a little before thanksgiving

We decided to send out Simon's birth announcement with our Christmas cards so I wanted the cards in the mail right after Thanksgiving.  Like last year Lincoln had no interest in cooperating.  In a handful of pictures he has his face scrunched up with his eyes closed.  He's a turkey.  All I can really say about that it thank you photo shop.  Drew isn't such a fan of more candid pictures, but I am.  I thought this one was cute.

 

 Molly's school had a Turkey Trot the week of Thanksgiving.  The kindergarteners didn't get to run through the neighborhood.  They had their own race on the track around the school.  I think it's 3/4 of a mile?  Or something like that.

 Drew stayed until Molly was done and then he left for work.  He got left the house just before they closed our street for the race.

 Molly's big finish.

 The big kids after the Turkey Trot. 

The cross country coach ran with the kids in the front. (I've heard from friends who have slightly older kids at different schools that Molly's school has a really good cc team)  The assistant principal is a runner and former U of L football player.  I thought it was funny when I saw him run by in his tie and dress shoes.  Maybe he forgot to bring more appropriate clothing?  A bunch of parents walked with their kids.  I think next year Drew will run with Molly.

I really love Molly's school.  After Christmas break we got a letter from the principal.  Molly's school is ranked #1 in our cluster/area.  Along with that little piece of good news it also said that any form of a mohawk is now against the schools dress code.  I'm so sad.  Gabe has had a fohawk ever since he was 8 months old.   :(

Molly's dresser

After cleaning the dresser I primed it.  It was amazing what a difference priming made.

 Then spray paint.  I wanted a bright turquoise.  This is valspar's exotic sea.  I bought 3 cans.  When I stared the third can it was the wrong color.  I kinda wanted to cry.  It was about 4 or 5 shades too dark.  A few days later and another trip to Lowe's the painting was complete.  Although I still think the replacement can was slightly darker.  :(  My original cans were regular spray paint.  When I returned the third can they only had paint+primer....

The completed project.  

(doesn't look so bright in the basement light)

 Since I got to pick the color of the dresser it seemed only fair that Molly got to pick the pulls.

She picked a fancy clock one for the middle.  I think she picked it because it says Paris.  We know all about Paris and how fancy it is because of Fancy Nancy :)

 Clear crystal looking ones for the drawers.

 The inside drawers of the dresser are hot pink.  It adds a little surprise and character.

Yay for having a fancy new dresser.  The best part was that the whole thing cost maybe $30 with the spray paint and drawer pulls.  Can't beat that.  And this dresser should last a long time.  It's solid wood and the drawers are dovetailed.  I love free and it's even better when it's quality.

Merry Christmas!

from Indiana Jones, Molly and the rest of the Wilkersons.

little sneak peek

 Drew started working on Molly's room in August.  He was hoping to have it done before Simon's arrival, but Simon came a couple weeks early and well anyway...  I don't think I've posted anything about it really. If you've ever come to visit you've seen our extra room in the basement.  If you haven't seen it then you can't fully appreciate all the work Drew's done. 

 Before there was a closet that covered the window.  You also had to go through that bedroom to get into the laundry room.  

Now there is a small hallway.  straight to Molly's room a quick left into the laundry room. 

 Farewell to the cheep plastic-y paneling and drop down ceiling.  Hello drywall and can lights.

 Molly's closet.  It doesn't look very big in the picture but it's the best closet in the house.  It'll have double doors.  Molly will have no trouble filling it with all of her dresses and shoes.  :)

 when we bought our house we inherited a couple dressers.  We gave one away and I've been working some magic on this one.  It's made well, just dirty and a little too ornate for my taste.  (It used to house my maternity clothes)  now it's a bright turquoise with fancy pulls.

 This is the carpeting that used to be in the room.  I realized I didn't have a picture of the carpeting while it was sitting on the curb so I ran out to snap this one.  It was hideous.  It took over a month before the carpet people could install the carpet we ordered.  It's in now Yay! 

Molly has been in her room for a few weeks now.  I was a little nervous.  She's never had her own room and she doesn't like the dark.  Well she's braver than I thought.  She LOVES her room.  She's never complained or expressed any concerns.  The transitions been smoother than I expected.   

The current room pictures are still on the camera.  Stay tuned and at the rate I'm going you'll get to see them sometime in March ;)

southwest community fair

At the southwest community fair (10/13) we rode ponies.

 {One of the most frustrating things right after you have a baby is still looking like your about to have a baby.  :(  But I guess I always have more to lose.  Your only supposed to gain what 35 lbs.  I always surpass that.  What can i say I'm an overachiever?}

 fed some animals

 went down a giant slide

 got our faces painted

 played in a helicopter

 (what a great dad.  Drew hates these things, but he took Lincoln anyway)

painted pumpkins, decorated sugar cookies, got balloons and danced to a local band.  Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

Boo!

This year we went trick or treating as a family of zombies with their little baby pumpkin.  :)

 It's tough trick or treating on a school day/night.  Molly gets home at 4.  She had homework!  It was a mad dash to get homework done costumes on and get out the door. 

 We went trick or treating with friends.  The kids in the car on the way over.

 Every time I got anywhere near Lincoln with makeup he'd run away.  I did get a little on him.

 This year we were trick or treating with 7 other kids.  Molly was the first one to every house with Gabe on her heels.  When the other kids were ready to go home Molly was disappointed wanting to do more.  I'm pretty sure Molly would go house to house all night.

 Lincoln and I were at the end of the pack.  Lincoln is Mr. Independent.  He wanted to walk to every house and he didn't want anyone touching his basket.  It was really cute watching him.  Next year I'm sure he'll be at the front with Molly and Gabe (well until his basket gets too heavy).

My favorite moment of the night.  We went up to a house that had 5+ scary dummies all over the front yard.  One of the homeowners was out among the dummies dressed in all black with a hockey mask on.  He was slowly moving around enough to notice if you were playing attention.  M & G like most of the other kids noticed him, but didn't pay too much attention, got their candy and left.  A couple of the kids were scared and didn't want anything to do with the house.  Then there was Lincoln who tried to go through the yard to get to the man.  I guess in his mind adult=candy.  He didn't care who gave him his candy he just wanted it.  It took a lot of work to get him on the porch where the candy was actually being passed out.

trick or treat

Every weekend in October you can go trick or treating at the zoo.  The first two weekends of the month are free to zoo members.   We were lucky the first weekend in October was beautiful.  Mid 70's perfect to be out and about even with a one week old.  :)  Simon's first real outing not counting Dr appointments.

Simon wore his Halloween onsie that says "don't scare me I poop easily"  Ha!  Hands down Molly's favorite.  Everyday she says asks if it's clean.

 Lincoln loved walking to the candy booths as far as taking pictures...  not so much.  Molly and Gabe on the other hand wanted a picture with EVERYONE.  Since it was opening night it was pretty empty so I was happy to oblige.

 The next weekend we had friends who were going.  Again the weather was perfect so we tagged along.  We figured since Lincoln did so well and walked last time we wouldn't worry about a stroller this time.  Well it took a good 20+ minutes to get into the zoo this time.  It was packed.  Lil man fell asleep before we even made it in.  He slept the majority of the time and he's heavy.

 Molly living it up under the disco ball.  This time she went as Taylor Swift.  While she danced I was placed on microphone duty.

 Gabe was a pirate.  Arrrr.