Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Mickey Mouse Playgroup Party


Drew has been VERY excited for his Mickey Mouse birthday party with his playgroup friends! 


He helped me pick out the "prizes" for his friends, which he calls "my kids."
 As in, "My kids gonna like Mickey Mouse prizes!" He was singing "Happy Birthday to Drew!" throughout the store as we picked out his birthday balloons.


Hilarious!  I guess Drew is a bit fire-shy, ever since the puppy pants episode.  He did not want to look his candles in the eye.  His kids helped him blow out the candles.



Happier with the fire out.


Tess made decorations for the party.  She was sad she had to miss it.



Drew was so excited to show his kids their prizes.  He was jumping up and down when they came to the door:  "A Mickey Mouse birthday uh-me!"


Prizes and ice cream were a hit!




We danced to some Mickey Mouse songs and they played toys.  
Because that's what we do at playgroup!




Big boy Drew is getting so grown up!


Monday, November 11, 2013

Leaf Love

I've been bit under the weather, so Ry took the kids out today.  When they came home, I heard all sorts of yelling and screaming from the backyard.  Ry and the kids were having a blast playing in the backyard leaves.  I caught these first 4 shots of them unknowingly from the window; then they spotted me in the last one! 






 I joined them to catch a few more fall photos.   






 

We invented a fun new part of leaf raking--tarp rides!  
I think the pics are pretty self-explanatory.



That's a lollipop Ry's mouth; he hasn't taken up smoking.


 Tess had planned an elaborate FHE for us, which required us to split into groups and hide envelopes for the other team to find.  



Dad and Tess were "Group A."  Drew and Mom comprised "Group B."

Once we found all the envelopes, we opened them to read gospel messages.  
What a cute little bug we have!


Tonight I bribed that little bug into cleaning the entire living room in exchange for listening to pop songs with earphones on my iPhone.  Which of course requires that she dress like Cyndi Lauper.


Saturday, November 2, 2013

Saturday with Dad

Tess list for Saturday morning.  Note the emphasis on "Mom."  


So Ry gave me a break and took the kids out golfing and to the park for a few hours today.  
They had fun and it was QUIET here!











Friday, November 1, 2013

November Kickoff

Glad to have November here.   We're still basking in the glow of sugar around here.  

Drew was really quiet while I was on the phone with Meredith today.  I found him down in the basement, hiding out in the playhouse with his Halloween pumpkin full of candy.  The candy bandit had three different pairs of scissors and lots of candy wrappers scattered all around.  

Follow up report:  I have to mention that he ended up vomiting 5 times in the middle of the night.  Not sure whether to blame a bug or the copious amounts of candy.


Tess has had lots of fun activities going on lately.  
Here she is with Ry at the Donuts with Dad breakfast at school.


Tess has been working on growing her bangs out and we got her hair cut today.  
It's super cute and makes her look so grown up!


Each week at dance class, they pick a different dancer to be the "ballerina" or "jazzerina" of the day.  (They switch between ballet and jazz each week.)  Today Tess was jazzed to be the "Jazzerina."  She got to pick a dress and crown to wear for the class.


And Tess got to read to Missy the dog at school today as part of the Reading Therapy program.  Tess loved it and she was pretty tickled that Missy was dressed up for Halloween like Snow White.


October 2013 Tidbits


Drew's response when I asked him what ghosts say: "All say boo!"

Drew's compulsive phrase every time we drive past the Halloween festival at Lake Ridge Nursery: "Look Mom! It Halloween Day!"

Drew's version of crocodile: "Croco-dye-gle"

Drew is pretty good at counting, but he usually gets a little carried away. The other day I asked him how many elbows he has. He looked from elbow to elbow counting, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6." Then he stopped and exclaimed, "I an octopus!"

Tess poked her head in my bedroom this morning: "Mom, Drew came into bed with me, so I'm reading him stories. Is that OK with you?"

Drew, handing me Tess' wand: "Daddy, here's a wand. Turn me into a frog!"

One of Drew's favorite words: "Cool."

Drew's protest to my kisses: "No kisses! Kisses not cool!"

Drew, making his feelings about bedtime known: "Dark time not my favorite."

Drew and I (Ryan) had a conversation about what frogs eat.
Ryan: "Drew, do frogs eat yogurt?"
Drew: "No."
Ryan: "Do frogs eat pretzels?"
Drew: "No."
Ryan: "Do frogs go to Chick-fil-A?"
Drew: "No. Cows go to Chick-fil-A."

Drew held up a small pretzel. "Look, Daddy, a driving pretzel." He turned the pretzel back and forth and then ran around while making car noises.

Drew: "I have two fly cars." He held up one car that resembles a dragonfly and then opened the doors on a second car to create "wings." He then said, "Fly cars go 'beeeeeeee'!"

Drew: "I a soccer guy.

Drew's term for quesadillas: "cheese quedas."

Drew, while walking upstairs: "I go upstairs with my head."

Drew: "I bigger a Daddy."

Drew was delighted with the green sneakers Dipsy and I picked out for him, and showed them off with much leaping, dancing, jumping and walking on tiptoes. Apparently they look like "Halloween Day" shoes to him and he likes to call them "fun fashion shoes."

Drew scary Halloween Day threat: "I get you with Superhero teeth--'roar'--a Superhero teeth a FIRE--'roar'--a fire a marshmallows!!!! ROAR!!"

Tess has been a bit anxious this month, and it hasn't helped that October is "Fire Prevention Month." Apparently they've been talking a lot about fire safety at school. Every now and then out of the blue she'll tell me, "I am scared my school will catch on fire" or "I don't want my clothes to burn!" Sometimes she seems worried about it and sometimes she's silly and lighthearted about it. This morning she came into my room and the first thing she said to me was: "Mom, I practiced fire safety. I crawled from my room into yours! You know why I didn't stop, drop and roll? Because I thought if I dropped it might make a big noise!"

Drew after receiving his potty candy: "Trick or treat!"

We've learned in trying to communicate with Drew that he likes to drop the negative in his sentences. Case in point: "It too fun." |When said in a whiny voice, this actually means: "It's not too fun." Same with: "It too tasty." Which is what he thinks of donuts: "It not my favorite."

Drew does, however, like wheat bagels, which he calls "dirty donuts."