Lovin' the Perks

Steve gets a lot of perks at his job - free lunches to steakhouses, suite tickets to sporting events, and even a free trip to Boston.  (A little different than the life of a teacher).  Sometimes we get to family events and try to take full advantage of it.  So we all headed to the Botanic Gardens for their light show and some yummy food, booze, and free lights.  The weather was pretty nice, so we were able to walk around but then warm up in our nice reserved area.  They even had "make your own cupcakes", which the girls looked forward to all night!

 

It was a great event, and the lights were beautiful.  Hopefully they'll invite us back next year.....

 

Chandler and her "coffee"

What a "cheesy" smile

Even Bug loved it!

Kids' Christmas Party

A couple weekends ago we had our annual girls'  kids' Christmas party and gift exchange.  It's the day the hubbys get a break, while we attempt to converse with friends while chasing our kids and trying to keep them happy.  Exhausting!  This year we went back to our soup cook-off before we unwrapped gifts.  Since the kids are getting older, the adults were actually able to sit and enjoy some soup for a few minutes.  Amazing!  It's neat to watch the kids get along so well and watch the younger ones become one of the "big kids".  Adaley will be there soon. 

 

The kids had a good time tearing through their books and then off to play again!  After they were completely wore out we thought we had a surprise visit from Santa.  Some kids loved him, and some were utterly scared!  It was funny to see all the reactions though.

 

Kids' table #1

And #2

Jackie & Ayda (Addy's BFF already)

To the gifts....Owen's up!

Brooklynn's new bud Kennedy

Kiley, Kaitlyn, and Chandler (Kaitlyn LOVES cheesing for the camera)

Pure chaos

Brooklynn & Kiley (one of my faves)



Here's Santa!

The older ones loved him!

And so did the mamas!

Santa's Helpers

As the kids get older I think it's important to teach them about the true Christmas spirit of giving.  We can get so caught up in Santa, the fun activities, and all the presents that we lose sight of the true meaning of giving.  So this year I thought I'd ease into it for the girls by making cookies for the residents at my mom's nursing home and having them deliver them.  They have been there many times before, so I knew they'd feel comfortable and mom would be able to help us.

 

So the night before we were busy cutting out our cookies and loading them with sprinkles.  I told the girls they could eat one cookie when they finished, but Chandler insisted, "No.  Them for the peoples."  I was shocked but so proud!  She really is a sweetie!

 

When we arrived at the nursing home everyone had heard we were coming and were excited to see us.  Brooklynn got to work right away - she was excited to give them her cookies.  Chandler was a little hesitant but warmed up a little after awhile.  I've always been amazed at Brooklynn's acceptance of other people, and this day was no exception.  She was sweet to every resident (even the one who told her to get away) and made sure to say, "Merry Christmas."  One resident even asked her for a hug, and she obliged without hesitation.  It's hard for me to not think this girl is gonna change the world someday!  Her humanitarianism is a true gift, and I'm anxious to see the path that will lead her as she grows.

 

Decorating time

 Chandler tried so hard to participate (and she did), but she's at a tough age with strangers.  I know her heart was in the right place though.

Christmas To-Do List

Since I've become an avid pinterest-er, we've incorporated some new stuff into our Christmas traditions.  I found this pin with Christmas activity ideas, and I know we're always trying to squeeze it all in.  So I wrote down the activities we wanted to do and put them in our advent calendar, so we'd make sure to do them and not feel as overwhelmed.  The girls loved to get their daily "treat" and also an activity on some days.

Here's the website I stole from:
http://workmanfamily.typepad.com/our_life/2008/11/christmas-bucket.html

I didn't use the bucket, although it's super cute!

So we did:
1.  Look at Christmas lights (did this a few times)
2.  Have hot chocolate and toast before bed
3.  Watch a Christmas movie (Arthur Christmas)
4.  Make ornaments
5.  Decorate a gingerbread house
6.  Hand out cookies to nursing home residents
7.  Donate unwanted toys to needy children
8.  Read "The Grinch"
9.  Make cookies for Santa
10.  Put on a Christmas show for mommy and daddy
11.  Make Christmas Play-Doh

Thank God for pinterest and it's wonderful ideas!

Surfin' USA

Our Tiny Dancer

When Brooklynn started another year of preschool last fall Chandler was feeling left out, so we decided to sign her up for dance class while Brooklynn was at preschool.  The first few weeks were rough.  They consisted of peeling her off my leg, many bathroom breaks, and her not paying attention to the teacher (imagine that).  After a couple months she was ecstatic to go to class and started randomly doing her plies in the grocery store.  With her recital approaching I was nervous for her, and we practiced every chance we got. 

 

A couple Saturdays ago was the big night!  I knew I needed to volunteer backstage to ease her fears for the show.  As we were walking to the "green room" she tripped and fell face first.  I thought it was all over!  She stopped crying when we got backstage, but she was scared to death to go on stage.  I just wanted her to get on the stage - I didn't care at that point if she performed well.  As soon as she walked on the stage, I was able to dart out the door and watch with the audience.

 

She was amazing!  She soaked up the audience's applause and laughter and enjoyed hamming it up.  Her hula hooping was fantastic, and it didn't go unnoticed!  She's actually a great dancer, but we're still holding out for the athlete in her!  After she finished I ran backstage, wiped away the tears, and gave her a huge hug.  It's amazing how proud they make you!

 

Surfin' USA with Amari and Jovie

Loving her Ooh ooh and flowers

Brooklynn was a real trooper too.  I know she really wanted to be out there and dance as well.  So now we'll have 2 dancers at the next recital.  Woohoo!

Chandler Finally Likes Santa!

Steve and his parents took the older girls to Thornton's Winterfest to visit Santa and check out all the festivities.  Steve and I took them a few years ago, but we went in the evening, and it was COLD!  So we were excited to see it during the day and hopefully with some warmer weather.  Even though they stood in line for over an hour to see the jolly man, the girls had a great time, and Chandler FINALLY sat on his lap (although she looks pretty sassy in this pic).

Their requests:  Spiderman toy and Barbie.  And Santa requested they do their chores. 

I like that Santa!

 

Then she got her hot dogs.  Success!

Holiday Fun with Friends

It always seems as if we get to see our friends a lot around the "kid" holidays.  It makes them even more special for the kids.  A few weeks ago we had our first sleepover - where we piled the kids in a bedroom and said goodnight.  We were hoping they were ready for it and would actually sleep.  They did a pretty good job (except for the monsters in the closet scare).  Chandler did end up sleeping with us and Brooklynn with Amanda, while Zach shacked up on the couch.  Regardless, they were excited to spend so much time with Hazel and Sawyer and finally wake up in the morning together.

 

 

After reading Polar Express the kids made trains thanks to crafty Mandy

 

So proud of their art

Then we all got together to make gingerbread houses.  Each kid had a building for the village, and they made some great houses!  They sat to work on them for about 10 minutes before they were off and running around again.  I've never seen such an active group, running around nonstop for hours!  When we grabbed our gingerbread houses to leave, Chandler's was only frosting - she had been sneaking the candy all night.

 

Group shot!

Parade of Lights

Since the weather has been so gorgeous here (we're talking 60s in December), we decided we'd definitely take the kids to the Denver Parade of Lights.  My friend suggested we go to a CSU alumni reception before the parade, so we did.  We had a great time - free food, meeting Santa, Cam, and the girls' favorite - the cheerleaders.  The girls are always pumped when they see or hear anything CSU these days - guess Steve is training them well.

 

After the reception we headed out the front door and staked out some killer seats to watch the parade.  We barely needed coats at 8 p.m.  The parade was fun, but the girls were just consumed with seeing Santa at the end.

 

CSU Santa (Chandler asked him, "Why you a green Santa?"  He told her that Santa went to CSU.)  Of course she wouldn't get close enough to take a pic with him.

 Brooklynn hamming it up like usual.

 Absolutely adored the cheerleaders!  (This one is actually a former student of mine. 

And she loved the girls)

 Almost here.....

The girls were chanting the CSU cheers for days and talking about visiting Santa.  Hopefully we get more warm nights to do outdoor activities and get more opportunities to connect with the CSU alumni.

We Can Decorate......Finally!

All month the girls have been asking when we can put up our Christmas decorations.  Our rule is always after Thanksgiving, so we knew we'd be busy as soon as we were done carving the turkey - and we were.  We started early Friday morning and finished later that evening.  My new rule - if it takes longer than a day to put up, it's not going up!  So we will not be buying any more decorations for a long time!  Steve worked on the outside, making sure to get the Dora and Santa inflatables while the girls supervised.

 

That evening we broke out the ornaments and let the girls go to town putting on the ornaments.  It's always fun watching them grab an ornament and ask a million questions.  It's nice to bring out the memories and tell them stories of the ornaments. 

So proud of their decorating

 Notice all the ornaments on the bottom

 How do you end tree decorating?  With a dance party, of course!

Missy who?

We figured since we're now outnumbered we'd better get these girls swimming on their own at the pool.  We convinced them swim lessons would be fun to do together (now that Chandler is 3 and doesn't need to do parent & tot).  We did sneak her in early, so she was by far the youngest, and it showed.  She sat on the side of the pool whining, "Mommy" for the beginning of class and refused to jump off the diving board.  Considering her age though, she did very well.  Brooklynn was a rock star and actually finally moved up to the next class.  They had a great teacher, and it was so convenient to have them in the same class (although that won't last long).  We're going to take a swimming break, because both girls really want to go to dance classes.

 

Yes, they had to throw her off the diving board

Doing it like a pro!

Go Team Ronnie

On Chandler's actual birthday we decided to join Steve's parents in the Denver Pancreatic Cancer Walk.  Steve and I have enjoyed racing lately, and a great cause makes it even better.  We were lucky the weather was absolutely beautiful, so the girls were able to tag along as well.  We ran in honor of Steve's uncle, Ron, and it was amazing to see how they honored all the people who've lost their battle with pancreatic cancer.  Next year we'll work on expanding Team Ronnie!

 

The girls did great as grandma and grandpa pushed them around the lake.  Adaley got a ride in the jogging stroller with Steve and I.  It ended up being more of a walk than a run, but that was ok with us,  because it may be the only race we ever finish in the top 10.

 

 

Steve stretching

Mommy getting reading too

The girls wanted to run across the finish line with daddy

Everyone finished!

It's been a year since we lost Ron, but doing this run helps keep his legacy alive!

Half a Year!

The other day as I was trying to figure out the date (which I never seem to know anymore), I realized our bug is already 6 months.  Wow!  I figured I'd better get some pics.  We went in for her doctor's appointment with Chandler, since she needed her 3 year check-up.  Addy did great and only cried a little for the shots.  I was a little worried her scream would traumatize Chandler, but since Chandler doesn't need any shots for awhile, she was ok. 

 

Adaley did great on her ASQ questionnaire, so we have high hopes for her!  Everyone in the office just loved her happy personality. 

 

Stats:

Height - 27.25" (91st percentile)

Weight - 14.6 lb. (19th percentile)

 

The doctor was a little concerned about her weight.  Her percentiles have been dropping with each visit, but thankfully her height hasn't.  So we had to supplement some formula with the nursing hoping to fatten her up a little.  Maybe we have a future model on our hands!  (Not referencing the starving herself but rather her stats).

 

She's actually been eating solids really well.  We just keep adding to the repertoire of foods.  We're up to bananas, avocadoes, squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, pears, and apples.  She's keeping me busy cooking up the concoctions!

 



So smiley!

Big C's Birthday

 Birthdays are kinda a big deal around here.  The girls put in their cake order months before, talk about what we'll do, and constantly ask, "Who's birthday is next?" (hoping we'll say their name).  Chandler's 3rd birthday was no exception.  Since hers is right after Halloween we decided to celebrate with friends beforehand, since there's so many fun fall activities and the weather is nicer!  We did a combo party with Gabby (who was born just 2 weeks before Chandler), so she was excited willing to share "her" day.

We went to Rock Creek Farms where they have a huge pumpkin patch, jumpy castles, petting zoo, and a corn maze for the kids.  It's a great place for little ones and isn't pricey like most of them have gotten.  We made spiders and pumpkins, ran around, ate lunch and cake, and enjoyed seeing all our friends (and there's lots of them these days).  The kids were so cute and proud in their costumes - so we'll have to stick to an early party.  Of course it'll be easier next year to explain to Chandler why her parties are spaced so far apart.

Brooklynn and her princesses (Jada and Hazel)

 

Chase, girls, and Makenzie making spiders

 Birthday blondies (love Gabby's expression here)

 Uh oh Sawyer!

 Caught again with too many sprinkles

 Getting so big.....

 Cousins (we were so lucky Kenz could join us for the day)

 Proof pic (proof Adaley really was there - we have lots of these)

Then we celebrated her actual birthday a couple weeks later with family.  She didn't seem to mind spreading out the fun and presents, of course!

Birthday Breakfast Beignets

 Opening presents

 Why do I always have to figure out how to open them?  Ugghhh

 Adaley enjoying all the paper!

 Now they've recruited Uncle Forney's help

 Chandler and her Olivia cake (I had to convince her to give up on the castle cake.  I made one for Brooklynn last year, and it was a disaster.  Good thing she is agreeable).

Love her expression here!

Chandler also visited the doctor this week for her check-up.  She did a great job and made the doc's job easy, since she knew she wasn't getting any shots.  She was 34 lbs (79th percentile) and was 40 in tall (95th percentile).  I guess we didn't realize how tall she was, because all her friends her age are tall as well. 

 

Chandler, you are an amazing kid.  You're always keeping us on our toes, but you are one of the most loving kids ever.  We just love to watch you grow and learn.  Don't ever get too big to cuddle, because you're a pro at it!