Thanksgiving in NB

We reconvened in New Braunfels for our annual Thanksgiving/Hanukkah long weekend.  We love the facility - full of fields, playgrounds, and camp areas perfect for walks, bike riding, and playing with children.  

Last year Maya was along for the ride, but this year she was busy exploring the playground - 

Posing for pictures as we explored the grounds -

And posing with Uncle Alex in their IU shirts - 

Friday afternoon we flew kites in a field near our condo, and of course, took lots and lots of pictures. 

My sweet girl, I love her hugs - 

Happy in Grammy's arms - 

Running in glorious sunlight - 

I cannot get enough of their sweet interactions . . . if only they were always sweet!

Thanksgiving Eve

We continued our tradition of hosting a Thanksgiving Eve celebration with Cas' family, and enjoyed seeing everyone on Wednesday night.  We loved watching the cousins interact.  Maya couldn't get enough of Lorenzo or Nico.

 The cousins - this was as close as we got to everyone generally happy and looking in the direction of the camera -  

This girl - she has some personality - sometimes a little too much.  A few weeks ago I wasn't doing as she wanted and she made this type of face.  My reaction to it was to crack up and tickle her.  Now she makes the face all the time for that reaction!  Lip + eyebrows = laughter & tickles.  

My sweet kids - we are so thankful for them and all our family!

Sibling Love at the Park

Yesterday we were supposed to meet Collin's class at a nearby park for his school field trip, but it rained out.  Maya and I hit the indoor playscape in the mall while his field trip was shortened to a trip to the library.  While at the mall play area, a bigger boy knocked Maya over with a soft inflatable swinging thing, and I was telling Collin about it when I picked him up, mostly how Maya was too young for some of the areas but he would have enjoyed them.  Collin's reaction was that he would have protected his little sister and he would have told that boy to be careful, she's just a baby.  And hours later when I put him to bed, his low for the day was that she got knocked over (she was fine by the way, we were both just shocked).  It is such a joy to watch him as a loving big brother.

I heard it was supposed to be a rainy Saturday, so when it was just overcast when we woke up, I was determined to hit the park before we were stuck inside the rest of the day.  The kids had energy to burn and I needed some fresh air.  We've come off a week of colds, fevers, and Maya's first ear infection, so we've been cooped up and cranky too long.

Collin, the first to have a fever and the first to recover, showing he was up to full speed as he raced down the hill -

Following after her big brother -

She doesn't need music to bust a move, dancing while Collin hit the water fountain -

Silly boy -

Typical Collin, my stick collector.  At the park, he decided we were fighting the Ninja Turtles.  I got to be April O'Neal, but Maya was Crang, and Collin was Shredder.  Which was great when he'd call his little sister "Crang" across the park.  

She didn't mind answering to a villain's name as long as she was swinging -

Oh my sweet girl, with a scrape, mosquito bite and snot on her lovely face -

Captured in a photo trying to outrun the camera -

This boy - I really don't think Maya could ask for a better big brother.  I'm not sure when they learn to take turns, but right now we're trying to focus on Maya using words, so we make her attempt to say what she wants, and even if Collin is legitimately playing with it, we have him hand it over.  And he does.  He shares and encourages her so well.  Of course, he gets a lot of praise for what a wonderful big brother he is to her.

After the park, I let Collin watch Sesame Street while I clipped his nails.  (My kids have some genetic discomfort with nail clipping passed down from Cas, so we either distract them or encourage yoga/lamaze breathing!)  Anyway, Maya climbed up in his lap and he could barely see the show, she just hugged him for 15 minutes.  

When he's upset, she comes over and gives him a hug.  They genuinely love one another which is just grace.

When we're on car rides, Collin constantly hands her toys and sings her songs.  Poor girl, her nerdy mom still has her car seat back-facing, so he does his best to keep her happy.   Quite often, if Cas or I try to sing, Maya shuts us down with a "no" but Collin is allowed - even when the Wheels on the Bus is taken over by ninjas and destroying dinosaurs ("the dinosaurs on the bus say break the bus, break the bus, break the bus"), she is content as long as it's Collin who is singing!

I have a feeling I'll be forcing them to read this blog post when they're 10 and 7 and driving us crazy with typical sibling arguing, but right now, I'm so thankful for their sweetness and love towards one another!

Great Grandma Jewell Rae's 90th Birthday

We celebrated my grandma Jewell Rae's 90th birthday on November 9th.  What a blessing to be in such great physical shape and enjoy the company of friends and family when you turn ninety.   Though there were too many names for her to remember throughout the night, she knew she was surrounded by family who loves her.  

Collin received a hug after giving her his coloring sheet of an alligator where he used every color in the box to design a rainbow masterpiece.

And a (surprising) kiss -

Aunt Debbie, our family host and organizer - and grandma's loving and patient caregiver - with her mom.

Aged to perfection and capped off with a chocolate cupcake!

The three generations living together - 

Grandma Jewell Rae with Aunt Cheryl, Aunt Debbie, Uncle Bobby and my dad -

The Houston gang celebrating with her -

A tear in her eye from bumping into the chair, but still able to smile for the camera -

Blackmail photos.  Cas and I flipped through the photos in reverse order, where we saw Collin picking his nose and then sticking his finger in his mouth.  Not a lot better to be caught on camera with your finger up your nose, but at least it happened in this order!

The gift of the evening was a pianist who played lovely music for my grandma, who was an expert pianist in her younger years.  My kids loved dancing to the music!

The kids taking a break with Jackson.  I took the photo but had no idea that Collin had some piece of artwork in his hands.  We always consider the evening a great success if we leave Aunt Debbie's without breaking anything substantial - and this is only thanks to cousins and family who play with my kids so we can take a break from following them around the house!

Maya made loops around the room with the piano - from me to Jasper and then to Grammy.

Taking a selfie!

Dancing - and thoroughly enjoying thinking that she's the center of attention -

Happy 90th birthday, Grandma Jewell Rae!  We are so thankful for you and the family you helped create!

Turtles, Parachutes and Pinatas

We were invited to a birthday party for one of my friends' sons on Saturday morning at a park down the street from my Uncle Bobby and Aunt Carla.  So first we stopped by my uncle and aunt's home, fed some turtles in a creek a block away, Collin scored some hand-me-down transformers, Maya scored some goldfish crackers, and then we headed to the park.

Maya didn't want to play the parachute games at the birthday party, but she wanted to climb on it and throw the colored balls everywhere - 

This face - covered with dirt and birthday party stickiness - we could eat her up!

Getting into mischief in the diaper bag - 

Found the bag of goodies from the birthday party pinata.  Shouting "candy" or "chocolate," two words that were not part of Collin's vocabulary at 18 months but are a part of our second child's.

Collin has gotten into his coloring in the last few weeks - a marked difference from last year when he'd scribble with one color and be done with artwork in a matter of minutes.

Saturday night when we were discussing the "highs" of the day, Collin had a long list - from throwing bread to turtles to making light sabers at the birthday party to playing outside with Grammy and Brownie - clearly a great day.