Trick-or-Treat!

While this wasn't Aurora's first Halloween, it was her first time trick-or-treating. Before dressing up, we painted some little pumpkins.

Then we headed out to our friend Nicolette's neighborhood, which is not far from us. Let me tell you, if you live in West Austin, this is the place to go! Tons of kids and decorated houses everywhere. Nicolette wasn't home, but her husband Steve was more than happy to "treat" our little tiger.

Aurora liked knocking on doors, going into houses, taking candy and saying "thank you." She didn't say "trick-or-treat"very often, but nobody seemed to mind.

After Nicolette's cul-de-sac, we went down the street to Ron and Kathy's, then ended at our next-door neighbor June's house. We were her only trick-or-treater, but she was ready for us!

It was actually a little too warm to be running around in a padded tiger suit, but our "Roar-a"didn't seem to notice. We may not have stopped at many houses, but we got plenty of candy and had a fun and happy Halloween!

Fall Festival

Halloween Outfit

Ms. Ella

Face Painting!

Tiger Mommy & Tiger Baby - "Rawr!"

One or two?

If you're reading this blog, I need your opinion.

First, it's school picture time and I'm not sure which mug shot is cuter:

Second, and probably more important, I've recently started thinking about whether or not we should have another kiddo. We waited to have Aurora until I really felt like it was time, and I figured I'd have a second if and when I felt that again. So far, I haven't. I'm really enjoying our little family of three, and while I know that I loved having a baby, I can't imagine doing it again. But, I'm only getting older, and I keep hearing that if we want two, a 3-year age gap is pretty ideal.

If I'm being completely honest, it's tough raising a family without family nearby. Taking care of Aurora isn't so hard, but daycare is expensive, and other than work we really don't get much of a break. Some people say that two isn't much harder than one, since we're already doing it. Others tell me two is infinitely harder because they both want your full attention.

So, I'm asking you, my loyal readers... if you have more than one child, if you are an only child, if you have an opinion, or if you simply want one of the above photos, leave me a comment with your thoughts! Be honest. I want to hear it.

Undies

Aurora's been doing okay with potty training. Not great, but okay. She started wearing undies at daycare, but most days she has an accident and often ends up in pull-ups. We've been watching a video called "Potty Power" almost everyday, at her request, and she has the songs pretty much memorized. One of them is called "No more diapers for me" and she proudly says that all the time. In fact, we went to Costco this weekend and returned a huge box of diapers, and she said "No more diapers for me" to the lady at the register. 

After returning the diapers, we went to Build-A-Bear and got her a sweet new stuffy that wears undies! Aurora decided to name her Undies Bear. Creative, I know.

She had fun picking out the little undies and outfit, and likes to hug her and tell her "good job!" after she goes pretend pee pee on the potty. 

Even with all these little tricks and treats, Aurora continues to have accidents. She starts peeing and says "Oh no! I having a accident!" and I say, "Aurora, you need to go pee pee in the potty BEFORE you have an accident!" to which she responds "That would be better."

She'll get it. 

Team Rooster

This morning we woke up early and headed out to the LIVESTRONG Challenge 5K. I've been working, walking, running, and volunteering at the Challenge for years, but this time decided we should form our own team. Chuck designed shirts, 25 friends signed up to walk, and we raised over $1000 in support of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Our team was so big that we didn't end up seeing everybody on site, but it was a great event. Thanks to all who came out and donated. Go Team Rooster!!!

Half Birthday

This week Aurora turned 2 1/2 years old! To celebrate, we took her in for her regular well-baby visit. Yay!? She weighs a whopping 26 pounds, which is 1.5 lbs more than 6-months ago, and apparently she's 2'9" tall, which is exactly the same as 6-months ago. I'm not convinced she was standing totally straight.

Regardless, she's still in the 25th percentile for height and weight, and she really did have fun once we settled into our little room. She got to wear a hospital gown, crinkle around on paper, color on the intake forms, read magazines... what could be better?

Once she got her booster and flu shots, the fun level dropped significantly. 

When I went to pick her up from daycare today, I noticed on the board that this week they're learning about doctors, nurses, and dentists! Ella said they were just talking about going to the doctor and getting shots yesterday, so in the car I decided to ask Aurora what she thought about our appointment. She said "that nurse hurt me, so that the germs could not make me sick."

Well said. Happy 1/2 Birthday baby girl!

Camping

When I first got the invitation to go camping this weekend, I wasn't sure we'd go. A group of coworkers were planning a weekend at Lance's ranch and as nice as it sounded, we don't have a tent, Chuck's been too busy at work, and I just wasn't sure Aurora was ready for an outing of this magnitude. I also knew that we wanted to go to the pumpkin patch this weekend, and didn't want to miss that. Turns out, Chuck didn't have to work at all and we were given the opportunity to stay in the cabin instead of a tent! So, we figured why not?

It ended up being a gorgeous weekend, the cabin was awesome, and the sunset from the pool at the main house was not so bad either...

Chuck definitely enjoyed himself more than I expected. It was just so relaxing - a small group of good people, beer, wine, a fire pit, s'mores, and a sweet girl who went to sleep early and woke up happy!

The craziest thing was leaving the serenity of the ranch for the madhouse that was the pumpkin patch. Luckily we got there right when it opened, so we had a few minutes to take pictures and plan out our afternoon before the crowds and heat became unbearable.

We stayed just long enough to meet up with friends before making the trek back to Austin. What a nice weekend exploring Central Texas!

Austin City Limits

I've been lucky enough to get free passes to ACL every year since working for the LAF.  Three years ago we were also offered tickets to Lollapalooza in Chicago if we could arrange our own airfare and hotel, and while that was definitely the most fun we've ever had at a music festival, today's ACL Fest came in a close second.

Of course, one of the biggest differences between then and now is... Aurora!  At first I thought we should get a babysitter, but after checking out the lineup I thought, why not just take her with us?  The weather was nice, the shuttle was totally convenient, and the whole festival was very kid friendly.  We spent the first hour or so at the covered beach area, which reminded us a little of our last vacation...

Then we headed over to the Austin Kiddie Limits stage, where there were activities, snacks, drums, and a couple pretty fun kids bands playing.  Aurora had a great time following along to the music!

Next, we braved the crowds and headed over to see Broken Bells.  We got a great spot, used our umbrella for shade, gave Aurora some stickers and coloring books and enjoyed the show.  Definitely the highlight for us grown-ups.

We wanted to hear one more band, but the acoustics were pretty bad at that stage so we headed home just in time to have a totally normal bedtime routine.  All in all, a very successful day in spite of the crowds, noise, and skipped nap!  We have 3-day passes so we could go back tomorrow, but... maybe one day was just enough.

LIVESTRONG Day

Saturday was LIVESTRONG Day and we spent the afternoon tailgating at my office; eating good food, hanging out with friends, and watching the UT/OU game. We tried to get Aurora to nap beforehand, but she wouldn't - and she should've. 

I have a fun job and a fun life, but without a nap, combining the two was exhausting! Regardless, it was a great event and we had a great time. Here's a picture with Chuck hanging out in the front on a bean bag. Notice Aurora climbing all over him. I don't think she ever stopped moving.

Thank goodness my friends were there to play with our energetic girl. Kinzee colored with her, Laura sidewalk chalked with her, and Bailey...

Potty Training

Here's a topic you knew was coming... hopefully you're prepared to hear a lot about it in the coming weeks. 

I think Aurora's ready to start potty training. Lately when I go to the bathroom she says "Mommy, did you go pee pee in the potty!?" I answer "YES!" and she enthusiastically praises me: "Good job, I'm so proud of you!". When I'm changing her diaper, she'll often get sad and say "I don't like pee pee and poo poo! Pee pee and poo poo go in the potty!" So... she gets it. She's had a little potty for probably a year now, which she has no problem sitting on. What she doesn't understand is how to tell when she has to go. So, tonight we just took the leap to wearing undies. She was SO excited to wear her undies - she clearly thought it was the coolest thing in the world. 

She sat on the potty for a few minutes and said she peed (she didn't), then we put on the undies and I said "Okay Aurora, what are you going to do when you have to go potty?" to which she replied "I'm going to have an accident!!!"... and within 2 minutes, that's exactly what she did. She peed on the floor, and it was very upsetting (to her, not me). She needed new pants and insisted on a new diaper.

I'm usually really organized and educated when it comes to this parenting stuff. I had a sleeping plan, an eating plan, and a schedule for this girl from day one. But potty training... I guess I just figured her friends at school would do it and she'd catch on and ask to do it. I mean, she's a smart kid! Perhaps if I left it alone long enough that's exactly what would happen, but I feel like I need to take the lead and now's the time. Maybe I need a book. 

Okay, maybe not this book. I'm not sure if we're ready yet, but we're going to try! Any advice?

We're back!

As much as this vacation was about relaxing, unplugging, and slowing down - it seems to me that it went by really fast!

It started out a little gloomy, but we ended up with great temperatures and plenty of perfect beach weather. We filled our days searching for sea shells, eating and hanging out with family, relaxing on the beach, playing with doll houses, recreating photos for my parents blog, swimming, reading, and generally spending more time with Aurora - TV and computer free - than we have in a long time.

I have to say, this girl is getting really silly. Right at the beginning of the trip, she decided that she was the mommy and I was her baby, and she pretty much stuck with that the whole time. Honestly, I could go on and on with goofy stories, but instead I think I'll just show you some of my favorite pictures and call it a night...

Ready for a vacation

To say these last few weeks and months have been hectic would be an understatement, and I think we're all feeling like we could use a vacation. As luck would have it, we'll be heading out on our annual birthday-weekend Florida trip TOMORROW! Yes, we'll be leaving all of this behind...

... for, well, potentially more of the same? This week we've just had day after day of torrential downpour, and while my mom swears it's gorgeous in Florida, the 10-day forecast tells me Fort Lauderdale has a 50% chance of rain and t-storms pretty much everyday. I guess the weather is secondary to the lovely beachfront hotel, time with my parents and grandparents, and almost 5 days without a computer. I'm sort of addicted to my laptop, so leaving it behind for a few days will be a very good thing.

While Aurora's been on several flights, this is the first time she's old enough to really understand what's happening. She's SO excited about the airplane, she's happy about the beach and her new "Florida outfits," and she can't wait to see Gramma and Grampa! I guess we'd better start packing.