Preparing for Christmas 2013

Wow, is it really already 2014?? The holidays felt like they flew by this year but we truly enjoyed our time with friends and family.  The holidays are so magical and fun with young children, here are some of the things we did to get ready for Christmas around here:

Quinn and I worked on a gingerbread house.  Joshua was content playing with his tractors while taking breaks to nibble on the goods for the house!

We set up our tree and this year all four of us helped.  It really was fun putting the ornaments on together!

Our Elf returned this year and both kids were super excited to search for her every morning.  Quinn was really anxious about it and sometimes would stumble around at 2 am hunting for her!

We had breakfast with Santa at the Great Hills country club and were the first ones to show up, literally (Jaime's a very punctual being).  So when we walked in Joshua saw Santa across the room and yelled "Hi Santa!!!".  He then eagerly climbed up on Santa's lap and played with his beard.  Throughout breakfast Joshua yelled "Santa!! Hi Santa!!".  Quinn was more timid and sweetly whispered to Santa that she wanted a bow and arrow.

Quinn had her Christmas program at school and belted out every word to every song.

She is top center in this pic.

Here she is with her two teachers Ms. JJ and Ms. Karen.  They really wear matching shirts every day!

We had an early Christmas with Mama Rose and Papa James since we were going to be in Phoenix with my family for the actual holiday.  The kiddos were in heaven with their new toys!

Then it was off to Phoenix for Christmas and Disneyworld after!

Happy Halloween!

This year Quinn decided to be Wonder Woman and I'm really not sure where she got this idea from, she's never seen Wonder Woman so we put the costume together for her anyway.  After making her skirt and skirt and getting all of the pieces she needed she put the costume on and said "Hmmm, I think I want to be a cat instead.".  Girls!  We told her she would have to be a cat next year instead.  And as for Joshua, he's still in the stage in which he will wear whatever we put him in so what better than Superman.  They were the cutest superheroes in the block!

The two wonder women at the school parade. :)

Shirtless- the only way to carve a pumpkin.

Joshua was so terrified by the scary costumes out and about!

Touch a Truck

In October we were invited by the Rice family to attend the Touch a Truck event in Round Rock.  The city had basically every type of truck you could think of and the kids were able to get in, on, and honk their horns.  This quite possibly could have been Joshua's best day to date and his obsession with trucks and tractors has only grown since then.  He literally talked about tractors "tactors" and getting to hang out with Easton "Seton" all day long! Quinn had a great time too since it was basically a free for all.  

First Day of Pre-K

Wow I really am behind in blogging.  I thought I had posted first day of school pics for Quinn but never did.  We'll we are about a month in to the year and Quinn seems to like school very much.  She really gets excited on the days she has school (M, W, F) and likes to tell me about the things she learns and does while there.  She's never once said she doesn't want to go so I'd say she truly loves it!

This and That

Here are a few snapshots of life lately:

We stopped by the Pumpkin Patch at the YMCA one day before Quinn's gymnastics class.

I'm not even going to begin to say we're potty training.  Joshua loves to sit on the toilet before bath but has never actually gone to the restroom while doing this .  I take that back, he peed while sitting on the toilet yesterday but none of it made it in the toilet.  Hmmm...this might be harder than potty training a girl was!!

Balloon animals at Reunion Grille.

Fedora wearer.

Running man.  Second overall and first in his age group.  An average pace of 5.37 mins/ mile at the Cedar Park 5 miler!!

Joshua is TWO!!

Holy smokes!  Can't.  Even. Believe. It.  People always used to tell me how time flies when you have children and I would always think "yeah, yeah" but it is TRUE!  

Joshua is now two and his personality is coming out more and more every day.  He is talking up a storm and really enjoys repeating everything we say.  He especially likes to say what Quinn says, it's very funny!  

He LOVES trucks, tractors, motorcycles etc...  He gets very excited when we drive by any construction site and will yell "tractor!!" or "cuck!!" (truck).

His favorite books are still his board books.  He really enjoys reading Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and can now recite some of the parts while I read it.  He recently started sitting down with me as I read a book to Quinn and always requests "Bears!" which is Bernstain Bears.

Still likes Mickey Mouse but recently discovered Bob the Builder on the iPad and requests "Builder!" now too.

He is still as cuddly and lovable as he always has been.  He wants me to hold him whenever we are in public or in a new place.  Oh well- I'm sure soon enough he will grow out of this phase and then I'll be begging him to let me hold him!  

Here are a couple pictures from his Mickey Mouse birthday party.  "Ickey!!"

My two kids were the only ones not in this bounce house during the party!  They waited until everyone left to get in and jump.  If you look at the slide you'll see Jaime's legs.  They had fun!!

Joshua is 23 months!!

Holy moly!  Joshua is almost two years and changing and growing by the minute.  He is really doing so much talking and is like a little parrot.  He especially likes to mimic Quinn and will basically say and do everything she does, it really is so cute.  He has recently started saying I love you "I wub ou" and thank you "dant ou".  One thing he has started doing is so cute when I'll ask "who wants crackers?"  He come running at me with hands in the air yelling "meeeeeee!!!".

He has so much fun taking the baskets from our entry bench and getting in and out of them.

One sure way to get through a shopping trip to Costco is by letting the little man have a lollipop.  I've learned since taking this picture that blue is not the way to go!

This picture melts my heart!  Joshua continues to love his sleep and still takes a nap in the afternoon for about 2-3 hours.  He absolutely loves his bear "ber" and has now started to sleep with Barney "Boby".

Many days are spent outside in this little car, pink and all!

Give Joshua a construction hat and a truck and he'll be happy for hours, literally!!  This picture was taken at the Austin Children's Museum where he had a blast in the construction zone.

Oh boy, again doing the same thing Quinn is- cooking in the play kitchen.