Aubrey and Colin

Colin and I had a great day today...we had an awesome play date with Ellen and Aubrey! We met them for lunch at Chick-Fil-A and then headed over to the mall for some browsing and playtime at their toddler area. I did not even realize they had a play area and I am so glad that Ellen introduced us to it! This will be a good spot to hang out on freezing cold winter days in the future. The kids had a blast and Colin still adores Aubrey. Please note him giving her a ride in his car. ;-)

They had so much fun together...Ellen and I really need to get them together more often. Colin has a great time with her. He even stayed calm and happy in his stroller the entire time we were at the mall!!! This is no small feat considering that he did not have a nap before we went. He liked having her strolling beside him, which was super cute!! On another note, it was incredibly packed in the mall today...holiday shopping is in full swing. We had to park on the very top of one of the parking garages! Santa was already there and everything. I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. Here is one more picture of the little man and Aubrey playing together. Such precious babies!!

Laundry Man

Colin decided to "help" with the laundry this morning. He is such a good assistant. :-)

Dishwasher Chairs and Camera Attacks

Colin found a new use for the dishwasher today: chair. I was just about finished unloading it this afternoon when the phone rang and I ran to get it. In the time it took to run to the office and grab the phone, he was in this lovely position. I had to get a picture, which I am sure did not help with the discipline of the moment. ("Look at Mama for a picture...now DON'T DO THAT!") This little man never stops! I also had to inform him that in order to drink out of a sippy cup, the actual drink must be attached. ;-)

I also got a couple of pictures while he was playing in the backyard today...he was just being extra adorable. On another note, I will be very happy for our first real cold cold front this weekend. This time of year with chilly mornings and very warm afternoons is really hard to dress a toddler for! Finally we come to the hilarious shot that I got today...Colin has a new move that I call "camera attack". As soon as he sees me with the camera, he starts laughing and charges me. We always end up in a heap on the floor laughing hysterically. These two shots were last minute shoots before he "got" me. So funny!

YUM!!!!!!!!

I woke up this morning with the funk in my throat that signals me catching Colin's cold. Therefore when I saw this recipe on Dana's blog, I knew that chili was exactly what my cold needed! I made the spicy version using the chipotle chili with some of the adobo sauce and it was super spicy and SO SO GOOD!!! I made cornbread to go with it and served it with heaps of cheddar cheese. This was a super simple dish to make that Jer and I both loved!! I highly recommend ya'll try it! Jer even packed up leftovers to take to work tomorrow for lunch. Thank you, Dana!! If I had not been so hungry, I probably would have remembered to take a picture. ;-)

The Ball Pit

Please note Colin climbing out of his awesome new ball pit. :-) After the fun he had at the Halloween carnival, I decided that he needed his own version at home. I bought a $10 bag of those balls at Wal-Mart and blew up his baby pool from the summer. Add balls and there you go! Deluxe ball pit in the living room! Yes, this makes my already messy living room even more chaotic and yes, the balls are everywhere, but look at that smile! Colin absolutely loves it.

A Party!

Colin and I just got home from a fun Saturday evening event. Jer's good friend Tom was the recipient of a surprise birthday party at their hangar around the corner from our house. There were tons of folks there and Colin was the only kid in attendance, but it still turned out to be a great time. These are all of Jer's pilot friends and since the party was at their private hangar, Colin got to check out the airplanes and watch them take off and land. This tiny little airport is right by the house and boasts homes that line the air strip. It is such a cool place and I would love to own one of the homes one day and have our own little airplane to park there. That would be just amazing. It was such a beautiful place. Colin was right at home (no surprise there) and did not even flinch with all the loud noises of the airplanes starting up and taking off. He is obviously destined to follow in his fathers footsteps. He ran around flirting with all the ladies and he had the whole party eating out of his hands. He has this one move where he shrugs his shoulders and drops his head to one side while he smiles...it is the cutest thing you have ever seen and he knows it! Our friend Dave just adores the little man and he spent a long time throwing him up in the air, flying him through the air like superman and tickling him to death. Colin was eating it up. We stayed for a couple of hours and then came home for bath and bedtime. Below are some of the pictures that I took while we were there.

Daddy and Colin check out John's airplane. The red one is Tom's.


Hey, wait for me!! :-)


Right at home with the airplanes...just like Daddy!

Runny Noses

Well, Colin has a cold and I am not happy about it! We are finally over the stomach flu and here we go with a nice snotty cold. Colin has been sneezing all afternoon and is obviously congested with one heck of a runny nose. I am starting to have a hard time taking Colin out to play in public places because he literally gets sick almost every time he is around other children. For example, I am pretty sure he caught this cold during the Halloween carnival since Jackson also has come down with it. Since Colin stays home with me, he has been remarkably well, which is a blessing. However, when we venture out to public playgrounds, he has no immunity at all to the germs. I need to stay on top of hand washing and just try to keep his hands out of his mouth while we play outside. Good luck on that! :-) I know that I can't keep him locked up inside all winter, but I really hope that we can avoid getting sick every single time we venture out!!