Thanksgiving 2011

Dom and I like Thanksgiving. In the single years - we looked forward to having the fun Wednesday night before the holiday to go out with friends and then would spend Thanksgiving afternoon cooking a lovely dinner just for two. Dom often had to work on the Friday afterward so traveling wasn't in the cards. 

After Rhys was born, our Thanksgivings have been a bit busier with family.  This year, while we did hint around for invites out for Thanksgiving as cooking with two little kids underfoot isn't top of my list of fun things to do, we decided to see if the local Oldhams would like to join us and christen our dining room with a "proper" meal. (Our house is small enough that we often do eat in the dining room and it is a well used room of the house.)

Getting the energy out before dinner with Uncle Mark.

Granny helping to make a traditional English potato dish.

They did - and Uncles Mark and Matthew joined us along with Granny for a lovely simple version of Thanksgiving.

Across the miles

It is so wonderful when family and friends make the trek to St Louis. My college friend Katy and her daughter came for a two-day sojourn south this past weekend. Rhys has been "friends" with Caroline for her entire life - and it was time for a visit.

Are those marriage bells I hear ringing?

From obstacle courses to Angelina Ballerina to the Magic House and Pizza, we had a fun-filled preschooler time. And the moms enjoyed  fine dining establishments in Clayton - sans children -- thanks to Dom. Even better.

Big girl Claudia kind of rocks this photo -- don't you just love her piggies? She allowed Katy to do her hair -- me, not so much.

Rhys, when asked what he enjoyed most about the visit, said everything!

Milk twins

When asked what comforts him -- or calms him down if he gets "agitated" or angry -- Rhys told me he drinks his milk. Ah, I love his insightfullness. At school, he answered "I punch my pillow" -- another great technique. Here you will see,  that this sippy cup loving fool has passed his ways on to his bottle-hating sister.

May the Force be with you

Star Wars is back -- or maybe it never left. It is a  large part of Rhys' preschooler life and today it was his friends' (twin boys) 5th birthday party -- and the theme, Star Wars!

And it was his first drop-off party--- many moms did stay but I left R on his own to put Claudia down for her nap -- and he did well. But at bedtime he said he wished I had stayed - no matter how excited he was at first to be dropped off, we have to remember he is still three.

Now we are trying to figure out what to do for his four-year-old party. He wants Transformers..really, what happened to the Fire Station?

Motorcycle Racer Rhys

Following family tradition on both side of the gene pool, Rhys decided he wanted to be a motorcycle racer this year for Halloween. Thankfully, Target had one in stock and Uncle Mark also had the real deal to lend us. Now, I just have to pray for common sense to prevail when he reaches his teenage years!

Enjoying Art

Claudia is enjoying school as much as Rhys does -- and her clothes prove it.

Skeleton

No cute lady bug costume for this feisty gal....no thank you she said to it, along with her fairy costume or a even a tutu. I have one strong-willed, but very enchanting, daughter on my hands.

With Fellow Skeleton neighbor friend

Autumn Leaves Are Falling Down...

Welcome Autumn!

(a tune sung in Rhys' daycare in Chicago that he loved and we would sing on that long drive down Ashland after picking him up TWO years ago. That does feel like yesterday. As does pulling over to throw up one day probably after singing that song for the umpteenth time-- the joys of pregnancy). 

With his neighborhood friends