How We Pass The Time

The week before Christmas just seems to last a little longer when you are a kid and a super prepared Mom. (Presents purchased and wrapped).  Now it is time to bake! Addie decided to help me on Day 2 of baking treats for the neighbors! Day 1 she was not interested at all! After days of baking and giving them all away I finally make lemon blueberry muffins for our Family. Yes, I did pay a fortune for blueberries, but oh how I have been craving these muffins!  Addie helps with all the mixing and munching of blueberries.  When they were finally finished she was eager to try one takes one bite, and says "Mom those are kinda gross, do I have to eat it?" After that she had me second guessing all the treats that I had handed out over the past couple of Days!  Then Paul kindly reminded me that she was 5 and her favorite food was chicken nuggets, enough said.

 Other than baking we have been destroying the house, playing with every toy, and fighting.

 We have also been making up but not really meaning it!

 And even on that rare occasion we have been getting along and even playing together! Christmas miracle I know!

The girls have decided that the Baby's mattress needs to be sufficiently broken in before it makes its arrival.  As if their two bums sleeping on it wasn't enough!  They have learned to love sliding down the stairs on the crib mattress. No injuries as of yet, but fingers are crossed that this can continue to hold true.

 Yup thats our Dad! He is weird we know!

 There is our Queen of Destruction in action!

Tis the Season to be Jolly!

This year the girls (and Dad) decided that it would be best of they printed out pictures of their Christmas wishes to show Santa.  All month long the girls have been gazing at their pictures in sweet anticipation for Christmas morning.

 Not as exciting as Santa, but still pretty exciting!  Avery decided all on her own that the toilet wasn't as scary as she had once thought!  She is a master potty pooper!  

 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! As Addie looked out the window and saw a beautiful blanket of snow she said "yay, it really is Christmas time".

Nothing better than a snowy Saturday Night swim! Good thing the water is warm and toasty!

 Good luck keeping up with those 2 fish! They love the deep end, probably because Addie knows thats the only place she is safe from Avery!

 Thank You Krista! After thieving Krista's gloves yesterday, she thought it was best for the girls to have their own!  Addie was so excited for fuzzy gloves that were blue, that she decided to wear all blue to school tomorrow in honor of her new gloves!

 Avery on the other hand decided to one up her sister.  Thursday night Addie had stomach bug and puked her guts out.  Avery I guess couldn't be outdone by her sister, she had to get sick just as Mom and Dad were falling asleep and be sick all night long and into Sunday! But a cool cloth, snuggles and a little Dora can make any girl happy!

Lets hope that the illness stops with her! Mom can't take being sick again, and we all know Dad's suck at being sick.  So we are hoping for better luck next week!  We have lights to see, treats to make and Santa's to see!

Surprise

While I was dreaming of all the things I wanted to get surprised with on Christmas morning. An amazing blender, or maybe a beautiful piece of jewelry, or maybe...

 A brand new refrigerator!  Nooooooo!  I can't complain to much because the on that we have been using I purchased off of a neighbor for $150. But really it had to die the first part of December!  Before my husband has purchased my present.  I know he has ideas but I know that he never really breaks down and purchases until the last minute.  

So Yay! we have a new refrigerator.  Now if only they could deliver it before I go insane! (purchased on sat deliver on Fri, 6 days REALLY!) The surviving food is all in the basement frig, and we are iceless.  Its going to be a long week! 

While Mom Was Napping

It was not unusual for me to wake up and wonder down to the basement and find pillow beds, blankets all over and of course more toys than any one family should own.

 As long as they made room for me and gave me a blanket I didn't even care!

 What can I say we are a family of couch potatoes!

 My sweet neglected family!

 What a cute kid! If only I had her metabolism, and immune system!  

Holy Sickness

Lucky for us, Dad was in town all week long!  Somehow I managed to get sick, and bring the girls down with me!  

Thank goodness for husbands is all I can say!  I wouldn't say that he nursed me back to health, that would be a stretch.  But he stayed in the basement and kept the girls happy while took many naps!

Luckily Avery didn't get Strep like me, she just had a cold that wouldn't go away. But still we were miserable together for many days!

  Addie joined us for a day or two but then she was ready to play and rejoin the living population.

Luckily we managed to drag ourselves out of bed for an enjoyable Thanksgiving dinner, but were ready for bed by dessert.  We managed to stay sick for an entire week! Longest week ever. I am so grateful for all Addie's help and willingness to take care of herself while I was dying. Husband was also really good at bringing Dinner home and letting me sleep! Now we are healthy and ready to celebrate Christmas!

It's Christmas!

This week has been an interesting on for us.  Addie finally caught on to the true meaning of Halloween candy.  She caught me snitching some of her candy and emphatically said "hey I'm the one that went Trick or Treating not Mom." Then on another day we stopped by her friends house to see if Camryn could play, they weren't home and Addie huffed "that is not very nice of them!" So to say the least these little Monsters are keeping my on my toes! (But if you ask Addie she is a kid not a monster, Avery doesn't even deny being a monster)

 Avery has been pushing the limits of just about everything.  We put her to bed and say if you get out of bed you will get a spanking.  But 2 this week we have found her asleep somewhere in the hall! So much for my empty threats!

 Friday the snow started and by Saturday morning we had a nice little blanket of snow.  Addie was so excited because it was Christmas time! Paul was even more excited that I had him put up the Christmas light before it snowed.

 It is true your eyes do not deceive you. Avery actually likes the snow this year, go figure!  I was counting on her hating it.  She seems to be polar opposite of Addie, and last year you would have thought I was physically harming the child by putting her in the snow! 

 Looks like things change!  Both the girls had a blast getting their daddy with snowballs! 

Never a dull moment with these 2 around.  If they aren't kicking and screaming at each other they actually get along.  When the stars are aligned it is actually quite nice!

Happy Ween!

For the corporate world they view unimportant holidays as major holidays and very important family holidays as just any other workday!  Thus our Dad missed out on one of our favorite Holidays!  

I am not completely selfish I would be willing to trade Corporate America President's Day or MLK Day to have Halloween count as a paid day off!

 That being said we managed to enjoy our Halloween!  Addie wanted to be Mavis from Hotel Transylvania, so we all decided to be nice vampires.

 It took a lot of spray to make Avery's hair black.  She was so excited to get black hair, I could get her to stop touching it!

 The mob of neighborhood kids came and kidnapped us! We hit the neighborhood running and went well in to darkness!

 I had to give up on trying to get Addie and Camryn to wait for Avery.  They were just to excited to slow down and Avery wanted to stop and eat the candy as she received it.

 Good thing Grandma came up!  Avery got to take a much needed break, my arms were able to regain feeling, and Addie was able to continue Trick or Treating with Tate and Lily!

I will give the little Vampire in Training come major props, she would walk up to the door and say Trick or Treat, Thank you, Happy Ween and then run off to catch up with the others.  Until her little legs got tired she was a good little trick or treater.  Addie on the other hand has become a pro.  She only needed me to carry her bag when it got to heavy!

Quick Get Away

After 14 hrs. in the car arriving at the coast was a welcoming site. We had the time and at the last minute decided to jump in the car and take a quick trip to Cannon Beach.

 Avery happily greeted her favorite seal!  Actually the only seal that she will even get near!  She was terrified of the Seals at the Seaside Aquarium while Addie couldn't get enough of them!

 After a fun day of chasing waves and digging holes those two liked to get in a few rounds of Just Dance 4.

 Why would I even think that Avery would love the beach, she is polar opposite of her sister! Avery was doing alright until a sneaker wave came up and totally got us. But still it was Paul and I who got soaked the girls were safe and sound high in our arms! Yet, after that Avery was very skeptical of the water, she like to keep her distance!

 The first 2 days were a bit hazy then rainy in the afternoons, but have no fear we managed to keep busy!

 After 2 fun filled days, Avery decided to stir things up a bit and have a bout of Croup that scared her parents half to death.  But after a ride in an ambulance, a couple hours in the ER, and a really long night, the sun decided to shine and give up 2 absolutely beautiful days.

 We managed to get out a bit and enjoy the sunshine, but not too long!  2/3 of the family needed a nap.  Addie managed to sleep thru the entire thing, she thought it was a dream.

 A little ice cream will make everything all better!  We managed to create several masterpieces!  The girls discovered the fun of watercolors.  They wanted to paint just like Abby's grandma!  

 We didn't dare take Avery out, but I couldn't resist a beautiful sunset! 

 The rest of the family enjoyed the sunset from the warmth of the house!  What can I say we were a little protective of Avery, and Addie didn't want to leave her Dad.  

 Let the Madagascar marathon begin!  

 Lots of movies, games, art work, dress up it was time to tell Mr. Bear Good-Bye.  

It was extremely fun and exhausting trip.  We are forever Thankful for the Parkers and their generosity and preparedness.  As Avery needed a humidifier and some cold medicine and then when Paul got a stomach bug, they had everything we needed form medicine to movies.  We were all able to relax and enjoy our quick get away to the coast.

P.S. If you are ever in Cannon Beach their EMTs are amazing, not even a dirty shoe mark to be found!

Family Picture

Wow we are a good looking family! 

As I looked and admired our last family portrait I realized that we were missing someone!

 How could we not include this cute little Monster!

 We are seriously blessed with 2 amazing girls! 

 Every time I look at Addie she seems to have grown another inch!  

 Addie and her best friend Ellie.  Addie informed me that Ellie was her dog, we were just taking care of her until Addie joined our family.

 I look at these beauties and if I didn't know that they came from my body I would have to wonder!  Are any of my traits dominant? I never ever have thought of myself as recessive! Good thing Paul and all my Dad's genes make cute kids!