School lunch

My little Butterball 



Her placemat read: "I am thankful for Hannah."  Be still my heart!



Chef Ronnell lovingly prepares the feast

Andrew and I attended our daycare's annual Thanksgiving lunch for parents yesterday and experienced our first "divide and conquer" scenario -- he ate in the Tigers classroom with Lucy and I ate in the Nursery with Hannah.  It's a wonderful opportunity for us to slow down a little bit and show our appreciation for the people who do an amazing job of caring for our little ones.  It's also nice to get a chance to visit with the other parents and swap stories from the trenches.  Mr. Ronnell is the center's on-site chef (he runs a catering business on the side) and he makes a mean fried turkey and cornbread dressing combo!  The teachers helped the kids create personalized place mats for their families and make crafts to decorate the dining rooms.

We moved Lucy to this center when she was 9 months old & it's one of the best decisions we've made -- there's yet to be a single day that I picked her up that she hasn't been smiling and content.  Yet another thing to be grateful for this holiday season ~ people who love your children and are invested in their growth.  It's the only thing that makes it possible for this working mommy to get to the office everyday.  Oh, and did I mention that Lucy's teacher, Ms. Betty, was absolutely instrumental in our potty training success?  We love her.

I got to end the lunch by rocking Hannah to sleep in the nursery glider before heading back to work.  Thanks again Southside for the thoughtful meal and for everything you do for our babies!

The help

Hannah is eating rice cereal now and big sister is oh-so-eager to lend a helping hand. It's like playing baby doll come to life! We may be just a tad bit enthusiastic forceful with the spoon, but... our heart is certainly in the right place. Lucy is all about baby sister right now -- she shares her lovey when Hannah starts crying, smothers her with goodnight kisses, and wants to help me change her diaper. I even caught her "reading" Hannah a book the other night (complete with showing the pictures like a librarian at story time) while I put away laundry. Fingers crossed that these warm & fuzzy feelings continue to permeate our household and that Hannah survives all of Lucy's "help" with her limbs fully intact.

Lucy showing baby sister how to eat with a spoon -- she's a pro!

Hannah's not completely sure what to think about this new taste/texture, but she's slowly getting the hang of it.

P.S. Would you just look at that sweet baby skin and those rubber-band thighs? Swoon!

Wordless Wednesday ~ For Aunt Katie

Lucy ~ 28 months

Hannah ~ 4 months

Now who's lame?  :)

Five on Friday ~ Halloween edition

The "top 5" things I loved about this Halloween season:

1.  Getting to put my kids in matching outfits for the first time!  This struck me as something so incredibly fun and inherently girly -- I can't wait to do it again at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I used to hate it when my mom put me & my sister in matching clothes, but I totally get it now.

My favorite "lay lay" bug

2.  Picking out tiny pumpkins and posing in our church's annual pumpkin patch.  Oh, and actually making it to church only slightly late on-time for the first time since Hannah's birth.

3.  Leaving work early to participate in our daycare's Fall Fest activities.  Lucy got her face painted, did a bean bag toss, and pinned a tail on the pumpkin and received candy along the way.  Mommy got to spend a Friday afternoon outside in beautiful weather with her two best girls.  Win-win.

4.  Seeing the delight on my big girl's eyes as she ran from door to door to trick-or-treat for the first real time this year.  Lucy's still saying, "I go trick-or-treat. Get candy in pumpkin!"  Here she is with her friend Cooper (aka Buzz Lightyear), inspecting their loot.

5.  Experiencing the pure joy of watching your good friend's child become friends with your own.  There's simply nothing like it, and we're so fortunate to have the James family in our lives.

Cooper and his sweet mama Jessi