A sneak peak.

Has it really been two weeks since my last post? How did that happen?  Oh yeah, we're moving!  I think this move ranks up there with one of the most stressful, and we're only moving across town.  Something about having two kids at my feet more than doubles the work.  Two things go in a box, ten come out. Trying to pick paint colors while the paint swatches are being thrown across the room... not so easy.  Anyway, we closed on the house a little over two weeks ago, had the lovely popcorn ceilings removed and most of the house painted, and now we are waiting on some carpet to be installed. Once that happens, we can finish the move.  Brian has been taking trailer loads of stuff almost everyday since we bought the house and has pretty much filled the garage.  Now that the painters are done, we are in a holding pattern.

Here's a peak at the before and after.   

pink dining room

not so pink dining room. Ahhh.

Happy Birthday Sweet Aubrey!

Four? Really, how is that possible? Of course, if I think back to her birth in Japan, that does seem like a very long time ago.  So much has changed in the last four years, and so has she. Aubrey is so full of life, love, and spirit.  Never a dull moment.  I could go on and on about the last year, but I feel sure I've already blogged about the ups and downs of the threes.  So, I will focus this post on Aubrey's thoughts. Here's a glimpse into the mind of our sweet 4 year old...

Mom: What is your favorite food?

Aubrey: Cake, with chocolate (she happened to be eating the last piece of her cake at the time)

Mom: What is your favorite book?

Aubrey: Peter Pan

Mom: What is your favorite color?

Aubrey: Purple

Mom: What is your favorite song?

Aubrey: 1,2,3,4 (Her title for a song on the Crocodile Dock soundtrack)

Mom: What is your favorite toy?

Aubrey :playing with Kate and Emily (I pointed out that our neighbors aren't really toys)

Mom: What is your favorite thing about pre-school?

Aubrey: show and tell

Mom: What is your favorite T.V. show/movie?

Aubrey: Clifford (it's been a few months since she's watched Clifford)

Mom: What is your favorite game?

Aubrey: Matchbox cars 

Mom: What is your favorite thing to wear?

Aubrey: A dress, a twirly dress (just so happened she had one on during the interview)

Mom: Who do you miss?

Aubrey: Grandma and Grandpa, and Samuel (Samuel is her buddy who she had just spent the morning playing with at the park)

Mom: Who is your favorite brother? 

Aubrey: Samuel (I pointed out that her brother is Henry, but apparently Samuel is her "friend brother")

Mom: Who do you love?

Aubrey: Samuel. (should I be getting worried?)

Mom: What is your favorite sport to play?

Aubrey: chase, and soccer.

Mom: What was your favorite thing about being three?

Aubrey: wondering when I should be four

Mom: What do you want to be when you grow up?

Aubrey: A grown-up, or an adult.

We love you Aubrey. I could never have imagined four years ago how much better my life would be with you in it!  

Halloween with Tink and Pan

We had another great Halloween night here in Austin. For the third year in a row, we celebrated with our neighbors, which was bitter sweet considering we'll be leaving the neighborhood soon. We had pizza and then prowled the neighborhood for a few treats.  Henry caught on pretty quick, but once he picked a piece of candy from a bowl, he would promptly hand it back to whoever was holding it. That was perfectly fine with me considering most halloween candy is laced with peanuts. 

 What a very busy, but wonderful halloween!

2007

2008

2009

She can hardly contain her excitement!

A Birthday in Neverland

Aubrey decided she wanted to be TinkerBell for Halloween this year (so Henry had to be Peter Pan of course). I'm not really sure why.  I didn't even know she knew who TinkerBell was!  It just so happens that Aubrey's 4th birthday is on Monday, and since she wanted to have a TinkerBell party, we decided to have her party on halloween morning and just have a day of Tink.  Since we are in the midst of a move, we had to keep things small and opted to celebrate at a neighborhood park with her GiGi, our neighbors, and her friends from play group (who we don't get to see much of these days).  The weather was perfect and the kids had a ball.  I'm pretty sure they ran a few miles around the park. Aubrey hardly slowed down to eat cake. 

Neverland

Here comes Pan and Tink

Sweet Caroline.

Peter Pan was fast as lightning.

And so were Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys.

Kate and Emily, our neighbors, with the birthday girl. She is really going to miss having them next door.

And she's off again.

Showing off some of her birthday loot. Thanks to everyone for helping her celebrate!

A special Navajo doll from her Grandad.