Thankful!

We had a fantastically long Thanksgiving weekend with family and friends.  A few pics for you (me!) to smile at on this back to business Monday!

We got asked to bring brownies to the big Farris family Thanksgiving lunch.  Now that is something we can handle.  

Post church, pre-lunch and football picture with Farris / Carinci / Asma cousins.  LOVE!

Thanksgiving dinner, because we needed a little something after our feast, at my parents with Papa!  Thanksgiving was always my Nana's thing, so no one was really looking forward to this day.  But it went just perfectly and I know she was smiling down!

Boys got the muscles and happy 31st birthday to UNC!

Post bath,  snuggly reading, my favorite time.

Friday night Charlie and I headed back to Chapel Hill, kid free, for a night out to celebrate a friends birthday.  These boys got to have a sleepover and play football all day long.  The weather was glorious.

We made it back on Saturday in time for some trampoline cousin play time.

And a tar heel win! And snacks, lots of snacks.

Look mom! Two of them!

Saturday nights drive home was nice and quiet.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let your roots go down into Christ, and let your lives be built on Him.  Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.  Colossians 2:7

Feasting!

Let the feasting begin!  Today we had a Thanksgiving 'feast' with Nash's pre-school class.  Everyone brought their favorite dishes including roasted duck, that Nash and Charlie got down on.  I preferred the cookie cake,  I am sure the Pilgrims brought cookie cake to share.  

weekend-ing

Another awesome picture done by the one, the only, Chuck E. Cheese.  Maybe I will see if he can just do our Christmas card picture.  We might be able to fit everyone's chin in that frame.  Big heads ya'll.  This place is the hot spot for birthdays this year.  Party on, the new Friday night.

Saturday visit in Goldsboro at Papa's house.  A really terrible attempt at a picture, but I love it anyways.  

My cousin Casie got married!  Jackson left this 'Advice for the Newlyweds.'  It was not prompted.  'Kiss on the lips.'  Pretty solid if I say so myself.  

Theo, the dancing machine, taking a break with Tat & Will. 

Family shot! This is not the Christmas card picture I had hoped for.

Thanksgiving Feast

Jackson's school had a 'Cafeteria Thanksgiving Feast' this past week and we were able to go.  This is the first time I have been able to eat with him at lunch and we were both pretty excited.  He was mainly pumped because he knew he was getting Jersey Mike's and so was I.  Charlie grubbed out on the cafeteria meal and not surprisingly wanted to lick his plate.  We will be back for more!

Dad, Jacksy, and Will

My big boy.  I got all my hair cut off before I went, whoops.

My dad was in town so he got to have 'cafeteria' feast with Miss Winslow!

Theo is 1 AND A HALF!

Theo-ba-beo is 1 1/2 today!  He is a wild, loud, busy, copy-cat, paci loving, monkey climbing, snuggle bug.  We are BFF, for now, so I am gonna soak it up while I can.  Things that are super cool about you - Every single night you remind us to say the blessing by holding your hands close to your face, smiling and saying 'Gah is geat.'  You are obsessed with telling people 'Byee-byeee, Byeeee, Bye-Bye' to anyone that walks by you or to anyone you want to leave you alone.  And you do it in the sweetest voice ever.  You twirl my hair and suck your paci just like your big brother Jackson.  You chase your brother Nash around the house yelling, 'BOOOO!' And you sleep better than your older brothers at night, the coolest thing you could ever do.

Stats -

Height - 33.07 inches (75%)

Weight - 27 lb. 10 oz. (89%)

Head - 19.49 inches (95%)

What MOM? Uno!

yard work

Wednesday's Wake and Rake…

I am not a big fan or early morning surprise risers, but if we can get this yard raked before school, cha-ching!  Sweet Greta is confused.

Bienvenidos a Miami

No one loves a good deal as much as Charlie.  Like when a cheap Thursday afternoon direct flight to Miami pops up and he suggest we go.  Of course we have to come back early Saturday morning for the  UNC football game, one of the thing he does love more than a good deal.  I usually want all the details and dates and say no we have kids to get taken care of  etc.  But then I remember we will only be gone 36 hours and we have awesome grandparents and aunts and uncles that live really close by and still actually like our kids!  Welcome to Miami, Bienvenidos a Miami.  We did some serious dining, a good amount of walking and had a few drinks.  I would do it all over again next week, just saying.

85 and sunny with a nice little breeze.  My pale forehead got a little toasty on our walk.

Look right here is our favorite Miami pizza spot!

Just kidding.  This was on the way to Joe's Stone Crab for dinner.  It was recommended by a lot of people but I was kind skeptical that it was a tourist trap.  It was not.  So good, worth the 1 1/2 wait.  I didn't take a single picture because it was that good.  Go there.

The next night we ate at The Bazaar. Ohhh Myyyy Goodddnessss.  It is fancy expensive delicious tapas.  If you like fancy delicious pricey food, go here.  This is a cocktail made with dry ice at your table, obviously.  I won't bore you with food pictures, but I did take them, and would order it all over again. 

S'Mores dessert 'bite.'  We look a little older and tired here, but we aren't, not at all.

While we were out, these dudes also grubbed.  Chic-fil-a, twice.  Dreamy.

And because this is too funny.  Rasheed Wallace was on our flight home.  Charlie was wearing his Sheed shirt 'Ball Don't Lie.'  I wanted a picture bad, but this had to do.  He seemed as friendly as you would imagine.  

Ga-Ga-Ball!

Everyone in our neighborhood is going gaga for Gaga Ball these days.  Don't feel outdated, I had never heard of it either.  When they were putting the 'pit' in I actually thought is looked like a big muddy waste of money.  I was wrong (not about the muddy part).  From what I can tell it is like dodgeball except in an enclosed wooden pit, and you can only hit below the waste and the ball is much softer.  Jackson and Nash are usually the younger ones out there which makes it even cooler playing with the big kids.  The big kids are exceptionally patient I might add.  My boys love it.  Every day when Jackson gets home from school he heads out to the back porch to see if anyone is out there playing.  If so then we are headed over that way.  Sometimes I let Jackson and Nash head on over while I waste some time with Theo.  Poor little boy wants to get in there so bad.  Theo knows the drill, when he wakes up from his nap he points outside and says 'go-go-bollll.' 

I'm on the outside, I'm looking in...

Date Night

I have been pretty hard on Jackson the past few days.  I forget he is only 5 and has been at school all day and is usually pretty tired and equally annoyed with his younger brothers (and mother) all up in his ear when he gets home.  I expect a lot out of him because he is my sweet older boy.  So when freak outs of fighting and yelling happen he is usually the first to get punished.  On Monday I decided we needed a 'date' night.  He got to pick ANY restaurant to have dinner, then we were going to work on his reading homework (I know-I know, but it is hard to get this done at home, and he does enjoy it but we usually can't hear each other and yelling ensues…) and then get dessert.  He picked Jersey Mike's.  I could not persuade him otherwise, I even suggested KANKI for crying out loud.  'No MOM I said I just want some Jersey Mike's stop asking me.'  So I tried to talk him out of it one more time and then we went.  It was awesome.  He told me about people in his class, things they were doing at school, the football game on TV AND I got to listen.  Then he read his book with no fussing and we ate cookies and walked over to the toy store.  It wasn't exactly what I had hoped for (some wine) but it was perfect.

Snuck a picture.  Otherwise iPhone was put up.  I am guilty as charged with that thing.

Weekend Fun

Here are some pretty cool highlights that happened this weekend -

Friday we found out, I am getting another NIECE!  My brother and sister-in-law found out they are having another GIRL.  Eleanor Frederick Winslow will be arriving in April.  I guessed girl, sorry Clint, you get the girls, I get the boys.  When they get older we shall trade at least once a month.  I will get manicures and they can teach me how to do make-up and you can fight.

Big sister Brooklyn wasn't too excited just yet.  She will learn soon enough that being the oldest rules.  

  

On Saturday the Tarheels whooped the 'Dukes.'  It was 100% chance rain all day long and it started off strong.  And then right at kick-off it stopped raining and did not rain anymore the entire game.  Score.

Early morning tailgates means... DONUTS! Only because it was a little too early for Jersey Mike's.

I contemplated staying back with this guy for a few more drinks and donuts and a good nap!  Sweet Aunt Sarah offered to instead.

Cheering on the Heels with Unc.  He best soak up that dude time.  ;)

Sunday after church we headed to see Wild Kratts LIVE at the DPAC.  Jackson threw a fit and didn't want to go because he wanted to go to our usual Jason's Deli and the bookstore and home to watch football.  Don't you love it when you plan a really fun expensive surprise activity and no one wants to do it.  And then you can't even enjoy the show because the entire time you are worrying that you are raising ungrateful brats.  And then after the show you make them watch YouTube videos about Operation Christmas Child and use some of 'their' money to go buy some toys to fill up boxes.  And then they think it is a good idea (thank-you God) and only want to keep some of the stuff for themselves and you remember they are 5, 3, and 1 so you still have some time and should probably just chill.  This happens to me a lot.  You too, yes? yes??!!

Helping me unload the goods from Target.  Of course we went to Target.

Sunday Goodness

I have given up all hope of keeping my kids clean and my house in decent shape.  Instead I cringe as they run in puddles and strip them naked on the back porch and we enjoy a free spirited dinner.  Thankfully it is still a nice 70 degrees out there!

Fun Run!

Jackson's school had a 'Fun Run' fundraiser this year.  You get pledges to donate money for every lap you run.  They pump the kids up at school and tell them about the 'awesome' prizes they can win if they get sponsors.  I thought it was a great idea, no candy or wrapping paper or knick-knacks; let's cut to the chase, we need some money!  Jackson ran all of his 35 laps and we had a good time cheering him on.  Pull out your wallets people it looks like Creekside will be getting a playground update!  I am super proud of my Kindergartner and amazed at how quickly he picks up on things.  

Go Jackson go!  Looking all teenager like...

Coach Theo pacing the students.

CHEESE!!!

And sausages… :)  Theo loves to take a picture these days and will look at the phone and say 'teeesee.'  He also adores being one of the boys and was super excited when his big bros decided to jump in the bath with him last night.

HALLOWEEN!

Happy Happy Halloween weekend.  We all had a cracked out candy loving blast!  Here are a bunch of pictures because it is easier to eat mini chocolates out of a pumpkin while loading pics up than actually typing anything.  Our neighborhood does not play when it comes to candy, we got the good stuff.  Don't tell the sweet sleeping boys!

Nash teaching Theo how to pull out the gooey disgusting stuff.  'This is actually amazing mom.'  We had a lot of pumpkins but carved 2 and that was plenty.  Knives and wild determined toddlers don't mix.

Jackson had a 'carving kid kit' and did really well with it.  He was very serious and didn't want anyone to get his pumpkin...

Look who Nash found at his pre-school Halloween Parade, Scooby-doo, I Señora Winslow, I mean Tat!

Look who Captain America found at his 'Character Day Fall Fest' (Halloween, just say it, get over it, come on people), a green Crayon, I mean Miss Winslow, I mean a crazy helicopter aunt Nat!

It gets hot saving kindergartners all day.  Go ahead and take that shirt off boy.

I got to help out with Jackson's 'Halloween' party!  Crafts with sweet Kindergartners.  I have been playing school since I was 5 year old... dreams coming true every day.  

Throw your hands up for Halloween weekend!

Mom and her super heroes!!

Cutest, strongest, gooberest Hulk Smashes you ever did see.  Cal is on Jackson's class.  They are bros.

Clark Kent getting down on some Pizza.  Looks like Superman, but it can't be.  

Some of the Downing Creek kids pre-trick-or-treat time!  Love our 'hood.

I made Natalie come and dress up.  Because this costume is nothing short of awesome.

Theo and I headed back home to hand out some candy and snuggle and watch football.  Superman rocks and loves to look at himself on the phone.  

Home from trick-or-treating with full pumpkins.  Hey Theo, 3rd kid probs.  Sweet old lady alien head Greta has it all under control.