North Carolina Austins: 2010

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Just ring the bell four times!

Since we'll be doing some traveling in the next week, I asked Maggie if she thought we could get Santa to come to our house a little early, you know, maybe give him a call, or shoot him an email? "That's a good idea, Mommy," she said. "But you don't have to do any of that, just ring this bell four times, then he'll come." So, that's what we did, and it works!

We bundled up and took a little winter walk down to the playground, since we didn't have any snow to play with.

Sister Squeeze!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

"There's a BLANKET of snow in the backyard!"

When you're raised in the south, ANY amount of snow is exciting.

The "blanket" was a very slight dusting. (But a snow day was declared last night!)

And obviously, we don't really know how to properly dress for this cold.

A little bit of Christmas cookie decorating, just in case Santa decides to stop by. Hope he likes lots of sugar and "red hotties!" What a great way to end a day spent in pajamas!

Monday, December 13, 2010

A Couple of Turkeys

So, I'm only a few weeks behind. These are pics from our Thanksgiving trip up north.

Gamma and Grandfather provided excellent baby-sitting service while Rob and I attended the wedding of one of his oldest friends.

Will the real Dr. Austin please step forward?

Then it was over to O - H - I - O

(not sure what happened to the other two grandkids)

We hadn't been up since summer, and Grandma and GB had hit the garage sales hard....lots of new dress up clothes, enough for an entire fashion show.

Maggie-3 1/2, Libby-1, William-2 1/2, Alexander-8 months

And this was supposed to be the scene for our Christmas card this year. Maggie has never cared for Santa Claus...probably because of the "he sees you when you're sleeping", or maybe that smug little 'elf on the shelf' who is always tattling back to Santa when she's been naughty. So, I figured her sister would follow suit, and I would be able to get them both sitting with Santa, most likely crying or looking scared to death. Then my caption underneath the close up of two kids not enjoying Santa at all would say, "Claustrophobia".

Hilarious. Right? Didn't happen. We'll see if any Christmas cards even get sent this year. If I had the skill and patience for photoshop, I would have figured something out, maybe next year.

I said a couple of turkeys.

Libby, enjoying a special birthday cake prepared by her big sister, via the Easy Bake Oven.

Cheers!!!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Doggone Good Weekend!!

I can't believe this little blue-eyed monster is already ONE YEAR OLD!!!

It seems like she was a baby for about three months, and then all of the sudden she's sitting up, crawling, walking, RUNNING, JUMPING in leaves?!?!?!

Grandma and GB made the 10 hour trip down, even though we're going to see them again in a week or so. TT even came over from Charlotte for some puppy chow. And my good friend Gabby came over all the way from Cary, hehehe! (They know we throw such an awesome party, I guess they just couldn't miss it.)

Since Libby is crazy for canines, we did it doggie style.

Hot dogs, puppy chow, bone shaped cheese slices, dog hats and balloon animals! And when you scroll down and see what the birthday girl did to the cake, you'll understand why we didn't send anyone home with a doggie bag, sorry Gabs!!!

"She ate the smile....whaaaaaaa!!!!!"

Checking out a great new book from Gamma and Grandfather

Beater Eaters,

and would you believe it's not a dessert that they are licking? This is proof that every once in awhile, I make mashed potatoes that don't come from a pouch. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Notable Quotables

Libby and I had steal cut oats for breakfast this morning.

me: Do you want bananas on yours? I'm having bananas on mine.

Lib: No. I want honey on mine. I like honey. I like honey on Scottish biscuits.

me: What's a Scottish biscuit?

Lib: You know, you put them in the toaster.

me: English muffin?

Lib: Yeah, that's it.

Libby does a lot of singing. We are currently stuck on Katy Perry's Roar album. Back when we used to be able to listen to the radio on the way to school, she'd have great comments on the lyrics to songs.

You know that song- "I'm never gonna dance again, guilty feet have got no rhythm..." Then it goes, "Should've known better than to "cheetah" friend", and she laughs and says she wishes she had a cheetah friend.

Another time, she commented that "you really can't rock and roll all night, but you could party every day."

And finally, if you know Libby, you know she has a little 'lovey' monkey that she has slept with every night of her life. We were listening to The Beastie Boys, Brass Monkey, and there's a line, " wherever we go, we bring monkey with us". She thought that was great, "Hey Mommy, me too!"

This afternoon, we were over at Grandma and GB's. Libby asked Grandma is she'd get "that cat fun dip" out.

As the new holiday tradition of Chenekah was being established, we were trying to come up with a 'theme song' or Chenekah carol. Maggie was getting impatient with our singing, and shouts out, "Oh for Christ's Cake! Let's just open the present!" The baking of the Christ Cake....and another Chenekah tradition begins!

At the dinner table, both girls like to have a chance to say their own special blessing. Tonight, Libby was especially thankful. "Thank you, God, for Daddy's favorite (dinner), and the beans. And all my family. And the napkins. And money. Amen. And the Steelers."

Libby just came up to me and said, "Mommy, I want to go somewhere else." And I asked, "where would you like to go?"

"To my bed."

Almost 3 years old, and a good hour before the usual bedtime!

I'm sure every mother can sympathize with my lack of alone time in the bathroom. I was getting into the shower this morning and Libby says,"Whoa. You have big boobies." I smile politely. Then she continues, "They look like meatballs!"

Age 2 1/2

Maggie received an invitation to a birthday party for one of her friends from preschool. The next day in school, all the mothers were hanging around the classroom getting ready for a field trip to the park. As the teacher was trying to quiet everyone down and get the morning started, Maggie calls out to her friend, "Hey Nathan! I'm a big fan of that Chucky Cheese party!"

Age 5

I usually buy generic diapers, or if I happen to find a good deal, we get the Huggies brand with Mickey Mouse on them. Recently, I bought the Pampers with Sesame Street gang print. I put one on Libby last night and she says, " I see Elmo. Who's those guys?" Before I could answer, she asks, " Nerdy and Bert?"

At the $2 movies watching the beginning of Puss in Boots, where they show an intriguing 'fiesta del fuego' somewhere in Spain. Maggie says, "Don't they have fun in Mexican?!?!"

Libby, dressed in her Steelers gear, about to eat some playoff snacks, starts singing to the tune of "O Christmas Tree"...

"Oh chicken wing, oh chicken wing!" Jan.2012

The girls were hanging around on the diving boards at the pool while some bigger kids were throwing a football and catching it as they went off the boards. The lifeguard asked them to not throw the ball with the little kids around. Maggie marched up on the board and said, "I'm all bigged up! They must be talking about Libby." One of the 12ish year old boys got a real kick out of that.

"Is that Annie all grown up?", Maggie asked as we turned the channel to the movie Napolean Dynamite.

Maggie: "Some Daddys have hair, and some don't."
Mommy: "My Daddy has hair."
Maggie: "Only the sticking up kind, like this." (motioning wild hair)
Daddy: "Does my Daddy have any hair?"
Maggie: "Only just a little bit, right by his ears."

"If there's another Maggie in this country, I'll just change my name to Pam"

I asked Maggie what happened to the head band that she was wearing when she went to school one morning. She told me it broke. I asked her if she lost her temper, and she replied, "Mommy, I think I lost all of my tempers!" Like mother, like daughter.

Maggie overheard me make a comment to Rob about it being a great Saturday afternoon for tailgating. A couple of hours later she says, " I think I want to do some tail getting." I asked her what that entails, and she replied, " You sit right here in the grass and wait for your tail to grow."

"Mommy, will you tell me about that sign that has a nortado on it?" Maggie, 3 1/2

"Those aren't farts...those are rockets!" Maggie, 3 1/2

"If you kiss with your head this way (tilted to one side) that means you're in love." Maggie, age 3

"Is heaven a rectangle state?" Maggie, age 3

"It's great packer snow out there, I'm going to make a big, big big, big fat snowman". Maggie, age 2

North Carolina Austins