mini photo dump, Christmas trip style

There was a little of this,

some doll playing,

and lots of “are we there yet?”

This is what happens when you have a one-year-old in your motel room:

My MIL has a colors & shapes Bingo that the kids have LOVED playing:

And no Christmas would be complete without at least one of these:

choir

Our church choir had their Christmas concert last night. Not that you can tell from this distance, but Andy is seventh from the left, second row from the top.

(SOOC)

#20

ready

(for Christmas Sunday)

(SOOC)

#19

for real this time

My sisters helped me decorate them. We ate… a few.

#16

a monday in photos

Woke up to this:

School was canceled so we snuggled down for a pajama day. Andy was supposed to go somewhere at noon except the van was dead and his car was parked in.

I had this scary vision of him pushing my van right over the hill. (He didn’t.)

He tried jumping it several times but never got the van to start. We thought it might be a bad battery but he got a new one and it still won’t start. My car loves to act up during the holidays.

Sooo, a perfect day for me to catch up on a little of this:

and have a little of this:

I googled “free Christmas coloring printables” and printed out a few sheets for the kids to color. Those are great because we don’t necessarily have Christmassy coloring books layin’ around every year. But then we got a package in the mail full of Christmas story and craft books. Thanks, Mom!!

We rounded out the day with baths and a little bit lot of sprinkles:

Here’s mine:

YUM.

#13 (top photo)

berries

Last night was the Ladies Christmas Dinner at our church.

#10

(an extra)

Advent house

Otherwise known as the House Full of Chocolate.

Day 6.

And into the holidays we go

(I’m still full, are you still full???)

Whew! This is the first time I’ve been able to sit down and everything’s quiet and I am actually awake enough to post a couple of photos. We had a very sweet Thanksgiving, with food and gratefulness at every turn.

We have these every holiday. Start the day off right!

Last year I didn’t do much in way of decorating a table (but the food was divine; brine that turkey!) so that was my to-improve-on goal this year.

Walmart had beautiful Better Homes & Gardens tablecloths on clearance and I had a gift card. Everything else I already had.

My mom always used her china and crystal for Thanksgiving and Christmas but with a tableful of toddlers, I decided to keep it simple. Maybe when they’re teens.

I forgot to get a photo with me in it but did get one of everybody else (notice Arianna already chowing down, love that baby).

Now that’s all put away and we’re getting out Christmas!

She’s One!

time for tea

My mom’s birthday is in three days so two of my girls and I took her out for tea before she left.

Madeline lost her first tooth yesterday!

Happy birthday to one sweet lady!

7/3,4/10

Our city fireworks were on Saturday this year, which means Andy was working (since it was only July 3rd).  The thought of taking four children to the firework show by myself was a little overwhelming, and I couldn’t get any friends to join us.

Drew freaked out a little when I told him we probably weren’t going to see any this year.

In the end, I pulled the crazy mom card and told them I’d take them if they had their baths and pajamas on first, and we would STAY IN THE CAR to watch.  So that’s what we did.  It was an adventure.

Don’t you watch fireworks in your rainboots?

We had a GREAT view, which we totally stumbled upon:

And on our way home we stopped in to say hi to Andy  (as a surprise). The kids thought being out at night in their pj’s was the coolest thing.

Sunday we snapped a few photos of the kids wearing their red, white, & blue…

We had the classic summer meal including watermelon and corn-on-the-cob, went swimming (Drew did a FLIP off the diving board, shocked us all!) and came home to this:

Mmmm.

Inexpensive and simple holiday, but GREAT fun.

The REAL one

Madeline’s officially allowed to say she’s five. (It always annoys me when people say their new age a week early. Call me particular. Whatever.)

A friend of mine‘s 9-year-old has a China doll sitting on her dresser and ever since Madeline saw it, she’s been asking about one. My mom found a glass doll for her, and she got to open it yesterday:

(We have since removed her, um, hat.)

And then these people came over:

(That’s my cousin Evangeline. They live in New York so obviously I don’t get to see her very often.  Which is just sad.)

I didn’t make Madeline take an afternoon nap (being REAL birthday and all), so she and Drew and a neighbor friend made a huge fort out of my living room and I pretended not to notice the mess. We ate dinner with friends at Chick-Fil-A (free kid Tuesdays), and then she got to pick out a “jewelry box” in the makeup-container section at Target. She chose pink and sparkly.

We still had cake leftover from the party so we did that again, too, sans candles. This morning when I asked her how old she was she held up her whole hand. (How did she get this big?!)

So.  We got the 5th birthday properly celebrated.

Splash Bash Birthday-ing

Madeline’s birthday is tomorrow but we had her party on Saturday. Last week the forecast for that day was only calling for a 10% chance of rain, but then it got worse and worse as the day approached. I was really nervous we’d get rained out (and actually drove THROUGH rain getting to the party) but really it only sprinkled maybe 15 seconds (no lie!) while we were all eating, under the covered area. So that was a major blessing. (I was glad that cloud was so courteous.)

Also, I took 162 photos. Yeah.

Here are some highlights:

And, an accidental family photo:

Alternate title: Good Ol’ Pool Party Fun.

There was a party, who knew?!

Here I was complaining talking about the Memorial Day annual rain, when really it cleared up enough to do this -

There was even a feast of grilled yumminess.

So, I want to know what you did for Memorial Day (and was it what you had planned)?

Birthday, part 2

Happy Mother’s Day, old girl

This made Andy and I howl:

Apparently I aged 10 years last night as I slept.

Happy Mother’s Day. Hope you are younger than your kids think.

Firty

I didn’t post earlier today because I was too busy turning 30.  When I tucked Adelaide in tonight, she asked “you twenty-nine, Mama?”  And I said no… then she said “you got cakes and now you’re firty??”  It just struck my funny bone and I died laughing.  (I love age 3.)

My mom made us cheesy eggs for breakfast, and we all sat out on the screened porch and there were even presents!  My kids sang to me (Adelaide has sung to me several times today, all different versions of ‘Happy Birthday’), and then a little later Andy and I went outlet shopping.  (Speaking my love language.)  We also grabbed lunch at a little cafe.  It was gooooood.  Pesto!

The afternoon was spent here with a teary Arianna, while my mom took the other three back to the beach, “buggie” boards in tow.  I took a nap.

Andy and I hit up another localish restaurant for dinner and it was… an experience.  Won’t say that we’ll ever go back!  But it was good for a story or two, and the food wasn’t, um, horrible.  (Ha.)  We thought about going out to a movie after cake (carrot) but we were both a little too tired and opted instead for snuggle time on the couch with the kids and The Sound of Music.  It was a great day.

Yesterday and today we’ve had perfect weather and no clouds.  (Sorry to bore you with more beach pictures.)

Her own personal baby pool:

Proof that I got in the water:

We just can’t get over how clear the water is!

Oh, and Madeline found another crab.

I stepped on a crab

Last night we took the kids to walk the beach after dark. We had flashlights and Drew wore Andy’s hat with his green head-lamp-thingy attached to the front. (So funny.)

Andy and the kids ran up ahead and I was walking with my mom (with my baby in the sling) and stepped on something. Turned around to see a crab skitter off and tried not to freak. (I was very glad it hadn’t chomped my foot.) The kids got to see another one, only it was about half the size of the one I stepped on. (Still shuddering.)

My favorite shots of the day:

(And if you think that was a lot, each one probably represents 5-10 others. Sheesh.)