Santa's Reindeer

On the drive home from Georgia, we made it to Birmingham before stopping for lunch. Gavin likes pizza so we decided to find a mall and Sbarro for lunch. Little did we know, there Santa's reindeer would be. After eating, Dave and Gavin got in line. Then discovered they needed a token, had to wait in line to get a token from a machine. It was a long process. But Gavin waited patiently.

And, he was rewarded with a ride on one of Santa's reindeer.

Though the stop was longer than we anticipated, we knew the hours of traveling that lay ahead would still be ahead whenever we were ready to go. We all got to stretch our legs before getting back into the car. Thankfully, Gavin fell asleep at some point; it rained all the way across the state of Louisiana. We did stop in Monroe, Louisiana, where we had dinner and topped off the gas. A quick break at the first rest area in Texas for a PJ change for Gavin was supposed to be our last, but Gavin needed me to hold him around 10pm. So we pulled over, I got into the backseat with Gavin and within 30 seconds he was asleep. We got to our house just at midnight. It was a long day, but Gavin was a trooper.

Thanksgiving

Gavin and I spent a fun and busy week on the farm with Grandma and Granddaddy. Gavin got to ride the Kawasaki Mule many times. He and Granddaddy had to go get the tractor and load a bale of hay for a lady. He got to play, play, play. He got to feed Uncle Matthew's chickens and pet Duke, Hayden's dog.

We got to visit my Granny for a bit. We had dinner with my cousin Jennifer, her husband, Kirk, and my aunt Martha. My aunt Lesa and her family, Dwayne, Tessa, and Bridget had Thanksgiving dinner with us. GrandBob and Grandma Judy came for lunch, tool

After a delicious Thanksgiving meal, we went outside to enjoy the beautiful sunshine.

GrandBob worked to show us how to play badmitton. I can't wait until Gavin is big enough to play badmitton with me :)

We made the poor boy stop playing long enough for a quick family picture.

Even GrandBob enjoyed a ride on the Mule.
Bridget, Tessa, and Gavin got a ride from Granddaddy.

Friday, we went to the Museum of Nature and Science in Cartersville and checked out the big trucks. Then we went to Kennesaw to play with GrandBob and Grandma Judy for a while.

Back at Grandma's house, Hayden had come down for a while. Poor guy had been sick with a fever much of the week, so we really didn't get to see much of him--maybe next time.

Road Trip

Over Thanksgiving Break, Gavin and I took a road trip to Georgia. Dave had class and work, but G and I had the entire week off. We set out Saturday morning. As you can see, Gavin was well stocked for the drive ahead. We got on the road about 9:45. I spent much time contemplating when it would be best to leave. My fear if we left at 5am was that he wouldn't go back to sleep and that we'd get to a stopping point very early in the afternoon Saturday. I considered just before his nap time, but worried that he wouldn't nap. So I decided on late morning.

Even though it wasn't Christmas and there were no gifts to transport, my trunk was still full of items to carry East.

The front seat was packed with items that I wanted close at hand for the trip.

Our first stop was Kilgore, Texas, for gas and lunch. Typically, Gavin tells me that he wants to eat in the restaurant, but today when presented with the question, he said, "I want to eat in the car." So we made our order to go and waited for it to be filled before getting on the road.

At some point in the afternoon, Gavin was getting restless. I made a stop in rural Louisiana. We found a convenience store and a bank at the exit. So, we played football in the bank parking lot. G also decided it was a great opportunity for a dirty diaper adventure. (I'm just glad I didn't have to make a special stop for this event.)

He never napped; after our football game, I fixed the DVD player. G watched a few episodes of Curious George to pass the time.

We made it to Vicksburg and the banks of the Mississippi River just at sunset. It was another opportunity for G to run off some energy.

G stuck his head between these rails and had to have me extract him.

That night, we stopped in Meridian, Mississippi. I really wanted to drive to Tuscaloosa, but Alabama played at home that day. Dave was checking on hotel rooms; they were ridiculous ($150+) for the few hours that we'd be there. So, we stopped in Meridian.

I think G could get used to life on the road. He got to eat cookies, drink milk, and watch TV on the bed.

The next morning, he was up at 5am. Lest we not be "those" people who wake everyone up, we were on the road by 6. I was so anxious to get on the road, I neglected to fill up the tank.

On we drove to Tuscaloosa for gas and a chocolate covered doughnut.

By 12:30, we were at my parent's house. Once on Saturday and once on Sunday, Gavin asked, "Where's my grandma's house?" That's the closest thing to "Are we there yet?" that I heard come from him. We really was a good sport.

Boys Weekend

G and I were on our own this weekend. Miranda was in Houston shopping with some friends for a few days. Gavin and I have had a full weekend of activities. Friday afternoon we headed to the park for some soccer and sliding. Saturday we ran errands all morning. G scored a new stuffed animal in PetSmart after telling me he wanted to get a toy for Mason. He then took possession of the new toy. After a nap, we went to the movies with Dean and Matt to see Puss in Boots. As Gavin said, "it was awesome"! We then headed back home and had some pizza for dinner and get to have some playtime with Dean and Matt.

Potty Training Try 2

Today Gavin officially moved to the 3 year old room at school. They call it early preschool, but that's too "grown up" sounding for me. Since August, Ms. Maria has not only taught him Spanish, but also has worked in the potty training. Most days he has 1 or 2 wet pull ups, but he goes on the potty at school. Occasionally, he uses the potty at home, but since July I haven't pushed it--until the past two Saturday mornings. Which brings us back to his new class. Historically, kids don't move until they're potty trained. But, times they are a changing & babies they are a being birthed at my campus & filllin up daycare--necessitating movin' on up.
Last week Ms. Elaine & I visited briefly about Gavin's transition. When I mentioned that we were working with G at home and open to a push, she said,"Let's just go cold turkey on Monday. Be sure to bring an extra pair of shoes if he has them." My heart leapt: help with potty training!
Saturday, G wore big boy underwear in the morning. We had 4 outfit changes before I called it quits. I did learn that fleece pants & sweats are really absorbent when potty training.
This morning, G wore his big boy underwear to school. He only used 1 of the 4 pairs of pants I sent with him. And there were 2 pairs of wet undies. I have my suspicions that another pair might have met the trash can, but since he no longer gets a daily sheet, I don't know that. The absence of the daily sheet is another thing I dislike. I guess I don't have to get a report on the times he goes potty and whether or not he was dry, or what time he napped, or how much he ate, but boy it makes life easier. I suppose I'll begin letting go, but it's hard when I want blow-by-blows on the potty training. How can I learn what he's doing without that sheet? The other complication is that I don't pick him up from the teacher he has been with all day. I guess for now, I'll just ask a million questions & be "that mom.".
I'm so proud of my little guy. We made a Wal-Mart stop for a Lightening McQueen car as a reward. As soon as we got home, G went on the potty & then I unloaded the car. (I learn from my mistakes.)
And what is cuter than those little underwear?

Quick Chicago Trip

I had to go to Chicago on business for one whole day last week. It was a fast trip, but I was able to mark off a famous pizza place from my pizza bucket list...we walked a few blocks to Gino's East for some stuffed deepdish pizza. It was awesome stuff. We passed the nicest McDonalds I have ever seen on the way there.

The inside of Gino's is coated floor to ceiling in graffiti.

Thanksgiving Lesson

Today I packed up my Halloween decorations & put out my Thanksgiving ones, including a pilgrim man and woman. G was looking at them and making comments about the pie and crops they hold. I explained that at Thanksgiving we tell God what we are thankful for. He quickly said, "Like Santa Claus."
I guess we've been talking about Santa, too.

After dinner we had ice cream sandwiches for dessert. Gavin approved.

The picture on the slide is from the play area at church. Gavin found it a few months ago and is always looking for it when we leave the nursery. Today he found it with some help from Daddy. I think he won't need any help next time.

Saturday Study Time

Dave needed to finish his midterm today, so Gavin & I vacated the house to give Dave an opportunity for quiet time. Our mission was to shop for a trundle mattress and night stands for the guest room.
Our first stop was Weirs. There we found a candidate for the mattress and several options for bedside tables. On to Haverty's where we didn't see much. However, G found a cushy pile of area rugs he enjoyed jumping on. Since there was no one around I let him have fun.
G was sporting big boy underwear and went potty in Haverty's. We then headed to the mall to walk. G got a cookie, and we made about a lap and a half due to some back-tracking for a balloon. G went to the potty there so he could ride the carousel.
By the time we got home, Dave had about three hours of study time. And within 1 minute of walking in, G wet his pants. I didn't get my things put down to ask him to potty. So, it's back to pull ups. He does really well at school with keeping dry pull ups, we'll keep trying. And now I know, potty first, unload the car later.

Hall's Pumpkin Farm

These are not in order, but I can't seem to find time to re-order them, so before even more time passes, I'm posting these picture from our October 19th trip to the pumpkin patch.