Trip to Tennessee

This will be a long entry as we had a packed, fun filled week in Tennessee. Let me first start by thanking both my parents and Stephen's parents for helping us come by paying for a part of our plane tickets. Julian is now two so he has to have a seat so you can imagine that flying anywhere can get expensive quick. Flying with two kids on my own isn't a horrible experience. D'arcy and Julian are always asked if this is their first trip, and the answer is always a resounding NO as both have flown many times to many places. They are pros and are very good on the plane. They are extremely friendly, and never fail to make many friends along the way. The conversation usually goes something like this...
"Hi, My name is D'arcy, and this is my brother Julian."
Julian echoes in the background, "Yeah, my name Jewian."
D'arcy continues, "We are flying to Tennessee to see our Grandma and Grandpa. Where are you going? Will you be on our next flight? This is my new IPod. I'm listening to a princess story." etc etc etc.
So the problem with flying isn't the kids, it's the stuff. I have to bring my big camera bag, my laptop bag, toys for the kids, a carseat (key in keeping my sanity with a two year old who would easily wiggle out of a plane seat), and a double stroller on the plane. To get to my connecting flight, I'm pushing or carrying all of this plus two kids and a third on the way across the Dallas airport by myself. It worked, but it wasn't a pleasant stroll in the park.
Once we got to Tennessee, we got to see some of our very favorite people, Grandma & Grandpa Clark, Kristin & Addison Bedi, Laura Allen, Grammy & Poppy Williams, Uncle Alex & Meagan, Uncle Josh & Emily, Great Uncle D & Great Aunt Lauren, Max, and GG (Great Grandma/Georgia Grandma). Here are our top ten memories from the week:

1. Hearing Julian tell Stephen over the phone that he saw an elephant at the zoo, and that the elephant went the bathroom right in front of us. He thought that was funny and "silly".

2. Hearing D'arcy and Julian tell my parents who was running for President; D'arcy, "John McCain! Bob Barr!" and Julian follows with "Barack Obama!"

3. D'arcy listening to the tour guide headphones at the Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's Plantation) and promptly telling us that it says we should be careful when we pick cotton because if you do it all day your hands will start bleeding.

4. D'arcy restating that Andrew Jackson is dead on many occasions. She surprises me by how comfortable she seems with the idea of death. Although, she has told me on several occasions that she likes being alive.

5. Having D'arcy line up the Wilson/Williams family in a line after taking pictures to do a "parade". She was talking about having a parade for several days and she finally got one!

6. Watching D'arcy and Julian relate to their long distance family. They sure aren't shy with them. They wake up and immediately say, "I go see Grandma and Grandpa?"

7. Watching D'arcy make friends on the trip as described above.

8. Hearing D'arcy call Josh's new girlfriend by his old girlfriends name. This makes me giggle a little. (I need to insert here that we really like both current girlfriends very much!) She also gets Josh and Alex mixed up quite often...I even almost hugged Alex thinking he was Stephen. If you aren't paying attention this can easily happen.

9. Hearing D'arcy explain to Poppy that her Grandma Clark gives her Apple Jacks for breakfast when we visit her, and she likes this very much.

10. Walking in fall weather where there are actually leaves on the ground and a chill in the air. (Although, I'll admit that I was glad to get back to 75-80 degree weather)

We used my parents little camera at the beginning of the week, so I don't have those pictures yet, but I will post some of the pictures from our official Williams family photo shoot.

Trick or Treat Night at Preschool

Halloween, Halloween, Halloween...oh, the debate about whether to participate in it. We've come to the conclusion that Halloween is an awesome opportunity to meet and bless people in the community. If you live in a neighborhood with kids, you will have a great opportunity to meet your neighbors on Halloween night. Isn't that something our churches are suggesting we do more of? So...this is how we celebrate Halloween as a family, by befriending and blessing our community. This year, like last, our home group is doing a Halloween party with a Chilli cook-off, games, and this great little photography company is taking free photos of kids in the costumes.
Anyway, we let the kids dress up, but, remember, I'm frugal and not willing to pay loads of money for costumes. I suggested to D'arcy that she be an angel. I have great angel wings as a prop for my business that I thought she could wear, but she insisted that she be a princess. "Mom, maybe next year I'll be an angel, but this year I plan on being a princess. Oh, and Julian can be my prince." I had other plans for Julian, though. Stephen spent the first three years of his life in Germany, and had some awesome pairs of leiderhosen. So throw in a $3 shirt from a second hand store, and we have a perfect little German boy. He much enjoyed his costume and pointing out his flowers. Mommy much enjoyed having one child who she could still dress however she wanted. I did, though, require D'arcy to let me do her hair. That's one of the joys of having a little girl!
Tonight, D'arcy's preschool had a little Trick or Treat party so they'll get to wear their costumes twice. Enjoy some pictures. The last picture is of one of D'arcy's closest friends from school, Daniel.

 

 

 

 

Finished Product

On Sunday night, we all sat down around our kitchen table to transform our pumpkin into this.

 

Stephen was dreading it, but ended up doing all of the carving. Just goes to show you how I start everything and he finishes it. D'arcy was grossed out by the insides. After we scraped them all out, we picked out all the seeds to bake them. She was unwilling, at first, but then I found some rubber gloves for her to use. Once she had those on, it became more of a squish fest than a seed extraction. We'll take it to her preschool on Thursday for them to display at their Friday night fall festival.

Sprocket's Progress

Some of you have asked whether I'm showing or not so I thought I would let you be the judge. I've never done the "pregnancy progress" pictures in the past. I think maybe I was too busy with work or in D'arcy's case, didn't have the convenience of a digitial camera. However, I have been so preoccupied this pregnancy with how long it's taking me to show because I feel like I was enormous so quickly with Julian. I thought I would document my progress so I won't be so worried with the next one. Anyway, I'm 18 weeks and 2 days in this picture. I'm still able to fit into most of my regular clothes, although, I did get down all my maternity clothes so I can be prepared for the inevitable growth spurt that should happen over the next month.
I have another prenatal appointment on Thursday, and I'll probably be scheduling a sonogram for mid-November. I'm not in the biggest hurry since we are not going to find out the sex. We still want to make sure that Baby Sprocket is doing alright, though. Yes, I said Baby Sprockett. It's a nickname till this baby has a permanent one. Julian loves it and will randomly mention "Baby Sprockett!" D'arcy hates it, and gets very angry when it is used. She insists that it is not a sprockett, but a baby with arms and legs and we shouldn't call it anything until we know what sex it is.
You can also see in the picture one of two new paint colors that we used in our house, Spicy Cayenne.

 

First Day of Preschool

Here's a photo, long overdue, of D'arcy's first day of preschool. She's looking a little uncertain!

 

Pumpkin Time

D'arcy needed a pumpkin for a preschool family project so we went to pick one out at a local church with a great little pumpkin patch. D'arcy brought her camera along too, and was really cute posing Daddy, Julian, and I. I'll try to get my act together and post her pictures too.

 

 

 

 

Julian is 2!

At four o'clock in the morning on October 7, 2006, our little Julian was born. Two years late, he's not so little. Out little guy loves all of the following; his big sister, his dog Begbie, Elmo, Speed (otherwise known as lighting mcqueen), trains, his daddy, the Beatles (specifically the songs Yellow Submarine, Hey Jude, All You Need is Love, and You Say You Want a Revolution), Milk (liquids in general, really), bathtime (the part when he isn't getting his hair washed), books, dancing, puzzles (he is so persistent with them), spaghetti (like his daddy), monkeys, his mommy, climbing up slides, his Mickey Mouse CD, sounds of all kinds (from the wind to birds calling), and babies. We are especially grateful for the last one as he will soon be both a little brother and a BIG brother.
He is such a sweet kid and a joy to parent. I keep saying I want #3 to be a girl, but when I think of Julian, I realize how I would be so thankful for another little boy.
Here are some pictures taken this morning to commemorate his 2nd birthday.