Christmas at Nana's

And here are some pics from the evening at Nana and Papa's house.
Alex and Papa got a few minutes to bowl in the hall.

Alex has a habit of beating Papa at crazy 8's. He's actually pretty good.

I've never seen Avril so excited over something than when she opened the gift from Nana that included at tutu, tiara, jewelery box full of bead necklaces and rings, and the Cinderella movie. But it got even better when the next one was a princess placemat, bowl, and silverware set. She immediately had to have dinner. It was pretty cute.

The kids loved this duck shooting thing. Alex is frighteningly good at it. I'll have to get it on video sometime.

Avril and daddy.

Christmas at the Cole's

Here are some pictures from Christmas at home. I'm learning this year, since Avril is old enough to care, that Christmas with two small children is not only fun and exciting, it is stressful and exhausting. I've had kids for five years now, and this is the first year I've been thankful the day is over. I can't figure out what exactly I can change about next year, but I'll spend alot of time trying to figure it out. Although all four of us are dealing with a nasty head cold, so that may have had something to do with it. All that aside, the kids really did have a great time and Frank didn't have to work, we spent time with the people we love. All in all a fantabulous time.
Here is Alex enjoying his new camera.

Avril really does love her robe, but I had just wiped her nose and she scowled at me. lol.

Alex.

Stockings.

Pics

Here are some miscellaneous pictures from Christmas. Busy day. Still recovering. This is my beautiful answer to prayer niece, Abby.

Alex being handsome.

Avril being cute.

Boys being boys.

Avril with her new love, playdoh.

Moving

So we've spent the last week or so moving my parents into their "new" house. Here
are some miscellaneous pictures from our adventures. The kids are having a good time and things are going smoothly. Not really a whole lot more to report than that.




Merry Christmas to all.

Saturdays

Avril has recently taken up an interest in potty training, but the problem is she has no clue what she's supposed to do when she's on it. It is actually pretty funny; a couple of times a day she enjoys going through the steps of getting the stool, putting on the seat, climbing up, climbing down, putting toilet paper in, flushing, putting everything away, and washing her hands. As you can imagine this takes about ten minutes each time and it can be quite frustrating because we go through all that and she thinks that is going potty but really doesn't get the point. But the last thing I want to do is tell her no when it comes to the toilet, so we go through the ritual. Maybe someday she'll catch on.

This past week has been a bit weird because none of us have felt very well, and now it is Saturday and I've got to clean the house, but all I want to do is sit around - I'm so tired. But the kids are feeling better, so we are doing the laundry and this is how they help. Their favorite laundry game - taking turns getting under it. I don't understand why, but this can occupy a half hour's time.


Mom and dad are getting ready for the big move. The current plan is to keep boxing up this weekend and next week move a little at a time as each room gets its final coat of paint. Friday and Saturday are the big moving days with the U-Haul. So one more week, and we'll be putting things away in the new house.

Thanksgiving in Branson

And here we have some shots of the kids at Grammi and Granddaddy's house this week. I wasn't there, but I'm sure they had a great time.

Thanksgiving in Stendal

So I'm finally here at the same time as my pics. Lol. Anyway, here are some lovely shots from our weekend in Stendal. Good food, good games, good times.

A Bit Behind

I'm sooo sorry for not updating in a while. Things have been a bit busy, and then I forget to bring pics to work to put them here. We had a fabulous time at my Nana's house for Thanksgiving. It was definitely weird not having the Berea clan there. But nevertheless, at least we could almost all fit at one table. There was lots of food and card playing. We got home really late on Sunday, then I went to work Monday and after work hosted Alex's birthday party. Talk about not having time to prepare! But it all came off just fine. He is really stoic and shy, so it doesn't look like he's having a good time, but he was. And I enjoyed having the fam and friends over, thank you all for coming. Then the next morning, mom and dad took off with the kids to the other grandparent's house in Branson. So last night Frank and I had the house to ourselves and took the opportunity to get the Christmas stuff down from the attic and got almost everything set up. You really need an engineering degree to get the pre-lit tree lit, so it will be a few days till that one is done. I don't understand, but half the lights on the dang thing don't work! I think next year I will cut off all the strands that came on it, and string it myself. Anyway, hopefully this evening I'll remember to post pics from the weekend and from the birthday party. Oh, and Happy Birthday also to Ireland. We tried to call Saturday, but couldn't get through for some reason. Too bad you all couldn't come this year, but hopefully next year things will settle down a bit. Love to all!

Ahh..Sunny Florida

We had a good time in Florida. Spent the first few days at Grandpa's place in Venice for a few birthday parties - one in the afternoon for his friends at the resort, then one in the evening at a nice beachside restaurant with the family. It was really great to see him again. Then we headed to Panama City Beach to relax for awhile. The first full day we were there was really the only time we could spend in the water though - it turned chilly after that. The kids had a really great time in the sand, but Alex decided afterwards (when he was wet, freezing, and covered in sticky sand) that he
doesn't like the beach. Avril on the other hand is all over it. We found two really nice miniature golf courses and the kids did really well there too. Avril subscribes to the method of hit the ball once, then carry the ball and toss it into the hole. It works for her, and whoever else's ball is close to her at the time. ;) There really wasn't a whole bunch else to do once it got cold because the town had packed up for the winter. So we ended up coming home a couple of days early, but spent a leisurely day in Nashville on the way home. So now we are home and settled again, but life is taking it's time getting back to normal.

I thought I was gonna have Alex's slide done this weekend, but it turns out it is indeed too steep. Suck. The poor kids about killed themselves on it. So I've come up with a plan, but it will take some time to implement it. I'm gonna have to
shorten the length of the slide and make it not so steep, and to do this it is gonna have to land on a platform, not the floor. Then I've got the closet door to deal with - it may end up being a curtain door in the end. But alas, I can say with certainty and with proof, that this whole playhouse bed thing has been an adventure. I didn't know what I was doing when I started, and each step of the way has had to be thought up on the fly. But it has been fun at least - even if it is going to take me until next summer to get it right.


Our house remodel is so close to being done it is painful. The foundation under the addition has been the truly stressing point, and maybe in the next week or so it will be worked on. The problem is that my carpenter doesn't know how he is gonna fix it - sorta like me building this bed, he's gonna have to fly by the seat of his pants. So that will be interesting.

Mom's house is coming along; I'm going this afternoon to check it out and get some new pics. I haven't seen it in over two weeks, and I hear it looks like a house now, all painted and whatnot. So in a few days I'll get those pics up for your viewing pleasure.

I say it will be a few days, because tomorrow I'm going to a Chevelle concert and I'm totally excited! My cousin's roommate is going with me, and I'm looking forward to meeting her too. So anyway, I'll be back sometime Wednesday suffering from post-concert depression. I hate the day after.

This weekend is going to be fun though, getting together with my fam for Thanksgiving! Can't wait, but too bad not everyone is going to come. I don't understand people sometimes, but what can I do? Nothing. So I'll make the best of it, and be thankful for time spent with the rest of them. Then next week, my parents are taking my children to Branson to the other grandparent's house, for actual Thanksgiving, and I get a chance to go to the movies! I can't make it out there with them because of work, but that leaves me with coveted time by myself while they are gone and Frank is at work. Like I said, I'm gonna go to the movies. I love doing that by myself.

Well that is about it, I've enjoyed spending this time here alone; with Alex at school again there is this wonderful break from the fighting - the two of them really need time apart sometimes to be their normal adorable selves. Any other mother of two out there knows what I'm talking about.

There are a whole lot more pics from the trip in my myspace picture albums.

Autumn Festival

I finally got my camera back! So here are some pics of the kids having fun at the festival on the court square. We're off to Florida in the morning, so hopefully I'll have an opportunity to put the pics of them in their costumes up here after tonight. My computer at home is down though due to a power supply problem, so I'm not sure if I'll get them up before we go.