Professional Pictures!!!

For all of you out there who have been on the edge of your seats wondering what I was going to do about Christmas pictures (yeah right!), you will be pleased to hear that we broke down and got professional pictures yesterday!!! We aren't thinking about how they cost $$$ahem$$$ dollars, or how the outfits that we bought on the way in to the mall cost about as much; We are focusing on how amazingly good they turned out!

We went to Picture People in Jordan's mall, so that he was able to run over and be in a pose with us. I was totally impressed. The pictures are great, and I got our order done tonight! I wish I could post some, but I'm sure they are copyrighted.

Anyway, we're thrilled! Now we have Christmas done for the grandparents!

And his next idea is...

So today Aidan is saying that he is going to get me an air pump for Christmas. As in the kind that you use manually to pump up balls and stuff. He says I can help Dad air up the tires in our bikes and van.

Maybe he'll move on to getting me a vacuum! I actually do need one of those, since he ran over a plastic figure with ours last week and it started making a burning smell... I haven't tried it again since then... Hopefully there is no permanent damage, but I did notice that the vacuum cleaner doesn't stand up on its own very well anymore.

Christmas Shopping!

Mom: Today I'm going Christmas shopping, but another day, I'll take you. You can pick out a present for Daddy and Gresham.
Aidan: and you!
Mom: Sure, you can buy me a present, but I think you'll have to do that with Dad.
Aidan: I'll get you the Lightning McQueen racetrack
Mom: But I don't want the Lightning McQueen racetrack.
Aidan: (shocked) Oh, why???
Mom: Well, I don't really play with Lightning McQueen. What do I like to do? Think about what I would like.
Aidan: Hmm. Well you mostly do work like clean up messes.
Daddy: Just because that's what she spends a lot of time on doesn't mean that's what she likes!

Well said, Dad.

Later...

Aidan: What should we get Grandpa?
Mom: I don't know. What do you want to get him?
Aidan: A new mower.
Mom: Grandpa doesn't need a new mower.
Aidan: Ok, a weeder.
Mom: Grandpa doesn't need a weeder. He has one. Think about what he doesn't have.
Aidan: I know, he doesn't have a jackhammer!!!
Mom: No, that's true, he doesn't...

Mommy, can I have...

This morning we made pumpkin bread, and then went out to run a few errands. We met Grandma for lunch, went to Stride Rite, then Tom Thumb, and back home. During all that, Aidan asked for:

1. red juice (fruit punch) at Corner Bakery
2. a wooden train at Stride Rite
3. firefighter boots at Stride Rite
4. a jamba juice drink (while walking by)
5. to ride in a car cart at Tom Thumb
6. to ride in a car cart at Tom Thumb
7. to PLEASE ride in a car cart at Tom Thumb
8. to eat the peanut m & m's that we brought from home
9. for stick pretzels at Tom Thumb
10. for candy at the check out lane at Tom Thumb
11. for a water bottle from the check out lane at Tom Thumb

We didn't get ANY of those things, and yet he still tries every time we go out!

Aidan the 'struction worker!

Aidan loves to work. He went to work with Jordan a few weeks ago to do their holiday floorset, and he happily lasted from 6:00p.m. - 10:00p.m. He did take a break to watch a movie, but overall, he loves to work. Yesterday, he got started on some imagination game in his sandbox, and told me that this morning he was going to wake up before me and go right back out to his sandbox to keep working.

He has also been keeping us entertained with songs... well, his version of songs that he hears. This morning he was singing "do not praise him, do not praise him...." (???) He says he heard us singing it in big church.

Then while I was at school, he was singing for Jordan "recipe the name of the Lord, recipe His name..."
Jordan figured out by the tune that it should have been "Blessed be the name of the Lord."

Last Sunday, he sang in the children's choir for church for the first time, and he did really well! He sang with great enthusiasm, but not too much, which is a hard balance for him to achieve. My little boy is growing up!

These pictures turned out so well that I think I'll become a professional photographer!!!!

We've been wanting to take professional pictures of the boys, and one of all of us too, but with gas at close to $3.00 a gallon, it's hard to come up with extra money for things like that. So last night, I dressed the boys in outfits that coordinated, and loaded them up in the van, and took them down to the Southlake Town Center to take our own pictures! Now before you view these, I have to say... I didn't have any delusions of Gresham sitting still or cooperating or anything, but I figured it was a pretty spot and I could follow him around with the camera until I got something good... This proved to be impossible. He wouldn't stay still for even a second! And most of the time he was looking at the ground anyway.

Isn't this one pleasant? It's true to life, so I'll give it that.

Look, Mom! Dirt! And acorns!

Now this one of Aidan is pretty good. I really like his expression, but there's just a little too much sun...




This one is another one that turned out well. The ones of Aidan are good because he is old enough to be bribed with Skittles.


I've got him in a headlock, and now I'm gonna stab him with my stick!



I saved the best for last. It doesn't get any better than this! Aidan was looking for his penny that he dropped. He wanted to spend his two pennies that he found to buy a toy. Wouldn't it be nice if life worked like that??


We'll try again another day...

The Countryside Fair!

Well, I didn't get any good pictures this year, but we did have a great time at the Countryside Fair! Aidan was a monkey this year! I told him that he was going to have to pick an outfit out of what we have at home (which is by no means a hardship...), but then we ran across this costume at Old Navy, and they were already half price! I figure he'll play dress up in it a lot as well.


Gresham was an elephant. This is the elephant hat that Grandma made for Aidan last year. Gresham wore it long enough to take this picture! Note the drool all over his shirt. We are getting our molars.