Annual Pink Pig Ride

We made it to church on Sunday, and it was much needed after our stressful Saturday the day before. Tuttle and Maggie were in constant sibling battles all day, so we needed a little Jesus to start our week off on the right foot. :)

Since Tuttle and Maggie have the week off from school due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we ventured to Lenox Mall to ride the Pink Pig yesterday. A huge group of friends met us there, so the TWO HOUR wait went by fairly quickly. My last minute decision to throw our lunch in my purse was a lifesaver, too. 

My friends thought I was a little crazy that I voluntarily stand in line every year for the Pink Pig, but I rode it as a child, and Tuttle has been riding it since he was a baby. It's tradition!

Tuttle in 2011

Once the kids boarded the pink train, everyone forget about the time spent in line. We bought tickets, so everyone could ride twice. Maggie and Tuttle loved it!

We filled the rest of the day with a quick stop at the park, a OBGYN visit for Jacob, and karate practice for Tuttle. I think the day wore everyone out because we all slept until 9:30 this morning. :)

Thanksgiving Feasts X 2

We officially started our Thanksgiving celebration with Tuttle and Maggie's Thanksgiving feasts at school this week. Luckily there were on different days, so I was easily able to attend each celebration. 

Tuttle's Thanksgiving feast was on Thursday during his normal lunch time, so Maggie and I volunteered at the school book fair for a few hours before the special event. We met up with Tuttle in his classroom where I helped the kids get on their pilgrim and Indian accessories. 

The lunchroom was definitely organized chaos as all the parents and students went through the line and found a spot to eat. Maggie was thrilled to be able to come. We skipped ballet, so she could eat with Tuttle.

I have been impressed all year with all the opportunities to be involved in the elementary school. The Thanksgiving Feast did not disappoint. :)

Today was Maggie's Thanksgiving party at the preschool. I had a few hours after dropping her off to straighten up the house and take a shower. As a side note, I shaved my legs. At eight months pregnant this is a HUGE accomplishment! Haha

Maggie thoroughly enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal with her Kangaroo friends. She actually ate two plates of food. Maggie's Indian headdress cracked me up. I was not surprised that her Indian name was "Sliding Panda." 

Maggie absolutely LOVES her teachers this year.

We enjoyed a few minutes outside at the playground after the feast. The weather has been unseasonably warm, and we have been soaking it up for hours everyday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mission Complete

Tuttle has already experienced such a special week, and it is only Wednesday! The first success was completing his first school project. While I know there will be many more projects throughout his schooling, I was thrilled to help him with his kindergarten take home activity. His goal was to disguise Mr. Turkey, so the farmer would not be able to cook him for a Thanksgiving meal. Tuttle settled on creating a magician, and we worked together one afternoon after school. I tried my best to let him participate as much as possible despite my desire for perfection. :)

The following day he told me a 2-4 sentence story describing his turkey's disguise while I dictated it on a separate sheet of paper. He then copied the story in his own handwriting to turn into his teacher. The turkey projects will be displayed in the cafeteria during the Thanksgiving feast tomorrow at school.

Maggie and I picked up Tuttle from Run Club today where he received a medal and t-shirt for finishing the fall season. He was already asking for me to sign him up for the spring season as soon as we got in the car. His parent volunteer coaches, Ms. Amanda, Ms. Jenny, and Ms. Dawn made Run Club so special for Tuttle. We are extremely lucky to have such a strong parental involvement at his school. Hopefully I can help more in the spring since I will not be eight months pregnant!

After Run Club, we headed straight for karate. Today's karate class was the most special part of the week. Tuttle was receiving his orange belt after attending 40 classes. He has been working toward this milestone since the summer, and he was eager to tell EVERYONE at the karate studio that he was receiving his orange belt today! Aunt Peach and Holland came to cheer on Tuttle for the big day. Unfortunately the horrible weather kept Grandmommy and Grandaddy at home, but I know they were cheering for him in spirit!

Tuttle was the lead student today and even was able to demonstrate some skills as an example to his fellow classmates. At the conclusion of class, Maggie and I were able to enter the room to watch Tuttle receive his orange belt. His grin was so sweet during the little ceremony. He could not have been more proud!

Karate has been such a positive addition to Tuttle's life. I am very satisfied that we made the commitment, and I cannot wait to see how Tuttle progresses. Mommy and Daddy are very proud of our boy!

Everyone is looking forward to celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday now. We will start the festivities with school feasts this week. We have so much to be thankful.

Our Little Comedian

Maggie is definitely our little comedian, and she keeps us laughing daily. I want to keep track of some of my favorite funny moments, and this week has produced some classics worth remembering. :)

On Tuesday when we were getting dressed for gymnastics, Maggie was having trouble following directions. I asked her where her listening ears were. She told me Ms. Chris (her preschool teacher) locked them up in a cabinet at school. 

I noticed at preschool pickup that Maggie had listed "God" as something that she was thankful for on her class list. Her teacher later revealed the other list that was created in the classroom. Maggie apparently is thankful for her 18 cats. When I asked her where the cats were located, she told me they were hiding all over our house. I then asked how she was going to feed 18 cats. Her response? One at a time. 

Obviously. How could I be so dumb? :)

We are so lucky to have such a hilarious and spunky little girl in our lives!

Babymoon

This past Thursday I left cold and rainy Atlanta to fly across the country and meet up with Jay in San Diego for a babymoon before Jacob makes his debut in just ten weeks! Jay had been working in California since Monday. Luckily Gram and Gramps were excited to stay with Maggie and Tuttle while Jay and I were able to reconnect and relax for a few days. 

The entire weekend was absolutely perfect. We enjoyed sunny and warm weather the whole time. Our days were spent sleeping, exploring Laguna Beach, and eating a lot of yummy food. Since we mostly stayed on eastern time, we always woke up early and grabbed a nap before dinner. 

The best part about the babymoon was really being able to have an adult conversation without Tuttle or Maggie interrupting or simply being tired after a long day. We were rested and really able to catch up on life. I now completely understand Jay's new role at HD Supply and am so excited about all the potential for him in the future. I could not have a more hardworking man in my life. Our little family has come a long way in the last seven years, and Jay and I had fun reminiscing about all the changes.

The second day was probably my favorite day. We discovered local spots for lunch and dinner (The fish tacos and lobster roll will forever have my mouth watering!), window shopped in Laguna Beach, and drove to a neighboring beach to take in the California coastline. It wrapped up our vacation perfectly!

Traveling home on Sunday was LONG and tiring since it started with a 3am alarm wakeup for a 6am flight, but we were ready to get home to our babies. A BIG thank you to Gram and Grumps for taking care of Maggie and Tuttle for four days. Their retirement has been beneficial for everyone! :)

Halloween Fun, Plus Our Annual Pumpkin Patch Trip

Maggie loved celebrating Halloween on Friday with her Kangaroo friends at school.

The food was so cute, and Maggie was one of the last kids to leave the table because she was enjoying the goodies so much. She even tried cucumber and LOVED it. I can add something new to her very limited selection of foods she will eat without a battle. :)

Maggie had to show me her favorite fall activity in her classroom. The kids were able to hammer golf tees into pumpkins and wrap rubber bands around them to develop their fine motor skills.

Maggie was counting down the minutes until trick or treating after the preschool party!

We filled Halloween Saturday with an early soccer game and breakfast at Egg Harbor. We lazed around the rest of the afternoon with a family movie and a little Georgia football. Around 5pm everyone was ready to start the evening and put on the infamous costumes. Tuttle and Maggie had been staring at their Halloween selections in the closet for weeks now, so they were eager to put them on! :)

We hit a couple houses on our street and then ventured to the main street in our neighborhood that is closed to traffic on Halloween. 

This year was especially fun because Tuttle and Maggie both liked running up to the houses to get their treats. 

Maggie and Tuttle got the royal treatment of riding in the wagon while Daddy pulled them all over Brookhaven. Maggie hit a wall about halfway through the night and loaded back into the wagon with Daddy's hoodie and her basket of candy. Tuttle stayed strong all night long and piled his bucket full of candy. We headed home about 8:30 and let the kids eat as much candy as they could stuff in their mouths before heading the bed. It is my yearly promise since I limit their sweets so much on a regular basis. Jay surprised me and ate almost as much as the kids. He usually rejects any desserts or treats.

The wagon also served as a perfect cooler for Jay's bottle of wine. :)

Despite the rainy forecast, we got dressed and headed for our annual pumpkin patch trip to Burt's Farm in North Georgia today. This was our sixth visit. I love that Jay was committed to making my love of pumpkin patch pictures of my babies a reality. I am one lucky momma to have such a sweet husband. Daylight Savings Time and a 100% chance of rain would have been an easy excuse to not head to Dawsonville this year.

We were thrilled when we arrived to an empty pumpkin patch and no rain. The kids were given a pep talk about having fun before we got out of the car, but luckily it was easy to keep a smile on our faces. The kids ran around the patch hiding behind the big pumpkins and checking out all the different colored pumpkins scattered around the property. It was the perfect fall day with the best lighting for my pictures! :)

Last year the hay ride was closed because it was so windy and SNOWING (yes, you read that correctly), but we were able to enjoy the ride this year. It was Tuttle and Maggie's favorite part of our trip. 

We ended the hay ride and were able to grab some boiled peanuts before the rain started to come down. This year has been the most successful pumpkin patch trip yet. Next year Maggie and Tuttle can introduce Jacob to our tradition. :)

I love fall with my sweet family!

Red Ribbon Week

Tuttle celebrated Red Ribbon Week at school this week with a different theme everyday. Since he is only in elementary school, the teachers emphasize making good and healthy choices rather than a direct focus on no drugs. Tuttle really got into character each day!

Monday: Healthy Snack Day

Two parents and I organized a healthy snack that the student assembled in the classroom. Since there were 24 kindergartners to coordinate, we made it simple with a healthy trail mix. The students lined up and scooped ingredients into a zip-lock bag to enjoy on the rug. I had planned to take photos during the activity, but it was too fast and furious. :)

Tuesday: Sock It To Bad Decisions (Crazy Sock Day)

Wednesday: Too Smart For Bad Decisions (Tutus, Ties, Tennis Shoes, and Tiaras Day)

Thursday: Red Out

Friday: Book Character Day (Too Much Character for Bad Decisions)

The classes paraded around the school with their costumes and books. Maggie loved spotting all her favorite characters, and I love that Tuttle picked his all-time favorite book to represent!

Red Ribbon Week was the perfect introduction to our Halloween weekend. 

Next up is Maggie's preschool Halloween party later this morning. :)