Happy Halloween!

Evan agreed to be Woody to coordinate w/ Alex's Buzz on Wednesday. The agreement was that he could then be Peter Pan tonight. He was SO excited about his fancy sword, made by Daddy. (A baster taped to a chip clip; thanks for the prototype, Gramps!)

Our first stop was SportzQuest. They had a huge inflatable castle and an obstacle course for the kids. We were there for about 45 minutes and the boys didn't want to leave!

To Infinity, and Beyond!!!

Here are the boys Trick-Or-Treating at our neighbor's house, The Manns.

Happy Halloween!

3K PJ Day

In lieu of wearing costumes to school today, 3K classes could wear PJs. For snacks, the kids had pancakes. Evan was excited to tell us about his "2 and 1/2 pancakes with butter and syrup!"

Orange Shirts - love 'um

Early Halloween

Slideshow of pictures from Wednesday night. (I realize that 45 pics are overkill, but I just love the kids in costume!)

Buzz Lightyear and Woody

Don't Kick Me...

... said Evan's dental hygienist earlier today.

Nope - it is not always grins and giggles around here. (I'm sure you are thinking... those perfect kids? problems!?) :)

Poor Will took Evan and Alex to Dr. Hall while I was teaching. Let's just say that Will could hear Evan from the waiting room. And it is a big office with a lot of commotion. Alex, on the other hand, was an angel. That little guy loves tooth brushing.

On the plus side, we don't need to return for 6 months. Maybe they will have forgotten us.

Evan's Pirate Birthday Party

Birthday Party Slideshow (about 100 pictures! you have been warned!)


Evan's birthday party was great fun. The weather was perfect (high 60s and sunny!), and our little activities were a hit! I have many stories and pictures to post, but for now I'll share a few favorites. Stay tuned for more!

Will created two different treasure hunts, since we thought it would be difficult for 15 kids to huddle around one map. Each team, The Scurvy-Dogs and the Plank-Walkers, followed four different maps to their respective treasures: personalized treasure chests with plenty of pirate booty inside! Will did an awesome job with designing the hunt (the two teams never crossed paths!), drawing the maps (notice the burnt edges), and authoring the clues.

Here is the pirate cake I decorated. I finally talked Sam's Club into creating an all-blue cake. The islands are sugar cookies with cream cheese frosting and graham cracker crumbs-sand. The treasures are Rolos and Hershey's, and the cannonballs are Whoppers.

We also had a treasure chest pinata. Each kid got a chance to whack at it before the holder broke! At that point, we could no longer hang it, so Will opened the chest and shook out the goodies. You should have seen those kids scramble!

Highland Hills Fall Festival

Fall Festival pictures slide show - click here.

We had a wonderful time at our Church Fall Festival last night. Although we were all exhausted from a busy day of activities, the kids still found enough energy to bounce for almost an hour on various attractions! The hay ride, an annual favorite of the Jordan family, did not disappoint, and the grilled burgers really hit the spot. Alex's favorite part was the duck pond -- a small blue swimming pool with plastic ducks inside (sans water).

(You can usually click on individual pictures to see them in a larger format)

Race for the Cure udpate

Yesterday's Central Georgia Komen Race for the Cure was a success. It was a rush to be part of such an event: 3400 participants, with over $102,000 raised! Special thanks to Mom & Dad, Emmy & Christian, Megan & Greg, Lenore, Duncan & Ella Scott, and Will for your financial contributions. (Pictured at the left: Several of the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) who participated on the Pink Ribbon Racers Team.)

Thanks to Will, Evan and Alex for your roadside cheers!

Upcoming Events

Evan's 4-year checkup is tomorrow. Wish us both luck. He gets four to six shots and I get to pin him down. Last year he received a flu shot and it took 15 minutes of wrestling. I'm dreading this and he will be miserable. Chances are, we will both be crying by the end. (I told him that if he gets shots, we can go for ice cream afterwards. He said, "No Mommy. I'm not hungry for ice cream. My tummy is full of ice cream. No ice cream. No shots.") Poor thing. Does anyone have advice on this topic? (Shot update: Evan was very brave. So was Mommy. He has been bribed w/ Chick Fil A for breakfast, Stouffer's Mac and Cheese for lunch, and pizza dinner. He will remind me about the ice cream soon, too, I'm sure!)

On a happier note, one of Mercer's Sororities is offering FREE babysitting tomorrow night. We'll drop the boys at a sorority pizza party (are we cool, or what?) and Will and I can grab dinner in peace. In fact, this will be a second sorority party for each of them. I wonder if they should dress in toga? (Dinner update: the kids had a great time while Will and I ate dinner in less than an hour -- including transit time. We are used to inhaling our food when we eat with the kids! It was a treat to eat w/ just the two of us, though!)

Saturday morning is my 5K Race for the Cure (see previous post) -- or in my case.... Walk Quickly for the Cure. There is still time to send a contribution if you feel so inclined.

Saturday afternoon is Evan's pirate party! WOO HOO. Many pictures forthcoming. Saturday afternoon is also the Church Fall Festival.

If we can survive the next several days, it will be a miracle! Stay tuned for updates...

Goofin'

Last night while Will worked on a new church playground, the boys and I played on the existing preschool playground. We were joined by our friends the Trotters. All four kids had a blast just goofin' around!

Kids say....

Funny things that Evan and Alex said today:

* Alex at 5:45 am. (over the monitor, clear as a bell and at top notch): "MOMMY! Birthday Cake!"

* Evan to his friend's mom, who had just wished him a happy birthday: "Today is my family party. On Saturday is the celebration!"

* Evan continues to ponder future housing arrangements (see my previous post). This afternoon, he explained to Will the following: He and Alex and their wives (yes - he said wives) will stay in our house in the pink bedroom. Their kids will sleep in their bedrooms (the ones Evan and Alex occupy now). Unfortunately, Will agreed to this arrangement without consulting me. Evan never forgets anything, so we'll see how this plays out.

* Evan asked Will if, when Evan grew up, he would have hair like Will.

Will: Do you want to have hair like me?
Evan: Yes
Will: What do you like about my hair?
Evan: Your five-head. (slightly larger than a forehead)


That is all we can remember for now.... and we are still giggling.

Finally Fall!

At last! It was cool enough to wear pants and long sleeves this morning!

Happy Birthday, Evan!

Happy 4th Birthday to you, Evan.
We love you so much. Evan's Birthday 2004

Evan's First Birthday (above) in Orlando with Gramie & Bapa
and (below) in Aspen with Nana and Gramps.
Evan's 2nd Birthday in Macon (above) - getting ready for his party. He only had two friends over, but I was stressed and he was a pill. In fact, he had several time-outs during his own party!

Evan's 3rd birthday picture, taken last October at school.

Evan on his 4th birthday -- with pirate island cakes

An Emotional Farewell to Three

As I tucked Evan into bed tonight, I was overwhelmed with emotion. Our little three year old will be four tomorrow! Four just sounds so much older than three.

Evan and I talked about many of the great things he has done and experienced in his life thus far, and how many more are yet to come. We talked about how often we get to see our family, despite the distances between us, and how much that means to all. We talked about how fortunate we are to have traveled as much as we have, and how thankful we are to have so many wonderful friends. He is a bright little guy and he had a lot to say at the tender young age of almost-four.

We talked and talked, and of course... I cried through most of it. At one point, Evan asked, "Mommy, can you make those tears stop falling out of your eyes?"

Later in the conversation, he asked, "Mommy, when I am four, will I still live with you and Daddy? (pause for reassurance) Will I still live with you when I am 100?"

Before I said "je t'aime" and turned off the light, our bedtime ritual, I asked him one final question:

Ani: Hey, Evan. Will you still love us and cuddle us when you are four?
Evan: I will love you for all the years.

We love you for all the years, too, little peanut.
Happy birthday eve.

The Last Soccer Game

Today was Evan's last soccer game of the season. He did a nice job following the ball most of the game. Afterwards, there was a brief awards ceremony in which the kids were awarded duffel bags. Then, it was time to jump on the inflatables! The weather was cool and damp and it really felt like autumn! We ended the morning with a celebratory trip for hot cocoa. yummy!

At one point during the game, Evan was on the sidelines waiting his turn to play. He looked up at me and said, "I'm really glad my Daddy plays Soccer." It was very sweet. Thanks, Coach Daddy, for coaching the Cougars this season!

A Toy Story

At the risk of spoiling our Halloween pictures, here is a movie of the boys playing Buzz Lightyear last night. We have seen Toy Story about 4 times, but Evan has most of it memorized already. He quotes from the movie often. In this clip, he says, "This isn't flying; it is falling, with style!" Also listen for Alex to say, "To infinity... and beyond!" I love when he sticks his little arms out like wings.