Monkey Joes and a Happy Thanksgiving

This is going to be a random and out of order post. Mainly because I have a horrible cold and I just don't have it in me to battle blogger getting these pictures in some sort of chronological order.

Fun times at the park. You know you live in Tennessee when your park is named Charlie Daniels

Addy has always hated swinging, it freaks her out. This day she ran right over to the swing, climbed in and swung blissfully for about 30 minutes.

I don't get this kid and her mood swings. One day we hate something, the next day it's the greatest thing ever. At least it keeps us on our toes!

Playing outside the church after Thanksgiving meal #1.

Nate has such a huge extended family (on both sides) that we have to rent out a church hall. We also have to eat two Thanksgiving meals that day which makes for a very long day and a very full belly. Let's just say Mary learned a few years ago to keep Tums in the car.

Addy playing with the extend-a-wall and wearing a fetching Indian headdress. Do all kids love these retractable walls? I remember being infatuated with them myself as a kid.

Uncle Lance showing Addy how to ride a trick properly.

I don't have an explanation for the crazy eyes. I think he just ate to many dumplings

Getting a lift from Cousin Emily who LOVED having her own real life baby to play with. Even though said real life baby is only a year and a half younger and a few inches shorter

Addy got a little possessive of the trike. When Aunt Christy tried to ride it Addy simply sat on the front wheel.

A rare picture of Mom and Addy. And we both have our eyes open!! Trust me this is as rare as spotting an elephant in the wild, in Tennessee

Messing around after a bath

Here's where the Monkey Joe portion of the title comes into play. Nashville finally got one! And we love it, we've been several times already and at $5 for all three of us to get in the price can't be beat.

The great thing about having a toddler? We didn't have any quarters and couldn't turn any of these rides on. No problem! Addy just turned the wheel, pushed the buttons and laughed away like it was the best toy ever.

When we took her back the second time we did have quarters so that's the last time we're going to get away with it. Now that she knows these things bounce and shake she's going to insist on the real deal.

Being bucked off by a killer whale. Literally, we both went flying. I almost torn my ACL again trying not to land on and crush Addy.

She's probably a bit to young for the bouncy part. She couldn't stand up at all and spent most of the time either flat on her back or scooting around on her butt. She loved it though. Everytime she fell down she would just roll around giggling.

9 and O!!!!!!!!!!!

9 and 0! 9 and 0!!

Nope, I can say it all day and it doesn't get old :)

Keep it up boys! I'm preparing my vocal chords for some serious playoff and Superbowl screaming!!!

OBAMA!!!

I've been very good and haven't mentioned any political affiliations or leaning's on this blog. Mostly since the vast majority of my extended family are Republicans who get Christmas cards from the Bush's. But suffice it to say I am ecstatic.

We got to watch history being made last night. Got to see our country stand up and make a decision that could change everything about us. Watch someone with morals and integrity, a man who actually told the truth, answered questions and kept his promises become our next President. The sight of a million people in Chicago, standing unified for one man and one cause brought me to tears. It was an amazing night for our country and it's my fervent hope that we can keep this attitude of cooperation and change alive.

I've never been patriotic and spent most of my life wishing I was a Togolese citizen. But last night, for the first time, I felt those patriotic feelings for this country. I was proud to have an American passport, proud that I had cast my vote (for the first time) and proud that my daughter will be alive to see these changes.

Halloween 2008

Getting ready to head out.

Thankfully it was an unseasonably warm so she didn't look like an Arctic Fairy Princess

So excited!! No clue why but we're very excited!

Speaking of Fairy Princesses it was clearly the costume du jour. We went trick or treating with our immediate neighbors, about 6 kids in all and 3 of them were Fairy Princesses.

Addy was just excited to hang out with the big kids. She's hoping this gets her in with the gang so she can start playing with the neighbor's motorized jeep.


She tried so valiantly to keep up with the other kids but those short legs were just no match for 6 year olds hopped up on sugar and screaming and running from house to house. She was a real trooper though.

She made it to about 5 houses and carried her own pail the whole way.

She was so excited that at times I was running to keep up. Well not running exactly, but limping with purpose at top speed.

We have GOT to get some streetlights in our neighborhood. I never realized before how pitch black it is out there. Very spooky :)

We have a REALLY hilly neighborhood and while going down the hill was no problem hoofing it back up proved to be more than she could handle. Thankfully Daddy is always around to give a hand.

Whew, that's a big hill

"Seriously, I'm getting winded here!"

"My back! My neck and my back!"

Finally home!!

Okay, everyone knows of course that Nate was just goofing off and those pictures are all staged. We're weird like that. Addy didn't though. She was very concerned about Nate and kept poking him with her wand to get him up.


"Okay, I put a bunch of stuff in this bucket. What exactly was it?"

She got a decent haul but still doesn't like sugar. I gave her a small bite of chocolate and she of course gagged and spit it out.

However the grape sucker was a HUGE hit!

This is literally the first piece of candy she's ever eaten and even that she didn't finish. Nate found it later hanging off the back of her head :)

She did get a nice little sugar buzz off the 9 licks though. I'm really hoping this anti-sugar stand lasts.

She spent most of the night (and the rest of the weekend) taking all the candy out of the pail, lining it up on the table and then putting it all back in. Who knew that mini snickers would be such an engaging toy! And surprisingly low cal when you don't eat any of them!

Days later she is still dragging her candy around. She won't eat it but does gnaw on it through the wrapper. And she's all about sharing. I can't count the number of pieces of soggy wrapped candy I've been handed over the last few days.

All in all Halloween gets a big thumbs up from Addy. It was so fun to watch her experience everything for the first time. She was so grown up too. She ran up to each house, grabbed her own candy out of the bowl and said "thank you" almost every time. We just get prouder and prouder and she gets cuter and cuter!!

Countdown to Tootatootoo

Addy was ALL about Halloween this year. From the costume to carving pumpkins to trick or treating she had a blast. We tried to teach her to say "Trick or Treat" but the closest she ever got was Tootatootoo!

The first time we put Addy's costume on, several weeks before Halloween, she totally freaked out. She kept yanking on the skirt, twisting around to pull on the wings and eventually threw herself to the floor in a dramatic fashion crying "No Mama NO!" Imagine my surprise when a few days later she came trotting into the living room clutching the costume asking to put it on. I put it on over her PJ's and it was an instant hit.

Wearing her costume over her clothes was a theme repeated many many times over the ensuing weeks.

I am VERY happy to say that since this picture we installed a new screen door. Needless to say it was needed.

Helping Daddy clean out the pumpkins. She wouldn't put her hand into the pumpkin but loved playing with the seeds and goop after Nate pulled it out.

The finished pumpkins. We had a "Nightmare before Christmas" theme this year and they turned out awesome. There was an attempt at a Joker pumpkin to but it didn't really work. I guess some things just don't translate into fine pumpkin art.

Jack Skellington, Addy's favorite. Every time she walks past she gives Jack a pat on the head.

This is her little sleep mat from school. They send them home every Friday to be washed. This particular Saturday she unrolled her mat all by herself, spread it out on the floor, covered herself up and pretended to sleep. Being cute and entertaining all the time is exhausting! She also laid several stuffed animals on the mat and covered them up. I missed that picture though since she had stolen the camera and run away with it. She REALLY has a thing for cameras