An official walker!

Alyssa is officially a walker as of this past week.  As I expected, she would just take off one day and she did just that.  She isn't really into anything more than she was prior to walking but she does look pretty darn cute walking across the living room all by herself!

Christmas time!

Of course, it's not so much looking like Christmas outside, it is inside and I LOVE it.  A lot of people complain about the clutter of all the decorations and the tree but it really doesn't bother me until Christmas is over.  A few days after the 25th I start to feel the need to go back to "normal".  Until then I will enjoy relaxing in front of the fire, the smell of cinnamon spice filling the air and  the tree and garland lit all around me.  It's joyous!

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Alyssa Lou's 1st Birthday PARTY

Yesterday, we had Alyssa's birthday party.  Her birthday isn't until the 24th which is Thanksgiving day this year.  Of course, I wasn't going to let this big day slip by with another huge holiday so we did the party early.  I also chose the day because it was an away UM football game so Robert along with a couple other family members would be able to attend:) We had a great time and Alyssa really enjoyed her cupcake!! I wish we had more pictures of that but I wasn't the one with the camera. Oh well, she was so stinkin' excited about that frosting though!! The party was polka dot themed and we had about 25 guests from both sides of the family.  On the menu was Creamy white chili, Monterrey jack soup, ham and turkey sandwiches, cheese ball with crackers, rainbow chip cupcakes, cookie dough and moose tracks ice cream.  She received some nice new outfits and a few toys.  It was a great time with everyone who loves out lou lou:)

Oh Monday, how you come so quickly...

Alyssa took her first steps last night! I have been so looking forward to her being able to walk.  She isn't quite a "walker" yet but it won't be long.  She is always turning and trying to take off from the coffee table or couch but last night she took 3-4 steps and was able to stand while keeping her balance a bit before kneeling down to the "tinky couch".  I will have to get a picture of her standing like a big girl:)

The big birthday party plans are well under way and I'm stressing about not getting it all done before Saturday.  It's not all about the party plan but everything else on my plate right now with my class. I have 4 papers all due the day of the party, 1 is complete which means I have 3 to write this week, while working all day.  Plus the weekly postings which take a good hour and a half.  We were also out of town this weekend visiting the Shumans (Robert's college roommate) and meeting their first baby boy, Reed.  My house is a mess and I need to do the usual cleaning before having 30 people over.  I really love entertaining, I just wish I could take the week off to get ready for it:)  Oh well, I know that no one really cares whether my base boards and trim are wiped down.  Or if the windows are washed, or the fridge cleaned...  Really, they don't.  I am just anal like that. And...I may or may not actually just find that kind of cleaning to be relaxing:)

In other {adult} news:

Since I feel like I got the updates done on the girls, I'd like to share some recent and random thoughts of my own:)

•  Just finished watching another new episode of "Last Man Standing" with Tim Allen and let me say, I love that man! I was so excited to have him come back to television and the show has not disappointed me.  I like those kinds of shows where I can just turn it on and follow it.  Each episode is not linked to the previous one and it's simple and entertaining.  He was also sporting a MICHIGAN shirt tonight and even gave a blow to Ohio State in conversation with his daughter. yeah!
• Home alone tonight while Robert is in the U.P. for a work project.  I plan on getting to bed early and cuddling up with my new book...Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Piccoult (so good!)
• My fourth grad class began yesterday and I am looking forward to getting another one under the belt. The last class was torture just because it didn't really apply to my teaching situation so much but this class should be pretty valuable and I am optimistic about it.  So far, I have learned quite a bit from this master's program.  I can't believe how fast it's all going.
• I got new tires today!!!! My tires were completely bald.  I am ready for the nasty rain and snow in our near future!  I had a near death experience with a hydroplaning accident about 6 year ago  and it scared the dickens out of me and I have been nervous in the rain ever since.  
• Speaking of tires...car shopping sucks! We are in the early stages of looking for a bigger vehicle. It's pretty much depressing...
• Alyssa's birthday is on Thanksgiving this year but we are having her party on the 12th.  It's going to be pink, purple and blue polka dot themed.  I am excited!
• Robert took his PE (professional engineer) exam last Friday...again. We are expecting that he won't pass but definitely do better.  He took a review class that was 8 weeks, 2 nights a week for 3 hours each and has been studying every night and weekend since so he has certainly done his share of work that's for sure! Seems to be that the 3rd time is a charm for most.  What a great surprise it would be if he did pass! He is really unhappy with his job at the time.  He has some legit frustrations with the company and how they do things so passing this test would be a wonderful leverage in looking for a new job. It will happen, we just have to be patient, I know.
• I want to so badly to get back into shape like I was this last spring.  I have NO idea how I will find the time, between work, my school & homework, the girls, dinner and not to mention trying to get decent sleep.  When I was working out in the spring, I was coming home first, working out, then going to pick the girls up at 5.  This year, I have way too much to do at work alone, that I don't pick up the girls until 4:30-5 and that does not include having a workout. There is just no time. (tear..)
• Ohhh! How could I forget?!?! We have a babysitter for Thanksgiving Eve!!! The superintendent is a neighbor of ours and he has a daughter in high-school.  She can just walk home which is even better!  Our other neighbor has twin boys whom she has babysat before and she highly recommends her. I am so looking forward to that night out.  It's also my sister in laws 25th birthday. Cheers!
• I love that tomorrow is already Wednesday.  As I mentioned before, I had Monday off so the week is going rather quickly! Love that!

I suppose I will end on that note.  Hope all of my (non-existent) readers have a great week! But hey, it's cool- I'm entertaining myself anyway...:) yeah- go me!

Trick-or-Treating

This year we went to a couple of neighbors' with Alyssa in tote and then Madelyn and her daddy continued through the rest of the neighborhood. We actually had very little trick or treaters this year. We usually have a good handful but this year we had 3 or 4 and that is all. That means lots of left over candy, uggh. Madelyn was pretty excited to go but didn't understand that the candy her and daddy had bought at the store, was to give away to the other kids. She soon learned when she arrived back home with a pumpkin full of her own candy. I think she was satisfied:)