Santa bought a bike today...

Santa is planning to visit our house this Christmas with a bike for Ethan. So, to help him out, Brian and I took Ethan to the bike store today to try and figure out what size bike he needed, as this will be his first 'big boy' bike. Ethan is so used to going to the bike store, he had no idea we were really going for him! He currently has a big wheel that he rides, but he has never ridden on a 'true' bicycle. So, to our surprise, Ethan jumped on one of the bikes, and took off riding laps around the store. He was all smiles and having a great time! The best part was that I was able to buy the bike, and Brian was able to keep Ethan distracted long enough for the salesman to load it in the back of my car without Ethan seeing it. Now to find a good hiding place until Christmas!

Sickies, Sickies, and More Sickies

More sickness has invaded our home. Kaden just had two colds literally back to back, lasting about a month, which he was finally getting over about a week ago. Ethan had a cold about a month ago as well. Starting this past Sunday, Ethan started in on another cold, and then by Monday, Kaden had one too! So, Santa, if you're listening, all I want for Christmas is two healthy kids!

Tag - iPod shuffle

One of my blogger friends did the iPod shuffle tag, and I thought it was really cute and funny! So here goes - if you like it, consider yourself tagged, and add to your own blog!

Instructions
1.Put your iPod on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag 10 friends who might enjoy doing this as well as the person you got this from.

If someone asks, "Is this okay?" you say:
The Other Way - Weezer
What would best describe your personality?
Running to Stand Still - U2
What do you like in a guy/girl?
Runnin' with the Devil - Van Halen (that's a bit scary!)
What is your life's purpose?
Jump (For My Love) - The Pointer Sisters
What is your motto?
The Zephyr Song - Red Hot Chili Peppers
What do your friends think of you?
Something to Be - Rob Thomas
What do you think about very often?
Get It Faster - Jimmy Eat World
What is 2 + 2?
Fall Line - Jack Johnson
What do you think of your best friend?
Hold On - Sarah McLachlan
What do you think of the person you like?
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? - Chicago
What is your life story?
Disintegration - The Cure (that can be disturbing!)
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Won't Go Home Without You - Maroon 5
What do you think when you see the person you like?
I've Got To See You Again - Norah Jones
What do your parents think of you?
Mamma Mia - ABBA
What will you dance to at your wedding?
The Long Day is Over - Norah Jones
What will they play at your funeral?
Sometime Around Midnight - The Airborne Toxic Event
What is your hobby/interest?
Only the Young - Journey (that's appropriate right now!)
What's your biggest secret?
Clarity - John Mayer
What do you think of your friends?
Why Can't I Be You - The Cure
What's the worst thing that could happen?
Danger - Third Eye Blind
How will you die?
Tragic Kingdom - No Doubt
What is the one thing you regret?
Songbird - Eva Cassidy
What makes you laugh?
Map of the Problematique - Muse
What makes you cry?
Beautiful Day - U2
Will you ever get married?
By Your Side - Sade
What scares you the most?
Shadow of the Day - Linkin Park
Does anyone like you?
Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
If you could go back in time, what would you change?
Busted Stuff - Dave Matthews Band
What hurts right now?
Nessun dorma - Turandot - Puccini
What will you post this as?
Sorry - Our Lady Peace

Another Tag - Picture Time!

This tag is one I've seen around a lot. It's the sixth picture in the sixth folder. This is Ethan at about nine months, thoroughly enjoying his dinner!

Tag - Thanks Friend!

So, I've been "tagged" for the first time! My friend Kerri, who is currently living in Paris, France with her family, tagged me to reveal six unknown, quirky or random things about myself. This takes a lot of thought since I'm not usually very good at coming up with stuff like this. So, let's see...

• I moved seven times by the time I graduated high school. My dad was in the Army, so we moved all around the country. I was born in Dover, Delaware, and have also lived in Indianapolis, Ft. Bliss (El Paso, TX), Raleigh, Olathe, KS (outside of Kansas City), Ft. Meade (outside of Baltimore, MD), Ft. Sheridan, IL (north of Chicago), and the last move to Lewisville, TX.


• I was friend's with Brian's sister, Stacie, for years before I ever met him! Stacie and I met at church when we were both in high school, and then we roomed together at the University of Texas for 3 years (she was a year younger than I, so we started rooming together when I was a sophomore, and she was a freshman). I didn't even meet Brian until she and I were living together for probably at least a semester or more, and that was just a random meeting! We all came home for the summer in '95, and I would hang out at Stacie's house, and Brian was there too, of course. So, long story short, we started dating in July of 1995, and have been together for the 13 years since!
  
• I changed my major in college... in the spring semester of my senior year. My parents probably thought I was crazy! For three and a half years, my major was elementary education. Then, after a semester of being a teacher's aide, I decided it wasn't for me. So, I changed my major to English. But it only took me an extra summer semester for me to graduate, because my elementary ed. 'concentration' was English already. Unfortunately, there's not a lot out there to "do" with an English degree!
  
• I'm NOT a morning person. If I could sleep in every day to 10 am, I would! That doesn't work out so well with two young children though!
  
• I'm an avid reader! If I don't have a book that I'm reading, I feel lost! What do I do with myself before bedtime? :)
  
• I was a total klutz when I was little! When learning to walk, somewhere around 9 or 10 months old, I took a header into the console tv, and I still have the scar on my forehead today! I also fell down the wood stairs a few times, one time even knocking myself out! I'd like to think that I outgrew that particular trait - but I can say that Ethan gets his clumsiness honestly! I was a "Mr. Bump", and so is Ethan! Maybe there is hope for Kaden!

I don't have a lot of blogger friends to tag with this post, so basically, if you have a blog, and you're reading this, consider yourself 'tagged'!

Movie Time!

Brian and I decided to take Ethan to see his first movie in a "big" movie theater today. We chose Madagascar 2. Ethan did really well, considering that when watching a movie at home, he tends to roam about the room and play with toys at the same time. He said he had fun, but half the fun for him was probably eating popcorn! Oh, and yes, singing along with "You got to move it, move it!"

Who is who?

Kaden turned four months old this week! How time flies by when there is a baby in the house! I have month by month picture frames for the first year, one for Ethan, and now one for Kaden. Which means that I have to remember to take a picture on (or around) the same day every month. This week's picture of Kaden got me thinking about Ethan's four month old picture. So, I decided to post them both here.

So can you tell who is who? And even if you can, there is no questioning that they are brothers!

Veterans Day

Today is Veterans Day. And a brief history lesson for those who didn't know: Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day after World War I, but after World War II and Korea, Congress changed the name to Veterans Day.


I know I am personally so grateful for every single man and woman who has served our country in each of the Armed Forces. And I am especially thankful for my own dad, who served in the Army for 27 years. He is the most dedicated, hard working, honorable man I will ever know, and I am proud to call him my dad! I love you Dad!

Camping Trip

So we packed up all our gear this weekend, and took Ethan camping for the first time! Kaden decided to stay home and camp out with Nana (thanks Nana - Kaden said he had a great time with you at home!).

We went to a campsite near the lake about 10 minutes from our house, but it didn't matter where it was to Ethan, as long as we were camping out! He had such a good time, and loved sleeping in the tent in his own little sleeping bag.

Of course, we had to have a campfire, and Ethan had to try out roasting marshmallows for the first time too! What is camping out without s'mores and marshmallows!

We all had a great time, and by all accounts, Ethan is going to want to go camping again soon!

VOTE

Today is Election Day, for those of you that have been living under a rock. Sometimes I feel like my vote may or may not count, since I tend to live in a firmly ensconced "red" state. However, I would like to take a moment to urge everyone to excercise their American freedom to vote in this election, regardless of who you vote for!! And then we won't have to watch political ads anymore!

Halloween!

This is the first year that Ethan has been really interested in Halloween. He woke up telling me "It's Halloween!". He picked out his own costume at Old Navy, he was a "red dragon that is nice". This first picture is Ethan and Kaden at our church's fall festival, which was the weekend before Halloween.



We have a LOT of kids on our street, which is fantastic. There are always impromptu playdates out in the middle of the circle! At current count, we have 16 kids (3 are babies)! We try to corral all the kids together for a Halloween pic before the serious trick or treating starts. We had a few extra kids this year (cousins and friends visiting), plus a couple of the parents got into the game this year too! Can you spot the red dragon and the pumpkin?

Brian was traveling again this year, so he missed out on the festivities, but here is a picture of me and my boys...

Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween!

Kaden's First Three Months

Thought I would do a quick picture recap of Kaden's first three months!

Here's at one month:

Here's at two months:

And here's at three months:

Kaden's First Picture

So, I obviously set up this blog many years ago, and never did anything with it! So I thought I would start to try to get into this blogging thing. Since my very first post was a picture of Ethan as a newborn, I thought I would post a picture of Kaden as a newborn, as to compare and contrast!