HE'S GROWIN' UP!

Aidan is always hanging around when

I do school with Avery so today I decided to put him to work. He is learning to write his name and soon we'll move on to the alphabet. He is so proud of himself when he does something like a big boy! He wanted to call Ted right away and tell him. He is such a FUN kid! I am so glad I'm his mom! What a joy!!

REBELS

O.k. so let me tell you what I did this past Saturday night. It's crazy so hold on.... Ted just got the show 24 season 1 and I can not watch that show... it gives me the creeps. ANYWHO... Charlotte, Kristin and Rachel were going to dinner so I decided to join them... THEN... they were going couching... what is couching you ask? It's when you take an OLD COUCH (which we found in a field and then spray painted for fun) and you put it on someone's front porch so when they go out their front door they are surprised!!! It's pretty funny. If you are cruel you ring the doorbell. It was just 10pm and we could see the people we were doing it to through the front window. They are friends of the college students I was with... I don't know them. I was just along for the ride. I didn't get out of the truck... I just took pictures! It was fun though. I can now say I have been couchin'.

GAME NIGHT!!

We have been having college students over the last two weeks to play games. The first Friday we played Apples to Apples.... which is a BLAST! I laughed my head off. We had 10 people playing and it just got kind of crazy... which was fun. This past weekend we played scatagories and then played apples to apples again. We had a few new faces join us this week and Avery and Aidan could just not handle it. They had to join us... so they did. They had a blast and got to stay up til 11:30pm. The students are SO good with our kids... it's amazing!

SLEEP OVERS AND MAKE OVERS

Avery had a sleep over last Thursday night. Her 2 friends, Tori and Audrey came to spend the night. They watched movies, ate popcorn and freshly baked cookies, they colored and finally crashed at about 11:30pm. Then the next morning we did make overs. I fixed all of their hair in a good ole' 80's ponytail and then put a little make up on each one. They all had on my clothes and belts. Then I videoed them singing and dancing. They are precious girls!!! What fun!

MEET MAGGIE

(Click on the picture to see it bigger)

This is my buddy Maggie. She is in my college girls Bible Study and she is a HOOT! She is a freshman at University of TN. She graduated from Bearden last year where she was a cheerleader... She still coaches gymnastics and hangs out a lot with the Bearden Cheerleaders. Maggie has a boyfriend... his name is Ryan. Ryan is a really cool guy. We've had a game night the last 2 Friday nights and both Maggie and Ryan have come (with other college students as well).

Maggie enjoys the TV show OFFICE (which I DO TOO!), she also enjoys the show... Curb your Enthusiasm (never seen it). She is ... as you can tell from the pictures, very funny! She doesn't really like Kids but my kids are CHANGING HER MIND! She is so good with them and even does diaper duty if she baby sits (it's not her favorite though!). Maggie eats at Sawyers like 5 times a week and if you are what you eat, she should be a BIG HUGE CHICKEN FINGER! This year Maggie shared a birthday with Martin Luther King Jr. Well, on the Monday that the holiday is always observed.

She has a pet snake. YES, she does. The snakes name is Lloyd. She buys a mouse every week to feed to the thing... YIKES. She named her pet snake after her favorite character in Dumb and Dumber.

Maggies favorite color is green.

SHE IS A READER!

Avery is reading books now. We went to the library and checked out some easy readers and she has been reading to Aidan and visitors. Janie came by to visit and Avery read a book to her. Janie is in my college girls Bible study and goes to our church. SHE IS AN AWERSOME GAL!

GO PEYTON

O.k. So I know I've only been on the Peyton Fan Wagon for a few weeks but I am so excited about the super bowl. We will be watching with friends today... and we are SO PULLING FOR THE COLTS. Peyton manning is a HUGE legend here in Knoxville... due to his successful career here at University of TN.

They had an article in paper (shown here) of all the kids in Knoxville that are named Peyton because of Peyton Manning and his popularity here in Knoxville. If we had another child we wouldn't name him Peyton (because it doesn't start with an A) but maybe if we ever have a pet it could be in the running... haha!

MAY THE COLTS WIN!!!! Not that Peyton will read this blog but GO PEYTON! You are the MANning.

Another SNOW day!

It snowed again today.... we were hoping to get completely snowed in but it didn't happen. It was enough to cover the ground though and the kids LOVE that! Ted took them out first thing in the morning and they played for a while. We were suppose to be at Thursday Connection today (Avery's homeschool co-op) but the schools closed today because of the weather. The roads are o.k. though and so Ted went to work (sad).

The kids love riding their jeep around in the snow. TOO CUTE!

BUSTED!

Tonight Ted went into work (printing for church for tomorrow) and I was cleaning house... I was just about to head to bed when I heard something in Addison's room. I went to the door and she was dressing up and had set out a TEA PARTY! for I am not sure WHO! She had on tights, a skirt, my t-shirt that Avery sometimes sleeps in, high heels and a crown!!!! IT WAS SO FUNNY. I took some pictures. She was thrilled to see me and probably thought I was just in time for the tea party... I could not help but giggle and go grab my camera.

I wanted to share.

She is now in bed... we'll see how long that lasts. It's already 10pm and she doesn't seem the least bit tired!

I took one picture with out the flash so you could get the full effect.

SO MUCH TO BLOG ABOUT TODAY - this is my 4th entry

PEYTON MANNING'S LITTEST FAN

I must admit we are totally hopping on the "fan wagon" for the SUPER BOWL. Peyton Manning played for UT (University of TN) and since we live in Knoxville, we are automatically Manning fans. I really didn't know who he was - except for those Verizon commercials until LAST SUNDAY when I watched the game .... then.... I BECAME A TRUE PEYTON FAN. Ted filled me in on his football career and I AM SO ON BOARD. I really dig this guy!

Our neighbor "lil" Mac left his Colt hat over here and Addie has been wearing it ever since.

SO ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS
GOOOOOOOOOOOO
COLTS!!!!

Go Peyton!

BOWLING!

PICTURES FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

1. Me and My Addie

2. Avery bowling

3. Addie bowling (I think the ball is behind her head)

4. The kids waiting on the ball... they thought that machine was so cool.

5. Mack Card, Ted, and Ronnie Batchelor

6. Me bowling

7. NO PINS LEFT!!! YIPPPEEEE

8. The guys in my life!!! Ted and Aidan

We went bowling today to celebrate Tyler Card's birthday (see post below). The kids have never been bowling before and we haven't been in years!!

The kids LOVED it. The place we went is SO cool. They give you a time limit but you can bowl as many games as you want in that time. We didn't even keep score... we just bowled and bowled and bowled. It was fun. We did pretty good... OK so the bumper things were up for our kids.... maybe that is why we did so good.

We got to bowl for 2 hours. There were lots of good snacks there (Cindy is a great party planner!). It was a real fun time!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER

We went to celebrate TYLER CARD'S 16th birthday today at the bowling alley at UT. We had a great time! Tyler turned 16 earlier this month and his parents threw him a surprise party today. His mom and dad (Mack and Cindy Card) are good friends of ours.

The kids had a great time at the party... we did too. I have not bowled in YEARS!

Cute Pictures

I don't have any big news but I wanted to post a few cute pictures I took today. Addie is approaching her 3rd birthday - it will be here in a few weeks. I haven't even thought about her birthday party yet... not sure what we will be doing. We will have one though. Aidan just got this shirt that says "Monkey see, Monkey Do, Monkey get in trouble too". Which is perfect for him.

No pictures of Avery tonight but I will take some soon and post them.

The weather has been pretty yuck over here. We had some sunny days but it's been grey today. Today is the first day of Winter and I hope it goes by VERY fast. I am already ready for Spring. Tonight we went to Target and they had all the Spring clothes out already. This is not my favorite time of the year (winter)... I do like to have fires in the fire place though. AND I LOVE THAT IT IS TIME FOR AMERICAN IDOL!!!!! yay!

Locks of Love

Click on picture to see it better.

My dear friend, Becky, and her two daughters, Annie Beth (left) and Maddie Grace (right) cut their pony tails off for locks of love. Becky's mother in law, Helma Mazon, was diagnosed with Breast Cancer just over a year ago.

I hope to make this same pony tail sacrifice soon. I am growing my hair out (it seems to grow SO SLOW) for locks of love. I'd love for Avery to do it as well... we'll see.

I'll let you know when we do!

Addie's in the BIG GIRL BED

SO we've been playing musical beds over here at the Ancelets. It started with Addison throwing

a fit at night. We were trying to figure out what to do about it. We decided to have Avery sleep in the room with her since there are 2 beds in there... well, a crib and a bed. So we tried that for two nights. Aidan lost his room mate but he was fine with that because he was able to sleep on the top bunk... so he was just fine. But last night it was a MESS. Avery fell out of the bed 2 times... so she came in to tell us. Aidan lost something so he came in to tell us... 2 times... and Addie started crying at 5am and would not go back to bed... so tonight we went back to the way things were.... Aidan and Avery in their bunk beds.... and Addie in the room by herself. She tends to talk a lot in the night. BUT instead of putting her in the crib to sleep, we put her in the bed and SHE WAS SO EXCITED. She didn't cry at all when going to bed. She was glad to go to bed because she felt like such a big girl sleeping in that big girl bed!

OUR PRINCESSES

Avery has such a sweet group of friends here in Knoxville. She gets to play a lot with them. These pictures were actually taken on New Year's Eve. I didn't take any of the adults but the girls were all down stairs in the basement playing with their polly pocket dolls. They love to pretend and dress up their dolls... TOO CUTE!

SNOW WAY!!!

It snowed today! YEAH!!!! Finally! It was short lived though. It was snowing some of the biggest snowflakes I have EVER seen! It was beautiful. By lunch time though the sun came OUT to SHINE and it was gone. But it was fun while it lasted! The kids went outside and played in it. They had fun... they weren't out too long before they realized it was COLD.