Thanksgiving in Indiana

What A Big Night!!!

After dinner tonight, Bryton gave us the report that his tooth was going to fall out. Brian and I were a bit pesimistic, since his bottom front teeth have been only a little loose for a month and a half now. However, when we felt one of those teeth tonight, it was really loose ...so we instantly got almost as excited as Bryton! By 7:30 it was hanging by a thread, and Bryton kept on wiggling it. At 8:00 he exclaimed, "my tooth came out! my tooth came out!!!" We got it all on the video camera, Brian and I both giggling right along w/ Bryton, the little tiny tooth in the baggie, the gaping hole in the front of his mouth, and the permanent tooth that has already started to come in behind it. (which we didn't know was normal, 'til we visited the Dentist last week and found out that tooth with shift into place on its own...whew! these 2 pics were taken right before tonight's grand finale :)
And of course bedtime talk consisted of the tooth fairy, when she might visit, what she looks like, how big she is, how she gets into our house... and of course talk of what the tooth fairy might put under his pillow tonight :)

A Little Stir Crazy

Brian is home w/ us this weekend. The past few weekends, he's been spending mornings, afternoons, and evenings in the woods w/ his bow...but not this weekend, since its opening weekend of shotgun season. I asked him yesterday afternoon if he wished he were in the woods instead of here at home, and he just smiled at me. Maybe its better that he didn't answer that question :)
A few friends stopped by last night, with nice bucks they had gotten w/ their shotguns...and Brian just got a text this morning, showing another nice buck killed w/ a shotgun.
Poor Brian, no "trophy buck" for him w/ his bow yet this year, but he's got his eye on a few nice ones we've seen on the trail cam!

What Cold Weather Brings to Our House

* Lots of bundling up...hats, gloves, puffy coats...and soon snowpants for the kiddo's.
* Hot Chocolate (w/ marshmallow's, of course!)
* Dogs that don't wander far...not even for silly bunny or a squirrel. They know where their bread is buttered, in these cold temps!
* A furnace that seems to run non-stop
* Casseroles and other comfort foods - Our favorite recipes definitely change w/ the seasons
* Longing for our boat and spending warm summer days on the lake
* Waiting inside for the bus to arrive (which usually means our neighbors get a nice "HONK" as their alarm clock :)
* Warming up the truck for awhile before I take the kiddo's anywhere (shhh...don't tell Brian I used the word awhile)
* Earlier bedtimes
* A few of our favorite holidays, and spending time w/ friends and family far and near

Cheap Labor

When I got home from getting groceries yesterday afternoon...Bryton and Avery helped put almost everything away! Wow, was I surprised...not only that they loved this job, but that they knew where most of the stuff went! And since that is the part about grocery shopping I dislike most, it made my day!

Here Turkey, Turkey, Turkey

The Little Things

I love it when Avery's little hand holds mine. She is very quick to want to hold it. Bryton, well, he doesn't hold my hand much anymore, especially when we are in public :( So, I treasure the times when he does want to put his little hand in mine ('cause it is still small)...
Just one of the many little things I want to remember, for many years to come... along w/ blowing kisses from the doorway at bedtime; the words "I missed you, Mommy" when Bryton returns home from school; sleepy silly giggles while we are reading books; a hug, a kiss, and a high five (in that order) before climbing up onto the bus; being awakened in the middle of the night by a small, scared voice that wants to tell me all about his bad dream; and reassuring Avery that the sun will come out again, when it is cloudy.

Terrible 3's

And who says the 2's are terrible?! Not me, this week. I've had quite the little bossy, independent, loud, and demanding 3 yr. old on my hands. This example pretty much sums it up:

We were on a walk, just Avery and I, and we walked by a woman who said to Avery, "Oh, aren't you cute!" Avery immediately replied, "I am not cute! I'm a big girl, not a baby!" in her gruff voice. I felt like climbing under a big rock. Thank goodness the lady had a hat covering her ears and had kept on walking down the street, as if she didn't hear what Avery said.

Needless to say...Avery and I have had many heart- to- hearts this week.

A New Chapter

Bryton had off school yesterday, so we began the day here at home...just Bryton, Avery, and I. Late morning, one of Bryton's friends called, asking if Bryton could go to a movie w/ him and his mom that afternoon. Of course Bryton wanted to go! So much for my "home-body" son, huh?!
I was excited for him, though, 'cause I remember going to the movies w/ friends as a kid. I'm just a little sad that he's growing up so quickly, and his social life might just be better than mine!

This Week's Favorites

Constructive Playthings - http://www.constplay.com/.
Venison Jerky - Brian made a HUGE batch of this, so its been the snack of choice for all of us the past week.
Papa Murphy's - I picked this up the other night, for the first time in a long time. Our fav's: Mediterranean Chicken De-Lite (Brian and I) and Pepperoni De-Lite (kiddo's).
K-Mart - A nice change of pace from Wal-Mart. Less crowded, good selection, smaller store.
The Secret Garden Cinnamon Pumpkin Hand Wash and Hand Lotion - You can find this yummy smelling stuff at the Mercantile.

Too Young?! Nahhh....

Is it a bad thing that Avery can recite most of the lyrics to the following songs, at the age of 3?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cE22lPoAarE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lt6o8NlrbHg

And Bryton's favorite show right now is:

http://blogs.discovery.com/storm_chasers/2008/10/show-poster.html

The Princess and Her Prince

Avery decided to play "Prince" w/ her daddy last night, after bathtime. It was pretty cute, especially since she thinks Princes wear barrettes in their hair! (and notice Avery's dress...her daddy helped her into it, and missed the arm holes. neither one of them noticed the entire time they played:)

Up With the Sun

Our kids have always been up with the sun. So, they both have dark shades on their bedroom windows! With the time change, it doesn't seem to be enough in Avery's room...so I added another layer of "protection" against the morning sunlight! Yesterday morning, she woke up to go potty at 6:15 a.m., and saw through the bathroom window that it was getting light outside. She kept looking at the window, probably thinking, "What's going on here?! Its still really dark in my room!" Then she asked "can I get up now? go downstairs?"
"Not yet, still night time," was my response.
And then she slept 'til 7 a.m., which is more like it. Otherwise, the girl is ready for a nap by 10:30 a. m.!
As for Bryton, the time change has been a blessing w/ his school routine. He gets up on his own, with the sun coming through his windows before 7 a.m., and he goes to bed easily at night, since its dark earlier.
Now if the weather would reflect this time change! We feel like we should still be outside playing after dark, since it is so warm!

Current Avery-ism's

"last-night-a-go": She uses this term to explain something she's done one or two days past.
"missed-a-peared": She closes her eyes, and says 'you can't find me!' after she says this word. Can you guess what she thinks she's saying?

More Halloween Fun!

We had our final spooky party to attend last night...
Halloween has been lots of fun at our house, this year!

Trick or Treat!!!

Dancin' Queen

Avery is on her 3rd week of dance class, and this class is stinkin' cute! Here she is w/ her goodies they get after each class...for being such good little girls :)