The Jolly Journal

Seriously...Sick, AGAIN!!

2012-01-31T19:03:00.000-08:00

Like I said a little while ago, this warm weather is not killing the germs!! Ella has been complaining about a stomach ache for about a week. She hasn't been very interested in eating much, but other than that, she has been fine. However, yesterday she was really complaining about her stomach after dance class. I felt her tummy and it felt a little hard and was sticking out a bit. I thought about taking her to the doctor, but she was so tired that I decided to give her a nap instead. When she woke up, she did not want dinner. I didn't really push it, but I did try to give her some juice (in hopes that it would help her go to the bathroom). Around 7:30pm, she asked for some "hexagon crackers" (gorgonzola crackers from trader joes that are shaped like hexagons). We had a normal bed and bath routine, and I tucked her into bed. At 12:45am, I hear her crying. I open my door and find her in the bathroom....covered in throw-up! YUCK!! Poor thing was so upset! I calmed her down and told her everything was going to be ok. I stripped her down and hopped in the shower with her (she had it all in her hair). She wasn't too happy about getting a shower in the middle of the night, but I didn't know what else to do. After cleaning her off, I put her in our bed with Jason to watch a little TV. He got her some water and grapes to get rid of the yucky taste in her mouth. She thought this was a lot of fun! Then the moment I dreaded came....I had to assess the damage in her bed. It was nasty! She had basically thrown up in her sleep so it was all in her sheets, covers, pillow, and stuffed animals. I spent the next hour stripping everything from her bed and starting the wash (let me tell you, "hexagon crackers" don't smell that great regularly...digested ones were making me gag over and over again).

Once we were sure that Ella was feeling better, Ella and I slept in our bed for the night. Jason went to the basement guestroom because he had to wake up early for work and didn't want to get Ella up.Right before we went to sleep, Ella said, "Mommy, I am sorry I forgotted not to throw up in my bed." What a sweetheart! Since this was only the second time she has thrown up (and the first one was in the car), I haven't told her about not throwing up in her bed. I thought it was so sweet that she came up with that herself. She is so precious! Luckily, we didn't have anymore issues the rest of the night. And she woke up hungry this morning, eating 2 applesauce pancakes. Let's keep our fingers crossed that nothing comes up tonight (from either kid for that matter)!

Poor sick Ella

I thought I would add these pictures to this post. Colin was playing with his peg game today. He was working so hard at putting the pegs in the holes and pushing them out. I am so proud of his fine-motor skills!!

SuperDad

2012-01-31T18:42:00.000-08:00

I love, love, love stepping back and watching Jason be a dad. I love to listen to the games they play and watch him with the kids; it is so special. The other night, Ella was coloring and I was cleaning up dinner. I walked into the family room and saw the boys reading a book. How cute are they??

I am so lucky to share my life with Jason, and I am even more blessed that my children have such a wonderful dad. He has been going on the preschool tours with me, and I have loved having him be a part of this decision. But to top it all off, he has been asking the preschool directors if he can come in and read to the class. He also told me that he wanted to take his lunch break some days and pick Ella up from school next year, so they could do special things together. He is so excited to be involved in her PreK experience, and I couldn't love him more for that! I think Ella said it best one night when I was tucking her in:
Ella: "Mommy, what does incredible mean??"
Me: "It means really, really awesome and great!!"
Ella: "Oh, you mean, like my Daddy? He is incredible!"

Dance Recital Preparations

2012-01-31T18:33:00.000-08:00

From now until May, Ella's dance class will be working on their dance recital numbers. We are all so excited to get to see her perform on stage!! I thought I would post a picture of their costume (the studio has a board with all of the costumes displayed):

Ella is so excited to get to wear this pretty pink dress (or so she calls it)!

Cutie little Colin waiting for his Sissy to get out of dance class

Chocolate-Banana Pudding

2012-01-31T18:29:00.000-08:00

I made this tasty treat for the kids, and I had to share it with everyone. It is so good!

Avocado-Banana Chocolate Pudding

1 ripe avocado
1 banana
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
2 tsp. raw honey
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. coco powder (I used Hershey's Coco Powder)

Combine all of the ingredients and puree/blend. You could play with this recipe so much! Adjust the coco powder, powdered sugar, and honey to suit your taste. You could add a little coconut milk to thin it a bit if you wanted. I thought this would be GREAT spread between two thin slices of pound cake as a dessert sandwich:)

Deocrating Colin

2012-01-31T18:28:00.000-08:00

I came home from dinner with a friend the other night, and this is what I saw:

Mommy, I have been decorated!

The culprit (along with Daddy)

Imagine It with the Kriegers

2012-01-29T13:13:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, we went to "Imagine It!" Children's Museum in Atlanta. We always enjoy visiting this museum, and we were particularly excited to go with the Krieger boys. Now that Colin and Cody are walking, they enjoyed exploring the exhibits. Gina ended up hanging out with the older kids most of the time, and I took Colin and Cody to the toddler area. (Therefore, most of my pictures are of the younger kids.) We packed a picnic and had a great time! However, we were all exhausted at the end of the trip! Keeping up with 4 kids was not easy for Gina and I....whew!

The gang

This was Colin's first time at the water table. He LOVED it!!

This boy loves to splash!

Look how wet Colin was after the water table!

Ella and Noah liked to pretend they were gophers:)

Sunday Fun-Day

2012-01-27T11:18:00.000-08:00

There is an indoor play area in Roswell called "Play." Jason and I took the kids last Sunday to check it out. They are not usually open on the weekend, but they had special hours this weekend. It was pretty crowded, and they didn't have all of the rooms open due to a birthday party. Though the kids had fun, we will have to try it on a weekday when it is less crowded. It was not my favorite indoor play area, but we will give it another try.

I don't know if you can tell, but Colin has a puffy lip in this picture:( He busted his lip at the house the day before....baby's 1st busted lip.

When we go to play areas, Colin is always obsessed with studying how the equipment works. He is fascinated with the screws, joints, etc.....he is such a little engineer!

After playing for a bit, we took the kids to a wonderful lunch at Goldberg's (one of our favorite lunch spots). Then we always stop in to Nadeau next-door to look at furniture. Oddly enough, the kids love going to Nadeau; Ella even requests it when we pass by...haha!

Morning Cup of Joe

2012-01-27T11:12:00.001-08:00

Ok, so Colin is not really drinking coffee. He just likes to take our empty coffee mugs (after Jason or I finish our morning cup of coffee) and pretend to be just like us. He holds hit with two hands, sips it (the cup just happens to be as big as his entire face, which makes it that much cuter), and makes a slurping sound. What a cutie!

Sick...again

2012-01-27T11:12:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday (Jan. 18th), Ella woke up at 2am with a fever. Though I enjoy that we get to play outside during this unusually warm January, it in NOT killing all of the germs in the air!! I am hoping for a cold snap to come soon and take care of all the nasty germs floating around. That being said, Ella seemed to have a little virus. This occurred on the morning of her scheduled 4-year check up. I called to change it to a sick appointment so we could rule out strep throat, ear infection, etc. The doctor still did a modified 4-year check up, though we have to return another day to do her vaccinations and hearing test. She was a trooper during the visit; I was proud of her for tolerating the check up when she clearly felt under the weather. Here are her 4-year old stats:

Weight: 38 lbs (60% percentile)
Height: 41 3/4 inches (85% percentile)
BMI: 15 (50% percentile)

Climb Every Mountain

2012-01-24T18:34:00.000-08:00

Yup, this is pretty much how things are these days...notice a trend?

So Happy Together

2012-01-24T17:47:00.000-08:00

The kids have been doing a lot of activities together lately, and I am loving it! They color, play playdoh, and work on learning activities together. I love how patient Ella is with Colin. She doesn't mind if he colors on her paper (in fact, I usually just get one large piece of paper for them to share), and she always breaks off some of her playdoh for her little brother. I am so proud of her! And I can't believe Colin is old enough to do these activities! He is very great about sitting in a chair and focusing on one activity. Of course he does his fair share of toddler activity (sticking crayons down our air vents, banging playdoh tools on the table, etc.). However, I am most proud that he is no longer eating the playdoh....that took a while to teach him--haha!

Hard at work

Playdoh and Pajamas

Building a peg tower

Typical Colin:)

Chuck E. Cheese

2012-01-24T17:46:00.000-08:00

Coming off of one very busy holiday season, we have been happy to have a few weekends with minimal plans. Last Sunday, we took the kids to Chuck E. Cheese as a "Sunday Family Fun Day." This was Colin's first real trip to Chuck E. Cheese. He had been a few times before, but he was so little that he stayed in his stroller the whole time. Well, now that he is a "big boy," he LOVED playing games, pushing all of the buttons, riding in the cars/trucks, watching the show, and eating his first pizza! If that doesn't sound like a fun day, I don't know what does!

Double Driving

Making a motor sound

I absolutely love this picture!

Look at him eating this pizza!

Time to dance

Footie Pajamas

2012-01-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

Only my kid would request "footie" pajamas at age 4. I didn't even know they made them in this size--haha!

Bye-bye Baby

2012-01-22T17:57:00.000-08:00

I could not believe how much older Colin looked with his new haircut. He looked like an actual little boy. It was like the last bit of "baby" in him left with the first snip of tiny blond hair. Later that day, I snapped a few pictures of him sitting on the couch watching TV (he never does this). He usually prefers to pal around playing with toys, climbing, or getting into things. But here he is just hanging out like a little old man. My baby boy is growing up!

Colin's First Hair Cut

2012-01-22T17:53:00.000-08:00

One of my new year's resolutions was to work on "letting go." And I thought there was no better way to get started on this resolution than to get Colin's crazy hair under control and "let go" of his baby hair. I was rather proud of myself (it took me almost 3 years to get Ella's 1st haircut). After dropping Ella off at dance on Monday, January 9th, I took Colin to Pigtails and Crewcuts for his first haircut. While this was long overdue, it was an impromptu trip. I was proud of my spontaneity. While I was signing in, I heard someone call my name. It was Gina!! She was there with her boys getting Noah's hair cut. It made me feel so much better to see a good friend. I had her help me decide how to get Colin's hair cut (this was my first experience with a boy cut).

Handsome Noah's new haircut

Cody just hanging out

I wasn't sure how Colin would do. I was worried that he wouldn't like a stranger messing with his hair. However, I could not have been more wrong. First of all, he LOVED the taxi cab seat. He sat still the entire time just "driving" the taxi. He also enjoyed watching the movie they had playing. It was "Rio" and we hadn't seen it before. I was so proud of him! He is such a laid-back little boy! And I need to say, I absolutely adore his new haircut! He looks so, so precious!

The last shot of his crazy baby hair:)

Getting started

I love his big brown eyes and blond hair!

Just driving and watching a movie. He was such a good boy!

Honk if you are getting a haircut!

Getting all of that long hair on top

At one point, he was driving with one foot hanging out of the taxi--haha!

Making car sounds

Love this face!

My handsome boy's first haircut!

Such a milestone!

Bed Head

2012-01-19T12:09:00.001-08:00

It was these pictures that made me realize the time to get Colin's first haircut was long overdue. Yep, things were officially out of control! Though I hated to admit that we were ready for this step, I knew the time had come.

Off to Pigtails and Crewcuts we go!

Winter or Spring??

2012-01-19T12:08:00.000-08:00

This winter has been strange. We have had very few cold days, and we have had some unusually warm days. On these warm days, we like to get outside as much as possible. Here the kids are out in our yard without coats!! That is how warm it has been!

He is obsessed with climbing the rocks near one of our fountains

I love this picture!

Special Movie Night

2012-01-19T12:04:00.000-08:00

When Jason had to go back to work after the holidays, it was time for his big beginning of the year kick-off. This means that they are in lots of meetings and have work events for a couple of evenings. Let me tell you, after having Jason around so much during Christmas and New Years, this was a rude awakening for me. He would leave early in the morning and not return until the kids were in bed. I now have a huge respect for single parents or moms that have husbands that travel frequently. I was exhausted! In fact, I was so tired that I started a new "special surprise" for Ella. After getting the kids a bath and then dressed in their pajamas, I put her in our bed to watch a moive or tv show while I put Colin down. When I finished with Colin, I would cuddle with her in our bed while she finised her show. This made it a bit easier for me because I could relax in bed with her for a bit (one evening I even read while she watched her show...double bonus!). Ella thought this was so much fun!! I snapped a picture of her all tucked in our bed to send to Jason. I thought it was too cute not to put on the blog:)

I am glad that things are back to our normal bedtime routine, but now Ella and I have a special thing for when Daddy is working late or out of town.

Hanging Out

2012-01-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

Ella was watching TV the other day while sitting in Colin's little leather chair. I guess Colin wanted to be close to his sissy because he climbed right up and made himself comfortable. They looked so sweet sitting together, so of course I took a picture:)

Ella thought this was so funny!

Look at this little love bug!

Little Flirt

2012-01-19T11:45:00.000-08:00

This picture just makes me laugh:)

Moving On

2012-01-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

Ella was not too happy to let go of Chrismtas. During the holiday season, she kept saying that "This is my favorite time of year!" and "I want it to always be Christmas!" When she saw that the decorations were coming down, she started to worry...."Mommy, don't take Christmas! Don't take my toys! Don't take my little brother!" Ok, I was technically taking down Christmas...but I am not sure why she thought that her toys were going away or her brother--haha! To avoid any more Christmas blues, I told her that it was time to get ready for Valentine's Day. I told her it was time to make heart crafts and love crafts. To kick it all off, I served her breakfast in a heart-shaped muffin pan. Worked like a charm!

Best Friends

2012-01-19T11:38:00.000-08:00

Just another fun playdate at the Krieger's house.

Worn Out

2012-01-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

Ok....so it is mid-January, and I am just getting around to my first blog post in 2012. There are a few reasons for my recent hiatus:

To say the holidays wore me out is an understatement.
Colin broke my laptop screen (yes, I still love him), so we have my laptop plugged into our desktop monitor in our office. Our office is upstairs, so it is more difficult to carve out time to blog in the office.
Ella broke my point and shoot camera (yes, I still love her), so I have to rely on my camera phone more. This means I have to email each picture I want to use, download it (when I get around to the computer), and then post it. Must buy new camera immediately!
I have been working on getting Colin down to one nap a day. He has done great with this all week!! I am so glad that this opens up our mornings, but now the kids nap at different times.....so no "Mommy-break-time" for the time being. I am pretty sure I will be able to get them down at the same time pretty soon....it will just take some adjusting to our schedule.
I have been researching and touring preschool after preschool after preschool!! Ella will start PreK next fall, and January is the time of year that all of the preschools do their tours and information sessions. We have seen some great schools and are narrowing down our choices (more on that later).

So there you have it; though I know I shouldn't give excuses. My blog is how I document my kids' lives (I print them into books for our keepsakes), and I definitely need to get things back on track. That being said....we need to rewind to the beginning of the month. After new years, I dreaded taking all of the Christmas decorations down. I wasn't quite sure how to fit that in with keeping the kids entertained. Since it had been cold, I decided to make an indoor obstacle course for the kids. I wanted to wear them out so they would take a nap at the same time (which would allow me some un-decorating time). This worked like a charm! The kids had fun staying in pajamas, watching movies, and climbing, jumping, and running.

Ella is already starting to get tired....

New Year's Eve

2011-12-31T14:30:00.001-08:00

A fun night ringing in the New Year at Fado's!

The girls

The guys

We have been so lucky to spend so many "New Years" together...I love what each years brings us!

Here is to 2012!!

New Year's Eve (Day)

2011-12-31T14:29:00.009-08:00

December 31st was a beautiful day this year!! Jason had taken Colin out the day before to play at a park, so I took Ella today during Colin's morning nap. The weather was gorgeous!

Then when we got home, I snapped some pictures of Colin playing on our screened in porch. How cute does he look in overalls? I was playing around with the "edit options" on my phone.

Soon enough, it was time to take the kids over to Gigi's house to spend the night. My mom was watching Colin, Ella, and Reagan while all of the adults (Kerry, Dawn (my cousin from Canada), Roger, Lindsey, Jason, and I) went out to Fado's to celebrate the New Year. Thank you, Gigi!!

Sweet Faces

2011-12-31T14:29:00.007-08:00

While I was snapping pictures of the "circus show" of my kids driving around our driveway, I did get some sweet pictures of their little faces. It was an overcast day, but all I could see was sunshine in their eyes!

Born to Ride

2011-12-31T14:29:00.005-08:00

We spent Christmas night at my mom's house. After a nice breakfast (and a quick shopping run for Jason and I), we went back home so Ella could try out her new Jeep Rubicon.We were not sure how skilled of a driver our newly 4-year-old would do (she still doesn't have the steering concept with her tricycle). But she did a pretty good job! When she is on the straight part of our driveway, she thinks she needs to move the steering wheel back and forth, back and forth, etc. And she would stomp on the gas; it was cracking us up! Luckily, we got it on video too. One thing is for sure....she had so much fun!!

She kept sticking her little tongue out in concentration

We did let Colin take a ride with his sister. We buckled him in and told her to go slow. He loved it!

Leaned back from the initial acceleration

I love this picture. If they are together, Ella has a kiss for her brother!

Soon Colin wanted a turn (in fact, he pushed his Sissy aside). He couldn't reach the pedal, so he just pretended to drive.

These two tough kids are ready to ride!

Christmas at Gigi's

2011-12-31T14:29:00.003-08:00

After our busy Christmas morning, my mom took Ella over to her house and we put Colin down for his morning nap. Nana and Papa had to go back up to Jasper to get ready for their dinner. Jason and I were able to straighten things up and put some gifts away while Colin napped. Then we headed off to my mom's house for another fun celebration. Roger and Lindsey came over, and we all had a GREAT Christmas. First, we let the kids open their presents (from my mom and Roger & Lindsey). Then we all just played with the kids and got ready for dinner. The evening consisted of opening the adult presents, both kids napping, and a delicious dinner (though I can't exactly remember the order--haha). After the kids went to bed for the night, Roger, Lindsey, Jason, and I all stayed up playing Pictionary....girls against boys.....the girls won!! We had the best time!

Uncle Roger is always so silly!

Showing Colin the presents from Gigi!

This girl LOVES stuffed animals!

Thank you, Uncle Roger!

A ball-filled tent from Uncle Roger and Aunt Lindsey!!!

Rocking chairs from Gigi!!

The kids had a blast playing in the ball-filled tent

Looking at airplanes

Helping Uncle Roger open his presents

Mom loves her tickets to 3 performances of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Wine, anyone?

Ready for dinner!

Christmas Morning 2011

2011-12-31T14:29:00.001-08:00

We were so excited to celebrate our first Christmas in our new house!!! Last Christmas, Jason and I vowed that it would be the last Christmas in the townhouse; we worked so hard to make that dream come true. It was a perfect first Christmas!! Nana, Papa, and Gigi celebrated Christmas morning with us. We made beautiful memories and got great pictures!

Coming down the stairs (I think we look alike in this picture)

Our family before seeing all the goodies from Santa

WOW!!!!!

So happy to see their toys!

Santa just knew Colin would love this car!

Two happy kids with the Jeep Rubicon

Checking out the stockings

Mommy and Daddy

Helping Mommy pass out presents (just look at that cute face!)

Excited to see what is inside

Papa's presents

Checking under the hood (haha)

Nana loves her driftwood heart

Opening his special "Papa Present"

Mommy opening the special gift Ella picked out with Gigi

Candle holders!!

Daddy's special gift from Ella was a coffee mug with candy (and she got Colin some matchbox cars)

Ready for some snow

Eating a piece of candy

Ready to start making a mess with all of the new toys and games!

Papa is very excited about the Christmas platter---haha

Our Christmas Morning Breakfast (loaded hash-brown casserole, sticky bun ring, sausage balls, and grapes)

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

Preparing for Santa

2011-12-31T14:28:00.009-08:00

Next, it was time to get out the cookies and milk for Santa! Colin was actually able to "help" this year. He put a cookie on the plate for Santa, and a carrot and celery stick for the reindeer. Ella put all of the rest of the goodies on the plate. As we were talking about what Santa and the reindeer needed, Ella added "We need cherries for the lizards too, Mommy!" I am not too sure where the "Christmas Lizards" came from, but luckily I talked her out of that one.

Getting Santa's cookies

Colin putting a carrot on the plate

Ready to put it on the hearth

Colin making sure everything is just right

Both kids wanted to run a taste test for Santa

Sneaking in one more bite

Ready for the "Man in Red"

He came!!! Our stockings have been filled!

The tree!!

Santa and the reindeer ate their goodies!

Ella's pile! Everything she asked for!!

Colin's pile! Good thing Ella told Santa exactly what Colin wanted!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-31T14:28:00.007-08:00

After a fun birthday celebration, both kids went down for LONG naps!! We try to let Ella have a super special day, and wait for Christmas Eve celebrations in the evening.


This is how Colin woke up!

We wanted to keep our evening relaxed and catered to the kids' schedule (well, there was no regular "schedule" that day, but we wanted to do what the kids needed). When Ella woke up, we didn't even fix her hair or put her tights back on. It did occur to me that I wanted to try to get some pictures of my kids in their special outfits (Nana made Ella's dress and bought Colin's outfit to match). However, I should have done it earlier in the day. But they still were super cute!

Ella always has kisses for Colin

A little choke hold..haha

There:)

After a short photo session (haha), it was time for dinner. Gigi spent Christmas Eve with us, and we were so happy to have her! (Nana and Papa came back over after eating dinner with Julie's family. They spent the night so they could spend Christmas morning with us). Jason cooked filet mignon on the Big Green Egg (that thing got some serious grill time over the holidays), I made a creamed spinach (different from the lunch spinach), and we warmed up my mom's scalloped potatoes...see what I mean?? Relaxed:) Then it was time to open some presents!! We let the kids open 4 presents each.

Isn't this the poster child for excitement??

Climbing on the presents...again

Yay!

Ella loved reading the cards this year! She would say "To Ella loves Mommy and Daddy" instead of "To: Ella Love: Mommy and Daddy"

Then Colin posed like a little model for a few pictures with Mommy

He leans his head into mine

I am so in love with this little boy!

Ella's Family Party

2011-12-31T14:28:00.005-08:00

On Ella's 4th Birthday (which also happens to be Christmas Eve), we were lucky enough to have most of our families over for lunch to celebrate her special day. Gigi, Nana, Papa, Uncle Roger, Aunt Lindsey, Uncle Jer, Aunt Gabi, Uncle Jake, and Aunt Juju all came over to shower their niece/granddaughter with love and attention....how lucky is Ella? We had a delicious smoked pork lunch (thank you to Jason's wonderful Big Green Egg skills) with spinach, a veggie tray, brie, scalloped potatoes (thank you to Gigi) and baked beans (thank you to Nana). Jason also made BBQ chicken drumsticks for Ella and Aunt Juju. I was surprised to see how much Ella LOVED the drumsticks. She had 2 or 3!! She kept saying that "Daddy makes the best chicken!" Ella so enjoyed having everyone around; she loves a party! There wasn't a better way to celebrate our beautiful daughter's 4th birthday!

Aunt Lindsey with her cutie little nephew

Uncle Jer showing Ella and Aunt Juju his tablet

Colin LOVES his Papa!!

Uncle Jake and Aunt Gabi catching up (somehow the pictures switched the husbands and wives)

Ella playing Angry Birds on Uncle Jer's tablet

Gigi and two of her kids

Checking out the cupcakes!

The spread

Ella eating up her BBQ chicken, strawberries and cucumbers

The Christmas Tree with lots of presents (never mind the crooked star on top of the tree). After celebrating Ella's birthday, we exchanged gifts with Jason's siblings since we wouldn't get to see them again over the holidays.

Excited to open her gifts

What a handsome boy!

Colin loves to climb on the presents

Using the play vacuum that Uncle Jer and Aunt Gabi got her

Colin's turn (if only that thing worked for real...I would put them to work--haha)

Sneaking in some extra almonds

Excited for Cupcake Time

Our Family

Singing "Happy Birthday"

Blowing out her 4 candles

A fancy crown Aunt Juju made her out of one of her new toys

Yum! Yum!

4 Years Old

2011-12-31T14:28:00.003-08:00

December 24, 2011

4 years ago my heart learned to love in a way I could not have imagined, my soul learned to make room for another "mate", and I learned to live as my greatest role in life: Mommy. Happy 4th birthday, my sweet Ella! I love you more and more each day!

On a special lunch date with Mommy a few days before her birthday

4 looks fabulous on you baby!

Love this girl!

Christmas Crafts

2011-12-31T14:28:00.001-08:00

Hands and feet at their best!

Alien Helmet

2011-12-31T14:27:00.002-08:00

So the week before Christmas, I decided to get my craft cabinet organized. I had just brought over my old teaching supply boxes from my mom's house, and I was itching to get to all of my arts and crafts supplies. The kids had fun going through all of the stuff while I was getting it out. But when I put Colin down for a nap, I needed to occupy Ella so I could get some serious focused organization time. I had seen this cool pipe cleaner activity on pintrest and was excited to try it out. I gave Ella a colander and a ton of pipe cleaners (thanks to my new supplies). I told her to stick the pipe cleaners in the holes.

She loved this activity! When she was finished, I realized that it would make a cool alien helmet. So we took turns wearing it and making silly alien faces.

And here is just a cute picture of Colin...just because:)

Colin's 15-Month Doctor's Appointment

2011-12-31T14:27:00.000-08:00

So just to make my life extra crazy when I was with Ella at the doctors on Monday morning, I realized that I had overlooked Colin's 15-month appointment (and he was 11 days away from being 16 months). Ugh! So I asked the receptionist about scheduling an appointment for him. She said that there was an opening in the schedule that day at 3pm (yes, that is right: the same day as Ella's croup appointment). My first instinct was to say "no," but then I thought about the fact that my mom was coming over that afternoon (and Jason had decided to work from home that day to help out). I figured I should take advantage of the extra help (during the holiday season that was a big bonus), and I scheduled his appointment for later that same day. So here we were, back at the doctors for Colin's (long overdue) 15-month check up:

Handsome little boy in the waiting room

He loved knocking on the door in the exam room

I still can't believe that belly doesn't qualify for higher than the 30% in weight--haha

So tough

His Stats: Weight - 23lbs. 7 oz. (30%), Length - 32in. (70%), Head Circumference - 18 1/2 in (45%)

He did well in his appointment. To be honest, my mind was sort of scattered during this appointment because of our hectic day. However, the doctor said that Colin is doing very well (and he thought he was super cute; which I agree with wholeheartedly). He had more words than he developmentally needed to (which I was glad to hear because he is not my motor-mouth...that title belongs to his sissy--haha). Whew! Here are some fun facts about my sweet little boy:

He still naps two times a day!!! No matter what I do, he will not nap longer than 1 1/2 hours at a time, so he usually needs two of these naps to make it through the day. He is more than happy to stretch his first nap here and there (which means only one nap that day); however, the next day he will be extra tired and take a morning nap earlier than usual.
He is a big eater! He isn't too picky, but he doesn't like canned fruit, so we are on a bit of a fruit hiatus. He likes fresh pears if they are very ripe and blueberries. Of course he LOVES bananas, but I don't give them too often because of his little diaper problem. We still have to give him Miralax everyday (we had gotten off of it, but the switch to whole milk started things back up), but we are trying to cut the amount little by little.
His temperament is pretty much the same, Mr. Cool, Calm, and Collected. He is so sweet and laid back. However, even though it doesn't happen often, when he gets mad....he GETS MAD!! He is a body-thrashing-arms-flailing-head-bumping tantrum thrower! The biggest culprit is bringing him inside when he wants to be outside. Hopefully, he will learn that tantrums will get him no where!
He is my thinker. He loves to figure things out. He flips his riding toys over to see how the wheels work. He puts his play screwdriver in the holes for screws in his toys to see if he can turn them. And he LOVES flipping light switches to see what they turn on/off. This "thinker mentality" makes him a great independent player. This is rather different than my social butterfly, Ella. She always wants people to play with, but Colin is content with toys. He and Ella are playing together much more now, and they make up the funniest games (peek-a-boo in the cabinets is a favorite). I love that their different personalities compliment each other.
He loves anything to do with motors. If there is a steering wheel in sight, he wants to be behind it. He loves to make a motor sound when he sees cars, trucks, vans, etc. (even if it is just in a book). He is also very good at getting on and off of Ella's tricycle. I think his bike riding skills will soon surpass his sister's...haha!

Not So Bad

2011-12-31T14:25:00.000-08:00

I quickly learned that Ella being sick was not so bad. Our Mondays are usually really busy with her dance class, running errands, etc. But this Monday, it was nice to spend a day inside and do a Christmas craft! It was nice to slow down and enjoy the season.I had wanted to make Applesauce Ornaments with Ella and took advantage of the Colin-is-napping-and-Ella-needs-to-stay-inside rare moment. In fact, my mom had come over for the afternoon (we were supposed to have gone to her house that day to bake cookies after Ella's dance class) so I had extra help. Baking Applesauce Ornaments was such a fun activity!!

Pouring in the cinnamon

Measuring out the applesauce

Dumping it in

Patting out the dough

This was a fun way to use Mommy's super heavy marble rolling pin

Ella cut out every single ornament. She really did the entire process with minimal help; that is why I loved this activity so much. She could be so independent:)

Mommy's turn to put down the camera and help my sweet girl


All of her ornaments are ready for the oven!!

I am including the recipe I used. I used a toothpick to make the holes for hanging the ornaments instead of a drinking straw. I also baked them in the oven on about 150 degrees for a couple of hours (I checked on them every 20 minutes) instead of letting them air dry for two days. A couple of days later, we used pearlized craft paint to add detail to our ornaments. Then Ella gave them out to family members as special handmade gifts.

Cinnamon-Applesauce Ornaments

This recipe is too simple to make only for the winter holidays
-use it anytime or anywhere you want your house to smell warm
and inviting. (Note that these ornaments are not edible.)

The ingredients
1 cup cinnamon
3/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup white glue

How to do it
Mix all ingredients well until they form a dough. Flatten thedough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Keep in mind that thedough will be quite dry, and can be tricky to work with.

Use cookie cutters to cut out festive holiday shapes. Use adrinking straw to punch a small hole in the top of each ornament if you plan to hang them. Keep them flat and move them to a warm, dry spot for 48 hours to allow them to dry. Turn each ornament over every few hours to dry on each side. Alternatively, put them in a warm (not hot!) oven for several hours.

Barking in the Night, A Christmas Tradition

2011-12-31T14:20:00.000-08:00

Sadly enough, Ella waking up in the middle of the night struggling to breath due to a terrible barking cough is becoming a Jolly Family Tradition. The same thing happened last year and this year was no different. Monday morning (December 19th) around 6:45am (and of course I had stayed up until 1am the night before wrapping presents), Ella came in our room struggling for a breath and sounding like a seal. I knew immediately that she had croup and we just needed to calm her down so we could take her to the doctors to get a steroid. Once we got her calmed down, she tried to sleep a little bit more in my bed, but she had the hardest time getting a full breath. So she and I got dressed and ready for the day. The waiting room was packed, and it took us forever see the doctor so we could get her needed medicine. Luckily, Jason was able to work from home that day so I could leave Colin with him.

One happy little girl when we got home from the doctors

I love that she stays so happy even when she is sick

Playing with her new toy that Grandpa sent for her birthday

Wearing the Memphis Tigers hat Jason's grandparent sent

Hey, Sissy! Don't give me any yucky croup germs! (so tough)

Fun Together

2011-12-31T14:19:00.000-08:00

After visiting the nature center, the kids wanted to play together in the new playhouse. They have so much fun together these days!

This is how Colin talks on the phone. He holds it behind his neck and says, "Hiya!"

He is obsessed with ringing the doorbell.....

...and opening the door

Live Reindeer

2011-12-31T13:16:00.007-08:00

The next day (Sunday, December 18th) the Chatahoochee Nature Center was having a live reindeer display. Ella was so excited to see real reindeer. Though it was a little bit chilly, it was a beautiful day to spend at the nature center.

Colin had to eat his lunch as we walked around

Ella loves this sculpture, The Two-Headed Donkey

At the Live Reindeer display

They were surprisingly large

So amazed!

After watching the reindeer for a bit, we walked around and did some crafts. The center had set up a lot of fun activities for the kids that day.

Here, Ella is making a hanging bird feeder (a bagel with shortening on it and sprinkled with seeds)

Ready to hang on a tree in our yard

Here is is stringing cheerios on a string for squirrels

Showing me her hanging squirrel feeder (she also made some "reindeer food" to sprinkle in our yard on Christmas Eve)

There were two reindeer antlers that the kids could touch

They even had a reading of Stranger in the Woods for the kids

Colin is a man on the move these days and didn't really sit for the story, but he sure did have fun!

Opening Presents

2011-12-31T13:16:00.005-08:00

Since the party was jam-packed with fun, we decided to take the presents home so we could open them in a relaxed atmosphere.We usually do this, and it is so much easier than trying to open the gifts in front of everyone. It was the perfect way to end Ella's special 4th Birthday Party!!

I finally got a picture of the cute dress Nana made for Ella's birthday party. Isn't it perfect??

Cupcake Time!!

2011-12-31T13:16:00.003-08:00

It isn't a birthday party without cupcakes!!

4 candles on my girl's cupcake!

A little dark, but such an important moment

"Happy Birthday to you!"

Blowing out her candles

Mommy and Daddy are so proud!

So tasty!

Chocolate face

Eating it like a lady--haha

Colin sure loves cupcakes as much as his sister does

Hey, it is stuck to my face!

Such a cutie!

Time to say, "Goodbye"

The Cooking Demonstration

2011-12-31T13:16:00.001-08:00

The kids had so much fun baking!! They were involved in every step of the process. They started off with their own bowls of flour and were taught how to use measuring cups. Then the instructors walked around with the big mixing bowls letting kids measure ingredients, pour the liquids, whisk, stir, roll, etc. I had so much fun taking pictures of all the little bakers!

Ella practicing with her own bowl

Chase, Cole, Layne, and Maggie

Daddy and his little baker

Harper and Handley

Lily was great with the whisk

Gigi with one silly birthday girl

The molasses made it sticky!

How fun!

Noah

Mia

Stir, stir

Showing me the flour on her face--haha

When they mixed the wet and dry ingredients, they got to use their hands

This part was like playing with play-doh

It is always fun to use your hands

When Ella was adding the powdered sugar to the batch of icing, it exploded on her arm:)

Carefully adding the meringue powder

Mia adding some water

Ella's turn

Having so much fun!!

Time to roll out the dough

Chase was an excellent baker

Too cute for words!

Emily rolling the dough while Landon waited patiently

Maggie and Layne

He was so excited when it was his turn

Ella was the first one to come up and cut out her gingerbread girl

Ella and Katie Anne decorating their gingerbread girls

Ella's is ready for the oven!

Adalynne and Mia decorating

Time to pipe in the frosting

Ella's Finished Product!

So Yummy!

Delicious!

Ella's 4th Birthday Party

2011-12-18T19:43:00.003-08:00

We had Ella's 4th Birthday Party at The Young Chef's Academy in Marietta.This was such a fun place to have a birthday party. We had a "Gingerbread Man" theme. After washing their hands and putting on little aprons, all of the kids got to bake a gingerbread man (or girl), and what kid doesn't love to be part of the baking process?? There was also a little play kitchen in the lobby for the younger kids to play with in case the cooking demonstration did not hold their attention. However, I was so proud of all of the kids!! They did a great job listening, following directions, and having a great time! It was such a special day!


Pretty Reagan arrives for her cousin's party

The only shot I got of my kids together....look at their cute matching outfits:)

Daddy doing all of the heavy lifting--haha

Ella dressed in her special birthday apron and ready to start baking!

The cupcake table (fresh strawberry cupcakes with chocolate or cream cheese icing)

All of her gifts!

The handmade favor bags (I was so proud of these cute little things)

Colin spent most of the party in the play kitchen area having fun with the other younger siblings

Of course, Ella had lots of kisses for baby Gabi (it meant so much to Ella that Stephanie brought the twins)

Ella's 4th Birthday Party Morning

2011-12-18T19:43:00.001-08:00

Yesterday (Saturday, December 17th), we had Ella's 4th Birthday party with all of her little friends. I took a TON of pictures, so I am going to break up her party into a few posts. Even when I narrowed the pictures down, I still had over 60 pictures I wanted to post. So let's kick things off...

Mommy and Daddy got Ella a special playhouse for her 4th birthday. We set it up in our screened-in porch for the time being.

After Pinky flew to the North Pole to give his daily report, he brought Ella back a special Birthday note. He decided to settle in for the night right next to her new playhouse...he wanted to watch over her special gift.

Saturday morning it didn't take her long to spot her big present!

Both kids dove right in and had a fun time playing in the new little house!

Bowling with Syscom

2011-12-18T19:42:00.005-08:00

Yesterday, we went bowling with Jason's company. They are having their official holiday party (a fun night out for the adults) in January; however, they wanted to get everyone together for a fsmily outing before Christmas. Ella was so excited! On the car-ride to the bowling alley, she kept saying "Bowling is my favorite thing to do! I just can't wait!" Never mind that she has never been bowling before--haha! They set one of the lanes up with kid-bumpers, so we stuck to that lane. Ella even was able to use one of the stands that you can use to send your bowling ball down the lane. She used it about half of the time, but the second half she wanted to throw it down the lane herself. She was actually pretty good at the game, and of course she looked super cute in her little bowling shoes!

Her victory dances were hilarious! Unfortunately, they were hard to capture on camera.

Even with the kid-bumpers, Jason was not the best bowler. However, Ella was a pro!

So cute!

Colin had a nice time visiting with Daddy's co-workers and eating dinner.

At the end of the evening, Jason bowled with Colin on his hip. Colin LOVED watching the ball go down the lane. He kept saying, "Baaww" (which is his word for ball) and applauding.

"Baaaawwwww!"

Pink Pig

2011-12-18T19:42:00.003-08:00

Riding the Pink Pig is one of my favorite holiday traditions. I have vivid memories of riding it as a kid, and it brings me so much joy to watch my kids on this special ride. My mom and I have made this a tradition to do with the kids together. And we always have the best time!

Gigi and Ella waiting to buy tickets

Colin leaning his head on Mommy....cue heart melting!

The kids playing on the dance floor

A shot of the four of us!

Ella under the Pink Pig tent with her ticket

Colin loved standing on the rail and watching the "Choo-Choo Train" go by

Ride #1: Ella and Mommy sit together

Ride #1: Colin and Gigi sit together (his face looks hesitant, but he LOVED riding the train. He kept one little hand on the side of the car and the other on my mom. He loves anything with a motor!)

"Ooooooo! Wow!!" his signature phrase

Ride #2: Colin and Mommy sit together

Ride #2: Gigi and Ella sit together

Every year, we get an ornament to commemorate our trip, and Ella usually ends up with yet another Pricilla, the Pig (Colin wasn't too interested in one)

After riding the ride, we head to visit Santa. I wasn't worried about getting any pictures since we already got some great ones at my mom's office. Nonetheless, we have a tradition to stick to!

Ella went up first to talk to Santa


Then I tried to sit with Colin....but that was another failed attempt--haha

After a fun-filled morning, we ate lunch at Lenox Mall's food court (Chick-fil-A, of course). We didn't get home to put Colin down for his nap until 2:30!! Luckily, he is a trooper and was happy as can be the whole time....except when he was around Santa. That guy just can't catch a break!

One-On-One Time

2011-12-18T19:42:00.001-08:00

While Ella is at dance class on Mondays, Colin and I get some Mommy-Son time. This usually includes running to the grocery store (it is so much easier to do with only one kid) or running errands, but we always have a good time. Just look at this little face:

Here we are at Starbucks having a nice breakfast and cuddle time:

I am so in love with this little guy!

And one Monday, I made Colin's dream come true....I let him sit in the "driving carts" at Publix. He has been reaching for them the last few times, and I finally decided to let him try it out. He absolutely LOVED it!!! He kept one hand on each wheel (it was a double seater); I guess he wanted to maximize his driving. This boy seems to love cars as much as his Daddy does!!

Happy Birthday, Daddy

2011-12-13T19:53:00.001-08:00

Today was Daddy's 35th birthday!! The kids and I were very excited to celebrate this special day with him. We took him to his favorite Italian restaurant: Frankies. I didn't have my camera, and I even forgot to bring my phone. I did snap a couple of pictures with Jason's phone:

Hard at work coloring on the table

Daddy and his #1 sidekick

Ella making a pretty picture

After dinner, we got a treat and drove around to look at Christmas lights. I tried to get the kids to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jason, but Ella wouldn't have it because we didn't have cake. That is my little creature of habit. I guess we will have to make a cake tomorrow so we can sing:)

Ella's First "Drop Off" Party

2011-12-11T19:56:00.001-08:00

Today Ella had her first "drop off" birthday party at the Chatahoochee Nature Center for Cole Villano's 5th birthday. She always loves to go to nature center, and I knew she was ready for a "drop off" party. She was very excited, but of course, I was a little sad to admit that she is old enough to attend a party without me by her side....I am trying my hardest to let go and let her grow up...tear, tear, sniff, sniff. Here are a few goofy pictures I snapped before dropping her off:

When I went to pick her up, it was clear that she had a great time!! All of the kids were aflutter talking about the live snake they got to pet, the hike they went on, and the yummy cookie cake they got to eat. In fact, Ella asked me 100 times for a pet snake of her own...YIKES!! That is my nature girl!

Deck the Halls

2011-12-11T19:55:00.001-08:00

The other day, Ella helped me decorate our tree. We had a great time! I love that she is old enough to really help. I look forward to having this little helper every year!

One of her favorite ornaments, Rudolph (to represent her birthday party last year)

Love my girl!

Holding an ornament with "Baby Mommy" picture

When Colin woke up from his nap, I was nervous to see how he would behave around the tree. Some of you might remember "tree go boom!" from two years ago (although that was not Ella's fault but rather the fact that our tree was crooked). Luckily, Colin is great with the tree. We have the entire bottom portion filled with non-breakable ornaments, and he LOVES to look at them. Yes, he occasionally pulls one off to carry around, but I am just happy that it brings him happiness.

Seeing the tree for the first time

The red mark on his eye is from a few days earlier. He pulled down one of our stockings, and the stocking hanger hit him in the eye. We were very lucky that he didn't get a black eye, and he has not pulled on our stockings since then.

Look at how precious!!

Not quite as gentle, but such love!

Funny side note: Colin saw Ella and I putting ornaments on the tree, so he started gathering random items to put on the tree. I looked at the tree at one point and there were two sticks that belong to a ring toss game on the tree. Haha!

When Daddy finished working, he helped with Ella decorate the tree. The whole family was a part of our tree this year.

Santa Visit 2011

2011-12-07T17:43:00.001-08:00

Santa visited my mom's real estate office this evening. This was the first year that Ella was VERY excited to see Santa. The night before she painted him a picture (of a Christmas lights display) and made a list of the gifts she wanted and the gifts Colin wanted. She took her big sister job very seriously; she wanted to make sure that Santa knew what to bring both of them. I put her down for an early nap telling her that when she woke up we would go see Santa. When I checked the monitor, she hadn't moved. She knew Santa was watching and made sure that she took a good nap--haha! Oh, if the magic of Santa could be year-round!

After the kids woke up, we quickly gave Colin a snack and got dressed in pretty/handsome outfits. I love seeing my kids dressed up; they are just so stinkin' cute! Ella wore an outfit my mom's best friend and business partner got her last year; it was a perfect Santa outfit. Colin wore a handsome sweater and black slacks, and best of all, his hair wasn't crazy from his nap! I love when that happens (though it doesn't happen often).

Giving Santa her painting

I love this picture!

I was surprised to see Ella so star-struck. For how excited she was leading up to the visit, she suddenly got shy and quiet when she met him. She talked to him so softly.

Telling him all the things on her list and Colin's list (Ella: Rock Star Mickey and a car, Colin: a car and a Sing-a-ma-jig)

Then we tried to put Colin on Santa's lap.....he was not a fan, and Ella was trying to make him feel better.

He is looking at my mom wondering why she put him on this strange man's lap

We only put Colin through that torture for a little bit; then Ella got some more one-on-one time

Santa had a good idea. He offered to let the kids sit in his chair while he posed behind them.

It was really cute and more Colin's style:)

A hug for Santa

My mom and the babies

Gigi and her grandbabies (She has been wanting a picture of her with all of the kids. Every time we get together we try, but nothing really turns out. This one wasn't half bad this time.)

Pretty little Reagan

Just like my mom, I always want to try to get a picture with my kids, but it never works out. My kids are looking, but Ella is making a face...she is so silly!

As if torturing Colin once wasn't enough, we wanted to get a picture of all three kids with Santa. We put the girls on first since they both liked him. Then we put Colin down. At first he sat frozen like a deer in headlights (staring down my mom). I love Ella's face in this picture, she is so excited Colin isn't crying.

But the tears were not far behind

Much happier in Mommy's arms

One of my mom's co-workers gave Ella this elf hat. Ella had the idea to be an "Elf on a Shelf." She sat straight up frozen with her hands folded and a little elf smile on her face. I didn't realize she was "in character" until I tried to talk to her and she wouldn't talk to me. She sure does take her pretend play very seriously.

Ella, Elf on a Shelf

After spending time at my mom's office, we all went out to Frankie's for dinner (Daddy, Uncle Roger, and Aunt Lindsey had joined us by then). My mom took us all out for a delicious Italian dinner. It was a fun-fill evening.

Jason's Birthday Brunch

2011-12-04T14:51:00.001-08:00

Today, we had our families over to celebrate Jason's birthday. His birthday is actually on the 13th, but this was the only day we could celebrate....gotta love the holidays! Unfortunately, Kerry, Allen, Reagan, Jake, Julie, Jer, and Gabi were not able to come. However, we all went in together to get Jason a new TV for our family room.
The kids were very excited to be having another party! Ella is in her element when we entertain. She loves having everyone over and spending time together (just like her Mommy). Colin also loves having all our male family members over. He gets very attached to his Papa and Uncles.

I just love these little faces

Daddy and his little loves

Colin and Uncle Roger

The Brunch: Spinach Strata, Loaded Potato Casserole, Slow-Cooker Grits, Sticky Bun Ring, My mom's Sausage Balls, and Nana brought a birthday cake

The 14th time we have celebrated his birthday together!

Uncle Roger's new car!!!

Ella seemed a little under the weather today. Luckily, she shook it off quickly.

Singing "Happy Birthday" (Ella's favorite part)

This girl loves to sing "Happy Birthday"

Blowing out the candles

The best part!!

What a ham!

While Colin was napping and Ella was occupied, I took some pictures of Roger and Lindsey for their Christmas cards.

This one is my favorite

Colin finally woke up

Wrestling with Uncle Roger

Picking Out Our Christmas Tree

2011-12-04T14:50:00.001-08:00

Saturday was the only day to get our tree. I tried to get Jason to go with Ella (since Colin and I were sick), but he wanted us all to be together. I wasn't too excited about being out while not feeling well, but I also thought his gesture was so sweet. It made me happy that being together as a family was so important to him. So we just headed to our local Home Depot to pick out a tree. We have never tried this before and were curious to see their selection. We really lucked out because we got a beautiful tree!! It is so full and fits perfectly in our family room!! We were sad not to get to go Deerwoods Christmas Tree Farm since we had such a great time last year. We just could not fit it in our busy schedule this year. However, Home Depot has a great selection and the kids had a great time. It also helps that we stopped to get ice cream on the way home!

Home Depot

Ella, the reindeer

Sick Mommy and Sick Colin

Deciding which one to get

Tickle, Tickle

I always get a picture of the tree on our car

Mia's 3rd Birthday

2011-12-03T08:08:00.001-08:00

After pushing through my cold to attend the Gala, it hit me full-force the next day. Colin had been sick as well, so we decided to stay home from Mia's 3rd Birthday Party on Saturday morning. Jason took Ella so she could celebrate with her friend. Of course I snapped a couple of pictures as they headed out the door.Just look at how cute these pictures turned out! They make my heart melt!

Jason said Ella had a GREAT time at Mia's party and was so well-behaved. I always love a good report:) He decided to extend their Daddy-Daughter day and take her to the park since the weather was beautiful. Colin and I had some nice cuddling time; that is the good thing about being sick together. It doesn't matter if you share your germs--haha!

Marietta Pilgrimage Gala

2011-12-03T08:07:00.003-08:00

Last night, we got to get all dressed up and attended The Marietta Pilgrimage Gala at the home of Governor and Mrs. Barnes. It was a black tie event, so that meant we had to go all out. Luckily, Jason fit into his dad's tux, so we didn't have to rent one. He did get a new shirt, cummerbund, and bow-tie. He looked so handsome; he looked exactly like he did when we went to prom together 12 years ago. I got a new dress and wore Nana's dressy jewelry. Unfortunately, I had a terrible cold, but I wasn't going to let that stop me from a fun night!

Nana and Papa watched the kids at our house. Here are some pictures of us before we went out.

We had such a great time at the event. The home was gorgeous, and it always looks just perfect at Christmastime. We had delicious food, fun drinks, and great conversation. Around 11pm, my cold got the best of me, and we headed home. All in all, it was such a special night. We don't get to get dressed up often, and I feel so lucky when we do. I just love all of the things we get to do together.

Jeff and Alyssa, great friends

Alyssa and I with Wendy

Catch Air

2011-12-03T08:07:00.001-08:00

We had a fun playdate planned with the Wright family at Catch Air in Cumming on Wednesday. We hadn't ever been before and were excited to try out a new place. Let me tell you, this place is awesome!! There are so many activities for kids, and it is very clean. Most importantly, we always have a great time with the Wright family. We are so lucky that good friends of ours have a girl around Ella's age and a boy around Colin's age....it is perfect! After letting the kids have a blast at Catch Air, we took them to McDonald's for lunch. It was another fun-filled day!


Santa-Colin eating breakfast

Ho, Ho, Ho

Ella picked out her outfit...it was very colorful--haha!

Colin playing with the color light floor at Catch Air

The girls swinging on this merry-go-round-type thing

Just walking around

I thought this mini-gym was the cutest thing ever!

Colin on the mini-treadmill

Colin spinning

Having fun in the ball pit!

How cute is Masyn??

1st Gymnastics Class & Family Date Night

2011-12-03T08:06:00.001-08:00

This past Tuesday, was Ella's first official gymnastics class. We had signed up a couple of weeks ago when Mia brought Ella as her "bring-a-friend-to-class" friend. We were so excited the first class was finally here!! Unfortunately, Ella and Mia are not in the same class, but we meet up with them 30 minutes before class to let the girls play together. Then after class, they get to play some more. The teachers at Champion Kids are all so nice, and they run a fantastic program. Ella absolutely LOVES it! And I love that Colin is able to play while Ella is in class. It is a win-win for everyone!

Colin climbing a mat wedge

Ella and Mia playing before class

Ella in her "gymnastics" outfit

Being silly waiting for class to start

Ella sitting on her circle with her class

Colin loves the foam pit

Mommy and Colin fun time!!

After such a fun morning and afternoon, both of the kids go home and take nice long naps! Jason and I had to run some Christmas errands that evening, so we decided to take the kids out to dinner. We went to the California Pizza Kitchen by North Point Mall. As usual, the girls sat on one side and the boys sat on the other side. We all had such a great time going out on this family date! I just love my little family!

Colin and Daddy coloring...and eating lemons

Always so silly!

UGA vs. Georgia Tech

2011-12-03T08:05:00.001-08:00

After a busy Thanksgiving, Jason and I got to go to the UGA vs. Tech game on Saturday. My friend, Alyssa, had some extra tickets, and we were happy to get to see the game. I hadn't been to the Tech stadium before; it was fun to see the Dawgs beat out their Georgia rival!!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-29T20:32:00.001-08:00

We had to set up two tables in our dining room to fit everyone

Colin was so cute at dinner. He kept covering his ears. I guess all of the talking was a bit too loud for him. At least he did it with a smile:)

Silly girl under the table

After dinner, the kids had fun playing (again)

Papa helped Colin put on all of Ella's pretty beads....Colin is a bit obsessed with her dress up basket. He loves all of the colors and different textures....and the little red purse--haha

Kisses from Daddy

What???

At the end of the night, Coiln became attached to Jer. He didn't want anyone else to hold him.

Gabi tried to hold him, but he only wanted Jer

Reagan smiled for every picture...except this one.

I really didn't do a good job taking pictures throughout the day. I pretty much just got some before we sat down to eat, and then more at the very end of the night (when most people were leaving). It was a very busy day! But I am so thankful for so many things this year. It was the perfect Thanksgiving!

Preparing for Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-29T20:31:00.001-08:00

We were so happy to host Thanksgiving this year. It was extra special because it was the first one in our house. Nana, Papa, Jake, Julie, Jer, Gabi, Gigi, Kerry, Allen, Reagan, Roger, and Lindsey all came over to celebrate. We all had a great time! Jason cooked the turkey on the Big Green Egg, and he also made some crazy mulit-ingredient gravy. I love that he enjoys cooking on holidays:) I made cheese biscuits, corn pudding, broccoli casserole, and an apple pie. For appetizers, we had a HUGE fine cheese tray from whole foods (I would highly recommend that), veggies, dip, and hummus. I also made a tasty chianti punch. Everyone brought something--which made very little cooking for me to do:). My mom brought stuffing (we made this the day before in our pre-Thanksgiving turkey) and sweet potatoes. Jason's mom brought a ham and cornbread dressing. Lindsey brought mashed potato casserole and hollupchi. Julie brought wine. Kerry brought cannolis and port. And Gabi brought a chocolate-coconut cake. Everything was delicious!

Ella's pretty outfit (this was the dress that Nana made for her 3rd Birthday Party last year)

When I was taking a picture of Ella, Coiln kept trying to get my attention. I guess he wanted me to snap a few of him too:)

What a cutie!

He was still in his pajamas because he was about to go down for his late morning nap.

Helping Daddy make the gravy

Colin always wants to be with Daddy

Jason's beautiful bird from the Big Green Egg

Ella picked out special cups for the kids to have on Thanksgiving. Here she is doing "cheers" with Reagan

When Colin woke up from his nap, he got dressed in his dapper outfit.

Kia with the kids and their cups

Reagan wanted to share her drink

Gigi and Colin

If only his hair wasn't styled in that "I-just-woke-up-from-nap" look....but I still think he is the cutest little boy!

Reagan LOVES the camera!! She is the most smiley little girl!

The "babies" having fun!

The only shot I got of his whole outfit (my mom actually took it)

The kids had a lot of fun playing in our screened-in porch. We moved the table inside for extra seating in the dining room, so they ran around like crazy out there!

Uncle Roger....somehow, I didn't get a picture of Lindsey:( I also didn't get a picture of Jake and Julie. They came over for appetizers and drinks.)

Papa carving the bird