Here’s to a[nother] Happy New Year

Published on January 1st, 2010 - 9:32 am - by Megan | No Comments »

As with each of the years that have passed since we were first married, 2009 flew by with such speed that we’re left looking back wondering where the time went.

This year marked my first full year as a working mamma with a full-time career to handle in addition to raising the kiddos. It’s been a challenge; balancing work and family life is hard, but I’m fortunate to have the two most amazing kiddos and sweetest hubby in the world to support me.

Josh’s job is going well for him to. I dare say he actually loves his job–which is great.  He’s been truly blessed to have landed a career that allows him to endeavor in all his nerdy exploits and get paid for it.

But, of course, our year revolved around those two amazing kiddos of ours. And of course, a big year for them equates to a big, proud year for Mom and Dad.

For starters, both kids are now potty-trained!!!!  That’s right, NO MORE DIAPERS. Ali, our over-achieving two-year old, was fully potty trained by the end of October, with little effort exerted on our parts.  She seemed sort of content to stay in her pull-ups, so one day Josh and I just decided we would do away with them, and she’s been dry ever since.

Both kids are learning SO FAST right now. Xavier recognizes his letter (X) everywhere. He’s started writing his name, recognizes the letters of Ali’s name, my “M,” and can spell “red,” “brown,” “blue,” and “green.”  He colors in the lines of his coloring books, draws most of his shapes perfectly, and is an animal expert.   He’s a budding techie, and is in every way, the duplicate of his father.  He loves cars, trucks, planes and trains, all things Wolverine (or super-hero) related, and building things with Play-Dough.  Xavey is also the single most vocally affectionate person ever.  Over the course of our break, Josh and I have heard “I love you” from him at least once during each of his waking hours, often more. Don’t be fooled by that though-he’s 100% boy, and loves to do all sorts of mischievous things to get him (and Ali) in trouble.

Ali is also learning fast, and super independent. Her approach to everything is, “I do it!”  Ali knows her “A,” and loves singing, dancing, and doing anything with crayons, glitter and glue (who’d a guessed?). She is in most ways, my mini, right down to her incessant desire to have someone play with her hair or rub her back while she’s falling asleep.  She’s truly coming into her own now, and unlike me, is already nurturing her loving side (or maybe just her bossy side, in which case, yes, she’s just like me) by constantly playing with her baby dolls. Ali is our little firecracker, a big ball of beautiful, joyous energy.

Xavey’s big goal for the year is to learn how to do a flip on the trampoline (yeah, the grey hairs are starting to sprout). Ali simply wants to be Picasso and paint some more.

My immediate, easily attainable goal is to get Josh to a concert. He’s roamed around for twenty-six(ish) years now, and still has NEVER been to a concert. We need to remedy this given my love for all things rock.

Long term, our goal is still to get outta Texas.  Northeast, midwest, Pacific northwest. I’m not picky. We just want to be somewhere where our kids can actually enjoy the outdoors. That’s hard to do here, when four to five months of the year temperatures are near or above 100 degrees.

We’ve got one final gallery for the year, with all of our holiday pictures right here.  Enjoy the pictures, and Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving Weekend Photos

Published on December 6th, 2009 - 1:18 pm - by Josh | No Comments »

Megan’s parents and brother Jason came to visit over Thanksgiving weekend and of course we had a jam-packed few days.  Unfortunately they won’t be able to make it down again until February-ish, so we decided to do Christmas with them while they were down for Thanksgiving.  They got the kids a trampoline!  The kids love it of course, and spent an hour or so jumping on it each day of the weekend.  I’m sure they’ll use it a ton come spring time.

We also took a trip to the zoo while they were down since the weather was so nice (60’s or so that day).  I’m now convinced that going to the zoo during the summer is just a waste of time.  Every animal was so much more active since it wasn’t so hot, and the trip was a lot of fun.

Pictures from the weekend are up right here.

Trick or Treating Pictures

Published on November 2nd, 2009 - 10:51 pm - by Josh | No Comments »

The kids had an absolute blast during trick or treating this year.  Ali went as a pixie, and Xavier was a dragon.  The past couple years they’ve had fun of course, but they pretty much had to ride in the wagon in between houses and we couldn’t go for very long before they got tired.  Well this year they got to walk almost the whole time, and did a great job saying “trick or treat” and “thank you.”  We still brought the wagon for the ride home, and it’s a good thing too because we were out for nearly two full hours.

It’s fun watching people react so much differently to cute little kids than to bratty, not-so-cute older kids that just run up and run off.  They begrudgingly give those kids one piece of candy.  Not so with the dragon-pixie duo, we literally had to make people stop giving them stuff.  This one old couple gave them each at least 10 pieces.  I think the old couple would have given them all their candy and just gone inside for the night if we would have let them.

Pictures from the night are up right here.  And also, if you missed the Oktoberfest album be sure to check it out here.