It's that time of year again

There's nothing better than getting into the Christmas spirit by decorating the house... and then decorating your children and pets! I am more than thrilled because Harrison appears to really enjoy it this year. Being decorated, that is. Sure, he helped me put ornaments on the tree. He also has found many decorations that he has now claimed as his own toys but I couldn't help but smile when he got out the antlers and put them on Jojo's head. Finally! Someone almost as neurotic as I am about dressing up the animals. Harrison also seemed pumped when I decided to run with the situation and put a Santa hat on his head. Of course, he resembled more of an elf than he did Santa but who's looking for perfection right now? Get ready Santa, it's go time!

Thanksgiving in Athens

We took our 1st trip as a family of four to Athens last week. And let me tell you (or at least, those of you who don't have more than 1 child), it's a little different. The 8 hour car ride there and back was actually easier than expected. Brooks basically slept the whole time and Harrison was amused by movies, talking to us, and cows. We had the occasional meltdown but nothing we couldn't remedy with a bottle or a simple bribe.

In Athens we had a great time. I won't say it was relaxing because as I stated earlier, 2 kids is quite different along with the fact that one of the children needs his own running track and boot camp training just to release a fraction of his energy. Coupled with the fact that the other child prefers to be held all hours of the day. To those of you who have more than 2 children under the age of 4, just ignore everything I am writing. I can already see your eyes rolling. But we kept busy and most importantly, spent time with friends and family.

A couple of last week's highlights:

Mama and Da seeing Brooks for the 1st time
Aunt Barbara seeing Brooks for the 1st time
Spending Thanksgiving with family & eating enormous amounts of delicious food
Playing baseball in yard with Harrison
Attempting black Friday with 2 children..disastrous, but a highlight nonetheless
Seeing our good friends in Athens
A date night for Robert and I to get sushi (1st time since being pregnant)
Golf for the Lyons boys
Gun fights with fake machine guns
A heated debate regarding camo hats and their appropriateness in ANY public venue
Georgia/Georgia Tech football game
Ah yes, and finding out that Harrison has a dead tooth...Awesome

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

We are off to Athens this week for Thanksgiving to spend the holiday with Robert's family. This will be an exciting trip because Brooks will get to see her great grandparents, Mama and Da, for the 1st time. They have been so anxious to meet her and this should be a special trip for everyone!

Harrison made this vest at school. Guess what Indian name his teacher gave him? Running Bull. Now there's a surprise!

Family Photos

Harrison has taken his job as a big brother very seriously. It's actually one of the only things he does in a serious manner. But he loves his little sister, Brooks, and pays very close attention to her. Brooks also seems to be very fond of Harrison as she quietly observes his action packed lifestyle. I just hope she's not taking mental notes on some of his more mischevious behavior. Only time will tell.

2 Peas in a Pod

These 2 monkeys got to spend an entire afternoon together. My aunt, Brooks, took them both for a playdate to her house, then over to Chuck E. Cheese, and then she drove them both to Palm Coast to drop Harrison off. I know, she's a brave woman! These pictures and the video below are from the end of their afternoon together. Harrison loves his cousin, Wade!

Table Jumping

Weekend With Nat Nat & Lee Lee

Natalie flew in from DC this past weekend to visit us and meet her brand new niece, Brooks. Lee also made the trip from Athens for the second time since Brooks arrived. It was great to see them both and Harrison got an extra treat out of the visit...he went to Disney World with them for the day. Actually, he went to Disney for a night and a day because they left Thursday night so that they could go to Downtown Disney.

I'm pretty sure they all had a great time. I'm also pretty sure that Harrison gave Natalie and Lee quite a workout and a run for their money. I was told that even security ropes were no match for Harrison when it came to some of the water rides. I was also told to have a drink waiting for them once they got back...a sure sign that Harrison had been true to his character all day.

Once they all got back from Disney on Friday, it was great to spend the rest of the weekend with Natalie and Lee. And here are a bunch of photos from their trip.