Christmas Concert!

Charlie and Kate had a Christmas concert at their school.  Paul, Mema and I got to attend.  It was soooo incredibly cute.  Charlie was in his dreamland during the concert, and Ms. Kate just LOVED being on stage.  She would look around and see everybody looking at her and just smile.  They were both adorable.

I can not believe that this will be Charlie's last Christmas concert at his preschool.  Time just goes so fast.

All dressed and ready to go!

Charlie and his class.

 Kate and Ava waiting to start.

Here is a video of one of their songs.  You'll have to excuse the camera shaking - I was hysterically laughing!

Baking Extravaganza!

Charlie and I spent a Sunday baking hundreds of cookies for the holidays.  I took part in a cookie exchange /luncheon with some friends, we gave some to all of the teachers at the kids' school, we have a bunch to give to other people, and we kept some for ourselves for the holidays.

Charlie loves to help bake - but his most favorite part is the licking of the spoon!

Charlie all ready to start our Christmas baking!

 His very favorite part!

Oh Christmas Tree!

Very very very behind on blog posts.  I apologize.  Between work, getting everything ready for the holidays, two busy kids, a sick family and getting sick myself - the blog suffered.  Some of these posts are from a while ago so please forgive me. :-)

We decorated our house for Christmas!  We spent an evening putting up our tree and decorating it and letting the kids roast marshmallows in our fireplace.  The kids' favorite activity during Christmas time.  Our home is so cozy and warm now I absolutely love it!  Kate loves LOVES christmas trees and all the lights now.

Here is Kate decorating the tree.

Charlie very much enjoyed decorating the tree this year.

 Two very happy kiddos!

Roasting marshmallows!

Fun Friday

Today, for fun Friday we went to the mall to see Santa.  Mema came with us.  Charlie was so excited.  Kate screamed.  She clung to me for dear life and would go nowhere near Santa.  On the way home hours later she started whining and said "Mommy Santa come get me?."  I said no more Santa Kate. :-)  If you remember, last year she screamed as well.

Here is Charlie with Santa!

A very not happy Kate.

A ride on the carousel cheered her up very quickly!

 Charlie loved it too.

Charlie on the trampoline.  He was laughing hysterically.  That's the second floor of the mall that he is as high as!  

Two fish

Charlie and Kate have been taking swim lessons for a bit now.  Charlie for 1 1/2 years and Kate for a few months.

Charlie is now learning his proper strokes.   Kate is just working on swimming on her own.

This past Monday I got two short videos of the them.

Here is Charlie working on his straight leg kicks.  Right now he is learning the crawl stroke and how to come up for a breath.

And here is Kate.  She LOVES swimming, and loves her teacher Ms. Carly.

Kindergarten Orientation

Today Charlie had his first of several orientations at Doss Elementary school, where he will go to Kindergarten next year.  He and I got to have lunch in the cafeteria.  Charlie brought his lunch and picked spaghetti and meatballs, two fruits and a side of vegetables.  He carried his tray all by himself.  It was our first time in the school.  A couple of tears were shed (none Charlie's), but I managed to hide them quite well and none were the wiser.

His friend Charlie (yes another one) from his soccer team was there, so we sat next to them.  It was nice for Charlie to see a familiar face because none of Charlie's classmates from his preschool will be in his elementary school.  But, as we keep explaining to Charlie, he gets to make all new friends, which is so very exciting!

Love the school.  But really really not ready for it.

Picking out his lunch

Eating

The two Charlies - who are also pretty identical

Christmas Photo Shoot

Since Paul was away for the weekend, Mema and I took the kids to the Domain Saturday night to get some pictures of the kids in front of the huge Christmas tree.  This year Kate LOVES Christmas trees.   Every time she comes down the stairs into our family room and she sees our tree she gets so excited and shouts "wook wook, mismas tree!  wook Mommy mismas tree!," as if its the first time she is seeing it every time.  So adorable.

When she saw the big tree at the Domain, she was jumping up and down she was so excited.  Shame that it is our first year we won't be in NY at all during the holidays.  She would probably faint if she saw the one at Rockefeller.

We got a couple of cute ones, but getting a good picture of two very active preschoolers was quite the challenge.  Much easier when Kate was a baby and I could just plop her in Charlie's lap!

Do I need a license for the guns?

Thanks Uncle Keith for teaching Charlie this...

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving was nice and spent at home.  Mema was here, and Uncle Keith and Aunt Merry came too.  I got to make my first holiday meal in the new kitchen.  It was awesome!

Very happily cooking away

Charlie and Uncle Keith very patiently waiting for everybody to sit and eat

Aunt Merry and the kiddos

Mema Moved to Texas

Mema is now an official Austinite!  On the day she flew in we met her at the airport armed with signs for the kids to make her feel welcome.

Where is she?!  

We were all so excited.  We look forward to many sleepovers in the future! 

A very special birthday party!

Two of our very special friends, Sofia and Bela, had a very fun birthday party at the Austin Children's museum.  Sofia is turning 5 and Bela turned 3.  We all went and had a wonderful time.  The museum was closed except for our party so the kids got to run around and check out all the exhibits.  Kate found a slide she loved and Charlie loved every bit of the museum and we barely saw him as he played with his friends.

Kate playing in the kitchen

Charlie and Daddy watching the steam rise from one of the exhibits

Kate on the slide

Happy Birthday Bela!

Happy Birthday Sofia!

Thanksgiving Feast

Every year Charlie's preschool (and now Kate's school too!) does a feast the Friday before Thanksgiving.  All families from the preschool are invited and its a potluck lunch.  Tons of fun for the kids and a nice meal for the parents.  Last year we did not get to attend because we had already left to spend Christmas in NY.

All ready to go inside!

AND, believe it or not Daddy was not traveling so he was able to come too!

At the beginning of the Feast, the penguins - the oldest class in the school, say the blessing before we eat.  Since Charlie is a penguin this year (sniff sniff), his class led the blessing.  They did a wonderful job!  Charlie was able to say the blessing all by himself on Thanksgiving at home too.

I did not get a good picture - but here are the Penguins!

Charlie ate every bite on his plate, and as her usual self Kate ate nothing until it was time for dessert.  Then she led me to the dessert bar and wanted everything she saw.

Lunch time

Run for the Water

Halloween morning we participated in the Run for the Water.  I ran the 10 mile race and then Paul and the kids joined me at the finish line and we got ready for the kids 1K race that Charlie ran.  My good friend Elizabeth's real estate firm, Keller Williams, sponsors this event.  All proceeds go to building wells for fresh water in Africa.  Great cause and great race!  The 10 mile race went through some of the most gorgeous neighborhoods in Austin.  The hills were rough, but the views almost made up for them.

Charlie ran the 1K with Daddy and Kate and I cheered them on.  Tripp and EmmyLou were there as well. Great way to start a day!

Go Charlie go!  There's Tripp, Elizabeth and Daddy too!

Three very proud racers at the finish line!

Halloween 3 Times!

Our Halloween weekend was quite busy!  Friday afternoon the parents at the kids' school organized a Halloween costume parade after school with pinatas and other fun stuff for the little ones.  Charlie and Kate both wore their costumes.  I volunteered to take the photos for the school so I could not march in the parade.  Charlie went off and had a great time.  Kate (or should I say Dorothy) stayed with me the entire time - no parade and no pinata for Kate.  She wanted no part.  She did love her red sparkly shoes though!

Putting Todo back in his basket

Marching in the parade

Later that evening, we hosted a Halloween party for our close friends.  Great fun!  Most of the adults dressed up as well.  The kids played pin the eye on the monster, bobbed for apples, and ate tons of sugar!  We had a beautiful evening for it and it was a great way to start the Halloween weekend.

Jack O' Lantern fruit salad for the kids 

My ladies

All the kiddos in costume

Charlie having a turn at pin the eye on the monster

Kate deciding if she wants to try to bob for apples

On Halloween we went to a fun party at some friends from school's house.  I forgot my camera so we do not have any pictures from it. :-(   I can tell you that there was a Mummy wrapping contest and Charlie and I were the winners!  After the party we headed to our neighborhood for some trick or treating.  Charlie and Kate were so excited.  Kate kept showing me her pumpkin saying "I got candy Mommy."

All ready for trick or treating

Up to the first house we go

Charlie led the way with his flashlight

Pumpkin Decorating!

The week before Halloween we had a fun playdate at the Jackson's house.  Avrum, Asher and Leo came  as well.  We decorated pumpkins and masks for halloween, played outside, ate a fun dinner and then got to decorate marshmallows for dessert.

Kate decorating her pumpkin

Charlie in his finished mask

Lots of chocolate for Kate!

Charlie loving his marshmallow