Thanksgiving, Holiday Lights and Penny Lane

 Angela here!  Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  We stayed local and had a yummy dinner at LollyPops house.  The kiddos got gussied up for the big occasion and Miss Adley pronounced that she does not like to wear boots.  The poor girl is just confused; she hasn't learned yet that she is supposed to be obsessed with shoes. 

Turkey, brioche dressing, green beans, sweet potatoes, corn bread casserole and of course cranberry sauce; we ate it all!  And topped it off with pies for dessert.  Even Hudson impressed and delivered with cleaning his plate.  Mr. and Mrs. Nally, old Louisville neighbors of the Kemp family, joined us as well!  

Adley was either eating or reading books.  These are her two favorite things to do in life right now.

According to Kemp tradition, the Elf on the Shelf makes his first appearance the day after Turkey Day.  Our elf, Damien, brought pjs, a stocking for the bedroom door and a mini Christmas tree that each kid could decorate and put in their rooms.  It was a great kick-off to the holiday season.  Now the daunting task is upon us...where Chris and I have to place the elf in a different spot every morning.  This has proven to be a full-time job, as we are always forgetting to move him until the very last minute. 

Hudson was soooo excited about his new "winter pjs," which he has dubbed any and all fleece pajamas.  He requested to put them on immediately so Damien knew that he liked him.,,

Then we had a mini Friendsgiving, where a few of my girlfriends stopped by with their babies and husbands for an afternoon of catching up and hanging out.  We've been friends since college (Lisa since grade school!) so it was wonderful to have a play date and spend quality time together.

Bowlen, Greyson and Hudson hanging out and eating lunch...

And now that Thanksgiving has passed, I can FINALLY turn on the outdoor holiday lights.  They've been up for a couple weeks, but only because I knew Chris wouldn't help me and I wanted them all up before the weather turned cold.  And unlike my scrooge-like husband, Hudson is very excited about the lights.  He always has to help me plug them in, which is then followed by a little diddy and a dance.  If you look closely, you can see him dancing on the porch...

And to end on a sad but hopeful note, we've been giving our sweet Penny Lane some extra TLC lately.  She has had a bad sneeze and a bloody nose for almost a month now.  Antibiotics, antihistamines and prednisone have not helped.  So she goes in next week for surgery to clean out and biopsy her sinuses.  The doctor is going to check for cancer.  So keep our pup in your prayers.  She's been in our family for 11 years and is of course, the best dog in the world!

Halloween, Spirit Week and Dance Moves

A tad late, but I hope everyone had a great Halloween!  Our kids were in costume-candy mode for what seemed like weeks.  The day before the big holiday, Austin Landing Shopping Center had a trick-or-treat event that we attended with the rest of the crew.  My Tom Brady and Patriot cheerleader have gotten a lot of use out of their costumes.  And the weather was warm so Adley was able to nix the turtleneck. 

Notice Hudson holding up some deuces in the picture below.  Not sure if that was intentional, but it made me proud.  That was my signature pose in college!  And I like to think that it is still cool. 

Another round of suspenders and glitter tutus...

Then came the big day!  Everyone came over to our house for dinner before we embarked on our candy adventure.  The football player and the Ninja were the coolest kids on the block.  Poor Claire had strep throat so she couldn't play.  Luckily, she's on the mend now.  But she passed her ailment on to Uncle Drew.  I fear the Kemps are next in line.

Chris had Adley out for over an hour that night; she was a trooper and rallied past her bedtime.  As they went house to house, Chris said the baby "needed candy."  Let me remind you that my little lady only has six teeth.  And she doesn't know what "candy" is, so she never gets it (but I'm sure my days are limited on that).  Thus, one could say a certain daddy needed a sugar fix and pawned his cute daughter off in order to collect a mound of candy.  

We will be eating candy till Christmas...

We have been fortunate to have a mild fall thus far.  Our weekends are spent walking Penny Lane and visiting parks and playgrounds.  We finally got out the double stroller and the kiddos love it.  Hudson kept rubbing Adley's head as we strolled along.  She didn't seem to mind.

And Hud continues to be a great big brother; he always wants to help, demonstrate or assist in anything that involves his little sister.

After Halloween, it was Spirit Week at school.  The kids wore their costumes that Monday.  Tuesday was pajama day.  They loved it.  And they loved being picked up early to play at the park IN the pjs even more.  Beyond excitement...

Wednesday was Wacky Wednesday, thus the mix-matched clothes.  Adley was in her third round of clothes by evening, so it was her "messy day."

Then came Thursday Decades Day.  We had a 90s grunge boy and an 80s workout girl.  Not sure if other mamas can attest, but getting creative and making up costumes on the spot is tough work.

Friday was apparently a bust, as I have no pictures and my memory fades quickly these days.  Oh well.  But I can tell you about the new family favorite song.  "Hand Clap" by Fitz and the Tantrums!  Hudson goes nuts every time he hears it.  And he'll request it by saying, "Mama, I wanna hand clap."  I'm a fan as well, so I gladly oblige to every request.   

https://youtu.be/wo4uFPpnBUc

Hope eveyeone has a great week.  We're gearing up for Christmas already!  The outside house lights are already in place.  But I have promised Chris (and the neighbors) that I won't turn them on till after Thanksgiving.  I just wanted to set things up before it gets cold.  Woop woop!