Like Father Like Son

I dropped by the grocery store on the way home from picking up Greyson from preschool. Both kids were in the 'race car' grocery carts at the local Publix. As we went up an aisle there was a lady and her cart blocking the way. Greyson piped up and said "Beep, beep - Out of my way!!" Who else can picture Raif doing that in his Volvo - although I don't think Raif would have used that polite of language!?

I've Been Tagged...

I was tagged by my fellow friend/blogger Katie Tuck to reveal 7 random things about me. Most things about me are pretty random so I had a lot to choose from. Here it goes:

1. I think ABBA is the best band ever. When we were in Sweden a couple of years ago, I actually made Raif go to the ABBA museum with me.

2. I am addicted to politics. I seriously don't know what I am going to do come Nov 5th when I don't need to check the CNN website to find out what the latest polling numbers for the swing states are. If anyone has any substitute addictions for me - let me know.

3. I have a crush on Anderson Cooper (I think that comes from #2).

4. I have an intense phobia about hosting parties. I hate it. My biggest fear is that no one will show up. Which is why I don't want a funeral when I die because nothing is sadder that no one coming to your funeral.

5. I HATE having my picture taken which is why it will probably never show up on this blog.

6. I am a crazy environmentalist - from growing my own veggies to buying organic mattresses (bet you didn't know they made those) I am all about everything green.

7. I think naps are the greatest things in the world.

Now I am suppose to tag 7 people and make them share 7 things but I don't know enough people blogging who haven't done this already so it will have to end with me.

Who ya with...

Saturday Greyson and Quinn got to go to their first football game, though the outcome wasn't what we hoped for- stupid Duke. Quinn and Greyson played find the Commodore and both loved the band with their flags and music. Quinn even cried when halftime was over. Greyson loved cheering on the Dores and saying "Get him" or "Throw the ball" sometimes even at the correct points in the game. We also got to see our friends Ryan, Suzy and their daughter Riley who actually got us the tickets - thanks Wagers. Greyson is now torn sometimes saying hockey and sometimes football when asked what his favorite sport is. But don't worry - after his first Jayhawk basketball game we all know what his favorite sport will be.

Potty humor

If you don't want to read while on the potty then the next best thing is to have your sister do it for you.

Hockey anyone?

Last night the family went to the Nashville Predators game. It was Quinn's first hockey game and Greyson's second. Raif had the best time sharing his love of hockey with his kids. While Quinn was more interested playing with seats and trying to find the 'tiger' (Gnash the mascot) Greyson was totally enthralled with the game and cheered with the fans - including learning the wonderful phrase "You Suck" - thanks Preds fans. We got the tickets through Greyson's preschool and while most of the families left after the 2nd period the Erim family, upon the insistence of my children, stayed til the bitter end. I have a feeling a large amount of hockey is in the Erim's future.

The Watchers

Over the past couple of weeks and months a strange phenomenon has been developing in the house - I call it "The Watchers." The Watchers are various sundry toys/items that have to watch us do various sundry things. "Mommy, the digger watch me pee." "Mommy, my dollie watch me eat." As the weeks have progressed more and more things have become watchers over more and more events and the items have become odder - we have had combs, used paper towels, trucks, pens and the list goes on. They have even asked for toys I haven't seen in months causing me to search the house high and low for the most random of things because if the toy doesn't watch then there is hell to pay. I am hoping that the coincidental pangs of paranoia I am feeling are just related to all these things watching me and not the first signs of true insanity.

Happy Birthday Quinncess

Sunday was Quinn's birthday as most everyone knows by now. We spent the morning opening presents (then fighting over who got to play with them). Her favorite was by far the baby stroller and baby doll. This is actually the only picture we got of the baby in the baby stroller. Most of the time the doll was shoved underneath in the storage compartment to 'sleep' Poor girl. That evening we went to Ghouls at Grassmere, our zoo's annual Halloween extravaganza. As you can see my daughter was a fairy princess and Greyson was a scary skeleton. After that it was on to pizza and cupcakes and finally to bed for all of us. I think she had a happy birthday and we had a wonderful day celebrating it with her.

And the Winners Are....

My children - for the being the cutest ever (though I may be slightly biased). Here are just some of my favorite pictures from our photo shoot from yesterday. Raif did an amazing job (I am tempted to hire him out for Bat Mitzvahs and other events) and it was really hard to choose only a couple for the blog. If you would like to see all of them (they are actually worth a look) you can go to our smugmug page and peruse at your leisure.

http://sailrace.smugmug.com/gallery/6297987_DxeB4#397023067_WRMFU

If I Only Had a Brain...

Scary Potter

Memoirs of a Scarecrow
Today we enjoyed a beautiful fall day and took the kids as well as my parents to Nashville's botanical gardens (Cheekwood) to view their annual scarecrow exhibit. We all had a wonderful time walking around the gardens and looking at all the different scarecrows made by various organizations and artists around Nashville. We also took the opportunity to take Quinn's 2 year old portraits in the gardens as well. Hard to believe she will be 2 tomorrow. Raif took about 170 or so pics of her (and Greyson too) today and is sorting through them now. Hopefully he will be done looking through them and editing them so I can post them before she turns 3.

Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men.....

Like I said before - I love the fall and everything about it. Ever since we had gotten our pumpkins this weekend I was excited to carve them. Raif got home from a business trip early today and my parents are here for Quinn's birthday so I thought that this afternoon was the perfect time. I imagined the whole family sitting around and carving and having a ball. Yeah, not so much. The kids hated picking out the seeds and were completely bored while Raif and I carved our pumpkins. I had even been crafty and went to Michael's and got some stick on felt for the kids since they can't use the knives. The kids were completely uninterested in the whole process. I had to push them to put the felt stickers on their pumpkins and they were more interested in pulling the stickers off the others pumpkins than decorating their own. When I tried to take their pictures with their pumpkins they cried. This is the only decent shot of them I got all day. And somewhere in the process one of them even hit me in the head with a broom. Oh well - maybe next year.

Greyson and Quinn and The Great Pumpkin

Saturday we spent the afternoon at our local pumpkin patch (sometimes it does pay to live in the boonies!). The kids went on their first hayride, played in a corn trough and picked out lots of pumpkins for Halloween. Greyson loved pulling the wagon of pumpkins while Quinn was quite content to just walk around with her little pumpkin she picked herself. Personally, fall is my favorite season and I was excited to do something fall-esque. Now if only the temperatures would match the season.

Finally, Raif is exposed...

The kids have both started a lot of imaginative play lately and so we have spent a lot of time recently at a restaurant, on a plane, at the hospital, at work or getting ready for naptime. But sometimes they sort of mix up their scenarios. Today Greyson was playing with Quinn's panda bear and he informed me that Panda was on his way to work. I asked what Panda was going to do at work and he replied "Take a nap - just like Daddy."

Touche

Apparently Quinn has learned that when I yell "Quinn Virginia" she is in trouble. Today she wanted to read a book and I was trying to get some laundry put away. She asked politely for me to read to her and I said in a minute - with a little more insistence she asked again and again I told her to wait one minute. Finally, she got really mad and yelled "Mommy Virginia you read my book!!!" I guess I am in trouble too.

Happy Birthday Hudson!!

This past weekend we once again packed up the family - this time going to Austin TX to celebrate Hudson Kerr's 1st birthday with Jamie and Page. We had an incredible time and just wish that we lived closer to J & P. Hudson is adorable and sat there quietly as my monster's tore through his house. I think we gave Jamie and Page a little insight into toddler-dom which is rapidly approaching their house.


All my kids know about birthdays is that they get cake. They whined from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon for their birthday cake!

Hudson favored us with a jam session on his new drum set. Only one and already has a couple of groupies.
Jamie and Page about a half an hour before we left on Sunday. Either my children totally exhausted them or they were playing dead so they didn't have to deal with the crazy Erims anymore.

This is what you get....

When you let your husband dress your children. Raif 'claims' he let Greyson pick out his own outfit - sure, that is what it was!!

First time - though I am sure not the last

Today Quinn and I enjoyed a beautiful fall morning and took in the zoo. As we were walking around this man came up the walk wearing this filthy, dirty wife beater shirt and these far from appropriate length shorts. As he was nearing us, Quinn in her usual boisterous way said "Mommy, that man is dirty." I tried to shush her and get her attention away from the man as he neared by asking her to look at the ostrich but she wanted no part of it. In a louder voice "Mommy, that man is dirty and naked." I tried to shush her again and told her to talk quietly but the quieter I got the louder she got until just as he passed us "Mommy look at that dirty, naked big man." I don't think we won Ms. Congeniality today but at least she is doing well with her adjectives!!