Thanksgiving and the Start of Christmas 2014

It was another great Thanksgiving with family. Ma, Pa, and Nana and Papa all came down to Naples for 2 days to eat, drink, and have fun. And immediately after Thanksgiving, at Harrison's constant insisting on getting prepared for Christmas, we went out and got our tree. And with a kid like Harrison, or as we refer to him right now, "Mr. Christmas", a Christmas tree must be decorated in record time once it is brought home.

Flyin' High

Harrison got to fly for the first time on a weekend trip to Athens with Robert. He was so excited about flying that prior to going, he would wake up Robert and I to tell us his dreams of flying. And since the trip, he has added pilot to his future resume, along with veterinarian and astronaunt. According to Robert, Harrison loved traveling by plane. The pilot even invited him to sit in the cockpit and press a few buttons. And although flying was one of the highlights of their trip to Athens, I think the most fun was had by Harrison getting to spend some quality time with Robert, one on one. And, of course, his one on one time with Lee Lee and Bill. They went ice skating, hit golf balls, saw a movie, and went to the Georgia Auburn football game. He had such a wonderful time and it is now clear that both kids, even if only for a day, need to be an only child sometimes. And while we are on the subject of all things Harrison, I will go even more in depth about this amazing, curious little boy....

Harrison loves to put on a show and if you've ever watched him turn on music to show off his dance skills, you know exactly what I am talking about! The man is 100 percent energy all day long. There is no time for rest. The good news is he is transitioning into a phase where he can turn some energy into productive activities like legos or even homework. That's right, this year Harrison is actually doing his homework on his own free will. That extra year of kindergarten has proven to be an amazing success. Every morning he loves to find out what we have in store for the day and he is relentless in trying to make sure a playdate is involved. He has an incredibly kind heart and I am constantly amazed at his ability to try and make other people feel good. Don't get me wrong, he still can egg on a fight with his sister in the blink of an eye but, oh well, I will keep my fingers crossed that one day they will be able to go more than 5 minutes without some kind of brotherly/sisterly meltdown. A girl can dream, right?!?

Harrison is fascinated by animals and even more so by reptiles. At this moment we have a turtle, fish, hermit crabs, a dog, a cat and a gecko lizard. Harrison will spend hours each day walking around with his lizard, Zelda, on his shirt. He would probably take it around town if we let him. And he is also quite a little athlete. Lately, I have been suggesting to Brooks and Harrison that they get out of the car and run home when we pull into the neighborhood. It is a small attempt to get them to burn some extra energy but I haven't seen them get tired YET! I have noticed that they are great runners and very fast so I will continue to keep throwing them out of my car, I mean, helping them to run.

These kiddos are fun to have around. They drive me nuts with their constant bickering and whining sometimes but their smiles and happy attitudes will win you over every time. Here are some pics from their trip to Athens...

Halloween 2014

This year we enjoyed trick or treating in our neighborhood for Halloween. And although I didn't get very many pictures, there was lots of fun and action. Our neighborhood is quite an attraction over the holidays and Halloween is no exception. Tons of people, decorations and costumes galore. And yes, so many Elsa costumes that once it got dark, it was time to head home because I couldn't tell Brooks from the other 600 little girls who had on the exact same costume. Harrison and his friends were on a mission to find candy so they lasted a good bit longer on the scene. After all the trick or treating, the kids and parents hung out by the fire and played in the backyard. It was a very fun night.

Brooks' Disney Birthday Excursion

For Brooks' 4th birthday she requested that we take her to Disney World. She also requested many other things but this was what she wanted most of all, instead of a themed party. Harrison was beyond thrilled with her decision. We woke up early on a Thursday, headed to Orlando, and spent most of the entire day at Disney World, then, in the later afternoon, we moved on to Hollywood Studios. And to cap off the trip, we spent half of the next day at Epcot. This was after a late night and a bedtime of 11:00. I think it's safe to say we were all a little burnt out once we got to Epcot and I'll be honest...educational theme parks are not enjoyable for me. Especially when both kids are on the verge of complete meltdowns. And a Disney meltdown is by far one of the most dramatic meltdowns I have seen yet. I guess it's a combination of over stimulation, excitement, exhaustion, and an overwhelming amount of people. But guess what? We bought annual passes so we are heading back for Christmas time!

But even with all the expected drama, Disney is so much fun with children who love it there. Harrison and Brooks get so excited, and they find it hard to contain their excitement days before our trip. Harrison starts his usual countdown of days until we go and Brooks makes sure to let everyone she knows that she is going to Disney because she is turning 4.

And what does 4 mean for Brooks? Well, she is such an independent little spit fire that I guess she will be ruling the world in about 2 years. She is edgy which makes me laugh with her unique outfit decisions and outlandish statements but also scares me at the same time. She has a huge imagination and can talk and sing for hours (well, one hour max) with her dolls while playing make believe. She is a girly girl when it comes to dress up, having her nails done, and princesses but she is tougher than any boy her age and also more fearless...another proud and scary thought at the same time. Brooks is extremely quirky and will do many things to be funny. But I'm not sure if she is doing it to get a laugh out of others or simply for her own amusement. She does not care what other people think, and most of the time she is a complete goofball. Whiney and temperamental at times, and by that, I mean most of the time, but maybe I'll chalk that up to being 4. And she is extremely smart and vocal. She is such a handful, even at age 4, that I know there will be some tough times ahead with 2 strong willed children that refuse to rest! But I love them so and with such strong personalities, they will be nothing short of amazing!

Dog's Day at the Beach

A few months back, we took Jojo to Barefoot Beach which is a beach just for dogs. He loved it but it was a sad reminder that he not nearly as young and energetic as he once was. Back in the day, Jojo would have spent hours running up and down the beach, chasing birds and jumping the waves. But on this day he was just happy to roll around in the sand and wade in the water. At one point, Robert had to carry him out of the water because his hips were too weak to pull his legs out of the sand. It was fun, though, to see him enjoying one of his favorite places in the world...the beach. We love this dog with all our hearts and hope that we get a few more years to spend with such an amazing family member.