Thanksgiving

About to get it frying!

Coco and Eli


Ashlyn and Hayes playing some Wii bowling.

Aunt Tuesday and Eli. Uncle Alan trying to get in too.

I went to check in on Hayes and Ashlyn because they were playing in Ashlyn's room. I went in to find Hayes in this costume complete with purple high heel play shoes.

Eli at 9 months old

Horrible lighting, but look at those teeth!

"Please mom, no more pictures."

Nana's Visit

Nana drove up from Memphis to visit us the last weekend in October!

Hayes got a hold of the camera!

Random!

Apparently this is what Harry Connick Jr uses on his hair. Sheldon and I spotted it at our Kroger.

Not so good parade!

Went to the Marion Christmas parade this year and it was lacking to say the least. Last year was awesome! Santa came in on the train and got off and greeted everyone. This year they didn't even have a Santa! How are you going to have a Christmas parade and not have a Santa?

They did, however, have the Cat in the Hat, The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who aka Little Miss Marion Main Street!





The Grinch jumped off and I thought he was coming straight for Hayes! Luckily he went up to the little girl sitting beside us and she was terrified.

Other than these characters, a couple of convertibles with local queens, police car, firetruck and a local girl scout troop that was about it. The parade lasted all of 5 minutes, and Hayes got some candy thrown his way.

O Christmas Tree!

Finally finished decorating the Christmas tree then redecorating it since Eli was pulling off the ornaments within his reach. Hayes loved helping me!

Notice a big area without ornaments at the bottom? Had to move some higher up because of you know who.

Porter Family Reunion

Held on Sunday in Pickens, SC at Don and Patsy Joneses' cabin off of Shady Grove Road.

Chick-fil-a Addicts

So yesterday on our 11 hour trip back, yes 11 hours thanks to pouring rain from around Nashville almost all the way home, we finally got some Chick-fil-a! We didn't get a chance to have any while staying in Easley, so we decided we'd find and stop at a CFA in TN on the way back. Well it was around 1pm and we were all getting hungry, Eli included. So we drove until we found a CFA in the Knoxville area. I believe it was exit 380. So we exited, followed the signs to take a left and continue for 2 blocks (which was really more like 4 blocks). As we approached CFA we were bummed because it was only a drive-thru!

HELLO! We were traveling, and needed to get out of the car for a while. Since we wanted the Chick we proceeded through the drive-thru and drove next door to the Office Depot. So we ate in our car and then headed into Office Depot to stretch our legs and have a potty break.

If you are looking for CFA in Knoxville don't take exit 380 unless you are looking for a drive-thru only.

Big News on the Potty Front

FINALLY! Hayes has been doing excellent on the potty front! We are going on about 2-3 weeks of him using the potty with just a few accidents along the way. Before we moved to Illinois Hayes had just moved up to the potty training class at his daycare, Geer. They let them get aclimated to a new class first wearing pullups, no diapers! Well most of you know what happened next. He was in that class just about a month before we pulled him out and then shortly thereafter decided to move. Then I found out Eli was on the way. Needless to say we had some big changes on the way and I didn't even press the potty issue with him, although we had been working on it at home.

After trying everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, my mom threw him a couple of bribes with money and trips to Target and something clicked. It may have been coincidental timing, but whatever! Mom gave him a $20 and a piece of paper. Told him to mark each time he went stinky in the potty and after 5 marks he could take the money to Target and get a toy. So I kept encouraging with the money and trip to Target and he finally got it! So we immediately went to Target after the 5th mark and he got a light saber, which he had been wanting for a long time! The 2nd trip he got an Iron Man car.

Here he is cheesin' with his 1st $20!

Now every time he goes stinky in the potty he says that's 1 time or 2 times. I finally told him this week that he spent both his $20. Yesterday was his first day of wearing big boy underwear to school, and no accident!

Cousins Weekend

Here is our group shot from the 1st Annual Cousins Weekend in Columbia, SC. Ladd and Michelle were gracious to host all of us in their fabulous new home on Lake Carolina.
Alright I'm going to attempt to let you know who everyone is:

Front Row: Me holding Eli, Christie holding Annabella, Margarita holding Miller, Larry with Hayes sitting on his shoulders, and Rhett in his lap.

Back Row:Sheldon, Kelly, Michelle and Garrett standing in front of her, John, David, Kevin (in blue shirt standing behind Matt), Matt, Erin aka "J", and Ladd.

First Teeth

On Sunday, October 24th I felt Eli's two bottom teeth coming in. They still aren't out all the way.
Have you ever tried to take a picture of an 8 month olds teeth? Well it is NOT easy to get without the tongue in the way.

Trash

The other day (well almost every day) Eli was trying to crawl in the pantry. I said, "don't get in the garbage Eli" as I picked him up and moved him out of the way. Hayes said, "yeah, cause then he will be trash."

December Thirty-One Specials

‎"Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas this year is my favorite Thirty-One Gifts bags wrapped up pretty under the twinkling lights of the tree! I promise I have been a good girl all year! Love, Me" ~ Let me help you get what you REALLY want for the Holidays this year! Fill out your Wish List and how to contact your Santa...


December Hostess Special~ Host a $350 and get the Large Utility Tote for only $5. Select your favorite out of nine prints!
http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/images/decemberhostessspecial.pdf

Customer Special ~ Spend $31 and get one of the following items at 1/2 off:
http://www.thirtyonegifts.com/images/decembercustomerspecial.pdf

Hard Case Wallet $12.50

Inside of Hard Case Wallet



Mini 0n-the-go Organizer $11

Carry money, a cell phone or a small camera. This item cannot be embroidered

Flat Iron Case for $10 ~

Can also be used for knitting needles, pencil/pen case, hairstylist case for scissors/comb, etc. This item cannot be embroidered.

November Thirty-One Specials

Host Specials
(These are in addition to the regular Host Gifts, posted in the front of the catalog.)
Host a $450 or higher party and get a Skirt Purse with 1 Skirt for only $10!
*Embroidery is an extra $6.00.

Host a $750 or higher party and get the above special PLUS Choice of Brown OR Black Accessory Kit for only $10!

Customer Specials
Get a FREE Zipper Pouch for every $31.00 spent. 31 Kid Prints excluded.
*Embroidery is an extra $6.00 per item.

(31 Kid Prints excluded)

Happy Halloween!

"Spider Man. Where are you coming from? Spider Man. Nobody knows who you are."

Sheldon dresses as his dad, The Curtis circa 1985.

Chunky Monkey and Spider Man.

Mama Witch with Chunky Monkey and Spider Man

Here is our best family self-poirtrait of the night.

Ladies First!

I was opening our back door on Friday, and Hayes started to walk in, but then backed out and said, "ladies first." I asked him where he learned that and he said Shaggy (from Scooby Doo).

Hayes is really into Scooby Doo right now!

Pumpkins & Gourds

Here are pumpkins and gourds we saw at Bandy's Pumpkin Patch. I don't know the names of any of these so I'll improvise.

Old shriveled looking pumpkins...

Gourds that look like green pumpkins...

Gourds...

My favorite pumpkins...

Albino pumpkins...

Pumpkins with worts.

Boo!

Field Trip!

Tuesday morning was Hayes's first field trip with his PreK class from Washington Elementary. We all met at Extreme Sports otherwise known as the jump place.

Here is the gym Nazi giving instructions...
Hayes is on the front row, white shirt sitting right in front of her.


Hayes went straight for the rings. Then followed back on all the bars.

His favorite thing was the trampoline.

And he also spent a lot of time in the ball pit.

He also spent some time getting tugged between Brooke and Felicity.

Felicity won. This is Hayes's favorite friend in his class. I hear her name quit a bit at our house, on the way to school, pulling into school, leaving school and driving home.

Well the one thing Hayes didn't get to complete while he was there is swinging on the ball and dropping down into the pit full of sponges. He swung out,but would not drop down into the pit. So he has to try that again on our next trip.

Hayes along with most of the other kids were not very happy when it came time to leave! Hayes cried, so I promised we would come back. They are open for preK free jump every Saturday night from 6-7pm. So maybe next Saturday if we aren't doing anything.