ALL ABOARD!! CHOO CHOO

Warning....this blog posting is going to be picture intensive (they are more for me than you)!!!  Something special happened today.  Bobby stepped out of Bobby's World for a little while and entered the world of play.  BOBBY PLAYED TRAINS WITH DADDY.  When you have a child who doesn't REALLY ever play (at least play appropriately), when they actually do it is a HUGE deal.  Sorry, but I took tons of pictures to document the occasion.  Believe me, I am not going to post them all since that number is in the hundreds, but here are some great pictures of Bobby playing train....

Look at that SMILE!!!

Zoi's there for moral support!!  By the way, it was pajama day in the Smith household.

Working hard to snap track together.

Bobby is patiently waiting for Daddy to get the train running.

MY FAVORITE PICTURE EVER!!!!!  Look at Bobby watching his Daddy work!

Who is this kid???  How do we keep him here??!!!!!!!

Squinting to watch the train roll on by.

The most beautiful scene.

Oh Bobby, Mommy and Daddy love you soooo much!!!!!

Waiting for the train to come through the tunnel.

Back to Bobby's World...the mega tiles make a tunnel for the train.

He didn't play much longer.

The last lap that the train made before Bobby took it off of the track...

The train is now on the floor under the table and Bobby hasn't gone back to even look at it.  But for a half hour today, a glorious half hour, Bobby and Daddy played train.  It was a SPECIAL day.   Bobby we would love to have you back into our world any time you want to visit.  

O Pinterest Tree

I have been spending way too much time lately on Pinterest looking at pictures, blogs, videos....of Christmas decorations.  Let me tell you, there are some people out there who come up with some amazing ideas, some who make me fell very inadequate, and some who are just plain 'ol crazy.  I took a couple of the ideas and couldn't wait to use them on my Christmas tree.

First thing to do...get the tree out of storage.  So glad that Bob was home and could do that for me!!  Next, put the tree together and put the lights on.  Bob and Bobby got right on that task...

Love those boys!!  They worked so hard.  They actually got about 6 branches on the tree before they both gave up and left the rest of the work to me!  Oh well, as long as Daddy keeps Bobby occupied, he is working hard in my eyes.  The boys were off and I got to work on the tree.

After I got he first two rows of branches and lights on the tree, Zoi and Bobby decided it was time to come and get a close up look (a.k.a. Get in my way)...

I still managed to get the tree finished and over the next couple of days got it fully decorated...

The Pinterest inspired tree topper...

Yeah!!  The biggest decorating challenge accomplished.  Now to decorate the rest of the house.

And the stockings were hung by the window with care.  What...window???...that's not where they are supposed to go!!!

You could not have asked for more perfect weather to put up the outdoor decorations.  We were outside in short sleeve shirts in November.  The whole family was outside to help.

Hey Bobby, could you get all of that stuff put up for Mommy??

I'll take that as a NO!  Zoi's no help either...

Bobby loves when the lights are actually up and on...

Somehow I managed to get the front porch lights finished, in spite of all of the "help"!!!!!  Now, it was time to move around to the back porch.  Zoi got in on the decorating...

Zoi, I know you like a little "bling," but I have to hang that wreath, you don't get to wear it!!

The stockings were also hung by the stairwell with care.  I know, what is with me, don't I know where to actually hang the stockings and why, oh why, do I have two sets of stockings!!??!!

Thankfully Bobby took some time to play with his blocks while I decorated away...

Now if Santa's elves would just come over clear off my dining room table and put everything back into their appropriate storage container, carry the containers downstairs and put back into the storage area.  Good thing that we already had our Thanksgiving dinner and we weren't planning to use this table...

If you want to see any of the rest of our holiday decorations, you are just going to have to come over for a visit!!  Now, I have to get to work on the rest of the homemade Christmas presents that we are going to give this year.  I'm planning to take pictures and blog the gift making process, but since the recipients are blog followers, I won't be sharing these until January.  Happy Holidays!!!!

Let the Holiday Season Begin

Ever since Bobby has come into our lives, we all live according to a different set of rules, typically Bobby's rules, to keep our sanity.  The more I thought about Thanksgiving this year, the reality of celebrating on November 22 with the rest of the country didn't make sense.  Bobby is off of school all week (9 days total) which makes grocery shopping a big 'ol challenge and getting the house clean for company even more fun.  Add to this the fact that Grandma Carolyn has to work on Thanksgiving Day, it made more and more sense to have our Thanksgiving Day early.  This way I could shop and clean while Bobby was in school and we could pick a day that Grandma didn't have to work.  So, in Bobby's World, Thanksgiving Day fell on Saturday, November 17 this year.

Bobby got an extra bonus in his holiday today....Grandma Carolyn and Aunt Dianna stopped and picked Bobby up to go for a fun "ride in car" to PA to pick up Aunt Mimi and bring her to our Thanksgiving dinner.  Bobby loved the ride and I had some peace and quiet while I finished preparing the meal.  I really don't have dinner pictures.  But before he left, Bobby helped me make Aunt Mary's sweet potato casserole...

Pouring in the milk.

Talented enough to add the eggs and butter all at once.

I did manage to stop and take a picture of the turkey, but the legs and wings are just resting up against the bird since they fell off when I removed it from the pan.  Tasted much better than this poor picture looks!!  The only other food picture I have is off the dinner rolls.  The Pioneer Woman makes her dinner rolls in a cast iron skillet, so I made mine in a cast iron skillet too.  I'm such a follower!!

After dinner Grandma Carolyn gave Bobby a Christmas gift.  To all of our surprise and joy, Bobby ripped right into the package with gusto.

Hope that this is a glimpse into Christmas this year.  He hasn't had much on an interest in his presents in the past.  He loves his Elmo Christmas toy.  We have heard Elmo sing Jingle Bells an endless number of times this evening!!

We had a Christmas gift for Grandma Carolyn, Aunt Dianna, and Mimi too.  I wanted them to have them early so that could put them out for the holiday season.  Bob and I decided that we were going to make gifts for everyone this Christmas (except for Bobby), so I have been searching Pinterest and crafting away!!!!  Here's my first Pinterest creation...

Here's the site that I got the idea from...
http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/2011/12/4x4-no-melt-snowman-tutorial-guest-post/

Now that Thanksgiving is over in Bobby's World, we will have to start decorating for Christmas.  After all Bobby LOVES the Christmas tree.  I'm sure that I will be snapping a lot of pictures and sharing them soon!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving from Bobby's World!!!!