sometimes it takes an airplane

We skipped town this week and ended up in sunny freeze your fingers off Texas for some good old fashioned family fun.  I gotta admit I was ancy over the whole affair.  Leaving right smack in the middle of advent preparations.  Not to mention my Christmas shopping list, just shy of thirty people.  But just as it usually does, the sacrifices turned out to be the shiniest gifts in the not yet Christmas tree adorned living room.  This right here is the time to breathe deep with gratitude.  So instead of wading around in lists and sales floors I'll be chattin it up with the quirkiest members on the family tree and u-turning for chips and guacamole at 3 in the afternoon with the fanciest sis in town.  I will resolve to keep my feet on the floor and not sneak a peek at what's coming next.

I managed to get through a whole In Style traveling with these pros

Tia has the best dress up box ever

Not sure about this combo, reindeer rocker?

I did get to have breakfast with spiderdog so that was a treat.

The Perot museum was a huge highlight

And cruising around with Tia is always some wacky fun

But the big milestone was FINALLY (in her words) getting Ava's ears pierced!

In a surprising turn of events it was mama who cried while Ms. A was cool as a cucumber.  Here's to one more step into the realm of big-girldom.  

I hope all my lovies have a few moments built into this week to celebrate the gifts both matte and glossy and to pull the reigns of the fast moving Christmas train.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Rocktober

It's currently six hours past my bedtime but Ben's slipping me New Girl episodes and bad reality television like a corner dealer.  Since the last time we've been out alone together was August we have to take our moments wherever we can find them.  We've got big plans this long weekend that include not leaving the house, a pj's only dress code, lots of baking, lazy reading, after dark reruns, neglecting any activity that falls under the heading of productivity...aaaaand maybe a little blogging.  I'm slowly realizing that this is not going to be a season of reflection but dang it I can at least throw up a couple pictures of the cutest superheroes on the block.

Meet Wonder Woman and Captain America

Ben's awesome freehanded pumpkin creations

Bird and superhero mamas

Last Saturday Ms. A celebrated the big number seven and somehow my dinner with family turned into a sleepover party, trip to Bullwinkles, visit from Chicago grandparents, and a three day present opening fest after which she declared she does not need anything for Christmas.(We'll see how long that lasts.)  

Kitchen dance party

 Banana spilt birthday cake

 Breakfast monkey bread

 Making it to the top of the climbing wall

 The next night was family party night and I made this rainbow cake with a rainbow banner that insisted on saying, HP 7th, IRD, AA!  We rolled with it.

I'm not gonna lie, it was a lot of partying.  But compared to her last birthdays I think I kept my crazy to a minimum.  Once again daddy pulled out a stroke of genius with a pogo stick and Heely's.  She has been a blur this entire week.  I can't believe she's actually seven.  Her current claim to fame includes being a rockstar reader and eating up a chapter book a night.  She is the best big sister to Ian, our resident jewelry designer, an amazing artist, and somehow makes me feel luckier every year.  

So that pretty much sums up the last of October.  Here's a pick of little man loving his alone time with Yeh Yeh and Nai Nai.

One last October gem

Was this as random as it seemed to me?  I'll end with my current mantra where I'm consistently craving less routine and more alone time, but this gang of hooligans tip the scales in my favor and send my exhausted self to bed with a full heart.