The Best Thanksgiving!

We were so fortunate this year to celebrate Thanksgiving with relatives from 4 states representing the all parts of our family!  Harrison came up with the idea to do a "Thanksgiving Tree". I think it will be a new family tradition!

Lots of food, drinks, and fun conversation!

 Our biggest turkey!

Uncle David brought us all shirts to honor the Fitzgerald side of the family! (Of course, Harrison thinks its great we are all honoring him!)

Happy 2nd Birthday Quinn!!!

In preparation of the birthday celebration, Q got her first haircut.  She was not very pleased about doing it but she sat there and got it done with relatively little protest.

 Time to party!  Pancake breakfast with the grandparents and auntie!

 Q quickly caught on to the gift opening!

A special book and puppy from the DC aunt and uncle. Love!

Tea sets, dolls, doll highchairs, play beauty set...perhaps the number of girls toys will finally equal the boy toys in our house!

 Time for cake!!!

Happy birthday to the girl who adds A LOT of spice to our life!  Love you so much!

Happy Halloween!

Harrison ranked Christmas and his birthday as his favorite days of the year but Halloween is a close 3rd!

 (Don't let these pics fool you...once again, mommy did all the dirty work!

 Quinn liked the costume when we first put it on but then it lasted only 2 houses.  We ditched the peacock costume and she went as a sassy 2 year old.  (She nailed the part.)

 Gal Pal Nora and Harrison joined up with other neighbors kids and made quite a haul!

G&G's Pumpkin Patch Adventure

Harrison and Quinn have been lucky enough to head out to multiple pumpkin patches this year. They each went with their daycares.  Grandma and Grandpa O brought the two of them to an orchard/pumpkin patch while they had the kids for a weekend (while Mom & Dad got a quick get away to Miami!)  They got apples and made apple pie!  Their final visits were individual trips with Grandma and Grandpa L.  Q was a little reluctant with the animals but liked the pumpkins!

 Harrison on the other hand LOVED everything out at the farm!

 Luckily there was no repeat of the "Goat Incident of 2010" (see blog post from April 2010). Harrison had so much fun and is still talking about the animals.

The goats get their revenge! (Although I love these pictures...the first thing I did when he got home was wash everything!)

Such good memories for the kids!

Fall Fun!

Harrison and Matt went on a fall camping trip with 7 other families.  It was a beautiful fall weekend. Harrison LOVED staying in the tent and cooking over the campfire.

 Q and I stayed back from camping. (She doesn't exactly sleep terrific in a bed so thinking a tent wouldn't be better...).  We had a fun weekend though. A bit a shopping, a walk around the lake, some cleaning....Below are just a few random pics from the last few weeks.

Friendship Tree

Super proud parenting moment this week...Harrison teacher had mention to me that Harrison started the idea of the "Friendship Tree" that is on the wall in their school. I didn't really realize what she meant until we saw the sign up at school. Unfortunately I can't get the image to come through without being blurry but is says:

Stepping Stones Friendship Tree

The tree, was started by Harrison (Fitz) a 5 year old boy in our Stepping Stones Program. The tree started out as an individual project and eventually sparked students to work together to make fall leaves for the tree. The group of kind and bright friends decided to create a leaf for all the children in Stepping Stones Classroom. From there the teachers decided to add leaves to the tree every time the boys and girls were caught being kind, caring and helpful members of our classroom community.

The tress is a class symbol of how we are working and growing as a commmunity. We are all here to support and learn from one another this school year.

Latest adventures...

My posts are a bit infrequent so picture mix is random. A little glimpse into the last couple weeks.

The kids and I enjoy a fun evening down by Lake Harriet with some friends while Matt was at a golf tournament. Harrison was excited to take Quinn of her first trolley ride. Unfortunately, I accidentally spilled a glass of lemonade on her had right before the ride.  She actually enjoy the ride but doesn't quite look like in the picture!

 We had a neighborhood "Good Luck on New Adventures" party over Labor Day.  Our good friends and neighbors, the McCambridges are moving to Atlanta this week. Harrison is VERY sad to be saying good-bye to his good buddy Jack.  :(  With some other kids starting new schools, we decide it was all a good reason to rent a bounce house!  Here are some of the bigger kids!

 The kids also decorated bikes for a bike parade! I didn't quite get a picture of all of them but you get the idea!

 H started back of Stepping Stones after Labor Day!

 Here is Q...it is tough to be a princess!

 Q's doll apparently did something to warrant a timeout. Not sure what but I heard Q saying "no, no, no" and putting the doll on the stairs.  Well...at least Q can sympathize with the doll since she might have a bit of experience in the timeout spot.

Finally....Harrison had his first hockey practice. Can't believe we are embarking on the hockey journey.  I told Matt we aren't going to force him to do it. I shouldn't be surprised when he came home and said it was "Awesome! Can I go tomorrow too?"  Yikes!