New Houston dentist 2010-11-09 12:38:43.0
Yesterday I took both kids for another dentist visit, only this was our first visit here in Houston.  They were both so amazingly good, I was even impressed.  The dentist was impressed too with their "first" visit to the dentist until I told him that both kids have been going to the dentist since they were each one year old--this wasn't their first rodeo.  But nonetheless, they both did great and let the nurse polish their teeth with the gross orange flavored toothpaste, floss them and paint the (also) gross flouride on as well.  And they let the dentist count their teeth with his sharp thing.  Whew.  I was on pins and needles the whole time waiting for someone to meltdown but thankfully neither of them has panicked at the dentist since their first visit at 12 months old. 

We had a wonderful visit from Nana weekend before last.  We all went to the Fall Fest at Parker and watched about 50 kids line up to dunk Dr. Houlihan.  He said the water in the dunking booth was pretty chilly.  Even our friend Kim and her sister Maash came with us!  My kids had fun in the blow up slide, eating hotdogs, and just running around and watching the band play.  Hayden got a cat painted on his face too.  Sunday night we trick or treated with both Nana and Nannie.  Then we handed out candy to some rambunctious elementary schoolers who wanted candy from the famous Dr. H.   
October fun 2010-10-26 12:01:33.0
October has been so busy and full of fun.  We have been to the pumpkin patch and played dress up alot!  I think we are ready for the school Halloween parade on Thursday.  Hadley is going as Minnie Mouse this year (unless she changes her mind and goes as Dorothy to match her Daddy as the Lion from the Wizard of Oz), and Hayden will be Superman.  I am going to be Tinkerbell as directed by my co-teacher who will be PeterPan.  She has good hair for it. 

Drew took care of the kids two weeks ago while I went on a jaunt to Dallas to see babies, friends, and family.  The kids are always so good for Drew, it is amazing.  Last weekend, Drew and I went to Waco for Homecoming and my mom babysat the kids, which was wonderful.  We had fun seeing friends in Waco and it was nice to get away for a bit.  This weekend is Fall Fest at Parker and Nana is coming in for the festivities!  We will have a full weekend with that plus tons of kids trick-or-treating at Dr. Houlihan's house.  We bought plenty of Smarties for the little smarties from Parker. 
Gymnastics 2010-10-11 12:47:05.0

I signed the kids up for open gym at gymnastics this past Saturday.  I went into it thinking (thanks to the lady at the front desk) that it was coach-led and I could sit in the parent area and tap away on my phone or whatever for an hour like the other moms do during regular gymnastics when I am chasing Hadley around like a lunatic.  So I didn't wear "gymnastics clothes".  Of course it was just free time in the gym and the mommies had to be the coaches of their own child, or in my case crazed children.  The very reason Hadley is not currently in gymnastics is because the two year old class is Mommy and Me. 

Anyway, despite my attitude, H&H and I had a grand time in gymnastics and Hadley LOVED being a big kid like Hayden and had no fear.  The other parents were afraid for her I think.  She got up on the waist high beam and tip-toed across, no fear.  She did a skin the cat on the bars, swung on the rings, climbed across the parallel bars on all fours (Bear Climb), climbed the climbing wall, swung on the trapeze and the rope swing, and did everything else Hayden could do.  She is going to be unhappy tonight at regular gymnastics when she is stuck in the waiting room with me while I entertain her and the gaggle of children that hang out with us because they are bored silly and their moms are tap tapping on the phones/iPads.  Next year Hadley!  There is always ballet and tap, which she loves and is thankfully not mommy-led.     

Costumes, reading 2010-10-03 19:14:15.0
Hayden and Hadley have been busy planning Halloween costumes.  Hayden informed me that "Aunt Ashley will be a football player, Bailey Dog will be a ladybug, Uncle Larry will be a football, Gegah will be a ladybug, Nee will be Mickey Mouse, Mommy will be a clubhouse, Hadley will be Minnie Mouse, Hayden will be a tiger, Daddy will be a lion, Nana and Pop will be a tiger too, and that's all the people."  Hadley and Hayden have also been busy bantering and arguing with one another.  It goes something like this:
Hayden:  I am cold and you are not cold. 
Hadley:  No I am warm and you are not cold.
And on and on.  Here is another one:
Hadley:  You are a stinker.
Hayden:  You are an ear. 
Etc. 

They have also been busy reading books.  Apparently I have been reading the same ones over and over and they have them memorized, so they take turns reading Blue Hat, Green Hat, Brown Bear, Brown Bear, and The Best Mouse Cookie aloud to each other. 

Tomorrow we have Tempo music class at Parker.  We are getting better at behaving during the music class.  We especially would like to act nice since it is Daddy's school and all!  

Finally it has cooled off a little bit outside, so we have been spending our afternoons in the driveway riding bikes with the neighbors, playing hopscotch (just like Max and Ruby), and playing in the backyard.   
Surviving preschool 2010-09-17 05:47:40.0
Preschool started with a bang a few weeks ago for us.  Hayden and Hadley have wonderful teachers, and they both love their friends and school.  I now have a full class of 10 students, with 2 Germans, 1 Chinese and 1 Spanish-speaking child.  This is a challenge for me teaching English to so many non-English speaking two year olds.  We have alot of crying (in foreign languages) but we are improving each day.  Hayden's class is reading Harry the Dirty Dog and they made Harry sock puppets yesterday.  Of course we had to make Hadley some puppets too at home per Hayden's instructions.  Hadley had ballet and tap again this week; she still loves it and the little girls are so cute tapping and prancing around.  At gymnastics this week Hayden had a blast on the trampoline, in the pit, and doing Head Shoulders Knees and Toes on the balance beam. 

Drew had open house at Parker last night, and it was a big success.  Our street was jammed with cars and the kids and I watched the parade of families into Parker.  We even had someone park in front of the fire hydrant in our yard--no fear!