The Big Game

(Excuse the blurred, action-shot vibe of the above photo. Rush is in action-mode most of the time and it was taken with my phone.)It's no secret to most that we live in "a house divided". This time of year can be interesting. Phil and I are both frantically teaching our team's fight song. The big game did not swing in the direction that Frannie and I would have chosen, but it is still a fun day in the end. Rush and Fran wore their team gear to Gigi and Papa's house, and Phil and I headed out to attend the game in person. We had fun seats and got to hang out with friends and family. A good day.... except for that whole losing the ball game thing.

Thanksgiving 2011

I could really post these pictures with only one word attached... thankful. But, as usual, I am not really that great at being quiet or wordless.



I am so thankful for this sweet baby boy. We celebrated his arrival and his Mama with a baby shower on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Sweet, good times... we have been waiting for baby Ben for a long time. He has the privilege of being raised and loved by my long-time friend and AU roommate, Leslie and her husband, Jimmy. He doesn't know how lucky he is yet, but he will.


I think it goes without saying that I am so thankful for these little wild Indians.


My sister holding our girls... need I say more?


And this one gives the best kisses...


I am thankful for my messy boy that thought the red velvet cake was finger-lickin' good. His Thanksgiving lunch consisted of rolls and cake. I guess the rest of us ate whatever we wanted, so why shouldn't he be able to do the same?


And this little beauty smiled all day, so I am thankful for that.

Thanksgiving this year was full of family, friends, and good food. It's the reason it is one my favorite holidays. It is all about spending time together and eating... what could be better?

Standing on the couch

We need a picture-taking occasion to come around really soon. They both wanted their picture taken standing on the couch. Do you think they are going through papparazzi withdrawals? The holidays are coming up, so pictures will be abundant. I am going to try to take the Christmas card picture myself this year, so that always leads to some fun outtakes. Stay tuned...

Tiny Dancer

This past Wednesday, we all went to watch Sydney Frances perform in her first Dance Class Performance. She was very proud to show us what she has been learning since September. The class is for 3-4 year olds. It was adorable and hilarious all at the same time. You can hear me giggling on a few of the videos because I just kept getting so tickled at the things they were doing. Throw about ten three and four year olds in a room and see what you get! Pure entertainment!! Sydney Frances did a great job of listening to her teacher. She would follow her directions and then smile at the paparazzi.. uh... I mean... the parents. :-) There were so many flashes going off in that room that it felt like we were interviewing a Kardashian. Rush was there with us, too, and he watched with interest for about ten minutes. Then, he needed other entertainment, so I had to start digging out cars and books for him. They gave each other five at the end of the performance (maybe one of my favorite moments), though, so I know Rush was proud, too. :-) Syd told us she wants to keep going with dancing classes, so she will start again for another session in January. I think we will keep up these classes until she is a little older and can make a decision about whether she would like to take in a school that lasts the whole school year. This is just right for us right now.







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Unfortunately, there was a small incident that somewhat put a black cloud over our fun day. As we were walking into a restaurant for dinner, Sydney Frances "spilled" her lunch all over the sidewalk. The tummy bug that Rush had last weekend decided to make a debut on the same night as her dance debut. Poor girl! I am just so thankful she made it through the recital before she got sick. So, we a spent a day at home away from daycare and work, snuggling and getting better. The bug was a mild one, and let's be honest... I don't mind staying home with my girl to spend some time hanging out. So all in all... not a completely bad thing. :-)