1st Haircut

Lil man got his 1st haircut today - courtesy Carla Collins of Salon Bella. She actually said he was the best behaved 1st haircut she's had!

Of course, I'm feeling like he's not a baby anymore, but a lil man!

The Merry-Go-Round

Marilyn & I took the boys to the Valley to ride the Christmas Merry-Go-Round, they were both less then thrilled with the horses - note Lil Man's face - & I wasn't so crazy about going around in circles either :/ but they had fun in Santa's house & on the playground - despite the chilly weather!

Say CHEESE

I had to share this pic - Lil man insisted on helping me grate some cheese - of course, most of it ended up in his lap, but the thought of him becoming a master Chef... well, I'll try not to get ahead of myself...

Christmas Cards

These are a few of my favorite things - er, PEOPLE! I love to receive cards every year & see how families are growing up! This year (& alittle time on my hands) I decided to scan them in & save them as a collage (check out Shutterfly Studio, it's GREAT!) These are the cards I've received thus far!

& this is the one I sent out from us:

Sweet Cousins

I thought this photo was so cute of Trae with his cousin, Ava. You would have never known they haven't seen each other in months - they were fast friends!

Future Quarterback?

Dave went to the Falcons game yesterday & got the Lil Man his 1st Falcons tee - with the Quarterback's number. I don't know who was more proud, the giver or the receiver...
He's also shown here, appreciating the holiday calender Grandma Mell made him last year...

Choo Choo

I'm not sure if you all know who Thomas the train is, but he really creeps me out - he's got these big, bug eyes & it's just something about him... well, guess who is all about trains & Thomas now? Yup, Lil man! Here he is with the Thomas engineer cap his grandparents got him & one of the Christmas trains (that are now all destroyed)... choo choo!

Black Friday

I needed this today - my cool lil man in a shirt about his favorite girl!

Many of you have probably heard, but yesterday was a VERY tough day for me. After 20 years at Milliken , I was part of a large layoff. To say this was a shock is to say the least. I grew up with the Milliken logo tattooed to my forehead & had the blood running through my veins. I loved what I did, lived, slept & breathed, not to mention whole heatedly believed in Roger Milliken, 100%. With the new regime & economy, I was unsure, but still had faith in my dedication, abilities & Milliken family. I won't go on now, as I'm still in the shocked & extremely hurt phase & in the process of grieving. Perhaps it's my extended family that I'm really going to miss the most, who knows... I keep telling myself that when one door closes, another opens - it's just making myself believe that...
Thanks to all who have called & wrote - even though you don't 'know what to say', it's the thought that counts & it really does mean alot...

Here Comes Santa Claus

It really wasn't as cold as last year, but we still enjoyed snuggling up & watching everything at the parade!

Lock 'Em Up!

Deck the Halls!

If you know me, you know I love Christmas decorations. This year, I have put up 3 trees, deocrated the ficus in the kitchen, put out the Christmas village & decked out the mantle! So, that being said, I figured I had to deck out the blog as well! I found the link thanks to Nancy - hope y'all enjoy it! Of course I had to take a pic of the Lil man by the miscellaneous tree in the den... Tis the season!

Happy Bday Hubby!

Food, fun , fellowship & leftover turkey for Dave's 41st! Dave, Ike (bkg) - John, Stev & Coach (front)

Did you EVER think you'd see the day?

That my wine rack would be replaced with Puffs?!?!
Of course, please don't worry too much, there's always a stash somewhere - probably closest to the opener ;)

The Man in the Red Suit

Lil man got to see one of Santa's helpers this weekend & he was not to crazy about it. At least he's not screaming in the pic though ;)

Finally, Halloween

Grandma Mell finally sent us the Halloween pics (my camera died - previous post) - Lil Man was Pooh bear as a Honey Bee - I was thinking I've gotta dress him cute while I can before he ends up wanting to be some super hero or something gory... enjoy in the innocence now (note his bum paw - now better)...

All You Need is LoVe

Auntie Lauren knows what a Beatles fan Mommy is, so she, Uncle Russell & Ava got the me my 1st rockin' Beatles tee for my bday - it just now fits & I'm stylin' :D

The Lady Liberty & me

I'm back - & I'm REALLY proud of myself. I don't know if I've mentioned it, but NYC REALLY intimidates me - mostly when I'm by myself... but last night, I MADE myself go to Times Sq to the half price TIX booth & got tix to 'Chicago', walked 2 blocks to find the theater & had an hour to spare, so I went into a nearby restaurant & ordered bruschetta & a glass of pinot noir, relaxed & wrote my postcards. Then, I went to the show (great, but it was surprisingly old school) & then hailed a cab home!
This am, I took a cab to Battery park to have breakfast with Lady Liberty - a bagel & Diet Coke just chilling on the pier looking out at the old broad & thinking about all she symbolizes to our country. I, then cabbed it back to ABC carpets, well known in the textile industry, for some inspiration. Stopped by the local Milli office & then caught a cab to the airport!
AND, speaking of the air - as we were coming into the ATL, we made a SHARP right, then a SHARP left (I'm talking bodies leaning) & then went STRAIGHT UP! Um, can you say unnerving? & it's not that I don't talk to my maker on every take-off & landing, but I was doing DOUBLE time! The pilots had 'missed' the route & had to re-route - it turned out well, obvouisly, but JEEZ! I made a land-speed record back to LG to pick-up Trae at daycare & just breathe him in!

Soccer Sissy

Lil man doesn't get to see his sister very often, so we get very excited to get pics in the mail! He has actually started to say 'Sissy!' when we show him pictures...

She tried golf & wasn't crazy about it, but really is taken with soccer!

My 1st baby

Can I say that I've had some SERIOUS mommy guilt this week - 1st the Lil man dislocates his elbow (see previous post) & then my sweet Jackie D gets banned from the house due to a flea attack once the heat was turned on (there may even be some biblical infestation reference here) - but in the big scheme of things (& some higher plan), I have to remind myself that this is just a blip on the chart... Here is the sweet girl with her mama, right before Lil man arrived:

Hallow's Past

Of all times for my camera to die - it was on Halloween this year! So, until mom sends me the pics from her camera, here is a flashback to last year when Shrek was almost 4 months old:

He was quite the lil orge:

Nursemaid's Elbow

Apparently Nursemaids were really given a bum wrap with this one - so named because they were often 'jerking' the children out of harm's way, but in the end, dislocating the elbow. Lil man had his 2nd trip to the ER - this one at almost 16mos - & nursemaid's elbow was this diagnosis. How did this happen you ask? Innocently enough, his dad was pulling him into bed, like he's done a thousand times! The kicker was, we had to take him to the ER for an x-ray (excruitating) & then to have it set - it was suggested (but not reccommended) to follow-up with an orthopedic doc. Being the paranoid mother I am, I scheduled one with the Dr that did my achilles surgery (a whole 'nother saga) - I am SO glad I did! It turns out that when the ER splinted him straight, it actually popped back out! So, Dr. Terry had to re-set AGAIN! The poor kid almost hit the roof! It was then splinted at almost 90 degrees & seemed to have relief. He's been wearing it to daycare as a precaution, but will probably go sans for Halloween... bless his heart & his folks - whew, what a week! If you have a young child - I encourage you to read the link above...

& oh, does this kid look like a 'freakin Calvin Klein model or WHAT?!?

Ride 'Em Cowboy

Today was my nephew's 9th birthday & it was a cowboy theme. Here he is enjoying a ride on Trouper with his big sis:

My friend, Lindsey was there, taking pics & I can't WAIT to see what she comes up with. Here are a few other of Lil man riding in the gator & also on Trouper - which he seemd ok with riding & Literally SOBBED when we took him off, so then we had to put him on the fake horse...
& this fake horse was animatronic & was almost creepy the way it turned towards you when you talked or rubbed it's ears!

Pumpkin Night

We had a fairly good turnout, despite the rain - the pic didn't come out that great due to the rain & my less then steller photography in the dark - there's actually 5 pumpkins in this & 2 more were done that went hom early...

My yummy mummy cheese was a hit & everyone also loved the chili - I had only one helping of the chicken chili left!

A tale of Many Dogs

Lil Man LOVES this book - Busy Doggies ! In fact, he's recently taken to sleeping with it - as you can see with some other 1sts in bed - pillow, blanket & sippy cup... He wakes up saying 'DAWG' & pretty much is content to sleep with them as well...

Hummingbird Festival

Do you think this kid is comfortable around a camera, or what?

We spent the afternoon at the Hummingbird Festival in Hogansville with Grandma Mell. Trae got his 1st train ride & he loved saying 'choo-choo' & afterwards, the conductor let him ring the bell!

& apparently, he's more comfortable when mom is BEHIND the camera, instead of in front of it:

Bruce Wayne

Aka: Batman!

Lil man got his 1st pair of Batman PJs & loved them! Especially when Daddy would sing the Batman music - dada dada dada dada BATMAN!

They even have a cape on them, but are unfortunately, the pants are too long to run & let the cape flow - we learned that lesson right away... so, the outfit worked just as well with diapers...

Batman begins...

Egg Masters

Every Friday night, for as long as Dave & I have been married, our good friend Ike has come out for food, fun & folly - of course lately, all he wants to talk is politics - imagine that... the boys always cook steaks on the Green Egg & I whip up the sides, tonight my mom's twice baked potatoes & a salad, always a hit. This evening, they BOTH decided to don the chef's garb, Dave as Kevin Rathurn & Ike as Emeril - the interesting thing is we NEVER eat before dark & tonight is no different- but for now, the steaks are off & I'm hungry!

My budding Artist

Today,

we decided to make a Get Well card

for the dad of one of Lil Man's classmates.

He placed the stickers & did some coloring

- right now his style is alittle Jackson Pollack,

we'll see how it progresses :D

We hope it cheers everyone up!

The Original Slider

I grew up in Chicago & one of our favorite places was White Castle & whenever we return, we have to make a stop, even before visting Grams - to which Lysh & I got in big trouble about one visit... Another time, was when I was newly pregnant & the clan converged in Chi-town to see said Grams for Christmas, & she cooked (sorry & she doesn't have Internet, so she can't read this) a disgusting pot roast meal in the crock pot & I had a meltdown! My sweet cousin-in-law, Brian & cousin, Hjal, said 'Um, we're going to get the pregnant lady some sliders!' Of course, they wanted to flee the drama AND get sliders too - all I cared was I got some in the end :D - I mean, how can you go to Chi-town & not have 1. pizza, 2. White Castle & 3. Willie's Weenie Wagon (a whole 'nother post). I have now introduced the Lil man to the 'original slider' - of course the frozen version we get in the South is no comparison, & he'll probably grow up a *gasp* Krystal fan but, he was really ok with it... he liked it alot better when I added cheese to it - that's my boy!
Watch the video on the home site to the secret of slider cooking & it will get those taste buds drooling!

Happy Fall Y'all

Lil man got his 1st run through a pumpkin patch today! He really enjoyed it! He was interested in the unusually bumpy ones, & the white ones. We did get a decorative white one, but got the good ol' stand-by for carving at the end of the month...

This is once we got home & set things up:

In the Doghouse

That's EXACTLY where he is - in Jackie's crate...

Babies & Puppies...

What could be cuter then babies & puppies? I don't think anything! These were taken at a 1st birthday party of a friend...

Daddy & me

The boys reading about dogs...