Ice Ice Babies

Aw yeah. We had some fun at Averett and Jaime's wedding. After a weekend of keeping the kids in check, we loved letting loose on the dance floor. I'm sure I looked as awkward as I felt, but you have to dance anyway. The most fun thing I did that night was to copy every move Rhianwen made. It gives me a taste of what she feels each day when she dances...it's really uplifting!

A video of the true ice babies (you don't want to miss this):

Cousins. It was so fun to see them play together.

Back at home, I frequently lose my kids and new strange beings appear in their place. They come into the kitchen and say, "Mommy! It's not us!" or "It's not Rhianwen and Alden! Is this a good disguse?". It's really hard not to laugh. I say, "Oooh! Who is it?" or "Where did Rhianwen and Alden go?" and then I get an explanation like this:

Corwin has really upped his exploration skills. He loves finding new place to climb up or into.

Alden threw in a couple of trucks for good measure. I love how these 2 play together! Wally and I were watching the ACC Championship (Clemson won!!!), and on it 2 players were celebrating by one player slapping the other's helmet side to side. I said to Wally, "That'll be Alden and Corwin in 20 years." Wally said, "20 years! They just did that today!".

Supper time is family time in our house. We don't answer the phone, and we enjoy each other (mostly). I'm so thankful for this time and see how all that research confirms its importance. I've noticed that many of our pictures and videos occur around the supper table. One night recently, Wally started showing the kids "magic tricks". The best one was where he blew on a coin and it appeared across the room in various places. It actually made Rhianwen cry b/c in her mind this made NO sense on many levels. I could just see her thinking, "This is my daddy? He knows magic? How did I not know this? Who is he??? That coin couldn't have just appeared somewhere and disappeared from daddy's hand just like that. It just isn't possible! But it seems like it did. Aaaahhhh!". We didn't give away the secret, but we did try to explain that it wasn't really magic. I think she felt a little better after that conversation. She even tried her hand at it, but to no avail.

Then we trotted off to my fam's for Thanksgiving. This was the first time we staying in my parent's condo, and it actually worked out well...for us anyway. I won't ask my brothers what they thought of sleeping on the couch and floor....ha ha! Rhianwen and Alden slept on air mattresses and sleeping bags for the first time, and they were thrilled.

Enjoying a stroll with NannyKim.

Finding cypress knees. At first Alden didn't believe that trees had knees, but by the end of our walk, Grandpa had him convinced.

Alden had fun being a robot with Matt, an old friend with whom my brother and I played Heman and Shera (when we were 5, not recently...) among other things.

We found out Corwin knows how to go down a slide. He repeatedly climbed all the way up, turned over on his tummy, and slid feet-first down without a tutorial! He's finally mastered our one indoor step too, so maybe it all clicked. I think he may have learned it from his cousin during the earlier wedding festivities.

Playing by a watchful Uncle Christopher. So nice to have someone else bang their head on the playground equipment for once.

We finally got to see one of my best friends after something like 2 years. I hadn't even met her newest one who is now 18 months old! The kids had fun...I think. I was more concerned with catching up a little with the adult populous.

On the way home, we took a detour after traffic came to a standstill on our Hwy. We figured since we were at the exit which took us to a tree farm, it was better to get a tree than sit in traffic. We were rewarded with a beautiful tree and sunset.

Plugging their ears as the worker chain-saws the tree down.

Getting a ride back to shake the tree. Alden could have watched the tree shaking all night. They shook ours, then put someone else's on the shaker, and he stood transfixed. We could have left, and he probably wouldn't have noticed.

They even got to go for a "train ride". I'm hoping Wally wasn't looking too closely, otherwise our 50 gallon barrels may be transformed into something similar here at home. They were pulled by a riding mower.

Excited!

My "bub-bub".

Can't resist some decorating shots.

We put all unbreakable stuff on the bottom. But pretty much it's always off of the tree b/c of little boy Cor-baby.

The finished product. They look like they are up to something...

Look who's walking!

I love how he "claps" at the end on the floor. He's mainly limiting himself to 3-4 steps, then sinks to his knees to crawl.

Playing with a train decoration. Something tells me he's going to be thrilled on Christmas morning when he gets his train table. Shhhh. Don't tell!