Christmas

Christmas was so fun this year! We started off having a Christmas celebration with my Grandma Pruitt, Aunt, and cousins on Tuesday. We then spent Christmas Eve at my mom's house in Lindale. Finn had fun playing with his 3 step-cousins. It was the first year that Finn really understood the concept of Santa, and he was really excited to leave a plate of cookies and milk for him. He got one gift from Santa that morning before we headed over to Rick's sisters house in Austin. We stayed the night there, then went back to Tyler to see my Dad, Grandma Donnelly, and Aunt Susan. Even though it was a lot of driving, it was great to get to see everyone.

Erin leaves to go to England tomorrow. I know Finn will miss his Aunt Ern (his pronunciation). Hopefully I can go visit her while she is there.

Today is Finn's BFF Aidan's birthday. Happy Birthday Aidan!

We hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!

Ready for Christmas

Haven't posted much in a while- we are just getting ready for Christmas over here. Finn has been very interested in the wrapped gifts around the house, and can tell you exactly which gifts belong to whom, especially him. I have been working on teaching him about the reason why we celebrate Christmas. If you ask him what is happening next week, he will tell you that it is Baby Jesus' birthday. We are going to busy traveling around this next week. We will be going to Dallas, Tyler, Austin, and back to Tyler. Finn had his 3 year check-up with his new pediatrician this week. Everything went well. Finn seems to be flat-footed like his Daddy. Finn has had a major growth spurt- he is almost 39 inches tall- in the 75th percentile. Finn no longer uses his pacifier which makes it take a really long time for him to get to sleep at night. He does have a new habit- thumb and finger sucking, but he has done suprisingly well not asking for his pacifier. We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and I will post pictures after the holidays!

Third Birthday

Yes, the rumors are true. My sweet baby boy Finn is no longer a baby- he turned 3 yeas old today. Time has gone by so fast. It seems like yesterday that we were driving on an icy bridge to make it for my induction, because we couldn't wait to meet Finn.
Finn has had a busy but low-key birthday celebration this year. On Saturday, we had a small family party. The theme was Curious George, along with a homemade Curious George Cupcake Cake. Finn enjoyed being the center of attention and showing off his new dance-cam skills.
Today Finn had Mothers- Day-Out. We brought some Cars cupcakes to school so that he could enjoy them with his classmates. Then they sang Happy Birthday to him, which was really cute. Finn loves singing it to himself.
Tonight we went to Build-A-Bear for Finn's first time ever. he picked out a zebra that he named Marty, after the zebra from Madagascar. We put one of his pacifiers inside Marty while they were stuffing him, to symbolize Finn not needing a pacifier anymore. Finn was not so excited about that part, and will probably gnaw open the thing by morning to get it out. Finn also picked out a construction worker ensemble for Marty to wear.
We ate at a cute 50's style diner called The Purple Cow. He finished the night with a big purple milkshake. Marty had to eat with us, of course.

Finn is finally potty trained and just barely made it my goal for him to be potty trained by the age of three. I'm really proud of him. It took a lot of patience, candy, and bribery.

Happy Birthday Little Man!

Thanksgiving

We had a very busy Thanksgiving week. B'Kay came in town with Tera, Scot, and Finn to celebrate Thanksgiving last weekend. We showed them around Ft. Worth and went to Fossil Rim, the wildlife park. Finn had a great time seeing Rick's family, especially playing around with his cousin Jaxx.

Finn and I went to my mom's house on Monday. We helped get everything ready for our Thanksgiving meal. On Thursday, we had our Thanksgiving lunch with my mom, Doyle, Erin, Zach, my Aunt Amy, Brent, Will, and Grandma Pruitt. It was great to see everybody and there was so much food. Finn refused to eat anything but rolls. Then, we had Thanksgiving dinner with my Dad and Grandma Donnelly.
It was a very busy week, but a lot of fun. Our family has a lot to be thankful for this year.

Santa

I know that we haven't even had Thanksgiving yet, but I have been really trying to get Finn excited about Christmas this year. So, I decided to go ahead and take Finn to get his picture taken with Santa at the mall. The closer you get to Christmas the longer the lines get, and Finn is not known for his patient line waiting.

I was worried that Finn would get scared once we got up there, because he has been going through a scaredy-cat phase. As soon as we got up there Finn quietly said "Hi Santa." I think he was in shock that he was meeting the "real" Santa. He sat on his lap and got his picture taken without a hitch or a smile. Santa asked him what he wanted for Christmas and he told him a bell. I guess Santa is used to more grandiose requests, because he decided to find a jingle bell to give to Finn. Finn was so excited and carries that thing around everywhere singing "Jingle Bells." Finn got his one Christmas wish- a single jingle bell from Santa, just like in the movie "Polar Express." This is very sweet but I can't help but be a little disappointed that I can't hang over his head that he needs to be a good little boy or Santa won't get him anything for Christmas. Oh well.

Mother's Day Out

Finn will start going to a Mother's Day Out Program on Tuesdays at the North Fort Worth Baptist Church. He is very excited about this, and has been begging me for a while to take him to school to play with "his friends." He brings a sleeping bag with him to school for naps, and this makes Finn think he is a big tough guy.

Other interesting facts about Finn....

* his new favorite food is capers. Yes, capers. He has a very sophisticated palate and calls them "baby pickles"

* his favorite sayings are "I can't like that" (like whenever you try and make him eat his dinner), and "I'm a big man". Finn hates being called a baby now.

* Finn's new favorite show is "Sesame Street". He especially loves Oscar the Grouch (go figure) and Elmo. He loves the Oscar song "I love Trash" and sings along.

* Finn wants one single jingle bell from Santa for Christmas. I think it's so sweet that Christmas hasn't become commercialized for him yet.

* Finn is counting constantly and knows all of his shapes and colors. We are working on letters...

*Finn is the puzzle king. He is really good at doing all sorts of puzzles. he did not acquire this from me.

Victorious!

Happy Halloween!

Finn had a blast this year on Halloween. On Tuesday, we went to Boo at the Zoo. Finn dressed as a lion and got to see the animals, trick or treat, and play carnival games. On Friday night, we went to my mom's house to trick-or-treat. Finn dressed as Boss Hogg, while I was Daisy Duke and Rick was Bo Duke (or maybe it was Luke Duke.) Finn loved going door to door and yelling "Trick-or treat." When ever he got the candy, he would say "Thank you ma'am." (regardless if it was a man or woman.) Finn looked so cute, and I was excited to pick out his costume since it will probably be my last time he will let me do that.

October Birthdays

October is a busy month for our family, as far as birthdays go. My Dad, Mom, Erin, Aunt Susan, and cousin Leslie all have birthdays this month. Here is a special treat for all of you October babies- Finn singing Happy Birthday.

Fall in Fort Worth

We have been settling in a little bit in our new apartment, and venturing out around the metroplex. I have gotten together with a few high school friends which has been nice, and we have had visitors as well. My mom and her clan came up to visit and we all went to the Dallas World Aquarium. Later, they baby-sat Finn so we could go out with Andy and Allyson who were in town. My Dad, Erin, my Grandma, and Lacey came in town this past weekend as well. We went to the Fort Worth Stockyards, where we went through the human maze and rode the mechanical bull. On Sunday, we checked out the State Fair and noshed on some Chicken Fried Bacon. Today, we went to the Pumpkin Patch at the Dallas Arboretum with my friend Amy and her two kids.

Happy Birthday Rick

Rick's birthday was on Sunday, and the celebration was pretty low-key. We spent our final day in Austin eating at Mulligans and then Rick stayed to watch the Vikings game (they lost). The picture is the Lost themed cupcakes that I made him for his big day.

We are moved in! We are still unpacking boxes but everything has been moved over to our new apartment. Our new apartment is nice but smaller, so we are still working on finding a place for everything. We are right in the middle of downtown and are pretty much in walking distance of everything., including being right next to the library. I think is the one and only kid in our complex. poor guy. Someday we will live somewhere where ther are kids who live nearby.

In other exciting news, my friend Katie is being induced today. She and Derek are having a baby girl named Addison. Best wishes, guys!

So long, farewell, it's time to say goodbye.

The movers will be here in 2 days to move all of our stuff to Fort Worth. I have been packing boxes all week and Rick will come home tomorrow to help me finish. Rick will go with the movers to help unload, and I will join him on Sunday after all of my cupcake orders are done.

I will come back on Thursday to clean up the condo and get my cupcake sready for the wedding I am doing in Blanco on the 27th. That next day, the 28th, we will have one final afternoon in Austin at the Oasis for Rick's birthdya celebration.

We will miss everybody so much and I loved living in Austin for the past 8 years. Hopefully, we will move back someday. We will definitely be visiting. Everybody PLEASE come visit us in Fort Worth- I am sure there is more to do there than watch cattle. I hope!

The look

This is the look you get if you are a little girl who takes the other coin-operated train that Finn was eyeing.

Train Ride

You know you are hot stuff when you are rubbing elbows with the Three Minute Oatmeal man. Yes, that is just one of the many celebrity sightings that we had on our train ride to the Bertram Oatmeal Festival. On Saturday, we took a train ride from Cedar park to Betram, where they were having their Oatmeal Festival. The train ride was pretty fun, and Finn enjoyed it since he is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. We got to walk though the cars while it was in motion, and stop in between cars for some really nice views.

the Oatmeal Festival was pretty funny. They had planes that flew overhead and dropped oatmeal on the town. We made it just in time for the parade that featured the elderly drill team of the town"The Plungettes", low-riders, civil war re-enacters, and tons of people throwing candy. Finn got soooo much candy. It's really funny how much he took to Oatmeal Man- he really thinks that he is a superhero now and and will jump off the couch and say "I'm Oatmeal Man." Everybody needs a hero, I guess.

Heiney 2

Finn has the funniest dance he does, appropriately called "Heiney 2." It is a modification from his earlier dance Heiney 1. Enjoy this clip of Finn getting down.

Galveston

We just got back from our trip to Galveston. My Dad was gracious enough to rent a huge beach-front house on Jamaica Beach. Erin and I headed out with Finn on Monday to join my dad. Finn had a blast playing in the waves and the sand. We went to Moody Gardens and visited their indoor "Rainforest", Aquarium, and IMAX. Will, and our cousins Bryan and Cody came Tuesday-Thursday, and Rick was able to join us on Friday night. We went to the Rainforest Cafe on Friday night, thinking Finn would love the rainforest animals that come to life while you are eating. Wrong. Finn was really freaked out, especially by the giant anaconda. We checked out the Strand area and did some shopping and ate at a really cute old-timey drugstore/soda fountain. All in all, we had a great time, except for my hair, which cannot handle the Galveston humidity.

Future Olympians 2024

Looks like Finn and Jaxx have a real future as a synchronized swimming duo. Today, B'Kay, Tera, Finn, Jaxx, and I went to the Veterans Waterpark. They had a blast playing together. Finn likes to copy everything that Jaxx does, including going backwards down a water slide. It was really cute.

This week has been pretty busy between going to the River last weekend, getting a new car, and getting things ready for our move. Finn has picked up a great new habit of saying something that sounds just like "stop beating me mama", whenever I make him leave someplace that he wants to stay. I know he is really is saying or means something else, but it has caused a few embarrasing moments.

Remembering what's important

View from the Top

It has been quite the week for our family. My grandma is in still in the hospital, and everything is still up in the air about her condition. Please continue to keep her in your thoughts and prayers. On Friday, we left for Tulsa. I left in the morning to meet Rick at an apartment in Fort Worth. On the way, I got in a wreck and totaled my car. It was my fault. Thankfully, everyone was ok and we have insurance. I am going to start looking for a new car this week.

We made it to Tulsa, where Finn was able to spend sometime with his Gran and Rick's extended family. We stayed in downtown Fort Worth Sunday night, and we found an apartment. It is called Firestone, and it's really gorgeous. It is in the Museum district, in downtown Fort Worth. We're really excited to have found a place.

We were able to visit my grandma Monday through Wednesday. Finn wasn't allowed in the room to visit her, so we my Dad and Erin had to take turns watching him. We made it back to Austin tonight and are glad to be off of the road. The picture above is the view from our hotel room in Fort Worth.

Sold!

We FINALLY sold our house on Friday. We are so relived to no longer be tied down with the house and free to move to Fort Worth. It was a nice little house, but we can honestly say we are not sad to see it go. Although, I doubt I will get so many free and impromptu fireworks shows in our new place.

Please keep my Grandma Donnelly in your thoughts and prayers. She is in the hospital right now, due to more trouble with her kidney function. We hope you get better soon Grandma!

The Lions Sleeps Tonight

As some of you may know, Finn has recently become obsessed with lions. It all started with a really annoying movie called "Madagascar" that featured a lion named Alex. Ever since then, Finn will roar at complete strangers and refers to lions only as Alexes. I thought it would be fun to go ahead and get one of Finn's Halloween costumes early, a little lion outfit. Yes, one of his costumes. I get really into Halloween, ok? we just got it in today, and Finn has been in full king of the jungle mode, crawling on all fours and roaring at everything. He refuses to take it off. See cute picture of him sleeping in his costume below. It is too cute.

Finn and I went to see "Everyone's Hero" today at the free movie festival. I had told Finn it was about a dog, which I thought that it was, but it turned out to be about Babe Ruth. I think he ended up enjoying it, but the whole movie he kept asking "Where doggy, mama?". Oops.

Potty training has been going well- Finn is only one sticker away from earning his Woody toy. He does very well when motivated by bribes. I see politics in his future. he has even started potty training his plastic dog on a leash. When the dog "messes on the carpet" Finn will say "Bad Doggy", and spank him. I think he may have picked this up from my woes with Governor.

The Boys are Back in Town

Finn got to spend a full week with his buddy Aidan back in town. Andrea and Aidan decided to come to Austin while Allan was studying for the bar exam. We spent a lot of time at the pool- the Y pool, Katie's pool, and Andrea's mom's pool. Those boys cannot get enough of the pool! On Tuesday, we had a dinner while the boys watched their new favorite movie, Toy Story. Finn pretends that he is Buzz Lightyear all of the time, by sticking out his arms and saying "To Infinity and Beyond", well, really just saying "Beee-yawn!!!"

We hit the farmer's market on Wednesday and the boys played on the splashpad, played soccer and football, and ran around the bocci courts.

Thursday we went to Stacey's house for dinner. Finn and Miles play really well together, and loved taking turns at the pretend coffee pot. Looks like I have a future barista on my hands!

Potty training is going very slowly. I am basically using bribes to get Finn to use his potty. If he sits on the potty, he gets an m&m. If he actually goes, he earns a sticker. If he earns a sticker, he gets a "Woody" doll from Toy Story. We shall see how it works.