to accompany them to his old alma mater and cheer on the North Polk Comets!
Home of the Panthers!
Craig used to coach this football team, but once he became the Athletic Director, he no longer can coach.  I know he misses it, but this was a very special opportunity for him, and I was so proud of him!
Andrew was too!  He was so excited when he saw his daddy down on the field.
He was even more thrilled when daddy pulled him down onto the field during the warm up.  One of the perks of being the AD's son!  Ha!
He thought this was pretty big time stuff!
Even better?  Getting to throw a football around with daddy on the UNI field!
Andrew really wanted to stay out on the field with daddy for the whole game.  But unfortunately, the game had to start so he had to come sit with mommy, Ga Ga and Papa!
He made us chase him up and down the huge amount of steps for a while.  He'd stop occasionally and sit like this and clap and cheer for daddy!

But once we got him popcorn, he sat still and clapped from his seat!
He pretty much almost ate this entire bag.  He didn't want to share with any of us!  Ha!
Andrew and Ga Ga enjoying the game.
I loved our seats- we sat up high enough that we had a great view!
Sitting with Papa watching the big boys!
You didn't think we'd go anywhere without our portable DVD player did you?  This thing saved us through the whole first half!
Because, you know, his favorite thing to do is eat popcorn and watch a game movie!  He is his mama's son, after all!  Ha!
The only bad part?  Apparently my attempt at charging the DVD player the night before hadn't panned out.  I even checked to make sure the light was on and it was charging so I have no idea why when we turned it on the screen went blank.  I almost had a heart attack!  Mainly because I knew he'd never last without it.  Thank goodness for the outlet on the wall right by our seats!  The funniest part was Andrew getting annoyed with the people walking by, one of whom almost didn't see him and got a little too close!  Andrew gave him quite "the look" and after the man walked by he shook his finger at him and made some very annoyed sounds.  Ha!  

The comets ended up losing the game, but they really proved what a great team they are to be able to make it this far.  Placing second in the state sounds pretty good to me!  We think they are still "state champs!"
Andrew says "Go Comets!"

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Funnies and more...

Time is just flying by lately, isn't it?  This is my absolute most favorite time of year, but I also feel the stress of having so many things to do and just not enough time to do it.  I am so behind on putting up Christmas decorations.  Usually by this time I at least have the tree up.  I just love to get it up early so we can enjoy it longer!  We have been so busy on the weekends lately we haven't had time to put it up.  Craig and I were just talking this morning about the fact that every weekend between now and Christmas is already booked up with something- traveling, Craig's school activities, etc.  Not to mention trying to find time to take Andrew to see Santa, and do those fun things related to Christmas.  Ahhhh, I just wish time would slow down!

I just have sort of a random post of some silly things I wanted to remember to record in the "books!"  It may not "flow" the best, but bear with me!
A few week ago when we had conferences, I had a couple of mornings off and was able to take Andrew to preschool.  I enjoyed this so much!  While I could never teach preschool (I don't know how his teacher does it- she is so awesome!) I loved being there and sitting with Andrew for an hour or so.
His teacher told me that he acts so different when I am not there.  I have always noticed that as a teacher- that at conferences when I tell parents how great their child is doing, they can't believe it because they are so naughty at home!  Ha!  She said Andrew was so much quieter with me there, and he wouldn't even sing the song at group time.  She told me he is usually the best one at the songs- he gets really into it.  But I didn't get to see this!  Little stinker!  She also said he is really good at the routine- he knows exactly what to do and does everything by himself every morning.  Well, when mama was there I guess he thought I should hang up his backpack for him and help him do everything!  A sign that he is slightly spoiled and we need to give him more independence at home, I think!  He obviously can do way more than we give him credit for.  It was an eye opening experience, and I loved every minute of it.

I have been making a list of some new things he is doing and saying, and I just want to write them down so I can remember...
- He recognizes his name now and knows all the letters plus lots more
We were coming home from school one day and I pulled into the garage and he saw a poster hanging up with our names on it and he said "My name!"  I couldn't figure out what he was talking about, but I looked up and his name was right there on the poster and he noticed it.  Then he saw our names (Jen and Craig) and he said "Jake" and "Charlie's" names!  Those are his little best friends at day care.  He knew they started with the same letters as our names!  I was so impressed!  He is learning so much at preschool and I love it every time he shows me something new.

-We had his conference at preschool last week
His teacher said he is going to meet every goal on his IEP in time for his review coming up in January!  We were so excited to hear this.  She said he is right on track academically.  She showed us his portfolio and everything he has been doing and I couldn't help but get choked up!  He has improved on so many things just since the beginning of the year! (Like cutting, letters, etc).  We were so proud of him.

-His latest saying is "Come back and see __________ another day!"  Whenever we are leaving anywhere- it could be someone's house, or a place he loved, he fills in the blank.  It is so funny.

-His other latest saying is "Five-two more minutes."  He holds his fingers up by his face and says this to us all the time.  Anytime he doesn't want something to end!  Ha!  
As far as what's been going on around here lately... well, he's been keeping us on our toes, that's for sure.  I have concluded that he is one of the funniest kids I have ever met.  We laugh at him at least ten times a day.
The other day he had to stay home from school with mama (he had pink eye...AGAIN!  We can't get rid of it, we've all had it- yuck!)  Anyway, he was pretending to go to "school."  He got his backpack on and said, 'Bye mama!"  He'd give me a big hug and kiss and run and hide in the other room.  Then pretty soon he'd come running back in and say "I had fun at school!" with a huge smile on his face.  It was so adorable.  I think he missed going to school and was bored being home with mama!  Ha!
I put him down for a nap and when I went in to check on him this is what I found!  Ha!  He had a little hat on that belongs on one of his bears.  Again, I had to laugh (and get the camera!)  We're pretty much past the napping stage around here.
Then he pretended to go to sleep, just to make me happy!  Ha!
Then there are those mornings where we work so hard to rush and get ready for work and school and he just makes us stop and laugh.  He put daddy's socks on and pulled them all the way up his legs!
I think I was slightly late to work this morning, because I couldn't stop taking pictures and laughing at him!
This one pretty much explains itself!  Ha!
Andrew had to get out his computer since daddy had his!  Never mind the fact he had no pants on and his Woody boots!  That makes complete sense to us!
So does this... why wouldn't you want slippers on your feet and hands??  (He was pretending to be Tarzan, walking on his hands).
Then the morning he got out breakfast for Cookie Monster and Elmo and Raffi.  He lined them all up and served them!

Silly boy!
I think this was another day we tried getting him to nap.  This time he climbed right in his treasure chest!
I swear, I'm taking a nap mom!
This is his latest obsession:  His Buzz jammies.  Ga Ga brought them back for him from the Disney Store and gave them to him one night when he spent the night with her and he won't take them off- literally.  He is getting more and more into what he's wearing lately, and has his own mind about what he wears (this drives me insane!  Ha!)  He literally kicked and screamed when we took them off in the morning to get dressed for school.  Oh, and I love how he wears them with his Woody boots and hat!
I promised he could put them right back on when he got home.  And the first thing he said when I picked him up from day care was "Go home put on Buzz jammies, eat popcorn and watch Woody Buzz train movie (which is Toy Story 3)!"  I just had to shake my head.  He is definitely related to me because that is pretty much all I want to do when I get home too!  Ha!  It sounded good to me!
The funny thing was...that same day there was a note taped to his mailbox at school saying that the next day was pajama and movie day at day care!  I just chuckled.  It couldn't have come at a more fitting time.  However, now he thinks he can wear his jammies every day!  Oh brother!
He's also been really into picking out his list for Santa this year.  He loves the Toys R Us catalog.  He'll go through it and sit and just stare at every single page.  He'll say "I like that one!" or "Should we get this?"

He's putting some serious thought into this!  Ha!
And just another funny to leave you with.  Footie pajamas and summer sandals.
That's our Andrew!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Trick or Treat! (Part 2)

To Infinity.... And Beyond!  
That was what our little Buzz was saying in this photo!  Ha!  So we couldn't decide between his two favorite characters, Woody and Buzz, so he was both!  Two different nights of trick or treat, why not?  Plus he'll keep the costumes so he can dress up because, yes, he likes to put the costumes on sometimes just for fun, too.
Seriously, before we even started we were all tired!  We were pretty much "trick or treat-ed" out!
But we at least had to get our annual photos with Lilly, Evelyn and Jayden so we dressed up and away we went... you know... to infinity and beyond!
These two are growing up way too fast.  Andrew and Lilly have had a Halloween picture every year since they were both born and they just look more and more grown up every time!
Andrew thought Lilly looked exactly like Mulan.  He thought she was pretty!  He's such a flirt!
I love this.  They were sitting in front of a mirror looking at each other and grinning.  They sat like this for the longest time, it was so cute!
This year we went trick or treating in Lilly's neighborhood.  Yes, I am still a little bitter about the fact that it used to be the same neighborhood as us!  Ha!  We miss them!  (It's seriously like five minutes away, but it feels like hours!)
Andrew was pretty impressed with the Gabba pumpkins!
This was my favorite part of the night.  My fearless son marches right up to every house like he owns the place and digs right in to all the candy.  He has no problem taking more than one and doesn't even feel guilty!  Ha!  Well, maybe you can see the skeleton bowl this lady is holding?  He dug his hand in and the skeleton came towards him and made some noises and he jerked his hand back so fast!  He immediately turned and started to walk away, not taking his eyes off the skeleton (or the candy!)  Ha!  He totally had that face like he was going to cry, but he didn't.  I was cracking up so much I could hardly talk.  I didn't even feel bad laughing at him, because he was being a little stinker!  Ha!  The lady felt really bad and gave him and Lilly two pieces of candy.  Score.
My stinker again.  Would not hold my hand.  Refused.  But happily took Alissa's hand!  Ha!  Lilly was so sweet and held her mommy's hand the whole time.  She was all shy at the houses and didn't want to go to the candy without Alissa.  Not my kid!  He was off and running and I could barely keep up with him!  Ha!  I had to have Alissa keep tabs on him for me!
These houses were so decked out!  Look at this giant spider!  Andrew wanted to go to this house more than once!
He was quite impressed with the Scooby pumpkin too!
We made one last stop at Andrew's cousins, Evelyn and Jayden's house.  They live near us now too, so it is nice having them in the same town.  By this point, we were done with saying "cheese" and just wanted candy!  Andrew was done with trick or treating and ready to head home so we made it home just in time to answer the door for a few last trick or treaters, which he really enjoyed.  I always struggle with if we should just stay home and answer the door and let him see all the costumes, or take him out.  I think he enjoys both, but staying home, eating chili and watching It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown sounds pretty nice and relaxing to me, too!  Maybe next year!