We're having a...

elf. (what were you thinking???) We have our very own elf on the shelf. Parker decided to name him Gary, after the guy in the newest Muppet movie. Gary the Elf. If you say that a few times and think about it, it will probably give you the giggles. Our elf is a little bigger because we're using one way of the stuffed elf's that are supposed to be so the kids can play with one. The real elf on the shelf is a lot smaller and the kids aren't supposed to touch him or he looses some of his magic. I just knew there was no real way to make sure they kept their hand off him. I thought this might be a little better. The rest of the story applies. They know he's talking to Santa and reporting in every night after we go to bed.

For only being around a few days, Gary has made quite the rounds already. I'm not real sure how much it's helping the behavior though. I keep hearing "I be nice", but with two 3 year olds that only last so long.
 Stay tuned for more Gary updates!

The week of Thanksgiving

Great weather means we've had a great week of Thanksgiving. We started with a morning at the zoo. When it's warm out and there's some serious football on, it means the zoo is nice and quiet. I was brave enough to take them alone and  they were able to get out of the stroller and really explore a little bit. We were one of 3 families hanging out in the tunnel in the aquarium. Fantastic!

Payton helped do a little light house cleaning, followed by trying to find just the perfect outfit for Thanksgiving. 

 

 

 

 

 Thanks to it being 70 degrees on the day before Thanksgiving, we were able to break in a new playground that we drive past every day on the way home. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We has a good time on Thanksgiving. We even are big enough now to play ball in the front yard at great-grandma's house with some of our cousins.

 

 

 

Friday morning on the way to school, we drove through downtown to see all the Christmas lights that had been turned on. It was too cold and too early to get out and look at them. They love the lights. As Parker says "look, it's the angels". 

This morning we had our first trip to the library. We checked out the train table, the activity blocks, played on the computers and had a great time. We brought home 3 books, 2 activity bags and a movie. Not bad for our first trip. 

Hope everyone has a nice Thanksgiving. And that you're enjoying the rest of the weekend! Hope your time has been as busy and fun as ours!

Uh oh...

I just have one thing to say...Aunt Bo did it.

Blessings

When I picked up the duo Monday afternoon, one of the teachers they love but hadn't seen in a while was in their room. She told me that Payton had grabbed her finger and was introducing her to their new teacher. She couldn't believe it, or how well they were talking and saying that they had grown since she'd last seen them.

Yesterday when we were leaving for the day, one of their friends came up and gave them both a hug. Payton told her "Wuv you Lannie. See you morrow". On our way across the plaza we saw friends from the preschool room playing. Parker walked right up to two of his friends in wheelchairs and gave them hugs over the arm of their chairs without giving it a second thought and told them "see you later". We had to stop by the nurses station on the way out. They saw one of the nurses getting medicine ready for someone. Payton said "you goin' to help somebody feel better. Use your stetascope to wisten to dem." When we were signing out at the front desk, we saw our friend Chris coming back after being at school all day. They both said "hi" to him and Parker asked "have good day at skoowl?" Not a flinch that he doesn't talk, has a trach, or that there is the remotest hint of anything different. He's their friend. We saw another friend coming back on a different bus as we loaded up in the car to leave. All they know is that their friend Matthew was back from his big school. They know that we always talk to Matthew's mommy in the mornings, that Matthew rides the big yellow school bus, what room he goes to at respite care and he's our friend. It makes no difference that Matthew can't talk back to us, that he uses a walker of a wheelchair or that he is so much older than them.

These things are not all lost on me. I am paying attention. Some people do something different that they're thankful for during the whole month of November. The fact that they are here, to be able to do these things and not know the difference is beyond amazing. It is today, and will always be, something I am beyond thankful for.

I am blessed.

Husker Heroes

Last night we took a small trip to Lincoln to the Champion Center on the UNL campus. Thanks to Husker Heroes, we spent a couple hours playing inside on the practice field with every possible type of athlete. We played baseball, football, basketball, soccer, tennis, hula hoop, bean bag toss, talked to the dance team girls, and made sure to keep an eye out for Lil Red so he didn't get too close.

 

Here's a few news articles about the event too that are so great to read -

Athletes give, find inspiration at Husker Heroes event

Husker Heroes Event Attracts Record Interest

The night was so amazing and really a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Thanks Aunt Kristin for going with and helping take pictures and man the dynamic duo!

It was a Happy Halloween

The Bees!

We trick-or-treated at my work on Halloween Eve, they had a party at school during the morning yesterday, then we made a couple special stops after school, including getting a special bucket of goodies from our friend Honor. We ended the night visiting Aunt Bo at work and having dinner. Bo and Brittany were pretty happy to have a few bees come in. 

 

Hope everyone had a safe day full of more treats than tricks. 

Be on the lookout for our post coming up. Sunday night we're doing something extra special and it's pretty huge. Stay tuned!