First, a bath...
Next, a blow-out...
Notice the "fluffiness" that ensued...
Perhaps a shave?
An ear trim is a must!
Bob is in it to win it!
Time to clip those legs!
I'm so thankful there is hardly any dog hair in my bathroom!
NOT.
The finished product...
THE REGAL PUP!
Our Thanksgiving was a busy one this year. We left Birmingham Thursday morning, and drove to my brother's house north of Atlanta. We arrived around lunchtime, and settled in for the day. We were able to spend the holiday with each of my two older brothers, and their families. {Each brother has four kids, so it was definitely a full house!} We also brought Winston with us, and with my brother's two Golden Retrievers, it only added to the chaos. But, overall, it was a great time!
My two oldest nieces and I were triplets for the day! We were all also sporting boots with the fuuuuurrrrr. Here's a blurry, cell phone picture of us.
Me, Meagan (age 11), and Victoria (age 12).
Bobby playing in the kitchen peacefully amidst it all!
Bobby playing with his two youngest cousins, Alexis (4 yo) and Ava (2 yo).
The kids playing a dance game on the Wii.
For a few years now, it is tradition to fry the turkey on Thanksgiving. The boys are always in charge. I'd say they don't mind one bit...
From left to right, my brothers Mike, Chuck, and hubby, Bob.
Cajun flavored turkey!
My sister-in-law Caryn, made everyone place cards the day before. She used a small terra cotta pot, and foam, along with some paint.
Buffet style for 15 people!
After the festivities were done in North Atlanta, we headed down south to Peachtree City. We spent the rest of the weekend eating, drinking, and watching football with Bob's family. We were able to spend some quality time with some close family friends as well. Besides the Gators losing (boo!), it was definitely a great time!
Bobby playing with Niko!
Bobby catching up on his Thomas the Train via Netflix on the iPhone.
Let's throw some more dogs into the mix!
I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday!
Now, onto Christmas!
So once in every year we throng
Upon a day apart,
To praise the Lord with feast and song
In thankfulness of heart.
- Arthur Guiterman, The First Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving!
Love,
the Regal Pup
(and, the Ross family too!)
All images courtesy of Martha Stewart Living.
One of the things I was most excited about after getting married, was being able to send out a Christmas card from our newly formed family of two! (Well, let's not forget about our regal pup, Winston). When embarking on my search for the perfect card, I immediately went to Shutterfly's site to check out their cards. There was a ton of options that were so incredibly cute! I found a cute pink and green card, uploaded a wedding picture, and was on my way! I was very happy with the quality of the card, and turn-around time in receiving my order.
There are so many options for this year to choose from too! I LOVE this card, and you may very well find it in your mailbox from us this year!
This card speaks to me as a blogger!
Each year, I also make Bob a desk calendar for his office too! Shutterfly has them available here, starting at $17.99, and any others at 50% off. I know a good deal when I see one!
And, for those of us out there that are just too swamped for Christmas cards, Shutterfly offers a huge variety of New Year's cards too.
How cute is this card? Love it! Find more here.
I know what I'll be doing right after Thanksgiving - ordering my Christmas cards from Shutterfly!
Bobby turned 18 months old on October 30, 2010.
Weight: 24.4 lbs. (30th percentile)
Height: 34 inches (92nd percentile)
Sleeping Patterns: Bobby is generally a good sleeper. However, within the past month or so, he's had some issues. He had a horrible nap spell that lasted almost a full month. He was only napping a couple of times a week. His naps are pretty much back on track, with usually one bad nap a week. He will go down anytime between 11am-1pm, depending on when he wakes up. He is also waking up most mornings by 6am, since the time changed. He's getting on average, 11 hours of sleep per night.
Eating Habits: Not much has changed within the past three months. He is generally a good eater, but has his days. It is funny because he will devour something at one meal; only to despise it the next day! I guess this is pretty typical for toddlers. We've also dropped his milk as a sleeping prop. He now has his last cup of milk at dinner, and then we'll do his bedtime routine without it. He's drinking an average of 3 cups of milk per day. Favorite foods: hot dogs, chicken nuggets, pasta, Cheerios, Goldfish, strawberries, peaches, and corn.
New discoveries & Accomplishments: Bobby is obsessed with Thomas the Train, and anything related to it. It is really the only thing he'll watch on TV. His favorite toy is still his Mickey Mouse push toy, along with Lego's, his tool bench, and toy cars. We go to the "choo choo" train park a few times a week, and he loves it there. He's also all over the place at the play ground, and has started sliding down the big boy slides. He runs now, and it is too cute. Bobby's vocabulary is still about the same - about 15 words or so. He mostly repeats words. He'll make his arm go up and down like he's a train conductor (for "choo choo.") We also taught him how to "raise the roof." It's pretty funny. He says "E-I-E-I-O" all the time too. He's still mispronouncing his name as "Ba - Ba." He adores Winston, and will often times give him kisses. He always leans in for a kiss, but never puckers his mouth. He's getting better with his utensils each day. He's much better with the fork. He's interested in drinking from a cup now too. I think he's got all of his teeth, except his incisors. We've had some teething issues with them lately. He is wearing 18 months, and 18-24 months mainly. He's got some 2T stuff that fit already too. He's in a size 4 diaper still, and wears a 7 1/2 shoe.
Places you love: For the most part, we have the same activities each week. Bobby is enrolled in Kindermusik again. We also hit two story times a week at the local library. We have a planned play group each week too. Aside from those, we usually will go to the train park, or regular park a few days a week. Overall, he sees his friends almost daily. Momma loves this too! He really does enjoy doing everything.
Special Friends: All of our neighborhood buds, particularly Cameron, Harper, and Cooper.
Current Events: Republicans take back the House, Chilean miners trapped underground for months are alive and rescued, Auburn University sweeps SEC, and daylight savings ends.
What We did This Day: I can't remember, because it was almost a month ago! I think Bobby and Daddy hung out all day, while mommy worked.
All images courtesy of Paul Perdue.
To say that this weekend was exhausting is an understatement. But, it was so worth it! It was probably one of the funnest weekends I've had in quite awhile.
We started the weekend on Thursday night, inviting our good friends, the Woodham's over for dinner. I cooked some delicious Greek cuisine, and we caught up with Jonathan, Ginger, and their little girl, Harper. Harper is two months older than Bobby. It was fabulous company!
On Friday, Ginger and I took the kids to the zoo. It was a beautiful fall day, and we all had a great time.
Bobby watching a sea lion swim by.
How cute are they?
Me?, not so cute...
After the zoo, everyone had an appetite, so we headed out to lunch.
Bobby is intently looking at Harper here. She must've said something very interesting... like her catchphrase, "no, no, no!"
Later that night, I headed off to a Girl's Night Out Pajama Party! It was so fun, and I think this is the beginning of the cause of my exhaustion! Our neighborhood has a Ladies Night Out each quarter. I missed the last one, because we were out of town, so I was excited for this quarter's. I went with my good friends Volree, and again, with Ginger. We made it home around midnight.
Me, Volree, and Ginger. Wow, my bootie looks huge in this picture! Nice.
We like wine! And, we drank too much!
Things got out of hand, and red wine was spilled on Volree's slipper! Ha ha!
Well, after that fun, crazy night - yours truly had to work all day Saturday.
NOT FUN.
But, what was fun... was the next party! It was a very bittersweet night. The party was awesome, along with the people there. But, we were there to send off some great friends, who are moving back to England. My friend Claire, whom I will be so sad to go is leaving in less than a month. Her little boy, Cameron is a month older than Bobby. She also just had a little baby girl back in September.
The ladies at the party.
My three best friends in Birmingham: Claire, me, Ginger, and Volree (l to r.)
Bob getting in on a little Beer Pong!
I had so much fun that night. The hostess' all did a great job! The food was great, the drinks were plenty, and the music was pumping. Seriously, it was a fun party! I felt like I was 21 again. And, boy did I pay for it on Sunday! We finished off the weekend with a birthday party in the neighborhood on Sunday afternoon. The party had a Noah's Ark theme, and was cute!
Bobby and I in Noah's Ark. He was not a happy camper.
Photo courtesy of Gina H.
Well, now you see why it was Party Central this weekend!
What is everyone's week shaping up to be? I am hoping to squeeze in a week's worth of cleaning, laundry, and errands in two days. Wednesday will be a day of packing, and decorating for Christmas. We are heading to Hotlanta for the holiday weekend on Thursday morning. I'm so excited to see both of our families.
Have a great week!
