Nothing says "Happy Thanksgiving" like...

A photo with Santa....

We didn't want to force Brookston and he very much was NOT interested in sitting in Santa's lap. Kaisley was okay at first. She looked at Mrs. Claus and was alright. She looked at Santa and got a little scared. Looked back and Mrs. Claus, back and Santa, then she lost it. THIS is when the photographer finally realized another child with with Santa...we told him just to take it! That was apparently our picture for this year!

Mom, doesn't Kaisley look like me here? That's all I see is ME! ;) ;)

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

Oh, and just for fun, here are Brookston's Santa photos from the previous years!

2008

2007

First Video - Kaisley Walking...behind the walker

I've never posted a video, for various reasons that I'm sure you don't care about...so, here's my first attempt. Kaisley was walking behind her walker. This was about the 8th time she did it that night, so she was a little tired by the time I thought to pull out the camera!

Here she goes...

November Pictures

Just some of the fun we've had in November...

Brookston on the carousel at the Mall

(Picture by KHoffman)

"Spider jump" birthday party...Brookston LOVED it!!

Playing on the playground during the picnic at school

Kaisley at the park

Grady and Brookston at the park

Kaisley doing pull ups! :)

Brookston loving the slide

Our sweet baby girl!

***Another new post below just added today***

November Art Work

Every day Brooskton comes home from Mother's Day Out with art work. You ask him what he did at school and it's always "cars, painting and played in rocks" (the playground has rocks). So, here is his November art work!!!

They also made a Thanksgiving placemat, turkey handprints! Brookston came home that day talking about turkeys and his hands. He kept telling me that a turkey says "gobble gobble"! I wasn't sure why he was so into turkeys, because we didn't get the placemat for another week (so they could dry and be laminated). Now it all makes sense!

Our mom's group does a monthly art craft as well. It was the letter "L". They did prints with legos, leaves, and lace!

I'm so proud!!

I picked up Brookston from Mother's Day Out today and he had a sheet of stickers in his hand. Just as I was getting ready to tell him to put them back, his teacher told me he got to keep them, because he was so helpful in picking up the toys today. They said he put away almost every single one! Awwww, I was so proud! Now, to get him to do that at home! :)

Another sweet moment, dinner last night he said to me, "Thank you mommy. I like dinner." Not only did he totally melt my heart, but talk about daddy's boy, it was BBQ brisket and mashed potatoes! :)

Not much to report

I've gone a bit longer than usual without blogging, but that's because not much has been going on...other than doctor's appointments. Six in 2 weeks actually! And a number more to go! Between an eye doctor's appointment for me (new glasses after 10 years! YAY!), a couple ear appointments for Kaisley (we are currently doing antibiotics and a steroid to see if we can get rid of fluid in her ears and see if THAT's the reason she has failed two hearing screenings in 2.5 months) :( and then my knee appointments (which are nowhere near done, I seem to have stumped two doctors so far and an MRI and possible visit with a rheumatologist are now in order...lovely...I'm too young for this!!!)

I think all of these appointments have gotten me way out of my norm and in a slump. I've spent a LOT of time in doctor's offices (3 hours just today) and little time doing my fun kiddy stuff with a combo of being productive. Not to mention our week + of time being home and in hiding due to the swine flu! So, thus the reason for not much to say! Maybe come Thanksgiving & Christmas we'll have lots of fun stuff to post about again!

Thank goodness for Mother's Day Out though! Have I mentioned that?? Brooskton started MDO the first week of October (when we got home from the beach) and HE LOVES IT! Mommy does too! At least all of these appointments have only been with one child (usually), instead of two!

Halloween Part TWO & LSU Football

"Handy Manny" & A bumble bee

Brookston collecting candy from neighbors...

Walking to the next house!

Being season ticket holders this year to LSU football, we didn't expect to go trick or treating on the 31st. (Thus the reason we went with friends on the 30th). The game was at 7pm and TOT'ing is from 6-8pm..usually. Well, this year they moved it to 5-7pm. So, we did TOT'ing from 5-6:30, then Brookston and Mommy headed to the game. (We had told our babysitter to enjoy the day since we knew she had "better/more fun offers", so it was just Mommy & Brookston.) It was great to pull in a little late, there was NO TRAFFIC and we got a nice spot where some tailgaters had already left! So, we missed the first quarter, but we also missed the pain of traffic!



Brookston and Grandpa
Since it wasn't a big game, we sat in some empty seats near Grandpa Bob!



Brookston loves watching the action on the field, from football to the band.



Brookston and Mommy



Half time show (it was Alumni day, so the band and "Golden Girls" had tons of alumni there on the field)!

***LOTS and LOTS of new posts/pictures below

Daddy's Birthday & Halloween Part One

The house decorated for when daddy came home from work.

Cookie cake for Daddy's birthday!

(picture by KHoffman)

Friday night (October 30th), some neighborhoods held their trick or treating. Well, since we had plans for the LSU football game on the 31st, we joined some friends in their neighborhood....yup, it rained! But we still had fun!

Brookston and Grady Trick or Treating

"Handy Manny" & A Cheeseburger

*** More new posts below!!!!

Daddy's Birthday Present

For Richard's 30th Birthday, the kids made something extra special.

First Brookston added water to the concrete mix.

Then stir, stir, stir.

Pour and smooth the mix.

Decorate and do handprints.

Tada! Hope you like it Daddy!!!!

Finished product! An outdoor stepping stone!

I don't wanna nap mommy!!!!!

****STILL...More new posts below!

Sorority Row Trick or Treating

A lot of the sorority houses at LSU are along one road, so, the girls decorate, get dressed up, put games out, and pass out candy. This was our first year going and it was tons of fun. The event is held every year, the Wednesday before Halloween.

One sorority house with some games out front

The masses of people!

Brookston got a "pumpkin patch" painted on his face!

He was so excited!!!!

**** One more post below is new too!

Pre-Halloween Events

It's been a busy few weeks, so let's backtrack a little with some of the other fun activities we had going on, leading up to Halloween...

This pumpkin patch was great! Not only were there TONS of pumpkins, but there were animals to visit, games, swings, tractors, lots of photo spots, and a HUGE red blow up bouncer, I mean HUGE!

Brookston and some pumpkins

Mommy and Brookston bouncing on the HUGE blow up

Kaisley doing her little bouncing

Brookston on the tire swing horse

Kaisley on the tire swing horse

Brookston and Daddy pumping water for the rubber ducky

Kaisley in the pumpkin patch

Brookston giving a good "cheese" face!

Last new post for now! ;) Thanks for visiting us! I'll try to not get so behind, but there was just so much fun stuff going on...no time to blog! :)