The Birthday Girl!

Yesterday was Alexis' 1st birthday!! We are going to have a little party when Daddy gets back in a few weeks but yesterday we celebrated with lunch at Red Wells and a cake back at home. My parents and Ian were there to celebrate with us. My mom insisted Alexis get dressed up so she's wearing her cute little black velvet skirt. And she did pretty well with the cake...didn't make too much of a mess on her face but she did end up with quite a bit of it on her skirt. Ian was just thrilled to be getting "happy cake" as he calls it. They always celebrate at his daycare when it's someone's birthday so he is quite aware that birthdays mean yummy treats. :o)
It's hard to believe Alexis is one already...but it's very exciting that it means Brian will be coming home soon! We are looking forward to many more birthdays with Daddy being home.

Fall Fun

While my dad and I were at the UT/Michigan game a couple of weekends ago my mom took the kids to get pumpkins and just gave me these pictures she took. The kids had fun climbing over all the big pumpkins and they picked out some very nice ones for our front porch. There was also a corn maze although I don't think they actually went through it. Ian seemed to like the entrance and exit signs for it though. And in case you noticed the large cut on his nose that would be from an incident earlier in the day at Grandma's house. He was apparently trying to steal food off of Alexis' tray while she was sitting in the high chair (typical Ian) when he ended up pulling the entire high chair, the chair it was attached to and Alexis on top of him. The edge of the tray cut his nose and gave him a black eye. Luckily, they were superficial wounds...they just looked really bad. And Alexis was scared but not hurt. It's always something with these two.

On a separate note, I have some exciting news...and no, I am not pregnant like everyone else I know! I got a job! With Brian coming back in a couple of weeks I had been a little more serious about finding something lately and one of the places I interviewed with worked out. I'll be doing taxes and other related stuff at an accounting firm in Toledo so I'm very excited to be getting back to work. It's a full time job and during tax season there will be a lot of overtime but the kids will just get to spend lots and lots of time with Daddy. I start the first week of December so I've got a month left to enjoy life as I know it now.

Hide and seek

Ian has recently discovered how fun hide and seek is. Really, it's not so much hide and seek as he hides behind a door or in his tent and thinks I can't see him so he laughs hysterically. His favorite place to play this is in the downstair's bathroom closet, especially after bath time (thus he only has a diaper on in the video). Even after I say we are done playing and turn off the light and go in the living room he will keep going in and out of the closet in the dark. Or sometimes we'll be playing in the living room when he'll disappear and I hear the door squeak and then "mommy!" and giggling. I just love that the simplest things amuse little kids. :o)

Alexis' new toy

A few weeks ago Alexis got an early birthday present from Uncle Mike, Aunt Meghan, Reese and Lahna in Florida...a cute dollhouse!! It's so nice for her to have a "girly" toy finally since she's been playing with all of Ian's toys lately...which she doesn't mind of course, but it's just nice to have things that are specifically hers. She loves to move the people and furniture from room to room and she'll carry the mommy and daddy dolls around with her. When Brian gets home we'll look into getting more furniture for it.

Alexis is also switching rooms soon. She's been in the room off of our bedroom since she was born which worked well until now since she is getting too big to be in the same room with the computer and other stuff she can get into. So she is moving down the hall into the guest room and it should work well because her and Ian will be next to each other and can have that end of the upstairs all to themselves. Once I get her room all painted and her furniture moved I'll take some pictures and post them. The room that was her room will turn into the guest room/office/Brian's video game lair.

Here she is with her dollhouse:

Oh joyful day!

I mentioned in my last blog that I was going to Ann Arbor to see the Univ. of Toledo play Michigan....well, that was today and what a glorious day. The weather was 75 and sunny and Michigan lost...at home....against Toledo....what could be better? My throat still hurts from screaming so much. I got a picture on my cell phone near the end of the game but unfortunately don't have it to blog with. So, you'll have to settle for a couple more cute pictures of the kids....





Did I mention that it was a great day and Michigan lost? Oh, I did......

We're still here...

I know, it's been forever since I've posted anything. Life has really gotten crazy lately. Brian will be home in less than a month and it seems like there are a million things to get done all of a sudden. My job search has also picked up and I'm much more serious about finding something now so that is keeping me very busy too.
I have been taking pictures though and here are just a few. I will post some more along with some cute videos later. As you can see Alexis is doing really well standing up hanging on to things. She's discovered that's how she gets things she wants (aka things Ian tries to keep from her) so she is constantly standing and seeing what she can get. Despite the picture of Ian with the pacifier (enjoy it, hopefully it's the last) we are phasing it out fairly well. He is only allowed to have one at bed time and in the car. The car will be the next phase out and then eventually it will be gone for good.
As I speak the kids are actually spending the night at my mom's house which is their first time doing that...fun stuff. My dad and I are leaving early in the morning to drive to Ann Arbor for a football game. The Univ. of Toledo plays Michigan....very exciting (but only if Michigan loses).
More pics and videos to come...