The Morris Family

No More Curls!

2010-12-17T17:02:00.000-08:00

Andrew had his first haircut tonight. He got to sit in a jeep and watch Cars.

I'm trying not to cry as I write this. As wild as they were, I loved his curls. They seemed to epitomize his personality. However, his hair was getting really long, snarly, and it was in his eyes. In the past couple of weeks, he has been mistaken for a girl a number of times, so we decided it was time.

Andrew definitely didn't enjoy the experience.

He looks so much more like a little boy now.

He doesn't seem too scarred by the experience!

He's back to a happy man, drool and all!

Happy Holidays to all!

SANTA!!!!!

2010-12-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to a Christmas party at daycare, and SANTA came! It was very exciting. All the kids lined up at the top of the stairs and watched as he came in the door. Santa showed them his magical key that lets him in any house to deliver gifts on Christmas.

All the other kids went to sit down, and Andrew just stood there staring at Santa. He wasn't sure what to think.

Aubrey hopped right up on his lap.

Andrew needed a little coaxing....

but when he saw what was inside the present Santa brought for him, he was just fine! He got a new tractor that he pushed around with his butt in the air all night.

Christmas fun

2010-12-12T07:20:00.000-08:00

Aubrey and Andrew got to decorate their own little tree. It has Lightening McQueen, Elmo, and princess ornaments.

Andrew prefers to pull the ornaments off and throw them across the room.

Aubrey very carefully puts them back on for him.

Andrew's favorite ornament is "Queee" (McQueen).

Aubrey is 4!

2010-12-12T07:09:00.000-08:00

So this is a little late, but Aubrey turned 4 on November 30th. She loved everything about it... the cake, the candles, the presents!

She got some new things for her doll, and now she spends hours playing with her. Joe really loves it when he gets to dress the doll! I think it may be his favorite game.

Birthdays are the best!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

Aubrey was very excited about carving pumpkins and the whole idea of Halloween this year. The pics below show the prep work.

We had quite the assembly line system going on.

Ta Dah! I'm done with my masterpiece!

Daddy was a construction worker. Please notice the stylish mullet wig and mustache.

Drew Monkey was, very fittingly, a monkey.

We had a butterfly costume hanging in the closet for Aubrey to wear, but she really had her heart set on being a beautiful princess. A couple of times tonight I heard the phrase, "I'm a princess!" at the door of a neighbor.

I couldn't really get a good shot of the two of them together. They had their own agenda...

We walked across the neighborhood to go Trick-or-Treating with our friends, the Troxels and Lindstrums.

Andrew loved the freedom to run up and down the sidewalks. He wasn't too interested in getting treats. He was more happy just chasing kids.

We stayed out for about 45 minutes and then Aubrey had lots of fun handing out candy to the other kids. She very meticulously picked out ONE piece of candy and put it in their bags.

Aubrey's take from the evening.

Summer fun!

2010-07-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

Andrew has recently decided that the highchair is way too confining. The booster seat is way more comfortable. He can put his feet up and take a load off!

Ever since he could hold things, Andrew has loved having things in both hands. Lately, he's enamored of his toothbrushes. He walks around with one in each hand. The unfortunately thing about this is that we find them in some not so great places (laundry room, drawers, by the toilet, etc.)

I'm having a great time being off with the kids for the summer. Its great that Andrew can walk around and the two of them can play together. Aubrey is trying to teach Andrew to blow bubbles!

Andrew enjoys sunglasses. He's still working on wearing them right side up.

After a long day of playing, both kids crashed out in Aubrey's bed.

Aubrey and Andrew both love to dress up as princesses. Aubrey loves to share her crowns and fancy shoes with him!

We hope you are all having a happy and safe summer! I'll try to be better at posting pictures!

Ice skating!

2010-03-06T19:00:00.000-08:00

Sorry for NEVER posting. Andrew is, as Joe calls it, "a full court press". He doesn't allow for any down time unless he's napping, which he fights mightily, or sleeping at night. I have to say, we are very lucky because once 8:00 comes around, the kids are usually in bed and stay that way until the morning.

Thanks to the Cheadles, we have some cute pics from last weekend. We took the girls ice skating for the first time. They loved it!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T05:55:00.000-08:00

Aubrey was a pumpkin again this year, and Andrew was a lion.

Andrew loved being part of all the excitement!

We went trick-or-treating with some friends in the neighborhood. Aubrey made the rounds with Tinkerbell, Captain Hook, Peter Pan, and some Leinenkugel Germans. Thanks, Troxels for inviting us!

It was a beautiful Autumn night. Andrew got a lift in the backpack from the Norweigan (daddy), and Aubrey walked along. She did a great job bounding to and from houses to get candy. She was pretty shy, occasionally saying, "Trick or treat," but she always said, "Thank you," which is the most important!

Here is Aubrey's take! She got to have 3 pieces of candy; 2 bags of M&Ms and a sucker. She, of course, wanted more, but we drew the line at 3!

Andrew shared his candy with the rest of us.

Here is Aubrey all sugared up! We had a great night!

Pumpkin Time!

2009-11-01T05:45:00.000-08:00

Grandma is so much fun! When she and grandpa were visiting, she helped Aubrey decorate her very own pumpkin. She was quite proud of it!

The pumpkin was complete with glasses, curly hair, ears, one hand with manicured nails, a nose, and a mouth!

Here is the finished product! What a masterpiece!

Aubrey helped design the pumpkins to be carved.

It was very exciting to light them up at night!

We made four pumpkins, and Aubrey promptly named each one of them accordingly after each one of us. Going clockwise starting from the bottom left we have Aubrey, mommy, daddy, and Andrew.

Cute Random Pics

2009-11-01T05:24:00.000-08:00

Aubrey loves to stack and organize things. Here she is with all of her playhouse food. She does a pretty good job of balancing things!

An after dinner dessert... Aubrey and daddy were sharing brownie with ice cream. Andrew was pretty interested in the whole affair, as you can see below!.

When Andrew sees something he wants, it is hard to divert his attention. Sorry Maren! He finds you quite interesting! Thanks for coming over to play.

Aubrey likes to put on her "pretties". Sometimes, if I'm lucky, she'll share them with me!

Choo Choo Train Ride

2009-11-01T05:15:00.000-08:00

We took the kids to the Dells for a day trip to go on a train. Aubrey loves choo choos! She had a great time, and Andrew was a trooper!

At long last!

2009-08-07T20:31:00.001-07:00

Our apologies for rarely updating our blog. I thought I would have lots of time over the summer to do so, but I find little time during the day. Aubrey and Andrew keep Joe and I on our toes! We have had a great summer so far. We hope you enjoy a few pictures illustrating what we've been up to!

Days of Summer

2009-08-07T20:18:00.000-07:00

Aubrey got a new playhouse at the beginning of summer that she has spent hours playing with.

She loves to open and close the shutters.

Aubrey is quite the doting sister. Sometimes, she gets just a little too close for Andrew's comfort zone!

Aubrey and andrew were Captain and First Mate of the A Line ship (aka the Maclaren double stroller box)

Drew and daddy

Again in a box...There's just something so fun about boxes!

Daddy with his two favorite kids

Surprise! Mommy is taking pictures again!

Andrew was able to soak in the water with his trusty bumbo!

Aubrey enjoyed the water too!

Good conversations were taking place!

All suited up! (Of course, the hats have to match the suits!)

Vacation and misc pics

2009-08-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

Aubrey and Tegan had lots of fun playing together on vacation.

Aubrey loved going on Grandpa's boat

Aubrey loved the beach!

Andrew loves to sit up and be part of the action!

They love their new play mat!

Mom, what are you doing to me?

The House of Bounce in Rochester

Quality time with Tegan

Aubrey loved Granpa's tractor

Lot of new posts!

2009-04-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

I just posted a month's worth of pictures. Sorry I'm not great at keeping up on a weekly basis. My goal is to post once a month. There's lots to look at. Enjoy!

Family Visit

2009-04-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

We always love it when family comes to visit. My parents came to visit a few weekends ago. We had a great time!

Practicing the superman pose with grandpa

Quality time with Uncle Brad

Grandma is so good to me!

Aubrey loves to dress up, especially to dance.

More Pictures of Drew

2009-04-08T09:49:00.000-07:00

We can't believe how big Andrew is getting. He is ten weeks old today. He's such a happy baby!

Andrew is cozy in his winter hat.

Aubrey loves her brother so much!

Relaxed in daddy's arms

All clean!

Aubrey's a Big Girl!

2009-04-08T09:30:00.000-07:00

Aubrey has now officially moved to her big girl room. She sleeps in a big girl bed. However, the transition was not necessarily made seamlessly!

This is a picture of her big girl room all done in bright pink, green, black, and white. Now that she doesnt' sleep in a crib, Aubrey has discovered she has the freedom to get out of bed on her own. Check out the next two pictures...

Aubrey's room before "nap time"

Aubrey's room after "nap time"
I thought Aubrey went down for a nap, so I decided to catch a few precious winks myself while Andrew was sleeping too. When Joe got home from work, I was still sleeping and Aubrey was wandering aroung the house. He asked where mommy was and Aubrey said, "Mommy nigh-night." She never went to sleep and had been wandering around the house by herself for a few hours. There was evidence of her activities all over. Oops! That's some good parenting for you! After that, during nap time we put up a gate so she couldn't get out of her room. I guess we can't force her to sleep, but at least she has quiet time in her room.

One night she had to sleep with her Barbie sunglasses.

Her four Elmo books have to be read every night. I think I have every word memorized. After we read them, she puts herself to sleep by reading them herself. Too precious!

These pictures are a few weeks old. Currently, she no longer likes sleeping in her toddler bed, so she just sleeps in the queen. We took the toddler one to the basement for storage. Also, we no longer have to put up the gate, she takes naps now and doesn't try to get out until we come and get her. I hear her saying, "Mommmmy, Mommmy" and I know she's ready to get up. We're so proud of her sleeping in a big girl bed. This, of course, means that the crib is available. Andrew has been sleeping in it for a few weeks now and is out of the pack and play in our room.

A Visit to Rochester

2009-04-08T09:02:00.000-07:00

During my maternity leave, I decided to brave the road and take Aubrey and Andrew to have a girls' weekend in Rochester. The boys were in Madison for a boys' weekend and a hockey game. The kids were champs in the car. A car DVD player is a must! I'm so glad we went. Aubrey and Tegan love to play together. We had lots of fun with everyone.

Bath time!

Dancing with grandma and Tegan

House of Bounce... Aubrey loved jumping and bouncing all over the place. She only got stuck at the top of the slide once. Mommy had to go in the "No Adults allowed" area to get her down.

Andrew is practicing his flying skills with grandpa.

Me and my babies

Snacks at grandma's counter.

Tegan is such a great cousin!

Aubrey is having her first taste of Indian food!

We heard some fine music coming from the play room. Aubrey and Tegan are budding musicians.

The Monthly Update

2009-04-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Andrew still sleeps a lot!

He loves to curl up on daddy.

Aubrey is exploring her Mexican heritage!

2009-02-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

Aubrey loves being a big sister! I can't believe how big she is. Before Andrew, she was our little baby. Now, when we compare sizes, we see how much she has grown. It's been fun to have a tiny baby back in the house!

Andrew spends a lot of time sleeping!

Here he is, awake and all bundled up. He's a pretty mellow guy. He just hangs out all day and grunts when he's hungry.

Aubrey is holding Andrew on the couch. She really is devoted to him.

My family came to visit a couple of weeks ago. Tegan and Aubrey had lots of fun playing together. They ran around the house screaming in delight.

We loved having the extra help. Aubrey kept her aunts and uncles busy!

Aubrey and Tegan enjoyed snacking all day long.

Andrew is getting really big. This is a 3-6 month outfit. I did a home weigh-in with Andrew and I think he is around 11 or 12 pounds already. He'll be in a size 2 diaper soon!

As you can see, he's chunking out quite nicely.

Aubrey in her new sunglasses (gotta love the dollar spot at Target!)

Life is busy...

2009-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

I think Andrew looks a lot like Joe. Its amazing how much he has changed in one week!

We have yet to get a good family picture, but I really like this one of the three most important people in my life!

Grandma Moore was an incredible help when we first came home from the hospital. Aubrey enjoyed her cooking lessons. Mom - we miss the home-cooked meals!

Such a blessing!

Aubrey and daddy were set with their 3-D glasses for the super bowl.

Taking naps with grandma

We loved having grandma and grandpa visit.

Just a few more images...

2009-01-29T05:57:00.000-08:00

Andrew had a great night last night. Mommy got some sleep here and there. He is a great eater and sleeps a lot! Thanks for all of the well-wishes!

2009-01-28T17:21:00.000-08:00

Andrew Joseph Morris born on 1-28-09 @ 12:15 p.m. He was 8# 6 oz. and a solid 22" long.

Aubrey assures daddo that things are still O.K. between us, and is a proud big sister.

Hmmm. this looks a lot like my doll, but somehow different...

Mom? what is this? I sure hope he won't be cutting in on our special time together.

Time to Disco!

2008-12-21T18:01:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

One of our favorites...

2008-11-22T15:50:00.000-08:00

This is Aubrey's favorite activity to play with daddy. Joe chases after her with the vaccuum and she runs screaming to the other end of the room. We've tried to hide the popper and vaccuum in various places in the basement; under the stairs, in the shower, in the Burley, behind the door, etc., but she always seems to find them and insist that dado play with her. When daddy is working, she'll settle for mom, but mom doesn't currently have the speed and agility that she wants and expects.

Family Time!

2008-11-21T16:49:00.000-08:00

We loved having visitors last weekend! As you can see, Aubrey really enjoyed the extra attention.

Hanging out on the fireplace with grandpa

Doing puzzles with Uncle Brad

Making my hair beautiful with grandma

Shhh! Aunt Becca is sleeping...

Okay, it is time to get up, Becca. Wake up!

Time for a check up!

Reading books with grandma in my big girl room

Halloween

2008-11-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

Aubrey really enjoyed Halloween this year. I was happy that Aubrey decided to wear her costume. We had a trial run before the big day and she wanted nothing to do with it. We even got her to wear the hat. It wouldn't have been nearly as cute without it. We were lucky and had great weather. During the day it was in the 70s and at night it was in the 60s. Aubrey was sweating in her costume when we took it off at the end of the night! She loved it when the kids came to the door and Micah started barking hysterically. It was very exciting to have so many visitors.

We went around in the wagon. Daddy was dressed up as a Brewer's fan (only acceptable on Halloween given our normal devotion to the Cubs). Mommy dressed up as a pregnant woman wearing black, trying to minimize her size. :)

We practiced saying Trick or Treat at home, and she did great! Unfortunately, when it came to delivering her line in person, she had stage fright. She had no problem, however, remembering to take the candy and put it in her pumpkin. Maybe we'll do better at that next year.

Aubrey stayed quite comfortable in her wagon. We brought snacks and water just in case the walk around the neighborhood got too long. She did great. She was very interested in seeing some of her neighbor friends and all of the kids dressed up walking up and down the street.

New Boots

2008-11-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

Aubrey got new boots for the winter season. I tried them on her to see how them would fit. They are great, but I couldn't get her to take them off. She wore them for the next two hours until she was distracted enough to be able to sneak them off. She would have worn them to bed if we let her!

Aubrey likes the sound of her boots on the hardwood floors. She also loves to tote around her Halloween pumpkin!

Playing Catch Up

2008-11-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

The next couple of pics are random and don't really have a theme. I guess there is a lot I have to include since I haven't blogged since mid August!

Hey daddy, look at me, not the football game!

Aubrey enjoys dressing up her Bitty Baby. Here she is with Aubrey's shoes, a Brewer's hat, and a watch.

Do you remember the jelly bracelets from the 80s? Well, I found some at Target and bought a 100-pack. Aubrey likes to pile them on her wrist in true 80s fashion.

Aubrey enjoys practicing golf with daddy. Joe's sure she'll be a pro someday. I enjoy watching Joe explain to her how to line up with the ball and follow through.

When we play in the front, Aubrey always has to wear her bike helmet. This time, however, she decided to add daddy's sunglasses into the mix. Since we don't bring Baby outside, we substitute with a kickball in the stroller. She pushes it down to the end of the driveway and then turns around and comes back. This provides us with endless hours of entertainment!

Here is Aubrey experimenting with hair accessories. Unfortunately, her hair is so fine that she pulls the clips right out as soon as we put them in, or they slide out!

Aubrey is lounging on her big girl bed with grandma and Annika. We spend many happy hours on the bed playing and flopping around. While I'm glad she likes to spend time in the room, but I worry that when it actually comes to sleeping in the bed instead of playing on it, we might have a hard time transitioning!

Finally... an update

2008-11-01T15:02:00.000-07:00

So, I apologize for not updating our blog in forever! I find that since school started, I have little energy in the evenings to do anything extra. Between work, pregnancy, and family our lives our busy, busy, busy. I feel great and the baby is doing fine. Here are some pics to let you know what has been happening in the last couple of months.

Aubrey has really been into playing with her dolly. She loves to give her kisses and say, "Here you go, baby."

She is quite the mommy! I hope this continues when Baby Morris #2 arrives!

Another favorite activity is to play in my jewelry box. She loves to try on my rings, bracelets, earrings, and necklaces. When she finds my wedding ring, however, she runs to find me and says, "mama's" so I can put it on. Thanks to aunt Becca, we now have a green plastic hand on which to put stacks of rings.

Sometimes we even put rings on our toes!

Baking with mom

2008-08-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

I decided to make chocolate chip cookies for my mom and Brad's visit to J-town. Aubrey was very interested in helping out and seeing what I was doing. I pulled a chair up to the counter and she was very helpful, as you will see below!

All of the cooking utensils were new and interesting to explore.
A
Aubrey enjoyed stirring the flour mixture and addding utensils to it.

The batter was a little hard to stir, but she managed quite well!

Here she is trying out the finished product...not bad, mom! Now we have to hide the cookie container. Not thinking, I put them in a see-through container on the counter. She can see them and is constantly asking for num-nums. Unfortunately, she is usually disappointed with my answer!

New Playtime Activities

2008-08-06T10:58:00.000-07:00

Aubrey is a busy lady! As previously noted in our blog, Aubrey likes to adorn herself with accessories. She has recently become fascinated with trying on my shoes and walking around the house. She also likes to sport daddy's old headphones. Sometimes only one shoe makes it on the foot. We're fine with that.

When it comes to accessories, one can't forget the sunglasses, even if they aren't on quite right!

The last weekend in July we went to Decorah, Joe's hometown for Nordic Fest. We took Aubrey to the parade. She loved it! Especially the horses! There were so many interesting things to see. She actually sat still for over an hour to watch it!

Bitty Baby, Aubrey's doll, has become Aubrey's important companion. Aubrey likes to push her around in her stroller and put her in the booster seat so she can feed her. Of course, she needs a bib so she doesn't get dirty! One of her favorite things to say to the doll is, "No baby!" I wonder where she learned that!?!

A Day at the Zoo

2008-07-16T17:31:00.000-07:00

At first, Aubrey wasn't too sure about some of the animals, but then she warmed up to them. Good thing daddy was right there with her! It was a hot day, so Aubrey decided to cool off at the polar bear exhibit.

Aubrey and Joe decided to feed the goats. Aubrey didn't want to get her hands slobbery, so daddy had to do the dirty work.

Vacation Pictures

2008-07-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

We had a great time with my family on vacation in Mishicot, WI. It was on a golf resort, which Joe loved! Aubrey had a great time with grandma and grandpa, aunts and uncles, and her cousin, Tegan. Here are some pictures of Aubrey having fun! Daddy is teaching her how to drive the golf cart. He thinks it is important to instill good golfing habits when she's young.

Aubrey is practicing her walking with daddy and uncle Brad.

Aubrey enjoyed a ride on grandpa's shoulders as we strolled along Lake Michigan.

Pretty Lady

2008-07-03T11:09:00.001-07:00

One of Aubrey's favorite things to do is to take apart my purse. She carefully empties the contents and then puts everything back (after trying on the lipstick, of course). Grandma Moore had the great idea of making Aubrey her very own purse, so I looked through my stacks of unused handbags, and found one for her to call her own. I put the essentials in there, and her new accessory kept her busy for hours!

Busy days of summer

2008-07-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Aubrey takes a break from her busy day and has a snack on the patio stairs. One of her favorite activities is to climb up and down them. She has a few scrapes and bruises to show from it!

Another favorite is to completely empty the contents of the pantry onto the floor. It usually consists of boxes of food being thrown across the floor, so we gave Aubrey a grocery bag to fill up... much easier for mommy and daddy to clean up later!

And finally, Aubrey is learning to drive. I found this Cozy Coup at a garage sale for $5! I remember spending many hours playing in a similar one as a child. It was so fun to turn the key and open and close the door. Aubrey likes to turn the wheel and slam the door open and shut.

Up, up, up, and away!

2008-07-01T10:33:00.001-07:00

Last night, Aubrey decided to up and walk across the room. She feels very proud of herself... (so do mommy and daddy!) She still isn't the most graceful walker, but that will come with practice.

Dancing Queen

2008-06-16T19:51:00.000-07:00

Aubrey is multitalented! Not only does she sing, but she dances as well. Check out her smooth moves.

The Next American Idol

2008-06-16T19:13:00.000-07:00

Aubrey is testing out her pipes... thanks aunt Becca for letting Aubrey play with the singing machine!

Fun times at the Morris household

2008-06-11T19:03:00.000-07:00

Aubrey's favorite new activities is to climb under the plant stand and sit like a big girl.

Another favorite is going down the slide. Since Daddy set up the swingset, Aubrey wants to play outside all the time. We have to be careful when we say the o-word because she definitely knows what it means!

Yummy popcorn

2008-06-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Aubrey decided to try popcorn for the first time. She loved it... unfortunately, she didn't want to share any with mommy, and she had to have the bowl all to herself. Yum, yum!