Austin the Hunter? or the Fashion Designer???!!!

Happy Thursday, Everyone!

So, tonight has been relatively peaceful in our house...the kids have been playing back in their bedrooms and I haven't heard any yelling, so all must be well, right? Well, I decide to listen what they are saying to each other and I hear the following exchange:

Austin: Ok, Kayla, let's take those off (uh oh...that can't be good!)

Kayla: Ok, Bubba

Austin: Kayla, step in. KAYLA, STEP IN

Kayla: Ok, Bubba

A few minutes later, Kayla walks out of the bedroom dressed like this...

Austin was QUITE PROUD of his creation!

He told me that she was a princess who just had a baby. They are continuing to play in her room, she's still in the leotard with the tutu, the yellow high heels and the necklace. I think I just heard something about her having three twins...OH, LORD!

Austin and Joe went to Joe's mom's this weekend for his "first hunting trip." Duck season ends soon, and Austin has been wanting to go all season. For those of you who don't know, duck season around her this year has been pretty scarce because of the relatively mild temperatures. Joe's mom has a pond down behind her house that they hunt at sometimes. Well, Sunday morning, Joe and Austin went down to the pond to hunt. Not sure how many times Joe fired the gun (he probably wouldn't tell me anyway, since he didn't come home with much!), but Austin came home with A DUCK!!!



He was so excited about it and I know he can't wait to shoot his own duck. Joe was quite proud as well that Austin was wanting to "play" with it. The "treat" came later that night when he requested that they eat "fried duck" for dinner! Joe obliged and said it actually wasn't too bad (unfortunately, I wasn't here to try it!)

While Joe and Austin were out of town, Kayla and I stayed here to have a "girl's weekend." Unfortunately, Kayla was pretty sick all weekend, so we just stayed around the house. Towards the end of the weekend, she was obviously feeling better, and I walked into the living room as she was reading to her babies. I think they were all enjoying it!

I hope you're all having a great week. The playing still seems to be going well, although I just heard a very frustrated "NO, Bubba's not done!!" We'll see how long this lasts! I also keep hearing the sound of toys being pulled out of toy boxes...I wonder who's going to clean that up?!

Inauguration Day...

No photos today...just my random ramblings regarding the "festivities" occurring in our Nation's Capitol.

I am fully aware of the historical nature of today's events. Don't get me wrong, this is a day to go down in the history books. However, is it really necessary to spend this amount of money when the country is in the economic crisis that we're in? I can think of MANY better ways to spend the money. Can you imagine if a Republican were spending this sort of money on an inauguration event?! There is a bill that has been passed AND signed that would give federal loan forgiveness to prosecutors...but, there's no money to fund it! Maybe, if we cut back on an inaugural ball (or five!), we could use that money to pay back the great public servants in our country who don't make nearly what our private practice counterparts make.

I get that our new "leader" has a perceived "great vision" for the country...I just wish I could say that vision would be good for everyone. From what I've seen so far, it appears to me that the status quo would be better for me (yes, I'm selfish...I know!)

Obviously, Obama wasn't my choice for president in November. However, as an American, I know that he is now "my" president. I just wish his "hope" and "change" wasn't so divisive already. Only time will tell what his legacy will leave. I just hope people look behind the smoke and mirrors to what action he actually takes, what good he actually does and whether he actually leaves this country a better place than when he found it.

My Baby Girl is 2!!!!!

So, today is Kayla's birthday, although it has really been more of a birthday weekend! We had Kayla's party yesterday at The Bounce. The Bounce is really a very smart idea on the part of some entrepreneur here in town to fill a building with jump houses. What more could a kid ask for than about 10 different play things to jump in...and what could make a parent more crazy?! Well, we had about 15 kids come to celebrate with Kayla and I'm pretty sure she had a good time. OK, I'm not really sure she realized that the party was for her, but she had a good time anyway. We were there for about two hours, and she was definitely worn out by the end of the day! When we opened presents when we got home, it took forever because she wanted to COMPLETELY open every present she got. That also caused some problems for Austin. He was having such a hard time with Kayla getting a lot of presents and him not getting anything. And then he was getting really upset when she didn't want to share her toys. My mom kept having to sit him down and talk to him about how his birthday was coming up soon and that he would get presents then!

Here's Kayla jumping in one of the jumpie things! She had a BLAST!!

Austin joined in the fun, too. Here is he coming off of one of the slides!

Here's Kayla climbing the stairs to one of the slides!

Again, Kayla playing in one of the jumpie things. She is growing up so fast!

Austin had to show Kayla how to blow out the candles...and then he ended up blowing them out himself! She's lucky to have a big brother to show her how to do things!

I joined in on the fun, too...but only because Kayla convinced me she needed me to take her down the slide! I'm pretty sure those things aren't made for grown ups!

This is one of the presents Kayla got...a princess chair. Doesn't it look like a throne?!

Before Kayla's party, we had her two year pictures taken. I know, I know...like I really need more pictures of the kids, right?! Well, this time, Mark Sykes, the photographer we use came to the house and took pictures of Kayla playing in her room. He basically just let her play and followed her around the room and took pictures. I can't wait to see them...I think he got some really cute ones!

Its so amazing to see how much Kayla has changed, even in the past year. She is such a sweet girl, although we are definitely starting to see signs of the "terrible twos". She is talking so much now, although there are times I'm not quite sure what she's saying, but she is such a doll. I can't wait to see what this next year brings us...hopefully not too many temper tantrums!