Cookies!!!!

It was a day of shopping for a lot of people on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but for our two it was a day of making cookies with their cousin Kai and their grandparents, Mae Mae (Mary) and Grandpa (Jim). We were treated by their adoring grandparents with a request for all the grandkids to spend the day with them so we could go shopping or do whatever to prepare for the holidays. What a treat for us and double treat for our kids!



Nicolas ices his cookies with pink icing although it was supposed to be red. That color is so hard to get to come out right!

Lexi is a master with her yellow (or "Lellow" as she pronounces it). Mae Mae said she was very independent with it which is not surprising. She is with everything right now!

Yummy!

A Day of Thanks and Treats!

Up a bit early on Thanksgiving so Nicolas cuddled on the couch with Pandy as he started the day.

After talking about how thankful we were to have each other, we gave the kids a Turkey-Day Treat. Nicolas got his "Hockey Guys" and didn't let them out of his site for the entire weekend!

Lexi got a kick out of getting new princesses for her collection.

Don't all girls wear a matching cape, hat and purse over their footie pajamas? No? Oh, must be just excited to try on the set that Meemaw gave her this weekend. Won't she be dressed to the nine's for the holidays?

Nicolas checks his math with his new calculator from Meemaw. Yep, got the right answer (hee, hee).

Getting Ready!

Hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year and Lexi helps me get ready by cleaning the counters. She was such a helper.

Nicolas and Lexi wanted to play but Mommy didn't want them to pull out the mess of their play kitchen in my kitchen since I was currently mopping the floors. So we had an idea... how about having a play picnic in the foyer where they can watch the cars drive by at the same time?

Turns out it was a fun idea! Even got to cook on their grill.

What a Feast!

Thanksgiving might have been a week away but we were already enjoying the feast! Nicolas' preschool class teamed up with another class to put on a wonderful feast and performance. Every parent took on a item from the meal to bring in and we all enjoyed the goodies together for lunch. Then the kids performed. It was so sweet!


Nicolas was his usual shy self. Then I stayed the next school day (Tuesday of the following week) and watched the school program only to see him break through his shy shell and do all the movements. I was so excited and proud. I can't wait to see their Christmas Program on December 5th!

He came home from the Thanksgiving Feast and taught Lexi the songs and all the movements. They are so cute doing it for their own little audience in us!

Lexi got to make one of the craft projects in Nicolas' class after the feast. They are so nice to her! She not only got to make a peanut butter pine cone treat for the birds to eat outside but also got to put off her nap for a bit longer. She was happy!

Nicolas and Kate got a Bingo on their Thanksgiving Sheets.

Take this challenge!

I am taking a challenge presented by my friend Erica (and fellow blogger - aka Harriss Happenings). She challenged other bloggers to:

1. Open your pictures folder (or Picasa)
2. Go to the 4th folder
3. Open the folder and pick out the 4th picture
4. Once you find that picture, share the picture and what it means to you or what is going on in the picture.

This was harder then it sounds. I have photos on two computers. I am also in the midst of a huge photo backup process. So the one computer had photos that were my backup for tax deductions (items we have donated). I sure don't think that is interesting to publish. So I came down to my laptop and found this photo.

It is a photo of Lexi having a good time in freezing water this summer on a fun Sunday evening. Oh how I miss this warm weather! We had just blown up this pool and filled it with water. It didn't have time to warm up in the summer sun. The kids didn't want to wait. They jumped in and had so much fun even as their lips turned blue. Oh to be that carefree again!

Kids Are Having Fun

Nicolas is having fun playing with Lincoln Logs lately. He built a village for his Power Rangers. And he is pleased as punch with how it turned out.

Notice each Power Ranger has a home and so do the cowboys and horses.

Lexi combines the beauty of being Cinderella and the talent of being a chef. Bananas with your eggs, anyone?

Leaf it to Nicolas!

Grandma Birdie came by and picked up Nicolas Monday afternoon to go over and help her play in the leaves. You know she totally wanted to jump in them herself but didn't want the neighbors talking about her. She she came to get him since sadly we only have enough leaves in our yard for Lexi's Barbies to jump in. So, they got some one-on-one bonding and jumping time in. Nicolas loved it and Lexi loved hearing all about it when she brought him back.



A good slide into home plate!

Down the swing set slide and into the pile. Think he is having fun?

Glad they did it on Monday because it rained today and that made for a soggy mess when Lexi and Nicolas went over to play a little more.

Five Friend Lunch

After gymnastics class on Monday my two little hungry kiddos had lunch with friends. No room for adults in the corner booth! Peter (3), Nicolas, Allison (4), Kate (4) and Lexi had a great lunch and lots of laughs at Culver's. Can you believe how grown up they look socializing together?

Bouncing Good Time as Cooper Turns Five!

Nicolas' little buddy Cooper turned five years old and we celebrated with him at Little Gym on Saturday.

This is not one of our favorite birthday spots. Not because it is not fun but because for some reason my two kiddos seem to freeze up here and cling to us. Not tonight! He had a blast with his friends!



Can you believe all these little people can sit in a line while ON an inflated mattress?

Nicolas has a funny little conversation with his buddy John as they wait for their yummy cake.

Mom & Me Jumps!

Friday morning at the Y gymnastics room was fun and a great turn out as usual. Look forward to doing this one over and over this winter.


Lexi has come a long way since last spring when she would only go on the trampoline in my arms. Now you can hardly get her jumping self off!

What a monkey

Just a cute picture to share. Julia, our little one year old friend and neighbor, has great style in the foam red blocks of the pit.

Great weather for indoor swimming!

Tuesday nights are swimming nights again but this time Lexi is in on the act.


Nicolas is doing great as an Eel...

Lexi and I swim together. She struggled to get comfortable in the water but with cousin Kai there to be her friend she got around remembering to have a great time.

Not a great clear pictures but it shows the fun they were having. Kai and Lexi are so cute together!

A Tired Rant!

Okay, as the clock said 6:15 AM and I was up I knew any second I would hear the boom of feet that are nearly five years old hit the floor by his bed. Yep... there they go.... an hour too early again! Tired and groggy, Nicolas tumbled out of his bedroom. I turned him back and actually attempted to lay with him this morning in desperation to get him to fall back asleep. He did... for 5 or 10 minutes. He even admitted to me that he was still tired but then said his body wanted to get up. Thank you to our government for screwing up our bodies! Why do they do this? I know "why" technically. World War I was the start of it and saving energy.... blah, blah, blah. We are the only country that does this... and not even all the country does! Make the madness stop. There are more accidents the week after we change the time. My vote is to keep it Daylight Savings Time all year round. I would rather it be dark until 7:00 AM and light until at least 6:00 at night then turning dark when we are walking out of our offices at 5:00. It is so sad! The kids come home and do homework and are greeted with darkness at 5:00. The farmers hate it so we need to stop blaming them. The farm animals can't tell time but their customers do and it really screws them up. Just stop this! Vote on my widget to the right. And let me know if you know how to stop this time treachery!

Halloween Night

Day two of Halloween celebrating. And more time with family and friends.

Lexi and Nicolas get to dress up again as their favorite characters. Our first stop trick-or-treating is at Uncle Joe and Aunt Connie's house. Lexi's Godfather, Aaron, and cousin Michael were there ready to ooh and ahh over them too.

Then we were off to Uncle Don and Aunt Evelyn Schaake's house. They are always so good to all the Nicol kids!

Nicolas and Lexi were really eager to get to their front door. They couldn't wait to see them and give them their Halloween hugs.

Just like each stop the kids found themselves spoiled again. They gave their Aunt and Uncle the biggest hug and smiles!

And then they had a bit of a laugh filled wrestling match on the floor with their two pumpkin guys.

Then off to Meemaw and Papaw house for more hugs and treats.

Then off to Grandpa Jim and Mae Mae's house. Grandpa Jim's birthday. They trick or treated with their cousin Kai who was an adorable dinosaur. When they got back to the house they got big ol' bags of treats from their grandparents.


Then we finished the evening celebrating their grandpa's birthday. We had ice cream cake from Bobby's. Yum. And you can tell they were all too eager to sing AND to eat!

Then late into the evening they got to bed down from a sugar high and another fun evening!