Snowman!

Audrey got to build her first snowman of the season yesterday with our three inches of snow. He's a little snowman but built with lots of love. She was so excited she didn't even notice how cold she felt. She came to the door to excitedly ask for a carrot, and let me know this was for his nose, and then came back to ask for two prunes. Of course Audrey's snowman has to have prunes for eyes! She was worried this morning that the bunny she saw out front had eaten the snowman's nose, but all was well. I was more worried though the poor bunny had eaten those eyes!

Thanksgiving

Audrey had a great Thanksgiving. She loved wearing her 'warm pajamas' on the drive to grandma and grandpa P's, and though she first asked, 'Are we there yet?' before we had even gotten out of town, she was out like a light in no time. She of course loved seeing everyone, especially cousin H. Like long-lost sisters those two. She also loved meeting her new cousin, and though she insisted baby M was a boy, she ended up deciding she is indeed a beautiful little girl. Audrey also loved feeding Aunt C and Uncle M's turtles and couldn't stop talking about actually seeing their kitty. Of course she missed a perfect chance to meet their kitty the night before as she was passed out from all the festivities. She only woke at one point during the night to say, with eyes closed, "Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?" Guess who taught her that one?

More Thanksgiving details to come...but I couldn't resist this one...

I was greeted by a very excited Audrey with a beautiful Thanksgiving card on Wednesday. I couldn't wait to see what she was thankful for!

"I'm thankful for mommy, daddy, baby Ian, bacon, and salad."

And I am thankful for all the belly laughs she brings me.

Just another Friday with daddy...

Blogged with Eric's permission...if not his blessing.

Eric has the kids on Fridays. Believe me, I know firsthand how chaotic some days are when kids outnumber adults. Some days are smooth sailing. Others, not so much.

Eric and I do things differently. Very differently. I like to try to keep things neat and clean, but that is less of a concern for Eric. I know that when I arrive home on Fridays, the house will resemble Dorothy meets the tornado. But, my kids are happy. Always happy when they've spent the day with Eric. So, I have no real complaints.

We met up last Friday to have dinner out. We had done this a few weeks earlier, and it worked out really well. Audrey was so excited to see me when we met at the restaurant, and I enjoyed catching up with Audrey, Eric, and Ian about the day's events. So, I was looking forward to this Friday's dinner out as well.

We had settled into our booth, jackets off, menus being reviewed. Eric and Audrey had made their decisions for ordering, when Eric said to Audrey:

"Oh, tell mommy about lunch!"

A: "Um, I don't know. What?"

I'm thinking it's a prompt to tell what she had to eat. Dumb mommy.

E: "Tell mommy about what you said at lunchtime."

A: "Oh! 'Daddy, there's a fire! The stove is on fire!'"

E: "And what did you do when you saw the fire?"

A: "I ran away really fast!"

Eric, to me: "And how many fires did you put out today?"

And that's when I decided to order french fries and cheesecake for dinner.

I got a running hug yesterday from a redhead who announced:

"Mommy, you are my only sunshine!"

Preschool

Preschool. We've been hearing a lot about this lately from Audrey. Most of her friends have moved onto the preschool classroom, and Audrey is certainly ready to from a developmental perspective. She will be moving to the preschool room when she turns 3.

When I went to pick her up tonight, she was in the preschool room instead of her current classroom. As is the case just before the kids transition, the staff try to have the kids spend brief periods of time in the next classroom to help with the transition. I knew as soon as I heard where she was that she was likely having a really good time.

When I walked into the room, I immediately saw Audrey hanging out with her boyfriend. The one who by teacher report, 'outmuscled' her ex to hold this elite position. The preschool teacher is one of my favorites, and one who is quite familiar with Audrey as she has had her in class before.

She of course greeted me and told me how much she enjoys Audrey. She said Audrey walked in the room this afternoon as if she owned it. She explored the different toys, found her spot in circle time, and reacquainted herself with her old friends, who apparently were sooooo excited to see her. During circle time, her boyfriend and one of her other friends asked Audrey if they could sit next to her. Her teacher said she had to think about those offers but eventually agreed.

She just had so much fun.

Audrey didn't even notice when I came in the room as she was having so much fun. As we were leaving, she looked at me with big eyes and said, "Mommy, they have different books in here! I want to come back to preschool tomorrow! When is my birthday? Is it my birthday yet?"

She apparently told Eric tonight before bed that she was going to preschool again tomorrow, and that if she wasn't going to be in preschool tomorrow, he needed to figure out a way for her to be in preschool tomorrow! I think she's going to be in preschool tomorrow!

I can't believe we have an almost 3 year-old. Where has the time gone????!!

The park in pictures

Monday was a beautiful day for a trip to the park. It was chilly, but I had a real trooper with me. A little girl who walked, well, mostly ran, right beside me. I was glad we were able to sneak in a trip before the weather gets too cold. I have a feeling should would brave the cold anyway, especially if it ends with a cup of hot cocoa.