Do Not Adjust Your Monitor

Ahhhhhhh! Our TV keeps SHRINKING! No, just kidding. But, unfortunately, our old-school 19-inch TV does not have enough AV input-outputs to simultaneously handle our cable box, DVD player, stereo system, etc. So, we have now turned to our super-duper 7-inch portable DVD player to watch DVDs. Poor Katie and Michael were squinting their eyes to watch Belle and Beast this afternoon. They're going to need glasses before they even get to school if this keeps up!

Gobble, Gobble

Eating. A lot. That was basically the theme of our entire Thanksgiving vacation. A conservative estimate would have our family of four putting on a good 20 pounds or so, what with all of the delicious foods that we stuffed into our mouths. Whether gathering for TWO large T-giving feasts with friends/family, eating out at the fine Brockway establishments, or baking some awesome reindeer cookies with Katie (see picture), we were never at a loss for good eats. Of course, we did lots of other great things, too. Thanks to all of those who hosted us and allowed us to catch up with long-lost relatives and friends. And a special thanks to Papa and Grammy for allowing Mike and Traci to slip out and catch the new Harry Potter! Was great to see a movie in the theater and to enjoy some coffee/tea afterwards.

The kids did adore seeing their grandparents, cousins, and other family members. This shot was from our last night in Pennsylvania. Katie stayed up long after her bedtime, enjoying a late night reading session with Papa. You simply can't beat that!!

Thanks, Everybody!

Happy (early) Thanksgiving, everyone!! Since Thursday is the day we give thanks for all of our blessings, we wanted to make sure that we thanked all of YOU! Presumably, if you are keeping up with our blog, you are a special person in our lives. (If not, then you are a creepy stalker. Leave now.) Ahem...anyway, we love posting the ordinary (and not so ordinary) moments in our lives so that we can share them all with you. Thank you all! We'll see you all again after a fun T-giving break!

Now, for an ordinary moment in our life...here's Katie posing with her turkey creation after "Wear Brown to School Day" at preschool. We thought she represented the school spirit rather well, wearing about as much brown as she could.

The Town Drunk

We just can't keep his drinking under control...just look at his embarrassing stagger and stumble! (And if you think this is bad, you should see if we dare to put shoes on him...)

Scrawny Vision

Look, Ma - this thing is PUUUUUUNY! Looks like that is what Michael was trying to tell us when he saw the "new" TV. You see, our ol' 36-inch television which faithfully served us for 10 years finally died today. We were stuck as to what to do until Mike remembered that he still had his 19-inch TV from college. So, now we are living the HIGH life...watching our programs in such huge, crystal-clear detail that you all would be jealous. (Even Katie made fun of the TV, asking why Dora was so small....)

If you have made it this far without laughing at our TV, please do note the large perforated-board cut-out in the entertainment center that fit the old TV. Nothing says C-L-A-S-S-Y like an uneven, cheap cut-out constituting the main focus of your living room!

It's Been Awhile...

Due to various illnesses that ravaged both of our homes, we have not seen our good buddies, the other McGs, for awhile. Katie's bud Connor (3.5 years-old) is doing really well at school, and little sis Madeline (9 months-old) is pulling up to a stand and pointing. It's fun to see these guys hit all of their milestones right along with our kids. We wish they could meet up for their weekly playdates forever...

On another note, we proudly announce that this is CuddyCam's 1000th blog posting!! WOW - it's been a wonderful almost-four years of good stories, laughs, and photos. Let's just hope our kids cooperate enough to last another 1000 posts!

Brainwashing Begins

Traci's diabolical plan to brainwash all of the members of her family into loving the Harry Potter series has begun in earnest. Mike has always shrugged off her suggestions that he read the books, claiming that watching the movies was good enough for him. (As if.) He FINALLY relented this week to a bit more Potter exposure, agreeing to listen to the first book on CD on his hour-long commute. Traci jumped all over that concession and dragged the kids to the library today to pick up the CDs. (Of course, she also let them read their own books in the kids' section, but that's beside the point!) Now, she can't wait to discuss the intricacies of the Sorceror's Stone every night over dinner!!