Carnival Fun

This post should have been written about a month ago, as the carnival we went to was for Halloween!  But I was looking through pictures on Brant's phone when I came across these and wanted to share.  We headed out on a chilly Friday night to a church that had a huge Halloween carnival.  I was excited about corn dogs and funnel cakes.  McKenzie was just excited because we were going to a castle... yes, every church with a steeple she says is a castle.  Sometimes it's her castle, sometimes it's mommy's castle, sometimes it's daddy's castle.  This one happened to be her castle and by the time we missed the exit and had to go on down the interstate, passing right by the castle, she was DYING to get there.

So was the carnival fun?  Well, not exactly.  I think most parents refuse to admit that events like this are not a whole lot of fun for us.  Sure, it's great to see your child delight in things they have never experienced before, but otherwise it's a lot of chasing around said child, standing in lines and bargaining when it comes time to leave.  I haven't asked him specifically, but I don't think Brant's ride in the two feet per hour purple car topped his list of exciting things to do.  Although, he does look pretty happy in the picture below.  Overall, I must say the best moment of the night came when McKenzie gained a little confidence and a lot of speed in the hall of mirrors.  One thing she has now experienced: plexiglass, in the face!  She was stunned, but not hurt, so we laughed.  A lot.  I guess the night wasn't a bust after all!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!

I love the sophisticated Christmas decor that I see in magazines.  I love the simple, handcrafted looks as well.  Unfortunately, I can't seem to pull off either in my own house.  What I end up with is a mismatched look scattered throughout the house.  Our tree isn't covered in fancy ribbon and perfectly matched ornaments.  Instead, we have shiny white lights that are surrounded by random ornaments, some that have great meaning, some that were on sale at Target last year.  I've decorated my own house for the last seven years and I think this is the first year that I'm just going to own my mismatched, sometimes sloppy, always full of color Christmas style.  I don't expect Pottery Barn to show up wanting to take pictures, but I do think McKenzie will fondly remember decorating with her Mommy and Daddy, parents who don't care if every single one of her ornaments was hung within about a foot of each other at the bottom of the tree.  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Purple Tree Pride

Artistic shot of the purple tree

Our Tree for 2011

McKenzie prefers the cluster look

A few of my favorite random ornaments

Christmas Tree Pickin'

When Brant and I moved backed to Little Rock, we began a tradition of heading out to a tree farm to get our tree.  We both prefer real trees over fake and we always have a good time at the tree farm.  The first time we went, it was just the two of us and we picked a great tree.  We did not pick a great tree loader.  We veered off the interstate onto a somewhat sketchy exit just in time to see our tree fall to the side of the Tahoe.  Brant shoved the huge tree in the back of the Tahoe and we went on our merry way.  

This year, there was no such drama, but we did have lots of fun.  McKenzie ran all around the tree farm searching for wooden reindeer and snowmen that were all over the place.  She insisted on riding the cow train and I was happy to ride with her.  The joy and excitement I got to see on her face far outweighed the very bumpy ride.  And just before the rain came, we loaded up the tree (with guys that knew what they were doing) and headed home.  We still have some decorating to do, but pics of the fabulous tree are coming!  

She's a Thinker

A few weeks ago, Brant and McKenzie were reading her bible at bedtime.  Her bible is basically a board book with lots of pictures that highlights a few bible stories.  One of those stories is that of Moses as he treks across the desert and eventually parts the Red Sea.  That's where we'll pick up the conversation:

McKenzie: What's he doing?
Brant: Parting the Red Sea.
McKenzie:  Whyyyy?
Brant: So he can take his people across.
McKenzie, pauses and considers: Why didn't he take the boat?

Valid question, especially when you know that just a few pages before Noah had a huge boat full of animals.

Very Happy Halloween

McKenzie had a GREAT Halloween this year.  She went trick-or-treating for the first time and we were amazed at how easily she caught on to the concept.  After just one house, she had no hesitation following the kids to the other houses and getting her treats.  She was very polite, although she did linger at times on some porches and I wondered if she was hoping to get another treat for being so darn cute.  We had several friends over and walked all around the new neighborhood gathering candy.  It was such a perfect night for the little fairy!  And yes, she is wearing her fairy costume right now, the day after.  Somehow I convinced her that trick-or-treating was over because she really wanted to grab her bag and head back out this morning.

Come on guys, we have more houses to go!