Halloween Fun

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We loved our Halloween tradition with some great new friends. Last night, we attended a Monster Mash at the Millers. It was SO much fun!

Mr. Bones was ready to go PaRtY...

What Monster Mash is complete without roasting smores?

Or pumpkin carving?

Molly had a little difficulty handling the messiness of it all but she worked through it. Here she is showing me her pumpkin goo and telling me "ouch". Silly Molly...it doesn't hurt.

I made some "6 legged" spider cupcakes that turned out okay. The eight legs on it just made it a little too busy. Avery didn't mind the inaccurately depicted insect.

It was was some true best friend fun!

Our kids were up WAY past their bedtime but did great. Molly had one meltdown at home but that was it. She is pretty much in love with her "Happy Pace Pumpkin". Last night when she was SO tired we rounded the corner to see her in complete dialogue with her pumpkin. FUNNIEST THING EVER.


Happy Haunting tonight!!!

Kid Quirks...

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I am amazed at how quirky our children are. I don't know why this amazes me, after all, they are ours... It seems their individual quirks are constantly evolving.

For example. Molly. Yesterday was a no-nap Molly day. She didn't protest at all- she just rather chose to play. She was for the most part quiet but at times I would hear a little giggle from behind the closed door. I have found that this is a never a good thing. So, when I opened the door with the camera- this is what I found.

Apparently, Molly was playing the hot and cold game all by herself. Once she was free from "nap time" she tried to play with Gabe. She was walking up and down the hall saying "Where did Gabey go...I can't see him". Gabe thought it was hilarious.

Here is Gabe's latest thing. His crinkly smile. Gabriel loves to smile. He will give you the sleepy grin or the you caught me smirk at almost any point in the day. But now, when Gabe is truly happy you can tell because of the nose- FULL ON CRINKLE. Normally accompanied with a snort. Don't worry Gabe- I am sure that your future girlfriends will find it endearing... Oh, and do not be alarmed. The green crud all over Gabe's nose is actually peas- not boogers.

Such a quirky group. (Oh and can you tell we are out of Molly conditioner...yikes.)

Messy Mays

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I am a firm believer that in order to organize you must first make a really BIG mess. I like to organize in piles... it drives Kelly crazy. How our relationship survived 12 moves in 8 years is really an act of God. But because Kelly is at work during the weekdays it means that I get to organize 'Julie style'. Works for me and wards off a potential weekend rumble with the hubby...

Today we were listening to this awesome new kid's cd from the library and something came over me. I was a cleaning machine! I really attribute this to the music because it was really upbeat and silly, which apparently is just what you need to get in the mood to clean.

Molly and Gabe were vital members of the wrecking...er, I mean cleaning crew. It really helps that Molly loves to boss Gabriel into helping and Gabriel likes to empty containers. It was the perfect match.

Extreme chaos is really the most accurate description of the process. If you look very closely you might see a woman on a bicycle flying past my window...

How was all of this living in a toddler sized closet?

Everything is MUCH better now. Each toy and clothing item has its very own place now... well, at least for today. Gabriel had a little difficulty with the process of putting it all back together. He really prefers the knock-over-and-destroy method the best.

Pumpkin Patch

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Part of our fun Saturday night with Papa and Mama Sue was spent at the local pumpkin patch! Molly was on a mission to find the perfect pumpkin (although I really think she just wanted to run full speed in the patch).

Luckily Gabriel sat long enough to snap a picture! A very RARE treat these days.

Both of my children were in pumpkin patch heaven! Molly loved all the bright orange pumpkins...she especially loved finding all the rotten ones! Gabriel could really care less about the pumpkins... he was too distracted with his favorite...the hay.

So now it is on to the carving...Mommy's personal favorite!

tunnel vision

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Meet Molly's nemesis. The tunnel slide.

More specifically, the tunnel slide at Chick Fila. You see, Molly has not ALWAYS had a fear of enclosed slides. Her true emergence of phobia dates back to earlier this summer when she had an unfortunate "tumble" down the slide. Well, Today Molly's phobia was conquered. We went to Chick fila with our friends the Millers (non-relative). I went to go buy chocolate milk at the register and I turned around to see Molly at the bottom of the slide with the smile the size of Kansas on her face. (it was that big.) Who knew that chick fila could be so much fun?

Which gets me to tunnel vision. When your child is up in the tunnel above you it is impossible to decipher facial expressions. You really can't see body posture. All you really have to work with is a shadow. But what a telling shadow it could be. It is one step better than mommy vision I think. For example...

When I looked up to see two shadow feet jumping up and down and moving back and forth I knew that there was some tunnel dancing going on. When I saw two tunnel shadows crawl over a non moving shadow I knew that there was tunnel takeover. When I saw a very recognizable small little tunnel shadow at the back edge of the tunnel hunched over and extremely quiet I knew why. This, of course, was a tunnel poopie. My little tunnel shadow cast no "shadow" of a doubt when she announced the mission's completion. So... tunnel shadow maybe ready for the tunnel slide...but not quite ready for Elmo panties at chick fila. Praise the lord it was a pull-up day.

Throughout the remainder of the day I have given a lot of thought to my concept of "tunnel vision" and how prevalent it is in everyday life. There have been many moments in life where I have not been able to see all parts but have been forced to make a decision for the betterment of the whole. In times like this we have to rely on our own tunnel vision to determine the safest option available - even if we are just following little shadow footsteps. In many ways, the elections are this way. Candidates, campaigns and media all portray specific vantage points of a president but you never really get to see the whole picture before you. Just a shadow and the dream of what it can represent. When working with a child you are never quite certain of the challenges that lie ahead... you just know that they will be there...little shadows... that you will help them to overcome. You look and prepare for that which can't truly be seen.

I guess it just sometimes takes a "scary" piece of playground equipment to help you to see things a little more clearly.

Gearing Up

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Today was a lot of talk of Halloween. Here is how it went...


Me: Molly do you know what we say at Halloween?

Molly: Almost Halloween!!!

Me: That's right and at Halloween we will go to Nonnie's house, ring the doorbell, and then say trick or treat.

Molly: *laughing* grouped it all together and now says Trick or Treat Ding Dong.


Get ready because Halloween is going to be pretty stinkin' cute...especially with our house of Mouse... (Mickey and Minney)

A preview:

Molly can't wait to wear her "yellow Minney shoes" aka little heels.

The cool down.

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Texas weather is unlike any other I have experienced. Where else is it "normal" to be in the upper 80s one day and then the mid-lower 40s the next? I know this sort of freak thing happens everywhere but here in Texas this seems to happen several times a season. We pulled out the jackets and enjoyed some cool Texas air...let's hope that the May immune systems can keep up with this dramatic change in climate and keep us WELL!

Today we were definitely bundled and full of fun...

We see that smile Gabe.

Out for a stroll.

I love Miss Molly's need to wear EVERY color.

Time for the soups, comfy pants and hot chocolate!!! This might sound extreme but we have to take what we can get here in Texas...who knows, next week could be in the upper 80's again.

Fair Weekend!

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We had a VERY busy weekend filled with fun! The weekend festivities began with our high school homecoming game. We went to go and cheer on the mighty FRIARS...and yes, although it seems like a not so mighty mascot, don't be fooled. Fred is pretty scary looking - at least I think so. Molly and Gabriel had a blast at the game. Both were up WAY past their bedtime and still managed to keep the smiles coming. I am so disappointed that most of my pictures didn't come out. They both look WAY overtired in the ones I took and I feared a potential CPS referral. I will tell you that Molly has been talking non-stop ALL weekend about how she saw "the little girls dancing...and kicking their legs" aka drill team and she saw the "cowboys" aka high school football players. Kelly's love for Molly went to a new level the moment she referenced the beloved Dallas Cowboys. Well...at least pre-Sunday.

Saturday afternoon was FAIR DAY! Going to the fair is a yearly tradition for our family. Each year we take our classic family Corney dog picture. This year it was Gabriel's chance to make his grand debut...


Unfortunately, a poorly placed coke bottle stole Gabe's big moment. Of course my camera promptly ran out of batteries right after this shot. Sorry Gabe, better luck next year. Welcome to life as a second child. (Do you see his eyes through the bottle? That is my favorite part)

Molly and Gabe equally loved the fair. We LOVED the CMC barnyard. Pictured below is Molly trying to force feed a sleeping goat. She continuously crammed her blue shovel right in his face and he never woke up... That is one WELL FED goat.

Gabe tried to beckon the goats over for Molly. His goat noises were right on.
Molly had so much fun riding the various rides on the kidway...can you believe that we have a KID now?! By the end of the evening her favorite ride became Daddy's shoulders. I love how she holds on to his curly hair.
Today has been nice and easy- just what we needed after a weekend of partying. We went for a long walk with the jogger this morning... did I mention before that I love fall?

We finished a few chores...

Enjoyed some time outside...

Mommy went to work and daddy mourned his Sunday loss... Then it was yummy Chinese food outside in the backyard! Keep the cool weather coming!!!

Naptime Song

My Molly is a little creature of habit...she likes her routine. Everyday at nap time we read two books (her choice) and then she lays down to sleep (I use this sleep term very loosely). Right before she goes to sleep though I sing her one song of her choice. It is nice that she likes my singing... it is pretty easy to enjoy I guess if you have no concept of pitch and what not. Our music selections started off pretty standard "Twinkle Twinkle" or "Rock-A-Bye Baby". We slowly moved on to "The Eyes of Texas" or "On top of Spaghetti"...a little more complex yes...but doable. Well, today we had a new request. "Let it Be" by the Beatles. I complied but then informed Molly that I am out of my league and I really need her to dumb it down for Mommy. Her next suggestion... "Over Me" AKA "Come Together". She's not getting it.

We'll see what tomorrow brings...

A few favorites...

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So it seems recently that I have been a little anti-social. I have NO idea why. I will tell you it has been a little bit of wonderful though. I really think that in all honesty my life just needed to slow down for a minute. As many of you know, I tend to always be on the go. In fact, it is maybe even safe to say that I thrive and perform the best when I am busy. A large to-do list seems to balance me. Strange I know. But for the past few days I have really just wanted to escape all that and spend time close to home. It has been really nice.

In many ways, I think it is what the whole May family needed. Molly has been in panties now for three days. Don't underestimate though that it has been messy. I think that at one point in the day yesterday Gabe was stuffing a GIANT leaf from outside in his mouth right as Molly tee-teed on the floor. But, we have made it through and I all I have to say is thank GOD for hardwoods and a great hardwood cleaner solution!

So, amidst all the chaos of home I really started to enjoy all the little things that a busy person fails to notice. For example. I LOVE the library. LOVE IT. We go almost every week to their story time. It is so fantastic. Not only does it provide us with new books/movies at home but their program also allows Molly an opportunity to dance around a fake ficus tree with a tambourine and enjoy some great stories. Yesterday, was a great library day for Mommy too. While perusing the kid CDs I found IT. I found the CD that we had to check out...you ready for it...NEWSIES! I loved Newsies as a child and one summer we watched I think every day. Mainly because I had an intense childhood crunch on Christian Bale... I mean seriously, how could you not love this rebel orphan...

Molly was in awe that Mommy could sing every word to every song on the way home...well maybe not AWE...embarrassment perhaps? Who knows... but is safe to say that we were "carrying the banner" in our car very loudly.

Later in the day while Molly was napping, Gabe and I were reading the paper. Not a great day for news. Really is it ever these days? That is when I discovered what a treasured gift a 7 month old can be. They can become the human shredder. Don't like a Steve Blow's article? Hate seeing your stock plummet? No problem- just give it to Gabe and he will take care of it for you. Very therapeutic if you ask me. I might have gone a little far when I handed him our electric bill...

Pre-debate I spent my time deep cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. You might wonder why that would be a favorite thing. Well, it is all thanks to my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. If I could buy stock in this I would. I LOVE THIS GUY. It takes all the work out of cleaning and makes you feel like you just moved in to your house...it is that clean.

Followed up with some wine and a humorous debate watching session with Kelly - I would say it was an all and all great day. Maybe I should be a little anti-social more often...

100

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Get excited!

This marks my 100th post. Can you believe it?! It seems like it was just yesterday that I started this whole thing. It is really hard to believe that I am coming up on a year of blogging. I have to admit that I probably go back and read my posts more than anyone else. It is sort of sad. I just love to look at the pictures and remember the stories from various moments in the past year. It helps me to remember that I have made it through the hard days and celebrated in some wonderful moments. I think it is fair to say that I definitely add to my little ticker at the bottom and falsely increase my popularity status. I am okay with my self-stalker ways. If you want to go back and re-read too then click here.

I think it is safe to say that the past 100 posts have definitely reflected everyday life at the May household. It is so nice to have an outlet to document life's happenings.

Blogging helps me to remember that the days of exploration and play:

Helped to balance the challenges faced...

And while it has not been completely exhausting...

It has definitely been a ride...

Looking forward to the adventures of another hundred May moments... stay tuned.

Hook Em' Horns

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Let's see... to be a Texas Longhorn you have to come early.
Check! They definitely were up and ready early...


BE LOUD. Goodness, were they loud!!!


And Stay Late! Lots of partying to come!!

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Go LoNgHoRnS!!!!

Take a stand.

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Ahh, the days of stationary Gabe...



But those long legs got tired of sitting still...
And crawling just isn't enough fun anymore. So, of course the new best thing is to stand. That is right. Our little Gabriel now pulls to a stand EVERYWHERE! His new favorite thing is bang his crib 'Tarzan style' to get my attention. Really not so nice at 5:30 am buddy....
He still keeps his legs so far apart most times that he looks more like a tripod than anything else. Here he is on his way up...
Before you know it he will be chasing his sister all through the house...yikes!

Blown Away

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Last night we joined Nonnie for her neighborhood night out. We were really excited!



Molly loved that they had a helicopter that she could go and look at. Unfortunately, we arrived right as it was going to take off.

Have you ever stood within 30 yards of a helicopter taking off? WOW. Lots of wind. In fact, I had the baby breaks on the stroller and faced Gabe away from the chopper and he still was moved across the way a little. We were definitely blown away. The rest of the night Molly kept saying, "Helicopter, whoa. Too windy."
I hear ya' partner.

Mr. Clean

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I don't know how many of you out there have hardwood floors. We love them but they definitely come with a little more upkeep. Coming from a life time of carpeting, I can tell you that I never realized just how hairy the May family is until we moved. There is absolutely no avoiding it- the hairballs and dust bunnies hide no secrets. I think that in many ways our ignorance was bliss. With carpets you can tell yourself that you really don't need to vacuum THAT often because everything LOOKS clean enough. Hardwoods really leave nothing to the imagination.

So today I decided to conduct a little experiment. How much gunk is still on our hardwoods after they are cleaned. With Gabriel crawling now, I really need to make sure that I stay on top of it- I can't have him coughing up hairballs. We already have Milo to deal with. So the only logical decision was to tape a SWIFFER sheet to his tummy and conduct TRIAL #1.

Before you get all concerned for Gabe's new level of servitude... don't...he loved it.

So happy to do his part for research...

And just as I suspected...we did have a few stray dust bunnies. So, thanks Gabe for doing your part to keep the house clean...





In all fairness, he sort of owes me. After all, I constantly clean up his distruction, laugh with him about his stinky diapers, accessorize my wardrobe with baby spew and encounter the occasional baby food raspberry dart to my hair at dinner. We can even overlook the fact that I housed him for 9 months and provided his sole nourishment for the following six months. You know he is just doing his part...

Quite a cute Mr. Clean if you ask me...sorry Gabe, no piercings.