Busted...

I caught Dylan the other day hanging out on the coffee table watching TV. He figured out how to climb onto Lauren's chair to get up there.

Gotta keep a close eye on him. :)

Tree Lighting and Celebrating Grandma'mas B-Day

Last Sunday, we went to dinner at the Shops at Legacy to celebrate Grandma'mas Birthday. Afterwards, we enjoyed the Tree Lighting Ceremony, while listening to Christmas music and taking photos with Santa. It was a nice way to start off the holidays. As the kiddos get older, each event and holiday is getting more and more exciting! (along with that, seems to come more and more pictures - enjoy!) *smile*

after dinner, Dylan is so excited to be on the loose...



family photo with Santa.



Lauren chatting with Santa...and Dylan wanting to get the heck off his lap.


love the look of 'awe' as soon as she sees Santa!

Kevin and his sister Angelia being troopers...while the kids watched the mini-parade.

the tree! ( I especially love the moon in the background -very cool!)

me and my little man

daddy and his 'lil sweet pea

Lauren and Roman dancing to the band (is that the Elaine dance?) ha!

we ran into all of the cousins out there.

my sister and i with the four little rascals

Lauren getting tired and laying on G'mama's shoulder...aw!

I'll say Grandma'ma had a lovely time celebrating her birthday surrounded by her children and grandchildren...

Christmas is right around the corner....

Yes, we survived the biggest shopping weekend of the year. We even had a chance to visit with Santa - twice! {wink, wink}
Lauren asked for a Christmas Tree and a Doll.
Santa must think our kids are really deprived....REALLY?!.. a 'CHRISTMAS TREE AND A DOLL?'...was it rehearsed??.. Cause I did not coach her?!.
And with Dylan screaming, Santa must think we are really mean to our kids. not cool and slightly embarrassing....

HAPPY SHOPPING!

On the path...

Leap Frog Learning Path, that is.

We gave Lauren the Leapfrog Tag Reading System for her 3rd birthday and she absolutely loves it. The age group for this series is from 4-6 and we weren't sure how true to age this was, but she has been doing great at following the stories, holding her hand steady, playing the games, and can't wait to read it every night before bed.

The way it works: you purchase the Tag Books, then sync the pen with the Leap Frog website....you upload each book you have purchased into the pen...and viola...you are able to read along with your favorite books!

It's pure Genius, I tell ya! And our little Lauren is on her way to becoming a Genius! We love it!

following along number mountain

scanning each character to see what they say...

playing a game that tests her ability to follow a sequence of photos

up close shot of her intense concentration

she'll be reading all by herself in no time...

thanks to her Leap Frog Tag!

GOOD NIGHT!

Watch Out...Here I come....

Dylan is officially on the move! He took his first steps on October 7th and now prefers the walking method over the crawling. We are so proud of our little man!
Way to go Dylan!







always on the blackberry. that's him saying 'hello'...(behind his ear) ha!



Peace Out!

Big Orange Pumpkin Farm!

Didn't think we were gonna make it out to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm, but we did!! It was a perfect day - in the 70's and not very busy...my kinda day!
We enjoyed going on the hayride, throwing food feeding the animals, and taking lots of pictures. (there are quite a few below, but considering I took about 100....to post 17 or so isn't too bad) :)

Halloween with the Friends

This year we went to the Glasscocks for some Halloween Fun! There is an area in their neighborhood that really goes all-out. I like to call it the Halloween version of Christmas in Deerfield. They have this huge block party and pretty much all of the houses participate in decorating. Tons of people roaming the streets, dressed up, trick-or-treating and really enjoying the evening with family and friends. I must say - this is the best halloween with the kids so far...Lauren and Dylan had a blast with their friends!!

our kitty & lion

sweet lion - full of courage!

All of the kiddos ...just before the big party!




Trick-or-Treat! (i love lauren's hot pink tail...too cute)

my and my baby lion!!

Madelaine being the silly nurse!

Blake posing next to the scary cat!



Dylan's First Time to trick-or-treat....hated it! HA!

The whole gang this time...

ah- finally out of the stroller!

Can't wait to go back next year!!