November is one of my FAVORITE months! The weather typically cools down a litttttle bit (though it didnt in 2015!), the kids are excited about Uncle Jay coming to town and getting together with cousins and friends. There is still college football on the weekends. And we focus more on being grateful for all of the blessings we've been given! It was another great November!
November 1st,
These cuties were super excited to set up our Tutu the Thankful Turkey!
Whitney went to a bestie's 7th birthday party (SEVEN!?!?) and then we headed over to the Ragan's to spend some time with our favorites :) It was a nice day for Whitney to hang with her friends, and it was helpful for my mommy brain to vent and release the frustration Id been carrying regarding Whitney's first grade teacher. I wont rehash the entire story here, especially since things are SOOO much better now that she's in a new class, but I will say that in my opinion (and in the opinions of the administration at Whitney's school), there is NEVER an instance where dumping a six year old's desk is the solution. NEVER. I wish I had known what was going on all along, but Whitney was under the impression SHE would be the one getting in trouble if she told us what was happening to her and her classmates each day. Looking back, I should have known there was a reason she didnt want to go to school. Im SOOO grateful for a great school with supportive staff and administration, and where our feelings as parents matter and are listened to. We're in LOVE with her new teacher, and while she misses her friends from her old class/Kindergarten, she is thriving and doing awesome in this class, and she might be in second grade with her "old" friends next year. And the change in her attitude towards school is amazing! She actually said, "I miss school and Mrs.R!" multiple times over Christmas break :)
Alllll that to say, I love these people and all the support and feedback and listening ears they provide :)
Grady came into the family room and said, "Mommy, let's give BowPeep a cuddle!"
So we did.
He is such a FUN age!!!
November 3rd, 2015
A huge "THANK YOU" to ALLLL of the many friends and family who texted, messaged, and called to check on this sweet girl today! After a frustrating start to first grade (for all of us!), she bounced into school today, happy and confident and excited for a fresh start. The details of her first day in her new classroom had been trickling out all afternoon and then she flooded us with details and laughter at dinner and we knew our girl was once again comfortable and feels safe and like herself again, excited and confident and HAPPY. We hadn't realized what a weight she was carrying but I'm so grateful for mother's intuition and a great administration and supportive friends and family.
Breathing big sighs of relief tonight as our beautiful girl goes to sleep once again enthusiastic about learning and school.
Breathing big sighs of relief tonight as our beautiful girl goes to sleep once again enthusiastic about learning and school.
Her new teacher takes full advantage of an app called "Class Dojo", tracking the students' behavior (good and bad), and allowing them to use their earned points to change their avatar (something Whitney REALLY wanted to do in her previous class!) Its amazing how something SO seemingly insignificant can be sooo motivating to kids! And I LOOOVE that, after months of wanting a new avatar in the app, I was SUPER excited and proud to see that the very first time she got to choose her own avatar, my girl chose WONDER WOMAN! LOL The best!
November 4th, 2015
The pup. The dude. And my best friend.
Grady busted into our room, Kramer-style, and said, "Good morning, Mommy!!!"After some lengthy discussion about Bow's boo boo and her need to "get to the pet vet," Grady smiled, hugged daddy, and said, "I wanna get under da cuddles, too..." and proceeded to climb under the covers. Bow Peep quickly found her spot next to her favorite little boy. And yes. This IS a good morning, Buddy. It's gonna be a great day 😃
We went out to Eric's dad's house for dinner a few times. Its always fun to see the cousins cracking up together :) These boys are SO good to their little cousins!
A VERRRRY rare event happened in November! This guy and I got a night away!!!
We'd planned it months in advance and thankfully my parents were able to watch the kids. We didnt have a plan other than to see Sister Hazel at EPCOT with Dave and Dallas. Other than that? No schedule or plan or cares. :) So we headed to the BoatHouse at Downtown Disney first :)
Gorgeous weather. Beverages. And this guy. Perfect!
As we walked back to the hotel to see if our room was ready, we saw a hotel employee standing next to her car just staring at her super-flat tire. She was older and clearly wasnt going to change that tire without some help. So without skipping a beat, my husband jogged across the parking lot.....
.....and changed her tire.....(as another gentleman watched lol)
He got that new tire on there in record time and we were back on our way. And I know the woman was super grateful. My Gramma Mac told us not to brag about our good deeds, but I had to brag about my husband's good deed, and how lucky I am that he chose me :)
Love him :)
We got to EPCOT and saw the first Sister Hazel show, which was great!
And then the Ragans arrived and we saw the next show and had a GREAT time! We all headed back to the hotel for the night. The next morning, Dave woke us all up way-too-early but we had good laughs and then headed to eat our weight in buffet food at Fred's Market near our house LOL
We're heading to see O.A.R. with them next month, and I cant wait! 
Also on November 3rd, 2015, my beloved Clemson Tigers became the NUMBER ONE college football team in the nation! Such an awesome time to be a Clemson Tiger! And Whitney is loyal to both my Tigers and Daddy's Knights :)
When we got home from our night away, we had to get ready for the big Clemson vs FSU game!!
After a long night at Mac and Gramps and a fun birthday party for a classmate today, Whitney crashed on the couch. She woke up and asked if Clemson was winning. I told her it was close and the other team had been winning for a while. Her immediate reaction was, "I bet they were just cheating."
😳
She might be even more die-hard Tiger than I am.
😳
She might be even more die-hard Tiger than I am.
"Hi, Bug! How was your second day in class??!"
"Good!""Oh yeah?! Was it as good as your first day in class?!"
"No."
.......😳.........
"Mommy, it was even BETTER!!!"
😊
Phew.
Her class had to disguise a turkey before Thanksgiving. I LOVE what Whitney chose :)
Bow Peep's cone days were behind her as her incision healed, and she almost got kicked across the room as she blended in with the rug :)
Still learning this small-dog ownership gig. She's sort of like a dog, but really, she's also sorta a lot like a cat. Big dog? I wouldn't have made it an inch off the couch without a mutt in my face. Little dog? Almost stepped on her on the way to bed because A)she blends in and B) she didn't care that I got up....until I almost accidentally punted her across the room.
November 8th, 2015
Most of Grady's baby talk is gone, but I hope he never loses "coowee".
As in,"Mommy, coowee listen to s'more music?"
"Daddy, coowee go to da zoo?"
"Mommy, coowee read a'nudder book?"
Coowee. A.k.a. "Could we".
Peeps was mad at me for her role in the upcoming Christmas card pictures....Sorry, Girl.💙
These two are TOO FUNNY! LOVE these moments with them at their silliest together!
We were practicing Christmas card picture ensembles :)
W & G Dance Party, Christmas card outfits
This will not be exciting to anyone but me, but I know, when I am old and forgetful, I will want to remember these amazing kids just like this.
LOVE.
I had been working with two first grade students at Whitney's school, helping them in a Reading Acceleration Program. Its just a half hour once a week, but I love these kids and have fun helping them improve their reading. At one point in the lesson, the student is asked to draw a picture about the story we read. After he finished the story picture, my student asked if he could decorate the cover of his journal. We chatted as he colored and I asked him what he was drawing.
November 12th
I've been working in a Reading Acceleration Program with a few students at Whitney's school. This was just my second week with my students, and today my little boy drew a picture to decorate the cover of his writing journal. I asked him what he drew and he said "That's a house. And that's me with a book." (Red book in the hands of the blue guy in the pic.). I asked who else was in the picture and he said, "That's you. I'm reading my books to you because I like reading to you."
Melted my heart. I like reading with you, too, Buddy.
November 11th, 2015
Our first match of the tennis season, we played last season's best team. My partner and I lost 1-6, 0-6. I was nervous and it showed, and they were great players.
They are still great players. And my partner and I played them again today. And, wow, does it feel great to beat that team 6-3, 6-2 today.
I might be approaching 40, but today, I feel 17 again.
They are still great players. And my partner and I played them again today. And, wow, does it feel great to beat that team 6-3, 6-2 today.
I might be approaching 40, but today, I feel 17 again.
Ginger Thompson, please tell Rome his long, lost (old) student appreciates everything he taught me allllllllll those years ago! 🎾
And Mom and Dad, thanks for the yearssss of lessons and encouragement!
And Mom and Dad, thanks for the yearssss of lessons and encouragement!
November 13th, 2015
"You don't lock your front door because you hate everyone outside your home. You lock your front door because you want to protect the ones you love inside your home."
It's an incredibly sad night for Paris and the people of France. And those responsible have warned that they want American blood next.
We live in a scary world.
Praying for Paris and our entire world.
It's an incredibly sad night for Paris and the people of France. And those responsible have warned that they want American blood next.
We live in a scary world.
Praying for Paris and our entire world.
Im sharing my FB posts from the days that followed the Paris attack because, if my kids are anything like me, they will look back through this blog someday and appreciate seeing their lives through their mother's eyes and words. (At least, thats the reason I spend time posting and editing pictures and recalling small details!) And I want my kids to see how this kind of scary stuff impacted us all.
As I wake up to more coverage of the attacks in Paris, I can't stop thinking that it's not a matter of "if" this will happen in the U.S. We need to be thinking about "when" this will happen here. Where will it be?
These people aren't invisible. Someone saw something, heard something, suspected something. They took cabs, traveled on planes, and had to have eaten in restaurants. If you see something, say something. We've been told "there are no credible threats to the U.S. right now." But these people have made broad threats. They promise they want Americans dead. I don't think we all need to live in fear, but definitely be more aware. If they can murder people in restaurants and at a concert in Paris, we should believe it can happen here.
These people aren't invisible. Someone saw something, heard something, suspected something. They took cabs, traveled on planes, and had to have eaten in restaurants. If you see something, say something. We've been told "there are no credible threats to the U.S. right now." But these people have made broad threats. They promise they want Americans dead. I don't think we all need to live in fear, but definitely be more aware. If they can murder people in restaurants and at a concert in Paris, we should believe it can happen here.
And as life carried on, we watched our Clemson Tigers win a nail-biter against Syracuse, and then headed to see the lights and "snow" at Hollywood Studios. This was the last year for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, so we wanted to make sure we saw it at least a few times!
We were able to pick out our annual Disney Christmas ornaments! (Funny that Grady chose Captain Hook because he'd been in love with pirates and sword fighting a lot this year. And yet, less than two weeks later, he would become obsessed and in loooove with all things Star Wars and Darth Vader and light saber!)
We got a giant purple mickey head and added the year in orange, for the year of our Clemson Tigers and their rise to Number One!
Always a Tink fan, Whitney chose her favorite fairy this year.
And we added a Big Thunder Mountain ornament to the mix because this was the first year we were able to ride big rollercoasters together :)
We got the passholder-only "Osborne Family Lights" ornament. :( Sad to lose a family tradition.
And like any successful Disney trip.....two sleeping angels on the way home :)
Whitney was soooooo excited when I picked her up from school on Friday, shouting, "Mommy, I got Star Student!"She decorated her poster and carefully planned which three "Special Items" she would bring to class to share to kick off her week as Star Student. She chose:
1. Her blankie. She told her class how her mommy and her Mac went shopping the day we found out she was a girl, and how excited we were because we'd "waited a super long time for me, and I'm adopted." Then shetold her class what that meant ("I forget my exact words but I just told them I was in my birthmon's belly but you get to be my mommy.")
1. Her blankie. She told her class how her mommy and her Mac went shopping the day we found out she was a girl, and how excited we were because we'd "waited a super long time for me, and I'm adopted." Then shetold her class what that meant ("I forget my exact words but I just told them I was in my birthmon's belly but you get to be my mommy.")
2. The puppy she picked out in Clemson. "Because my brother picked a Clemson train cuz he likes trains so I picked a Clemson dog because I like dogs and I like Clemson and it was a fun vacation and the Tigers won."
3. A photo album full of pictures we picked together. "My aunt Gerry sends me and my brother stuff all the time, and one time she sent me this photo album and I get to keep my favorite people in it."
She's a girl after my heart. Her woobie, Clemson, and pictures. ❤❤❤
She gets to enjoy all kinds of treats and special jobs in class this week, and I love that she has jumped right into her new class and made friends and found comfort and confidence again. She makes me so proud.
BowPeep went to the salon......
,......and made me wish I could take here for a grooming every single week because she looks so clean and cute!
I babysat our friends' infant in late November. Grady noticed his blanket on the floor in the family room.
"Awwww. Mommy, baby Noah used my blankie??"
"Yeah, Buddy, isn't that cool? It's nice if you to share."
"Yeah!! .................... But......does baby Noah know dat's MY blankie though?? Is he takin' my blankie home wiff him? Why you holdin' him? Coo-you put him down? Why I gotta be quiet? Why's he sweepin'? Can he wake up now?? Can he be Woody and I be Buzz? You can put baby Noah down and not hold him now? Does he play trains? With me? Wake him up."
"Yeah, Buddy, isn't that cool? It's nice if you to share."
"Yeah!! .................... But......does baby Noah know dat's MY blankie though?? Is he takin' my blankie home wiff him? Why you holdin' him? Coo-you put him down? Why I gotta be quiet? Why's he sweepin'? Can he wake up now?? Can he be Woody and I be Buzz? You can put baby Noah down and not hold him now? Does he play trains? With me? Wake him up."
Dude's trying to figure out how he feels about a baby in the house.
How my Woody and Buzz do Saturday mornings :)
And before we knew it, Uncle Jay was finally here!!!!
We had dinner at the BoatHouse and then the kids and Eric and Uncle Jay got to ride on the amphibious car! THANKS, Mac and Gramps!!
Whitney got to bring the class "pet", Froggy home with her for the weekend, and we enjoyed showing Froggy a fun time!
Mac brought Go Fish cards and Whitney was excited to play against Uncle Jay!
A bakery that is 100% gluten free and dairy free? "Grady, you can pick ANYTHING YOU WANT!"
Best Christmas gift ever.
Loved last night 😃 November 23rd
Picking the kids up from school early and headed to the lights at Hollywood Studios with fun FastPasses and a little boy's special request to make a light saber with his Uncle Jay 🎄🎁🎉
LOVE this time of year with the kids!!
Picking the kids up from school early and headed to the lights at Hollywood Studios with fun FastPasses and a little boy's special request to make a light saber with his Uncle Jay 🎄🎁🎉
LOVE this time of year with the kids!!
Happiest Little Boy in Disney World
Ill miss this :(
LOVE these memories and so much happiness!
SO Whitney!!
Always a successful Disney adventure when this happens...
Because my kids have never seen snow or ice in person, we bought tickets to see "ICE!" at the Gaylord Palms.
Unforunately for Uncle Jay, who lives in Boston, he was included in this frigid adventure! The tubing was fun for a minute, but the actual ICE! display was way too cold for my Florida kids to enjoy at all. They each went down the ice slide and then we hit the road lol
Thankfully, mom and dad treated us all to an awesome dinner at the Gaylord. :)
And of course, Uncle Jay fulfilled this little girl's dream and brought her to the Build-A-Bear outside ICE! where she created "Glisten"!
Grady riding the slide at ICE!
November 25th, 2015
Eric took the whole week off. We've tackled Disney Springs, boat rides, Hollywood Studios, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, ICE show at Gaylord Palms in 9* temps, light saber making, and build-a-bear fun with Uncle Jay. And I think these are my favorite memories. Whitney set up a Pet Store and is grooming and caring for her animals. And Woody and Buzz are shopping at her store and, staying in character, debating which pet would suit them best. Love the busy, crazy days but also loving these calm days at home. Can I freeze my kids at these ages?!?
Note the white reindeer, "Glisten" Uncle Jay made with Whitney at the ICE! event :)
November 25th
A fun pre-Thanksgiving evening at our house with Mac, Gramps, & Uncle Jay! Star Wars, Build-a-Bear, weezies, and pilgrims!
Ready to get the kids in Christmas jammies, get the Christmas bins ready to come inside tomorrow morning, and get ready for my favorite morning of the year! Christmas tree decorating, Macy's parade, Christmas carols, and then the best meal everrrrr at my parents' house. Grateful and blessed everyday, but I LOVE this time of year!
A light saber-wielding Grady speaking in the deepest voice a three year old can muster:
"Daddy, I'm Darth Vader!! Here......hold dis...." (Leaves light saber with Daddy. Heads to the playroom and returns moments later with the Pottery Barn Kids catalog featuring Star Wars products, and the soft blankie from the playroom couch).
"I got my stuff, Daddy. I'm still Darth Vader. But let's cuddle."
"Daddy, I'm Darth Vader!! Here......hold dis...." (Leaves light saber with Daddy. Heads to the playroom and returns moments later with the Pottery Barn Kids catalog featuring Star Wars products, and the soft blankie from the playroom couch).
"I got my stuff, Daddy. I'm still Darth Vader. But let's cuddle."
This is the BEST age, y'all. The. Best.
If anyone has read this blog for any length of time at all, yall know i LOOOVE matchy matchy :) I recognize that the day will come when these two will whine and say, "We dont want to match jammies anymore!!!!!!!!"
So Im soaking this in now :)
(And they might have had three pairs of matchy matchy jammies this holiday season :)
And the next morning was my favorite holiday!
THANKSGIVING!!
Which means setting up the tree and decorating the house with all things Christmas!
Opening up the tree!! They were squealing with excitement!
Kids excited about the Christmas Tree, Thanksgiving 2015
The tree is a team effort and some of my favorite moments of the year as we remember where we got each ornament and talk about who we were with in those places. Lots of Monroe, CT ornaments and Clemson ornaments and Disney ornaments and Eric's childhood ornaments. So many memories :)
I LOOOVE this.
Grady was happy to see his Mater and McQueen ornaments from Mac and Gramp last year!
And as we watched the Macy's parade, Grady was still excited to see Thomas!
Peeps wasnt sure what was going on, but wanted to be a part of the excitement!
After our tree was up, we headed over to Mac and Gramps' house for the turkey and the best meal of the year!!!!!!!!
LOVE.
The weather was gorgeous, and BowPeep decided to take full advantage as she chased after two cranes around the lake.
And because we are a family who loves tradition:
We lit the candle Grady made at school, and passed it around the table sharing what things we are each grateful for this year :)
Mac outdid herself again this year, and the meal was delicious from start to finish!
Mac, I know you are reading this...next year, we head to Uncle Jay's house for Thanksgiving! And the year after that, I want you, me, and Whitney to cook the meal together! I need all your secrets and recipes!
That night, we headed home and watched the first of our favorite Christmas movies and ended the night with a sweaty snowball fight before bed :)
November 27th, 2015
I love my Clemson Tigers. Faithfully. There is no other college team I could routinely root for. But when one of your favorite people on the planet comes to town, and her team is the only other 12-0 college football team on the planet? I can break from our orange and purple for a day and cheer for Iowa Hawkeyes with KatMandooo!
Had a great night with some of our favorites and LOVE watching our kids fall right into place like cousins and friends. Feeling really blessed with great friends and lots of laughs and promises of future fun in months and years ahead. We've come a long way since AB and JM and KatMandooo carries on! God has surely blessed me with awesome friends. I wish we all lived closer but am grateful for the nights like tonight full of laughs and fun!
KatManDOOOO!
Another holiday tradition the kids love is decorating Nanny's tree in Green Cove Springs :) It was fun to see the cousins together and catch up over lunch!
As the kids waited for the sisters-in-law to get a christmas plan together, they climbed this tree in the parking lot. I overheard Corbyn say to Whitney, "You cant climb higher than THIS!" as he waved to her from above. Then Whitney countered with, "Oh, yes I can! Watch!" and she scrambled her way quickly up the tree past him and waved to him, saying, "Tadaaa!!"
The BassIlleriAvis clan :)
Eric got to play more golf in the last four weeks of 2015 than he played in the previous 11 months combined! He was a happy guy :) THANKS, Mac and Gramps!!
BowPeep enjoyed a nice Christmas "dance" with her beau, Benny BooBoo! :)
And I got to spend much-needed down time with my bestie, Aunt DeeDeeDee!
Christmas tree, Aunt Dee, wine, two pups, gorgeous weather. A great way to wrap up Thanksgiving vacation!
We had to say, "See you later!" to Uncle Jay but we were excited to see him again for Christmas just a few weeks later!
And then it was time to put the Christmas lights up outside! In shorts!
Whitney reading to me by the Christmas tree?
THE BEST!
And this guy, who was quietly and happily watching PJ Masks, came streaking to the family room waving his Clemson jersey and seersucker pants. "Mommy, I wanna wear deez!! Please?!"
And how can I say no?!
November 30th
Tonight's the night Booker Bass returns, delivering 24 Christmas books, one to be opened each day until Jesus' birthday! The kids are gonna be SO excited! (These tired parents are counting on Pinterest for ideas and FB friends for a nightly reminder!)
ONE more month to blog for 2015 and then I can be back on track! :)
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