Homeschool at Mrs. Tammy's

Eric and Nate

The girls club!

My little artist at work

Kaden and Elaina creating their fall tree

Painting in process!!

Mommy and Brie

Abbie painting

Brie during story time

Our special guest, Elaina

Story Time

In the month of November, we did our homeschooling at Mrs. Tammy's house. It was so much fun. Tammy is awesome and the kids had a wonderful time learning all about fall. Abbie was calling the colorfull tree's "Changing Tree's" and after Mrs. Tammy explained a little about chlorophyll, Abbie now shouts CHLOROPHYLL!!! everytime we pass a tree that is changing colors. I love that she picked up on that! What can I say, my child is brilliant. The kids did a weaving project with foam leaves, Tammy read stories and they did some painting. We had a special guest on this day too...Elaina May! She was out of school and got to come with Beck and Kaden. Abbie was so glad to see her girlfriend!

Mornings at the Durham's

Abbie Grace, 4.75 years

Brie Baby, 16 months

Hanging Out watching Cartoons

So we don't always have lazy mornings at home but on my girls ideal morning, we are at home hanging out on the couch watching TV with their sippy cups full of chocolate milk. Both of the girls nursed...well forever. So when I weaned them, I did it the easiest way possible...from mom to Chocolate Milk. I mean really, if you have to be weaned why not move to the best kind of milk...chocolate. So both of them LOVE chocolate milk...chocolate was Aubrie's sixth word, I promise. In the morning, both the girls want to snuggle on the couch, sit in my lap or under the big white blanket and drink their hair of the dog...otherwise known here as chocolate milk. I love this tradition...when Abbie goes to Kindergarten next year, I am going to miss these mornings and I'll miss moments like these the most. Chocolate Milk, Cartoons, Coffee and my two little girls...it just doesn't get better than this for me.

A Night at Home with the Durham's

This is just a glimpse into life at our house. The girls are growing up so fast. We have been so blessed just to be their parents. We love taking video's of them doing momentus stuff but sometimes it's good to see the basic's too. Tonight after the girls had their bath, we all sat around in Aubrie's nursery and watched her walk around. I got out the camera to video her newest accomplishment but she didn't exactly cooperate. What you see is what happened for a couple of minutes at the house. How awesome is God that He lets us have these precious little gifts to remind us that there is glory even in the littlest things...little dances, little words, big sisters and little sisters. What a great God we serve!

Abbie's Barrel Cart Ride

Aubrie Faith's First Hair Cut

Aubrie's Hair Pre-Cut

Taking some snips off

Getting it even

The final product

Well, I finally did it. Tonight we cut Aubrie's baby hair. I struggled with this decison, just like I did with Abbie Grace but she was sort of sporting a baby mullet so it was time to get a little trim. We brought in the bumbo as our seat and started to cut. She did a great job staying still for me and I think it's reasonably straight. I only did the back because the front is still a little too thin to trim. I had a wonderful assistant helping me with the photo's that you see here. The first picture of the pre-cut hair was taken by Phillip but the rest are all taken by Miss Abbie Grace. I think she's showing some talent. Thanks Abbie for taking great pictures of Aubrie's first little hair cut. Aubrie, you look beautiful!

Pumpkin Patch 2008

Aubrie and Mom in the Corn Box

Daddy and Abbie picking out the "Perfect Pumpkin"

Abbie Grace in her Tractor Train Car

Searching for the Perfect Pumpkin...she said she didn't want one with any dirt and it had to be perfectly round... hard to come by but she found one that would work.

Aubrie inspecting the goods

My little baby WALKING around the farm

Aubrie the fearless in the Hay Bale Tunnel

Abbie Grace in the Hay Bale Tunnel

Checking out the critters

Look at the Goat!!

Today we went to the Schaffer-Collin's Pumpkin Patch in Mayflower. We had a great time playing there and exploring all of the fun stuff that was set up this year. When we got there the place was empty which meant that we had free reign over all the stuff that was there. We took the opportunity to hit the hay tunnels first. Abbie Grace went right in this year, no hesitation whatsoever...the scary part was that her baby sister who is only 15 months old went right in after her. There was no way we were going to keep her from doing what big sis was up to. Since she is only 15 months, Mom had to go in after her and help her climb the hill to the top of the tunnel. I don't mind telling you that it was creepy as all get out in there...way to small a space for this Mommy. Anyway, we made it up nonetheless and then proceeded to play on all the equipment. They have added a lot of playground stuff since we were there a couple of years ago. The great part was that there was a whole section of stuff that was baby friendly. Aubrie got to swing and climb and slide and have a great time. Abbie was climbing on hay bales and swinging on rope swings like she was born and raised in the country. I'm secretly very proud of the fact that my suburb born baby can do that!! Anyway...we also got to see all kinds of baby animals in the petting zoo. Abbie loved the baby goats and pigs, Aubrie loved the baby pony and the ducks. Neither one of them liked the goose much...too loud. Everyone liked the really LOUD donkey (or mule...I never can remember which is which...what more can you expect from a full blown Suburb kid turned Suburb adult) who made his presence known in more than one way. After we picked out the "perfect pumpkin" and the "perfect mini-pumpkin" we walked across to the Tractor train ride. Abbie rode in a cart/barrel all by herself! We were so proud and a little dismayed as it lurched to a start and started off on the bumby road into the corn maze. Phillip and I looked at each other and both said we couldn't believe we had just sent our baby out there without either one of us. She's getting so big. Aubrie and I decided to take the time then to play in the "corn box." She loved taking the dried corn kernals and putting them in the sifter. It made her super happy. All in all, we had a wonderful time together at the Pumpkin Patch!

Halloween Street

The Durham Dames at Halloween Street

Watching the Taekwondo Demonstration

Sisters~in~law and Heart

Brie and Mommy

Hitting up the locals for candy

My little Halloweeners

AJ and Abbie

The Durham-Peerson Family

My Sweet Little Sunflower

My Busy Buzzing Bumble Bee

This past weekend we did some early trick-or-treating at Lakewood Village's Halloween Street. It was so much fun!! Shana and AJ were in town for the festivities and the kids had a blast. AJ is Dale Earnhart Jr, Abbie is a bumble bee (complete with stinger made from a 99 cent funnel, thank you Home Depot...) and Breezie is a flower as is our tradition. We scored an incredible amount of candy...and not just the junk stuff (thank goodness). We saw some crazy costumes...Abbie saw what she called a "red bat girl"... it was a shockingly revealing costume with red bat wings... Anyway, the rest of the stuff was pretty tame but very entertaining. We also did Boo at the Zoo and that was great fun too. It's so fun to watch the kids getting big. Can't believe Abbie is almost 5...where does the time go? It seems like yesterday she was the baby in the flower costume, now it's Aubrie and I know I'll be wondering what happened to my littlest baby soon. She started walking all by herself this weekend. She's been trying to get her courage up for a few weeks now but it finally happened and she is so happy! Guess it's time to RUN!! What a blessing...