our time in Tennessee

Thanks for being patient, ya'll! Tis the season of feeling overwhelmed.  Here is our catch up post about our time in Tennessee. A Tennessee Thanksgiving is a blessed Thanksgiving. Anytime we can enjoy a relaxed week of family time coupled with a few days of travel time is a thankful time. We ate till our hearts were content and enjoyed the unseasonably warm sunshine.

My little boy cleans up nicely for dinner...button down and all. We like to dress up for our feast to feel fancy. Omi set up her table so beautifully. I was really proud of Miller for actually eating the turkey this year-no complaints. He can struggle with vegetable anxiety {my term for texture troubles}. I guess my food pep talks prior to dinner have helped him out. Once he know what to expect, he usually can adjust his attitude just in time to fix his face for dinner.

Along with the feeling of thankfulness, my heart wrestles with a feeling of {oh my goodness this is exhausting}. I feel like a diva complaining as I only have two and they're a solid three years apart. I've grown accustomed to the hours of 8-3 with one girl these days. Adding the thrill of breaking up tattle tale games, sharing woes, and grabbing games with high pitched screams almost made me batty this whole week off of school. Brother sister rivalry & Miller's quest to remain the alpha is quite a combination.

Oh how I love them though--every inch of their strengths and flaws. After dinner,
my two little turkeys blew off some steam after their bellies and hearts were content. It feels good to exercise after such a heavy meal!

I love Omi and Papa's picturesque landscape out back. It's straight out of a children's picture book. The view is serene and beautiful. We spotted cows grazing below the beauty of the Smoky Mountains in the distance. A backdrop for what a Tennessee Thanksgiving should look like:) The colorful leaves only added to the feeling of fall.

Miller's bike tagged along in the back of the van. We carted to the park where he met another Kindergarten boy to ride with. He rode till dusk on Omi and Papa's flat driveway. He's become quite the bike rider. We encourage him to use any form of exercise as a healthy energy outlet.
 

If only I packed our Christmas get- ups for Friday's Festival of Trees in downtown Knoxville.  We enjoyed some family friendly Christmas activities.

Little missy rode the carousel while touring the lit trees as she was spinning round and round. Christmas was in the air. My favorite jaunt was the Gingerbread tour of homes while the kiddos grew impatient standing in line. The play area and train was just the ticket to bring smiles back to their faces.

We have so much gratitude for the blessings in our lives.
"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"
1 Thessalonians 5:18

giving thanks

I do adore having one foot still in the preschool season of life. These years are precious. There is nothing like attending a 2 year old Thanksgiving preschool party. After hauling some goodies, decorations and a Pin the Hat on the Turkey game to EK's class...I realized the one thing I didn't have was a charged battery to capture the magic{sigh} Sometimes memories have to be captured by my mind's eye.

We attended Miller's Thanksgiving "Celebrate Families" lunch at school. I must say that my heart did flips when I caught a glimpse of my little Pilgrim boy. Who knew cardboard and construction paper could look so handsome?

We dined on all the traditional trimmings of turkey and sides. I managed to dodge a spilt chocolate milk, but Miller soaked up a small puddle on his pants before his classroom performance...boys!

Miller hopped in a quick picture with some of his Indian princess friends. Lots of giggling on that one. He commented that he's going to marry Sam. Books could be written on sweet Kindergarten crushes.

Not sure how they chose their characters, but each child made a pillowcase Indian costume & a Pilgrim costume. They switched characters for their class party the next day. I'm glad that the Kindergartners are allowed to party a little more than the older students.

 

After coaching Miller to remember to show self control during singing on our walk back to class--he wow'ed us with the most adorable rendition of the "We Give Thanks" song. I did schedule a much needed hair cut for my little pilgrim boy after school. I love his bangs long--but there's definitely a  window where he starts to look neglected with hair obstructing his view. Sometimes it takes a busy mom held captive in a chair for a few uninterrupted minutes to notice these details that need tending to.  

 Thankful for the joy these two bring to my life!

the birthday hop

Saturday morning birthdays are a great way to spend family time. We did the birthday hop this month. Ansley and Landon had the cutest Toy Story party at their house. We came dressed for the theme. Miller hunted high and low for his red boots as he commented that his Newbies just wouldn't be in character.

Kudos to Miss Kristen for discovering the most inventive little preschool exploration inflatables. Couldn't pull the kiddos' hands out of this fun hands on entertainment.

Bullseye was in attendance too--trotting his way around the backyard. Miller had a ride {or ten}. Joy was written all over that boy's face.  He was brave enough to take a fast gallop. His hair was so bouncy on that horse.   Little sister could not be persuaded to ride. She wouldn't even ride Bullseye with her momma!

The parachuting, green army men were a hit with Miller.

EK was content to eat her lunch and watch Miller from the sidelines. Green alien {duck taped} juice boxes with googly eyes were over the top--cute! 

The dual, birthday chorus didn't disappoint.

Maggie's Minnie Mouse party was our next hop. All the girly details were just so darling. And, Maggie had the prettiest fall day for her celebration.

My sweet one played dress up and was so pleased with herself in the mirror all dazzled & glitzed with jewels. Miss Paula worked hard to pull everything off while juggling a newborn. I don't know how she did it.

The birthday girl enjoying her pink , frosted cupcake. Happy Birthday to our November buddies!

 

election day out

It's not everyday that you get afforded a whole day off of school on a Tuesday. So, we took the opportunity to play with the Cibulas at the Fernbank museum for the day--an election day surprise for Miller. It was a cold, rainy day here in Atlanta. All, the more reason to pack the kiddos up for a day out of the house.

The Naturequest exhibit is always a favorite . It's very kid friendly and absolutely hands on. Kids are allowed to touch and interact with the various habitats. This was Eliza Kate's first trip, so she was just beside herself , slap happy to play. I found her peeking in hollowed out logs, stacking turtles and blocks. She did her share of running on the bridges of the tree house & climbing down the tree. At two, Miller didn't experience all the little field trips that our missy does. I wasn't brave enough to tackle museum settings. It was just too overstimulating for his crazy self. But, our little miss happily tags along for all our little trips and manages just fine in unfamiliar places so far.

Lots of imaginary play....

and exploring...

 Maggie and Eliza Kate found each other here and there along the way. Nothing brightens up a Nature quest exhibit than two, cute little sisters in their ruffle pants:)

Jack reminded us that there was much more fun to be had at the museum...big bubbles were calling our names.This is where little sister vocalized her opinion about sharing. She wasn't in the mood to pass off her hoop to Miller. We worked it out eventually & she ended up splashing the suds more like a water table. Sudsy, sticky hands were an annoying gift from all her playing.

After lunch, we went on a dinosaur hunt and found them in the regions of GA exhibit. Eliza Kate thought they were "ooh scary". Only the big brothers were brave enough for an up close and personal look. 

They put on their fiercest faces and intimidating growling noises echoed for all to hear.
Oh the adventures we can get ourselves into on a day off of school.
And, for those wondering..I did vote{a few days early}. I'll stand in line any day solo rather than entertain two energized kiddos on the actual voting day.

Bro visit

Uncle Clay got a new giant Schnauzer puppy,Bro. At six months old, he looks like he's a full grown dog. Miller loved an unexpected visit and was entertained watching all of Bro's puppy antics & excitement. He didn't know how to interact as his puppy cousin was still so jumpy. So, we laughed at Uncle Clay's puppy from a distance. Might as well, get a saddle for Bro when he reaches full size.

One things for sure, when Uncle Clay visits...Miller thinks he's there just for him. Nothing like a playful uncle to wrestle with. Of course, our princess tries to steal his attention these days. They enjoyed touring the Christmas catalogues together arriving in the mailbox daily it seems. She's already voicing her desires {in the sweetest of ways}. She hunts for Strawberry Shortcake on each page as we take a tour of the hottest toys.

Miller offered up his wishes too. He has an opinion or three about toys. Brings back memories of touring the Sears catalogue when Clay and I were younger. Large hand drawn circles marked our selections. Some things never change.

 

 Iphone toy touring has changed! It's still not the same as circling your selections in print. Thankful for surprise uncle visits. Looking forward to next time.