Fantasy of Trees 2010

We had a blast at the Fantasy of Trees this year. Highlights for Lucy...seeing Santa (the line was rather long, so we just yelled and waved), playing on the "Choo Choo Chain", eating a hot dog, seeing the gingerbread houses, and watching the carousel. I say watching because she was THRILLED to stand in the line and get on a horse, but after about two go-rounds on that thing, we had a scrunched up face and were calling out, "MOMMY!" So...I took her off and held her for the remainder of the ride. Thank goodness that was free.

Thanksgiving 2010

Lucy's Thanksgiving # 2 was a success!

Well, she (much like last year) did not actually eat much Thanksgiving food, but she didn't pitch a fit while we ate, so I'm counting it as a success. For those of you who know me, you aren't surprised by the fact that I did not cook dinner for the family. Thanks to Ingles, we had a lovely meal-Turkey breast, broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, dressing, and lots of pie. I forgot to cook the rolls and slaw. I don't know what is wrong with my brain lately, but it is not dialed into my inner "Betty Crocker". I think having a house husband for all these months has completely hindered my ability to do anything domestic. Not a super bad problem to have.

As for Lucy, she's got some sort of respiratory infection, so she's on a MAJOR antibiotic (first one in 6 months!). Her blow-out poop diapers have not been my dream come true, and she's not really eaten in days. In fact, her last good meal was in the Walgreens parking lot on Moday, and consisted of "chicken wuggets and pinch pies" (that is chicken nuggets and french fries for all you non-toddler speaking readers). Feel free to nominate me for mother of the year. But seriously, she's eating about 2 bites during each meal. I got a few bites of broccoli casserole in her today, along with a couple of bits of turkey. She enjoyed a little pumpkin pie, but we are just thankful for what we can get down her right now.

After we ate, I began my annual Christmas decorating. Bryan wouldn't let me begin until AFTER Thanksgiving, so pretty much as soon as the last dish was washed, I unloaded boxes. I must admit, for the past two years, I've not wanted to decorate much of anything. Two years ago I went into pre-term labor near Christmas, and last year, well, I was just TIRED. Lucy LOVED helping out, and E Ee-uh (Aunt Leah) took some AWESOME pictures.

Tomorrow we are heading to the Fantasy of Trees and will hopefully see SANTA CLAUS!!!! I can't wait...

I am THANKFUL for...

Today is November 1st. How did that happen? As this month's big holiday approaches, I am reflecting on the things I am thankful for. There are so many things, and when I start to feel sorry for myself, I try to keep it all in perspective. I remember a 26 year old aquantaince I know who has breast cancer (and two kids), a friend who has a terminal illness and is praying for a miracle, people with wonderful homes that are waiting to adopt...we really are lucky.

A few of the things I am so very thankful for are:

Jesus and His grace and mercy

My Family-all of you are loved! I would not be me without you

Bryan, my best friend and one of the funniest guys I know

My Home-apartment, townhouse, or home, wherever B and Lucy are, I'm home!

Health-currently, yes, my voice is gone, but that's not so bad according to Bryan!

Friends-good ones, old ones, new ones, and crazy ones (you know who you are)

My Job-what on earth would I be doing if I weren't teaching????

Reliable transportation-seriously!

The sound of a sweet little girl, humming songs in the back seat of my car

And the more minor things...

Fall in East Tennessee-it is INCREDIBLE!

Leaves crunching under my feet

Pumpkin EVERYTHING.

Sitting on the front porch-usually with one of my crazy friends :)

The automatic coffee pot

College roommates who gave me enough memories to last a lifetime

St. John

Wine

Tornado detection systems (That one is for you Emily!)

Diamonds (I'm just being honest people!)

Currently, Mucinex

Romantic Comedies and movie theater butter popcorn

Brownies

And last but CERTAINLY not LEAST...sweet Lucy, who before she existed, I only THOUGHT I knew what love was.

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone! It's sort of hard for me to get really excited about the whole deal for a couple of reasons-1) Bryan HATES Halloween 2)I'm sick and am having a hard time mustering up much energy to even get excited about carving a stupid pumpkin. HOWEVER, since Lucy has figured out that Halloween means going around and collecting candy, I'm doing my best to have some spring in my step about the whole thing.

The festivities all began last week. Lucy had a pumpkin patch party at school on Tuesday. We dressed her accordingly, and my mom went to help her pick a pumpkin and paint it. The pumpkins would be used to deocorate for the Halloween party on Friday. You can just imagine how awesome a bumch of pumpkins painted by almost 2 year-olds looked :) Here is Lu as a pumpkin:

Here is Lu LAST year in pumpkin garb:

WHAT A DIFFERENCE! She couldn't even walk last year!!!

After all her festivities (and by festivities I mean cupcakes, cookies, candy, etc) on Tuesday, Lucy's school had another party on Friday. The kids all dressed in their costumes and went from room to room trick-or-treating. At first, the kids were a little overwhelmed/confused. By the time we'd gone to a room or two though, and their buckets were being filled with candy, the kids got the idea. I was being draggd down the hallway by the end of the afternoon, and Lucy had perfected the words, "Trick-or-Treat." I must brag and say that she told everyone "Thank you" as well. She was a perfect little bee (which I cannot say about one of her classmates RUDE mothers. I will be writing the teachers a thank you note for their hard work instead of being a total "BLEEEEEEP" like she was on Friday. Perhaps she needed a little valuim in her treat basket). Below are some pics of the festivities. Please notice that my child is pretty much the only one eating everything on her plate. She also sits at the head of the table. Queen Bee apparently.

After all that sugar and craziness, we took Queen Bee to my parents so that my grandmother could see her all dressed up. Amazingly, she kept MOST of her costume on! We also started to carve a pumpkin, and she LOVED playing in the pumpkin "guts" as we called them. This kid is great!

I don't think we'll go around the neighboorhood tonight gathering more candy. Lucy is usually asleep before the sun sets, and frankly, I just don't want to anyway. I know the time when I can't deny her is coming soon enough.

Fall Weekends

We've been busy lately. We've gone to about a bazillion festivals and events, trying to get Lucy out and entertained before the awful winter sets in. I totally acknowledge that to most people, 40 degrees is not an awful winter, but...if you can see your breath, I don't venture out if I don't have to. Anyway, we most recently have gone to a hot air balloon festival, a bluegrass festival, a town birthday party, a craft fair, and tomorrow we are venturing to the Museum of Appalachia. Below are some great pictures of Lucy on all her adventures, plus a few cute ones of her doing her usual thing!

Coloring at Mumsy and Grandy's House

The "Poop" Spot

I don't even know...

Eating at the Balloon Festival

Hanging with Daddy watching for balloons.

This kid LOVES fire trucks. Her dad HATES them.

Sooooooo cute!

Checking out the cow at the Bluegrass Festival

Hello Mr. Horse!

Her sock puppet AND wand. No pants necessary for this kid to have fun!

So everyone knows that a fairy princess needs a wand. My team teacher, Teresa, is currently spoiling Lucy rotten with gifts. She got her this wand last week, and we've had a lot of fun with it. Bryan taught her to say "abracadabra" and we taped this little thank you for T. It was too cute not to share!

Enjoy

The Princess and the Sock Puppet

HAPPY FALL YA'LL

I can't believe it's been a month since I blogged! That just shows you how nutso we've been around here. Bryan has been studying like mad (and ace-ing all his assignments!), and he's also been the world's greatest househusband. I fully acknowledge that we'll be on food stamps soon, but man! I am LOVING him being home to do bills, laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc. My life has been made to be much easier, which is nice since 5 weeks into the school year I am FINALLY caught up. If you know me well, you know this has been torture to my soul. I am type A, "on top of it" all the time. I don't know what it is, but this year, I just couldn't get my act together. This past Friday was the first time I left work thinking, "Ok, I can do this." Maybe it was changing grades, rooms, teammates, or maybe getting close to 30 is starting to set in-EEEK! We will not even go there. I told Bryan, no party, no hooplah, maybe just a Wendy burger when I hit the big 30. I am sort of boycotting the whole day.

As for Lucy, well...she is crazy as ever.

We've been teaching her to sing "Rocky Top, " dressing her in orange and white quite often, and she now can say "Go Tennessee" and "Go Vols!" It's very adorable.

She's also begun to refer to herself as "Princess." That would be our fault, I know. We discovered this Thursday night when she was looking at herself in my full length mirror. She kept saying it over and over while smiling. Bryan and I looked at each other and I said, "Um, is she calling herself princess?" So when I asked her who the princess was, she put her hands on her chest and said, "Princess." Oops.

Lucy has also moved up in the world of seating. She's now sitting in a booster seat at the table with Bryan and I for all meals. The highchair is no more! It was so weird the first night we used it. There we were, ALL 3 OF US, sitting at the table together eating. How did my baby girl get so big?! And that hair! She is a hot mess every day when I pick her up from school, but man I love her!

If you remember the great fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea" you know that the pea was the Princess' "thing." It was what she was known for, it was discussed all through out the fairy tale, and it was the main problem in the story. Well, my "Princess" will apparently go down in history for loving sock puppets. Thanks to my parents, who entertained her with one a few weeks ago, she has now become obsessed with them. In fact, yesterday, when Bryan and I went to check on her napping, we found her with both socks pulled off, and one pulled halfway up her arm being cuddled. I guess she and sock puppet gabbed until the "Princess" fell asleep. She also had to wear a pink, fuzzy sock puppet on her arm most of the afternoon after that. AND when we went to visit my friend Amber and her new baby, Lucy managed to get both her socks OFF her feet and ON to her arms. Seeing as how I think feet are pretty nasty, you can imagine how this grosses me out. Ahh, the joys of parenthood.