Fancy Nancy!

Guess who I got to meet? The illustrator from Fancy Nancy!!

Mommy says she's met authors before, but never anyone as fancy as Robin Preiss Glasser! Miss Robin showed up in the fanciest dress I've ever seen, and she had special stickers and glitter for all of our faces. She showed us how to curtsey and let us practice walking with a banana on our heads... you know, because that's how you practice walking like a model.

Mommy let me pick my outfit, and I looked exactly like Fancy Nancy would've if she was a real live girl. Mommy picked Katie's outfit, and she looked more like a picturesque Fancy Nancy. Nana and DD came, and just like in the book, they got fancy too! We got to eat at a posh restaurant afterwards and I made comments all night like, "This cake is delectable."

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Love,

Fancy Avery

San Antonio with These Two

This weekend, we had a family reunion with the Wales side of the family. Every single one of the 23 member family was in attendance. A few favorite moments from the weekend, as it pertained to the girls:

Avery:

*Avery was so excited to see her "Disney" family and requested that she get to ride with Mimi and Gran on the way up. Mimi and Avery read, told stories, and snacked all the way to San Antonio. She loves her great-grandparents!

*As we were leaving San Antonio, Mimi gave Avery some money. Jordan caught her just as she was about to rip the bill in half. Turns out, she was trying to half it so she could share the money with Katie Beth.

*On the way to San Antonio, we stopped through to pick up Mimi and Gran and drop off the dogs with Nanny. On the way home, we did not. Avery kept asking me how long until we got to Nanny's house. I figured she meant Nana... When we got all of our misunderstandings cleared up and Avery realized we would not be stopping at Nanny's on the way home, she cried big sobs. She wanted to see Nanny's face and hold it - the computer and the phone won't let her do that! Such a sweet heart. Luckily, we'll be back in a few short weeks and a phone call eased the pain after all.

Kate:

*We left Kate's newest froggy stuffed animal in Houston and thought it was okay until it came time to ride the boat. It was the highlight of Kate's trip and she looked at me as we were getting ready and whimpered, "Froggy. Boat. Home!" Sure enough, Froggy wasn't going to get to ride the boat because he was at home. Luckily, Nana purchased a ceramic frog for Kate and he made the trip (in a protective bag), which forgave Mommy for the blunder of leaving Froggy behind.

*After the reunion, we took the girls to the zoo with Trey and Erin before heading home. Kate hid her head from the monkeys and cried when we tried to get her to look at them. For some inexplicable reason, she was terrified of them. However, at our next stop, the Reptile Room, Kate climbed out of her stroller and pushed her face as close to the glass as she could to see the snakes, frog, and lizards. The enormous Reticulated Python was bigger around than Kate, but she thought he was fascinating and loved it when the Komodo Dragon climbed the wall to try to get out of its cage.

*On the way home from the zoo, an exchange:

Kate: "Mommy, ow!"

Me: "Kate, do you have an ow?"

Kate: "Yeah, feeng."

Me: "Your finger hurts?"

Kate: "Bain."

Me: "Why do you need a band-aid?"

Kate: "Aah-gay bit me."

Me: "Kate, I don't buy it. No way an alligator bit you."

She's been finding 'ant bites' all week that need 'bains', and so I guess she thought that it was just as likely that I'd believe an alligator bit her at the zoo.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THE TRIP

So Much!

There was so much this week:

Avery's Costume Parade at School

Kate's Playgroup Halloween Party (complete with Pumpkin Painting)

Avery's Class Fall Party (which Mommy got to be a part of)

Our Rowdy Rebel Halloween Party

Miss Shannon's 30th Birthday, including a Spa Day for Mommy and Shannon and a Surprise Party

Daddy's 31st Birthday, including breakfast in bed, lunch with the fam, a new(ish) Kindle, and Key Lime Pie

Trick or Treating with Nana and DD

And these extra goodies for you:

*Where's Kate?


*All week we talked about helping Daddy carve the pumpkin, but when the time came, apparently the smell was too much and two little girls had to "hide" from the smell behind the wall while Daddy worked... can you find them?


*For about two months, our camera has had really bad resolution in pictures, and we could not figure it out. As it turns out, someone (maybe Avery... maybe Katie...) had turned our camera's preferences to the smallest picture size possible. So, two months' worth of memories will never be able to be printed without a grainy look. So much for assuming that if a camera is water- and shock-proof that it is also child-proof.


*Kate changed costumes 4 times this week (one of which never made it to pictures because she suddenly deemed it too tight). On the night of the Rowdy Rebel party, we were struggling with a weather-appropriate costume for her. Daddy found a random bear/dog costume and as soon as Kate saw it, she lit up: "Kate! Pooh!" She was wholly convinced that she was dressed as Winnie the Pooh. Maybe that is exactly what it was meant to be...?


*We passed a group of people passing out Taquitos to all the adults who were trick-or-treating. Kate, just doing what she had been doing all night, reached up and took one, and started eating it. We thought she had dropped it on the ground after she realized it wasn't candy. In fact, she stuck it in her bucket, and we didn't think much of it until we were digging for candy. Can you find it hiding in the candy basket?

And, because there is always more, click here for more pictures of the week

They Get Me!

This weekend, I celebrated two years of life. I'm happy to report that after expressing my desires for two years, my family has figured out what I love.

The attention and main stage is best saved for Avery. I prefer lots of fun, some affection, a little bit of an acknowledgement, and a lot of action.

Things my family realized I love and provided for me on my birthday weekend:

*FROGGIES!

*The Aquarium... with a train ride, carousel, my first trip in the ferris wheel, and a horse-drawn carriage ride in "Rella's" carriage

*The Little Gym!

*A handful of precious friends

*Presents and the chance to yell, "Mine! Mine!" every time Sister looks at them.

It was a wonderful, froggyful weekend. Today when I went in for my Little Gym class, I asked Mommy, "Goggy? Poh-eee?" Mommy promised we could do it all again next year... but for now, it's time to guard - I mean enjoy - my presents.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

Love,

Katie Beth "Goggy 'Day" McClinton

Expressing Ourselves

This week, we've been busy making sure we're understood...

Kate (to Avery, on repeat): "Daah Doo, A!" ("I love you, Avery.")

Avery: "Mommy! Daddy! Hurry! Kate is masterly stuck!" (Sure enough, she was.)

Avery (in prayer): "Thank you for everything, thank you for Daddy, and thank you for this blessing I'm praying." (This girl gets that even the capacity to pray is from the Lord.) ;)

It was a super week, with Daddy travelling (and making his return trip a day early!), time with Nana and DD to break up the long, lonely week, a pumpkin pie for Daddy's welcome home present, our Pumpkin Patch visit, Cinco Ranch Homecoming, birthday parties, and butterfly cupcakes!

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Love,

Avery and Kate "Masterly Expressive" McClinton

Best (Ordinary) Week Ever!

This week was just another ordinary week, except that a few special things made it the best ordinary week of them all.

For one, Daddy was in town! I got a double dose of Daddy this week because he and I had a date to Dad's Night at my school. He got to see what I do all day at class and we painted a frame together.

Then, we got to spend the night at Nana and DD's house this weekend. I was busy having a silly tea party with DD (he makes slurping noises when he sips his tea... I've been counting and can think of 9 reasons that "that DD is crazy"!), but Kate was busy doing her own thing. She has taken after her Daddy and loves all things slimy. She spent a good part of the morning examining a half-salamander that she found.

We also had our Fall Festival at school this week. Amelia and Nana joined us, and we had so much fun! Trains, games, horses, snow cones, a cake walk (that Amelia won!)... what a blast!

We finished up the weekend with a party for Uncle David's birthday and one for Chase's 2nd birthday.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THE WEEK

It was a super-special plain-old week and I am so thankful for the time with Daddy and all the family fun.

Love,

Avery "Fall Festival Queen" McClinton

My Obsession (No Surprises Here)

Mommy and Avery keep talking about my Froggy Party that I'm going to have later this month. Avery loves parties and Mommy is glad to have a sidekick who will obsess over ribbon colors with her. Since they talk so much about it, I've figured this thing out.

Every time I hear the words, "birthday", "party", or "froggy", I yell, "Goggy Poh-ee!" For example, when Mommy was telling Avery about Miss Steph's going-away party, it was sort of hard for them to hear each other because I wouldn't stop shouting, "Goggy Poh-ee!" When we called Chase to wish him a Happy Birthday this week, I got so excited and couldn't stop yelling... you guessed it! - "Goggy Poh-ee!"

This week, my outfit for the Goggy Poh-ee came in the mail. Mommy let me try it on, but then she tried to take it back off of me! I was forced to yell and scream and cover the froggy on my shirt gingerly to protect him from Mom. I'd hover in a corner and stroke the froggy on my shirt... it was a valiant battle but I finally lost and Mom separated the Goggy and his Kit.

Sometimes I get shy around people, but lately Mommy and Daddy have found my magic button. If I don't want to talk to someone, all they do is say, "Kate, are you having a party?" No matter how shy I am, it is impossible to resist the chance to yell. "Goggy Poh-ee!"

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Love,

Kate Goggy-Pohee McClinton

PS - Daddy has taken up my cause and is trying to talk Mommy into letting us get a real, live Goggy. He says if it makes me the happiest kid on earth, how could Mommy say no? That Daddy's got my back!