Thanksgiving Came Early

For about a dozen of Amelia's little friends, Thanksgiving came early this year. On Sunday, Erin Chambers, mommy of Charlotte, hosted a "Teeny Tiny Toddler Thanksgiving" party and it was a blast! Erin thought of every detail - hayrides, crafts, gift bags - and, of course, food. We all pitched in for a traditional Thanksgiving spread. The kiddos didn't eat much, which meant more for us grown ups!

For Amelia, it was the first time she has seen her friends in a couple of months because of our trip to Thailand. And it was like she had never left! She threw herself into the playground and preferred to push the wagon for the hayride rather than actually RIDE in the wagon. (She has always loved pushing things, even before she could walk on her own!)

Toward the end of the party, us parents pulled off a stunning accomplishment. We got ALL the toddlers to sit STILL for a picture. Those of you with toddlers will truly appreciate how it is nearly impossible to get them to sit still. Our secret - a rousing rendition of "Wheels on the Bus" sung chorus-style by the parents. That's why in the group picture, many of the little ones looked stunned. But at least they are still. And we got the shot.

Will the REAL Abby Cadabby Please Step Forward?

As you can all see, Amelia ABSOLUTELY LOVED being Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street for Halloween. (For anyone who doesn't know, Abby is a fairy-in-training with PURPLE hair and PURPLE freckles. What could be a better costume for a little girl who loves purple? Abby carries a wand and has wings, two words Amelia has learned to say very well.) We had a wonderful time trick-or-treating at two different locations this year. First, we hit an outdoor mall area near us, then we came back home and went door-to-door in our neighborhood. At the mall, people literally stopped in their tracks to tell us how adorable Amelia looked. Later in our neighborhood, Ava, who lives across the street and is about a year older than Amelia dressed as Tinker Bell and the two girls, um, I mean fairies, looked so cute sitting in Ava's red wagon as they circled the block. Amelia took the whole thing very seriously, as she tends to do with new experiences that she senses are very important. She tried a LITTLE chocolate candy, but thankfully wasn't crazy about it. Now we have a whole lot of candy and not enough people around to eat it!