Tickled Pink

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-13T18:14:00.000-05:00

Since it was f-f-f-f-reezing Sunday, we spent all day inside getting ready for Valentine's Day. Anna Claire and Mallory are great helpers in the kitchen, they love arts and crafts, and they get so excited about holidays.

Making cupcakes...

Sugar cookies with royal icing {best cookies I ever baked, if I do say so myself}...

Mallory helped me with our felt-heart garland {I really need to find something to cover up my 3M hook}...

Making Valentines for their classmates...

We're ready to share the love; are you?

Future Actresses?

2012-02-13T06:14:00.036-05:00

Did you get a sneak peek at this today without any text? Sorry for the technical difficulties.

Anna Claire and Mallory don't just enjoy dressing up like princesses. Every now and then they pull out their very first Halloween costumes which still fit...kinda...not really.

They are also into putting on little "shows" {not much plot but a whole lotta cuteness}. Most of the time they act out scenes from thier favorite Disney movies. They'll practice for a little bit, set up their little chairs in the play room, and then we have to pretend to be the audience.

In case you couldn't figure out what's happening in the skit below, the butterfly is drinking nectar from the flower, of course.

And just for giggles...

Weekend Sewing

2012-02-13T06:03:00.000-05:00

Winter finally arrived this weekend, so we found ways to entertain ourselves inside. Granny bought me a baker's dozen of fat quarters, so along with the tissue cozies, I got some embroidery done for the girls. A special shirt to wear on Valentine's day...

and I finally got to applique this cute owl on to the girls' pink corduroy jumper.

Knock, Knock!

2012-02-12T16:02:00.001-05:00

Who's there?

Ah-choo!

Ah-choo who?

Ah-choose you to be my Valentine!

I made these tissue cozies for Anna Claire and Mallory's teachers last year, and they were just too easy and too cute, so I am pulling a repeat this year. I think this might be my go-to teachers' Valentine's gift for years to come! Who doesn't have the sniffles this time of year, right?

Dinner Deconstructed

2012-02-09T08:35:00.002-05:00

Do you have picky eaters in your household? Well, I do!

Over the past few months both girls have become increasingly picky about the foods they will or will not eat; Anna Claire is the worst {she particularly detests meat and I can't really fault her for that}, and as long as it's something Mallory can dip in ranch dressing she's usually okay. More often than not, though, dinner for the girls looks something like this:

I refuse to be the mom that cooks one meal for the children and something different for the parents. My compromise is what I like to call "dinner deconstructed." The food in the photo above was not what Walter and I ate but it's constituent parts. I took this pic last week, so I think it was pasta, green beans, mushrooms, almonds, chicken, and Alfredo sauce. Before I mixed everything together, I made Anna Claire's and Mallory's plates. This is about as far as I am willing to go to make them something "different" to eat, but it doesn't always work.

Just last night we {by "we" I mean Walter and me} were eating homemade vegetable soup, and Mallory informed me she doesn't like to eat things that are all mixed together. What child doesn't like vegetable soup? Mine did until about six months ago! I think that's what gets to me the most. The majority of the foods they won't eat are all things they used to gobble up!

Breakfast isn't that much of an issue; I guess they wake up starving after refusing to eat supper the night before. Lunch all depends on what's being offered {Corn dogs? Yes, please.}. Dinner is the real battle. Of course it would be; we're all tired and hungry!

Our go~to menu items these days:

broccoli

tomatoes

avocado

corn on the cob

chicken {may be "oven fried" or plain white meat}

macaroni and cheese {homemade only, not the stuff from the box; talk about being picky!}

spaghetti

plain pasta

bread in any way, shape, or form

If I'm serving something not on this list; it's a total toss~up whether it will be eaten or if we'll have a complete meltdown at the kitchen table. Oh, how I hope this is a phase ~ one that is almost over!

Happy Birthday, GiGi!

2012-02-07T20:47:00.001-05:00

This past weekend was GiGi's birthday, so we had a little impromptu dinner party at her house with the great-grands.

They all love playing the piano; all we need is a longer bench.

What are these three so focused on? Aunt Michelle's iPhone, of course! Amazing to me that my children play on iPhones, iPads, and iPods!

I don't even try to get a pic pof all four anymore. If it happens, it happens! And, it did not...

Happy Birthday, GiGi. We love you!

Sunny and 79?!

2012-02-05T20:31:00.001-05:00

You never would have suspected it was February!

We played outside all day today starting in the front yard with a little hopscotch. The girls are getting much better at hopping around on one foot.

Later, while we were playing in the back yard, our neighbor offered Anna Claire and Mallory popsicles. Popsicles! In February!

And tomorrow's high? 55 degrees. That's more winter-like, but it's no wonder we can't get rid of the sniffles around here!

Donuts for Dads

2012-01-31T20:22:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday was Donuts for Dads day at school, but there's no Dad in these pics. I was waiting to share because I was hoping the girls teacher would send home some pics of Walt and the girls, but I haven't gotten anything. So, these will have to do. {Thanks, Uncle Brian.}

The girls and Walter had a great time eating donuts and drinking juice. They sang a special song and each gave Walter a "World's Greatest Dad" trophy they made themselves.

Tub Time

2012-01-26T06:17:00.000-05:00

Anna Claire and Mallory love bath time...until it's time to wash hair, that is. Recently, washing hair and later blowdrying hair, has become an epic battle in our house. These pics are obviously the before shots.

No cameras allowed in the bathroom during hair~washing; water usually ends up everywhere.

Lights Out

2012-01-24T20:22:00.002-05:00

Does anyone else sneak into their children's rooms and take pictures of them sleeping ~ or is that just me? Luckily, Anna Claire and Mallory are heavy sleepers; I'm never worried about waking them.

I like to try to remember the little things ~ like how Anna Claire usually falls asleep curled up in a little ball on her side and Mallory falls asleep flat on her back.

Lately, the girls have wanted to "read" in bed which we're fine with as long as they stay in bed. Sometimes we hear them chatting with each other, but usually they are fast asleep in under ten minutes {wow, have we come a long way!}.

We leave the hall light on until they fall asleep so there is a little light for them to see the illustrations. Once they're done "reading," they toss the books onto the floor...

Loving my lightscoop, by the way. These pics were taken in the pitch~black dark!

Slowing Down

2012-01-22T20:54:00.000-05:00

January has been a slow month, and we've pretty much been hanging close to home ~ which is fine by me after the craziness of the holidays. Here are some random pics of the girls over the past few days ~ forget what I said about slowing down; Anna Claire and Mallory are busy all. the. time.

Enjoy!

At any given point in the day, this is probably what our living room floor looks like:

Goofy girls! {wearing their 3D glasses from Beauty and the Beast last weekend}

Anna Claire and Mallory pretending to "drive" to Disney World with their clothes and lovies in the back of their car:

This was Mallory pretending to be Aurora, I think, dancing to Once Upon a Dream. She is all about singing and dancing these days.

Here's Anna Claire practicing her recital dance for dance class...more on that later!

Yes, we jump on the beds; you're only young once!

Anna Claire was so proud of the rainbow she drew on the driveway and so were we!

No idea what Mallory was doign here!

So, if you're able to take anything away from these sweet pictures of two happy little girls laughing and playing, it's probably that we spend a lot of time in our pajamas. Oh, yes!

Beauty and the Beast

2012-01-15T20:23:00.000-05:00

We've probably watched Beauty and the Beast on DVD about 72 times, but that didn't keep us away from the theater this afternoon to see it in 3D. The girls loved it! Anna Claire tried to talk through the whole movie and Mallory kept taking her glasses on and off, but they did great, much better than their first 3D experience at Mickey's Philharmagic ~ maybe because they are so familiar with Beauty and the Beast ~ and maybe because water wasn't being sprayed their faces!

Something about those glasses on Anna Claire...

It's About Time...

2012-01-14T16:43:00.000-05:00

...I learned to use my camera. I've only had it for two years! This arrived in the mail today along with a Lightscoop and in about 90 seconds I went from this...

...to this...

A.MAZ.ING

I used to take indoor pics in either auto or aperture mode, then edit as best I could in Picasa {because it's free!}. As a result, I'd get something like this:

Now, I get this:

NO editing!!!!! I almost cried. For two years I've been taking awful pictures with an awfully expensive camera of my awfully adorable girls. They deserve better!

I'm not saying the setting are perfect yet, but I didn't even have the Lightscoop on my camera yet, had only adjusted the manual settings, and was already getting drastically better indoor pics. Seriously, in less than two minutes of the mail lady dropping the Amazon box on my porch my life was changed forever. It's the little things that make me happy!

Anna Claire was a great model for me while Mallory napped. I was originally practicing taking pics of my vacuum, but I thought you would much prefer to see this cutie instead.

They've Got a Dream...

2012-01-13T06:43:00.000-05:00

This week at school the girls are doing a unit on community helpers {policemen, doctors, etc.} and tying that all in with "I Have a Dream" since MLK day is Monday. {Is it horrible that all I think of now is the Snuggly Ducking scene from Tangled?} Yesterday they got to dress up as what they "dream" of being when they grow up. Now, up until yesterday if you asked Anna Claire what she wanted to be she would have told you a mommy and Mallory would have told you a bride. Interesting.

So, we had a little talk about careers and jobs, and since we pretty much only have princess and fairy costumes, and I was not going to Target to buy any new costumes/props, I was able to gently persuade Anna Claire that she might like to be an artist and I easily convinced Mallory that she might like to be a chef. They were sold on my ideas for their "dream jobs" and so excited to dress up for school. Anna Claire asked me if it was Halloween!

Off they went to school yesterday...Anna Claire wearing an art smock with paintbrushes, crayons, and markers in the pocket and Mallory wearing an apron and carrying a mini whisk and wooden spoon. Dylan was a veterinarian.

I don't know why, but this picture makes me laugh sooooo hard. I think it's the look on both girls' faces and the fact that Mallory's head looks huge.

No school Monday; happy MLK Day!!!

Making Progress

2012-01-08T20:15:00.000-05:00

Since the girls got their bicycles for their birthday in June, they really haven't shown too much interest in learning to ride them. We didn't start them on balance bikes or tricycles but went straight to training wheels and I think that's been the problem. Mallory's definitely put the most effort into practicing and today she finally got it! She was so proud of herself and we are, too!

side note: the girls do have helmets which we do make them wear, but Mallory's decision to hop on her bike this afternoon was spur~of~the~moment and if you know her, you know nothing is going to stop her when she decides she's going to do something. For all future bike rides it's safety first!

Party Animals

2012-01-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

Anna Claire and Mallory missed ringing in the new year by about 3 hours! Mommy missed it by about an hour and a half, and I'm pretty sure Daddy fell asleep on the couch before the ball dropped. We did "party" for a little while over at Aunt Pam's house but we came home early where I played a few games of Sudoku before bed and Walter figured out how to play the girls' Tangled Wii game. Like I said ~ party animals!

Rebeccah, I love what you posted on Facebook the other day ~ you know you're getting old when you're more concerned with who's making what for lunch on New Year's Day than where the party is on New Year's Eve. So true!

Hoppin' John and collards here I come. Healthy eating starts tomorrow. Promise.

Happy New Year!!!

Friday Fun

2011-12-31T08:41:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we grabbed a quick lunch at Perfectly Franks {I don't really enjoy hot dogs, but when a restaurant in the 'ville is on the Food Network, you've gotta give it a try, right?}. The girls were beyond starving which means they didn't eat a bite. After lunch we headed over to the playground with Connor, Dylan, and Aunt Michelle. The weather was warm and the kids had a great time even though it was a bit crowded for "our" playground.

I can remember being terrified for Anna Claire and Mallory to go down this slide...with Walter, now they climb up and slide down all by themselves.

Puzzling

2011-12-30T09:34:00.000-05:00

Anna Claire and Mallory have always loved puzzles. This summer we went crazy for Melissa and Doug floor puzzles after Brandon, Brigette, and Owen gave the girls one for their birthday. For Christmas, Santa brought the girls some table-top Disney jigsaw puzzles with smaller pieces ~ eight total ~ in a neat little box.

So, last night the girls decided to give their new puzzles a try. I realized I had thrown the packaging away that came with the puzzles ~ which included the pictures of what the finished puzzles would look like. Walter and I were cleaning up the kitchen as I was telling him I really thought the girls would need the pictures and I wish I had thought before throwing away the packaging when I looked into the living room and saw the girls had almost finished the first puzzle. Silly mommy! These girls are smart!

Stick 'em Up!

2011-12-30T09:10:00.002-05:00

Give Anna Claire and Mallory a sticker book and some blank paper and they can entertain themselves for hours. Okay, maybe not hours but certainly long enough for me to get most of the Christmas decorations packed up.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-27T15:00:00.002-05:00

We had a very Merry Christmas. Anna Claire and Mallory received lots of wonderful presents {and Mommy and Daddy did pretty well ourselves}. We are truly blessed!

Here are probably way too many pictures to share of Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but we just had way too much fun!

Christmas Eve at GiGi's...

Getting ready for Santa...

I love the expressions on Anna Claire's and Mallory's faces below. I snapped this just after we told them we thought we heard reindeer land on the roof.

Christmas morning ~ I was so excited I had my camera on the wrong setting, but I think you can tell how excited Anna Claire and Mallory were {I love the arms thrown back}.

Checking it all out...

The first gift from Santa both girls went for were the Disney princess baby dolls. Anna Claire asked for baby Aurora and Mallory asked for baby Ariel {then changed her mind to Belle, then went back to Ariel, then Belle,...you get the idea}. Thankfully, Santa made the right choice and delivered a baby Ariel doll {whew!}. And if anyone needs a Disney Animator's Collection Belle doll, I may or may not have one for sale. ;-)

Christmas day at Granny and Papa's ~ Anna Claire is giving her gifts a closer look...

Someone thought it would be cute to give the girls cammo outfits for Christmas. I think Anna Claire's expression says it all.

Later in the day at Grandmom's ~ a new jeep to ride!

Christmas night ~ the girls were worn out!

The aftermath ~ poor Cody.

We have had a wonderful few days playing with all the girls' new toys and games. Instant hits include their Leapster Explorers, princess baby dolls, My Little Pony toys, and Where's That Chipmunk game. Of course, we have many more wonderful toys to keep us busy for literally months ~ thank you everyone for being so generous and making our Christmas extra special!!

Happy Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T15:41:00.000-05:00

So far, we've had a very laid back Christmas eve. As a matter or fact, the girls and I have had our pj's on all day {that's actually not all that unusual for this week}.

These are ornaments Anna Claire and Mallory made in playschool this year. So cute! I just remembered I wanted to show them off.

We had a little Christmas lesson earlier today with our "toy" Nativity. They girls pretty much have the details of the story straight, which is a very good thing, although the one problem they are having is calling the baby Jesus "her" ~ as in they think he is a she. Not sure what that's about.

We just finished baking cookies for Santa ~ so messy but so fun!

Now we're all ready for Santa!

Christmas with the Watson Crew

2011-12-24T10:44:00.000-05:00

Last night we headed over to Granny and Papa's house for Christmas with the Watson side of the family.

Rapunzel...

...and Pinkie Pie! {This will forever be know as the Christmas of the Disney Princesses and My Little Pony!}

Family photo {attempt #1}

A few of the crew including new baby Oliver!

Still working on doing a better job of getting more family in the photos.

Christmas Break in Full Swing ~ Finally

2011-12-22T21:11:00.000-05:00

The girls and I have taken things sslllooooowww this week, but we have been having lots of fun hanging around the house and getting into the holiday spirit!

Yesterday we made gingerbread houses. Last year I bought the preassembled house and all we had to do was decorate it. This year I bought the gingerbread village which had to be assembled first. What was I thinking? I am still taking pain killers! But, I iced every last wall, window, door, and roof together for the girls to decorate. They loved it!

Okay, so we only decorated the roofs, but they were still so cute! Later in the afternoon, we made Christmas cookie bark from the same recipe I used for our Halloween cookie bark. This might as well be pure sugar. I only allow the girls a tiny piece at a time. They are a huge help breaking up the Oreos and pretzels.

Last night we headed over to Grandmom's for dinner and a little early gift~giving. The girls love jumping off the steps from the dining room into the living room:

Mallory was singing "Jingle Bells" at the top of her lungs so couldn't be bothered with looking at the camera.

Anna Claire was in the mood to be cute last night ~ not very hard for her!

Anna Claire and Mallory had a great time last night. Thanks to Great~Grandmom, Aunt Helen and Uncle Terry for the special gifts! The girls read books and colored all day today which was great because I got to finish wrapping presents! Woo~hoo!!

Road to Recovery

2011-12-18T08:45:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to say that when Anna Claire woke up yesterday her rash looked so much better ~ not completely gone ~ but I am not freaking out about it anymore.

I haven't seen her to check the rash this morning because the girls had their very first sleep~over ever with Granny and Papa last night, so I could sleep after my sinus surgery {which seems to have gone very well considering that I'm feeling much better this morning than I though I would ~ Lortab will do that for ya'!}.

I cannot wait to hear how last night went; it is so strange for them to not be here in the house this morning; I am never at home without them and I miss them so much!

Thank you!! to Aunt Michelle for taking all the kids to visit GiGi yesterday, to Granny and Papa for keeping the girls last night, and to Grandmom for bringing over dinner. We love you!!!!

Little Angels

2011-12-18T08:30:00.000-05:00

Thursday was Anna Claire and Mallory's Christmas program and class party at playschool. Here we are all excited in front of Granny's tree.

The children in the girls' class were dressed as angels complete with a little halo on top of their heads which I wish you could see better in the pictures. I didn't get a new lens for my camera like I said I would, and was kicking myself the whole time. That is definitely on top of my list now!

Anna Claire and Mallory did great on the stage; they smiled and waved and sang along to several songs. I was actually surprised Mallory didn't sing more ~ she's definitely our singer around the house and in the car. No dresses over Mallory's head like last year, but at one point in the middle of the program, Anna Claire did call out, "Hey, Daddy!" So sweet!

After the program, it was time for the class party.

The girls and their friends indulged in lots of yummy holiday treats!

It is so hard to believe half the school year is already over and that Christmas is in one week. I know two little angels who cannot wait for Santa!

Outbreak

2011-12-16T20:26:00.000-05:00

Anna Claire woke up Thursday covered in an awful rash that's gotten worse as it's spread down her body...

Thursday morning about 7am:

Thursday at playschool about 11:00am:

Thursday night about 7pm:

She's pretty tired of me asking to check her rash {and take pictures of her}, and you do not want to see what the rest of her body looks like tonight anyway; it would shock you. I've never seen anything like it. She is covered in red splotches all over ~ ears, face, neck, tummy, back, bottom, arms, legs, even the bottoms of her feet. Her little thighs are the worst ~ just one big red, swollen, hot splotch that looks like the worst sunburn you've ever had.

Dr. T. thinks it's probably a "drug reaction" to the amoxicillin she had been taking {no longer} for her very first ear infection...meaning she's likely not allergic to amoxicillin/penicillin but rather has caught a virus that has caused a reaction to the antibiotic.

As horrible as it looks, the good news is that she's not itching, hasn't run a fever and doesn't seem to be affected in any other way than the rash itself. We're hoping it will be gone by Monday; if not, we'll likely be headed back to the pedi. With my nose job all set for tomorrow {septoplasty and turbinate reduction}, I am SO hoping she looks better when we wake up...what a way to start our Christmas break!

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-15T06:19:00.000-05:00

This past Saturday morning I took the girls to breakfast with Santa, and they had a great time. They were so excited to sit on Santa's lap and tell him all they wanted for Christmas...pretty much anything Disney princess or My Little Pony!

This year we were running just a little late, so we didn't get to chat with Santa at the table, but that was okay. We had a fun time eating, playing, and bending Santa's ear! Part of me wishes I had that picture of the girls with the Santa at the mall {haven't braved that since their first Christmas}, but this is just soooo much easier!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

2011-12-12T22:16:00.001-05:00

Has our Christmas card found it's way to you yet? If not, here's wishing you all a very Merry Christmas before things get too crazy around here!

A note on the cards {or five minute of you're life you'll never get back if you choose to read this}: I think they turned out really cute! We have tons of adorable pictures of Anna Claire and Mallory from our photo shoot a few weeks ago {I still need to share more of those}, but we didn’t get that one perfect shot of the girls together for a Christmas card. For a singular moment last weekend I considered dressing the girls up in a Christmas dress and trying to get a picture myself, but I reminded myself that didn’t make sense when I have a disk with hundreds of beautiful, professional photos.

So, I was originally searching for a card for three photos, so I could have an individual photo of each of the girls and then one of them together, but if you've ever used a site such as Shutterfly, Tiny Prints, etc. to create and purchase photo cards you know it can be overwhelming with all the choices available. It always surprises me that I can never find exactly what I want ~ and there are certainly limited options for pink Christmas cards. That’s not to say I didn’t try to get those pink turtlenecks not to clash with red and green, but I wasn’t thinking about Christmas cards when I dressed the girls in those outfits; it was more about the weather and being comfortable in a natural setting.

I do love the pink and red cards and think they are just perfect for two sweet little girls who want to wish you all a very merry Christmas!

What a Crew!

2011-12-06T20:25:00.002-05:00

'Tis the Season

2011-12-04T20:54:00.000-05:00

Our halls have been decked, our tree has been decorated, our Christmas cards have been ordered, ~~our gifts have been wrapped~~, our stockings have been hung by the chimney with care...it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Portriats at the Park

2011-12-01T20:54:00.000-05:00

This is just a little peek at two of the 400 pics of Anna Claire, Mallory, Dylan, and Connor. There are so many cute ones...I'll have to share more later.

He's Baaaack...

2011-11-30T15:00:00.001-05:00

Ernie, our elf on the shelf, made his return appearance this year on Thanksgiving morning!

We'd been thinking he might show up sometime around Thanksgiving, but the girls were so excited when after about fifteen minutes of watching morning cartoons in the living room, Mallory finally spotted him on top of the TV armoire. I really should have had a camera ready to capture their excitement. You would have thought Santa himself was perched on top of the TV.

Ernie has been showing up in some pretty creative places. In the picture above, he was on the light in the kitchen {Ernie could have dusted for me; he was up there all day!}. I stood underneath him for a good two minutes while at the sink before Mallory turned around to ask me something and spotted him above my head; even I hadn't yet found him up there!

Now, you may wonder if Ernie has had good or bad news to report to Santa these past few days, and I have to tell you it's been a little of both. However, I think we saw somewhat of a turning point the other day when the girls watched the Elf on the Shelf show that we had recorded. As if Ernie wasn't already a real elf, watching the show really seemed to make a strong impression on both Anna Claire and Mallory, and if Chippey can fly back and forth to the North Pole and talk to Santa, then Ernie can to! And we certainly hope Ernie will have only good things to report to Santa between now and Christmas!

Thanks for Giving

2011-11-28T15:01:00.000-05:00

This past Thanksgiving week, the girls were handed down two amazingly awesome toys we couldn't be more excited or grateful for.

First, Grace's Barbie Jeep {thanks, T-Bone}:

They absolutely love it and {thanks to unseasonably warm weather} have been able to spend hours riding it all over the cul~de~sac. It took Mallory about an afternoon to figure out the logistics of "driving" and now she is a natural. Seriously, she can maneuver the jeep foreward and in reverse, around corners and park it in its space in the garage better than I can handle my mini~van.

Anna Claire, on the other hand, is a little less secure behind the wheel and ends up getting frustrated and overwhelmed. She's more than happy to let Mallory take the wheel. I've been joking that when they're teenagers, Mallory will have to drive them everywhere because Anna Claire might be eighteen before she gets her license!

Next up, Connor and Dylan's "old" Wii that Aunt Michelle thought was broken and didn't figure out it wasn't until they had already bought a new one:

I got the last Nickolodeon Dance at Target on Black Friday, and we have all been gettin' our groove on ever since. They love it and have almost mastered the remotes; however, every morning since Thanksgiving it's been the first thing they've wanted to play after waking up at the crack of dawn. It's really hard for me to be awakened from a dead sleep at 6:30am and dragged out of bed to boogie with the Fresh Beat Band. Coffee first, please. They are having a blast and hoping Santa might bring them another game or two!

Many thanks to Terence and Aunt Michelle for the "early Christams presents!"

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T20:56:00.001-05:00

We had a very happy Thanksgiving, and we hope you did, too!

We spent a lazy morning watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade {the girls actually watched, but eventually got frustrated by the commercials}.

Later, we headed over to Granny and Papa's for lunch. The turkey, dressing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and all the other fixin's were yummy, but of course, Anna Claire and Mallory just couldn't wait to get to dessert...

Our contribution to Thanksgiving dinner along with sweet potato casserole was pecan pie. The girls helped out again; they love to dump ingredients into the bowl, and all three of us were fascinated watching the pecans bubble to the top. Who knew!?!?

Here's what I have to say about pecan pie: easy to make; forever to bake! I think I baked those pies for ninety minutes trying to get the centers to set; of course, that meant the edges were over cooked...still yummy, though!

After we finished eating, the girls headed outside to swing in the hammock...

jump on the trampoline...

and enjoy a beautiful Thanksgiving day playing outside!

It's hard to believe it's back to work tomorrow. Only three weeks until Christmas break. I ~~think~~ hope I can do it!

Swinging Monkey and Pretty Butterfly

2011-11-23T09:50:00.000-05:00

...those are Anna Claire and Mallory's ~~Indians~~ Native American names for yesterday's Thanksgiving Feast at playschool.

The girls were Indians {Anna Claire and Mallory are now the only girls in their class}, and all the boys were pilgrims. I braided both girls hair this morning so they would look like Indian princesses {or so I told them}. I can't believe Anna Claire let me french braid her hair and kept it braided; I wish I'd gotten a picture. Mallory, on the other hand, pulled out her braids in chapel.

Everyone started off in chapel where they sang Thanksgiving songs {Albuquerque Turkey was the girls' favorite} and watched the kindergartners perform their Thanksgiving play. There was also a slide show where the children said what they were thankful for. Mallory said she was thankful for Mommy and Daddy, and Anna Claire said she was thankful for God. Awww...

{Anna Claire's video clip was too quick for me to get a pic}

Sadly, it was very difficult to get any good pics of the girls in chapel; they were just too far away. I think I need to ask Santa for a new camera lens!

After chapel, it was time for their Thanksgiving feast in the classroom...much better pictures. The girls looked very cute in their Native American attire and feasted on turkey sandwiches, sugar cookies, and marshmallows. Not exactly your typical Thanksgiving meal, but they enjoyed every bite!

Nobember

2011-11-16T20:29:00.000-05:00

I really must do a better job preserving the silly, witty, hilarious, observant, and downright intelligent things the girls say these days.

Tonight Mallory told me oh~so~matter~of~factly that it was "Nobember." I asked her what holiday was in November and she said, "Thanksgibing."

Then she said she didn't want to eat turkey because they had feathers. I reminded her that chickens also had feathers and we ate them {the chicken, not the feathers} all the time. She agreed, telling me the reason we didn't eat the feathers was because they were too expensive.

And this little conversation occurred while she was sitting on the potty tonight. The girls and I sometimes have the deepest conversations while they are on the potty. I think I'll start keeping paper and pencil in the bathroom.

Point and Shoot

2011-11-12T19:40:00.000-05:00

Just can't wait to see these pictures. Anna Claire, Mallory, Connor, and Dylan did great though the girls got a little tired near the end. 400+ pictures ~ there has to be a few keepers!

Golf Tournament

2011-11-09T20:37:00.000-05:00

In trying to get Halloween pictures out there, I completely forgot to share pics of the golf tournament which was the Sunday before Halloween{of course, there are no golfing or golfers in the pictures} The girls certainly enjoyed running around on the golf course and rolling golf balls down the hills until it got too cold.

The girls ran around in circles on the deck, and Mallory showed some of her new moves on the dance floor:

Sunday

2011-11-06T20:09:00.000-05:00

Tea party was the name of the game today and it kept Anna Claire and Mallory busy on and off all day

Of course, I joined in the party when I wasn't busy switching out their summer clothes for fall clothes {socks/tights, jammies, and play clothes today; closet next weekend}. Lovely...

Of course, I do not let the girls watch TV while they're eating. I just plop the laptop down on the kitchen table and pull up a Disney parade on YouTube {bad mommy}.

We took the clunky rails off the girls' beds and Walter attached the matching rails the beds came with. You'd think they had gotten brand new beds {so excited}.

Sound asleep...

Oops. Not quite...

Happy Halloween! {a little late}

2011-11-02T20:13:00.001-04:00

My cute little bumble bee and lady bug. These costumes were really too easy to make {The hats ~ not so much. Granny made the hats.} Much cuter than ketchup and mustard, don't you think?

We got an early start {about 6pm}, so it wasn't too crowded at first. The girls did a great job of ringing doorbells and saying "trick~or~treat" and "thank you!" I think they were just amazed that people were giving them so much candy!

Grandmom and Granny walked around with us while Papa stayed back at our house and gave out candy.

It was so hard to get great pictures because the girls pretty much ran up to every house and ran back shreiking about the candy they were given!

How cute are their wings? And don't miss Mallory's stinger. It's kinda hard to see in these shots.

The girls were good for about three streets. As the skies started getting darker and the streets more crowed, both Anna Claire and Mallory were ready to head home. Not before playing a trick on Papa, though. They wanted to ring our own doorbell and say "trick~or~treat!"

We were home by seven and in bed at eight. Now that's my kind of Halloween.

A Bug's Life

2011-11-01T05:58:00.000-04:00

Anna Claire and Mallory had a great time trick~or~treating {for real} for the first time. Here's a little taste of their excitement. Pictures coming soon!

Sweet Treats ~ Again!

2011-10-30T16:14:00.000-04:00

If you still need some special sweet treats for some special little pumkins this Halloween, it does not get any easier that Candy Corn Cookie Bark. This was too easy...and too cute!

Pumpkin Carving

2011-10-29T21:23:00.000-04:00

We carved our pumpkin today and I was sure I could convince Anna Claire and Mallory to help us clean out the inside {yuck!}. Walter ended up scraping out the pulp, then I did the carving. Anna Claire was pretty disinterested from the get~go, but Mallory hung around and helped her Daddy sort out the seeds...

Our jack o'lantern...

Spoooooky...

Doesn't it seem like the jack o'lantern and Anna Claire are looking at each other?

I always like to roast the seeds. Well, I found a recipe that said to avoid having to wait for the seeds to dry you could use a hair dryer. I am thinking this idea is genius! It's going to save me so much time.

Allow me to warn you that if you try this method, be sure to start out with your blow dryer on low at a fair distance away from the seeds. I didn't do this and let me just tell you there were pumpkin seeds flying everywhere.

It's okay. You can laugh at me. My family did. Like I said, genius!

School Picture Proofs

2011-10-28T20:44:00.000-04:00

I just scanned these and in doing so realized I missed the deadline for ordering ~ today. Oops! I think I'll try to call the photographers tomorrow. These are too cute {and too funny} not to have as keepsakes!

Scarecrows on the Square

2011-10-28T13:49:00.000-04:00

Wednesday Grandmom took Anna Claire and Mallory to see the Scarecrows on the Square. It looks like they had a great time!

Halloween Here We Come

2011-10-28T06:22:00.000-04:00

The girls could have worn their Halloween costumes to dance class Wednesday afternoon, but I was a little concerned about what condition their costumes would be in by Monday if they wore them Wednesday afternoon and then again to school on Thursday. Not to mention, their costumes are fleece, so I thought they might be hot.

Solution: They wore their sassy little Halloween skirts Grandmom just bought them and could not have been happier about it. They wore witches' hats and danced to Ghost Busters, The Monster Mash, and Flying Purple People Eaters.

We didn't get word until late Tuesday the girls could wear their costumes. Come to find out, they were the only ones dressed even remotely Halloweenish {maybe some didn't get the message at all?}. Here I was worried they'd be the only ones whose mommy didn't let them wear their actual costumes, but now I'm really glad they didn't go to class decked out in their costumes from head to toe!

They did wear their costumes to playschool yesterday and looked too cute. Pictures coming soon. We are all ready for Halloween and Trick~or~Treating...are you?

Field Trip!

2011-10-26T20:41:00.000-04:00

Last week Anna Claire and Mallory had their class field trip to the corn maze {this is the same corn maze we visited last year as a family}. Everyone wore their jack-o-lantern t-shirts they made in class, and it sure did help keep everyone together while looking cute at the same time.
Despite the fact that it was unseasonably HOT for 10 am on an October morning {which I think accounts for a bit of fussiness from Mallory not long after we arrived}, both girls had a great time! Mallory was the only student in class who raised her hand to answer questions about the farm animals and she answered them correctly. {What do horses eat? Hay. Are pigs clean or dirty? Clean. And another question about cows that I can’t remember.}

Because we traveled around the “farm” in a group, it made it difficult to get good pictures of the girls, so I’ll just share a few.

Note to Self: The next time Anna Claire and Mallory go on a field trip to a farm, take the whole day off from work. Do not plan to go back to work wearing the same clothes you wore on the farm!

Why I Shouldn't Be Sharing Recipes

2011-10-26T09:39:00.001-04:00

If you're making "Working Mom's Apple Pie," be sure to pour one cup of milk over everything before popping in into the oven. ;-)

More Sweet Treats ~ Revised!

2011-10-25T14:07:00.001-04:00

Anna Claire, Mallory, and I were at it again in the kitchen this weekend, this time baking up not one, but two sweet treats. First up, our fall~favorite: chocolate chip pumpkin muffins. The pumpkin~chocolate combo isn't for everyone, but we think these muffins are yummy...

1 box of chocolate chip muffin mix
1 cup of canned pumpkin {not pumpkin pie filling}
1/2 cup of milk
1 large egg
1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
Bake in a greased mini-muffin pan at 400 degrees for 10 minutes {for mini-muffins}.

Now, this next dessert might not look so pretty, but let me just tell you that it is sooooo good! My mom brought us back half a peck of apples from the mountains and that is a lot of apples in case you're wondering. I was trying to figure out what I could do with all those apples before they went bad when my mom shared this recipe from the produce stand where she bought the apples. I love apple pie but I 've never made one because, really, who has time to make apple pie these days? So, I am naming this recipe Working Mom's Apple Pie because it tastes just like apple pie and only took this working mom about 15 minutes to whip up.

Dice and peel 6-8 apples and place them in the bottom of a baking dish.
Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon and a cup of sugar {I just could not bring myself to use a full cup of sugar, so I used 3/4 of a cup instead and the apples were plenty sweet}
Sprinkle all that with a cup of Bisquick (I used Publix pancake/waffle mix because that's what I had}
Cut up a stick of butter and arrange it on top {yes, I used the whole stick of butter and that's all I'm going to say about that}
Finally, POUR ONE CUP OF MILK OVER EVERYTHING!
Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

Serve warm with Publix vanilla frozen yogurt {to offset all that butter, ha~ha}

Disney on Ice

2011-10-24T06:19:00.001-04:00

Saturday we treated the girls to Disney on Ice and they loved it! Anna Claire was just mesmerized by the whole event and Mallory literally shrieked with delight every time a new "act" would come out onto the ice. I've got to say, I was a pretty awesome show. Once again, Disney does not disappoint.

Mallory says her favorite was the princess part {a huge emphasis on Beauty and the Beast, so no surprise}. Anna Claire's favorite part was getting a Dopey lovie. My favorite part was It's a Small World. I think part of that was my surprise that it was such a huge part of the show. And, they also told the whole Mulan story! We weren't expecting that either.

And in more true Disney fashion, there was no shortage of opportunities for them to take even more of our money. Of course, the girls had to had a toy. Mallory chose a huge Belle figurine bringing our total number of Belle dolls to three, and Anna Claire chose Dopey ~ another lovie. She hasn't let him out of her sight, though.

We had great seats and the girls had a wonderful time!

We're Crafty

2011-10-19T18:24:00.000-04:00

I am constantly looking for crafting ideas for the girls to do becasue that's not my strong suit {I was not an elementary teacher}. So, when I see something like the jack o'lantern kit below at Wal-Mart for $1 I'm all over it. I don't know why I share pictures of stuff like this except that Anna Claire and Mallory love it so much, and I want us all to remember "the little things" someday. That, and I am continually surprised by their own creativity.

I showed them a picture of the finished product and let them have at it. Once again, I've got no pictures of the finsihed product, but I'll tell you that they got the eyes, nose, mouth, and stem all in the apprpriate places without any help from me! Way to go, girls!

Picking Our Pumpkin

2011-10-18T20:15:00.001-04:00

Saturday we hit the pumpkin patch around the corner to pick the perfect pumpkin from the patch for our porch {try saying that five times fast}. And, it gave the girls a chance to look super cute showing off my latest creation. While I am most pleased with the pumpkin applique {my machine is amazing!}, I really impressed myself by making my first~ever button holes {I am a button hole wimp; I've always passed off the unfinished garment to my mom}.

But what am I most proud of? These beautiful girls!...

Could they get any cuter?!

Sweet Treats: Owl Sugar Cookies

2011-10-18T06:31:00.002-04:00

So, the girls and I did a little fall baking this weekend...Owl Sugar Cookies. I'm not a huge sugar cookie fan, but I thought these were cute, and I knew the girls would enjoy decorating them.

The shape of the owl is made by first cutting out a circle then nipping off the top of the circle with an upside-down heart cookie cutter, then cheerios and chocolate chips for eyes, the tip of a candy corn for the beak, and almonds for wings.

After we each decorated one, we decided to just frost the rest and eat them that way. Who needs all the work of making it look like an owl? Does it look at all like an owl? I'm not so sure.

Cousin Catastrophe

2011-10-17T10:55:00.000-04:00

Walt and Terence have a catch phrase for all their outings-gone-wrong {and there have been plenty of them ~ think trucks stuck in the mud, boats stuck on sandbars, wedding bands lost forever in water hazards}. They call them Cousin Catastrophes.

Hence, I give you the next generation of the Cousin Catastrophe:

Friday I took the day off and kept the girls home along with Connor and Dylan while Granny went to the mountains and Aunt Michelle went to work. I basically gave these four the run of the house for more than an hour as I tried to get some sewing finished and laundry done. I must say they did quite well considering all the freedoms they were afforded.

What you might not be able to tell from above is that every pillow in the house has been piled on top of Anna Claire’s bed. I can’t remember what they were pretending, but it sure kept them busy. While the house was certainly a catastrophe, after all was said and done I must say everyone did a great job in helping to clean up.

Sadly, the real catastrophe of the weekend is that Connor and Dylan both came down with a nasty virus. Seeing as they were at our house much of the day Friday, we are holding our breath in the hopes Anna Claire and Mallory don’t come down with it.

Halloween Rewind

2011-10-11T20:21:00.002-04:00

This weekend, Anna Claire and Mallory decided to dress up in each others' Halloween costumes from last year. So, Anna Claire dressed up as Jesse {check out the rain boots and pink cowgirl hat}, and Mallory dressed up as Bo Peep.

Mallory's scary Halloween faces:

I've got to get started on this year's costumes!

Flu Vaccines

2011-10-10T13:26:00.001-04:00

Friday the Anna Claire and Mallory got their flu vaccines. I was so thankful {and so were they} that this year they were able to get the nasal mist ~ NO SHOTS! The vaccine didn’t do us much good last year…we all ended up with the flu. Let’s hope we’re able to stay flu-free this year.

Now, if someone could just invent a vaccine for my sinus infections!

Dance Class Darlings

2011-10-07T06:51:00.000-04:00

Anna Claire and Mallory are loving dance class and they adore their teacher. I love watching them through the window and would give anything to be able to get into the studio with a hidden camera and get some pictures...they are cute and funny and a little uncoordinated ~ but they are learning!

Mallory is so funny because when she is practicing a step she's always got her tongue sticking out to the side of her mouth ~ thinking hard about how to get her toe to point and tap at the same time while her arms are doing what they're supposed to do while trying to watch herself in the mirror instead of the teacher!

Anna Claire is often somewhere in la-la land and has to be brought back to reality a few times each dance class, but she gets right back on track and is usually able to learn the steps just fine. She loves the class and has so much fun; I just think she gets tired about half~way through.

So, until I figure out a way to rig up my hidden camera inside the studio, pictures of the girls dressed and ready to go to dance class is the best I've got...but aren't they adorable?

Stop, Drop, & Roll

2011-10-05T06:16:00.001-04:00

Anna Claire and Mallory went on their first~ever field trip yesterday to the fire station! It seems they had a great time learning all about fire safety and that firemen are our friends! Sadly, I had to work and could not go, so here are a few pics of the fire station fun taken by Granny:

Their next field trip is in two weeks and I will be able to go! Pumpkin patch...here we come!

October...Ready or Not!

2011-10-03T20:30:00.001-04:00

Is October really here already?

Our October calendar is packed full of all sorts of exciting events: dance classes, two playschool field trips, a golf tournament, lots of Halloween activities, a surprise performance down at the Coliseum {you’ll have to wait for that, too!}, flu vaccines {yuck!}, and more....
So, we kicked of the month with a very. lazy. weekend. We stayed home all weekend except for a quick trip to Publix and enjoyed the cooler weather outside, watched way too much TV, and played with just about every toy in the house. The place is still a wreck!

I also decorated for fall which included hanging a wreath on the front door and another in front of the mirror over the fireplace mantle. This is when I was reminded I really don’t have a lot of fall/Halloween decorations {shopping, anyone?}. Now that the girls are getting older, I’m really trying to decorate the house for more than just Christmas!

I also realized the Anna Claire and Mallory’s wardrobe is NOT ready for the cooler temps. I always get caught by the first cold snap in October. They have a few nicer cold~weather outfits for playschool and weekend outings, but as far as play clothes are concerned, Anna Claire and Mallory have a total of five pairs of pants {two of those are pants that still fit ~ for now ~ from last year}, and they have two new long-sleeved t-shirts {more shopping, anyone?}.

I’ve been looking online for clothes because I haven’t been able to find anything in stores, and I am not impressed with what I’m seeing for play clothes {I could shop till the cows come home for dress~clothes}. I try to steer away from “too~trendy,” but I’m finding that harder and harder the older the girls get. For example, all I can find are “skinny” pants or leggings. Really? What happened to all the cute pants from years past with a little flair at the bottom? If you know whose selling them, please let me know! Maybe the stores put out their fall clothes this past weekend. It looks like I’ll be hitting the outlets Saturday!

For now, here are a few pics of the girls playing outside this weekend…wearing the same pair of pants as last weekend. ;-)

crazy hair...

and more crazy hair...

So Happy Together

2011-09-28T20:46:00.002-04:00

Anna Claire and Mallory have been playing together marvelously lately. They have their little imaginary "games" they like to play {Toy Story, Princess,...} in which they portray characters and "act out" scenes from the movies. They also like to play with their baby dolls, particularly feeding them in their doll high chairs. And, this past weekend, they actually sat on the living room floor and played a complete game of Go Fish! Sure, I sat on the floor beside them to help and they showed each other their hands {gotta work on that}, but they still played cards together. Wow!

Ketchup and Mustard?

2011-09-24T20:00:00.000-04:00

Today we bought the fabric for Anna Claire and Mallory's Halloween costumes. They insisted on carrying the bolts themselves.

I'll give you two guesses what they're going to be ~ and the answer is NOT ketchup and mustard!

Prima Ballerinas

2011-09-14T20:05:00.000-04:00

Can there be two prima ballerinas? Yes, I think there can!

Anna Claire and Mallory started taking their first dance class last week. As you can probably tell, they are very excited!

Don't let Anna Claire's expression fool you.

I went back and forth all summer trying to decide if I thought we were all ready to get involved in extra~curricular activities {I actually considered soccer. I know nothing about soccer}. I had pretty much decided we were not ready, but as soon as school started {and after a couple of friends got me really excited about the idea} I began to regret my decision. At the last minute, I found out dance classes had not started yet, so we talked to the girls about it and made the decision to get them signed up ~ best decision ever! They've only had one class so far, and they absolutely love it.

Their class is called expressive dance and is a multi~age class {2~4 year~olds}. They go once a week for an hour and learn ballet and tap through imaginative play. It is wonderful. I wish I could take pictures during class.

I was glued to the two~way mirror last week watching. All the little girls did very well. Anna Claire and Mallory were so excited to get started, they both walked right in to the studio without looking back {I won't lie; I was a little worried about Anna Claire}. They participated in every activity and seemed to listen and follow direction very well. The best part is they are constantly asking when they get to go back to dance class!

Well lookey there...Mommy made it into a picture! {Thanks, Grandmom!}

Remember our recent trip to People, Places, and Quilts? I decided to make the girls' ballet bags...

...with my new embroidery machine! {Thank you, Granny and Papa!!}.

The finished products...

I appliqued ballet shoes on one side and embroidered the girls' monogram on the other side.

I am still learning the ins and outs of machine embroidery and applique, but so far, it hasn't been too frustrating, and I've got tons of ideas for projects for the girls!

My First Baby

2011-09-12T21:17:00.000-04:00

Our sweet and sassy Tanner went to dog heaven today. We miss him so much already. Tears are still flowing over here, and Cody is just beside himself. I don't think he knows what to do without his big brother.

Tanner's surgery last December had us hopeful, but over the last month, I think Walter and I knew things were not OK. After trying prednisone and an antibiotic for a little while to treat what we were hoping was either kennel cough or asthma, an x~ray last week showed cancer. Knowing that there was absolutely nothing we could do this time made us face the decision to have him euthanized sooner than we would have liked.

If there is any good news it's that, though Tanner has been uncomfortable for a few weeks now, he was never in terrible pain and still had that sparkle in his eyes and plenty of wag left in that crazy tail of his up to the very, very end. While that made it very difficult to say goodbye today, I'm grateful we were by his side the whole time, and I know we did the right thing {we will always be thankful to Chad for all the house calls he's made, the care he's taken with Tanner, and the advice and comfort he's given us; he is a good friend and a great vet}.

We spoiled Tanner rotten this weekend. He got lots of lovin' from all of us, we took tons of pictures of him with the girls, and I'm thankful the weather was cooler, because there's nothing Tanner loved more than sitting outside in the mornings watching over the backyard. He got to spend a lot of time outside this weekend.

Sunday afternoon he could not have been happier sitting in the shade in the backyard watching the girls play.

The girls...they know Tanner has been sick, so we've told them for now that he had to go to the doctor and stay for a while because he wasn't getting better at home. Our plan is to let them know this weekend {when we're more in control of our emotions so as not to upset them}, that he has gone to dog heaven because only God could make him feel better, and that heaven is so wonderful a place that once you're there you don't want to come back. They have an understanding of God, Jesus, and Heaven for their age, but not as it relates to death, so we're treading lightly here. I think as simple an explanation as possible will be best {any advice?}. This afternoon Mallory asked where Tanner was and I reminded her he was at the doctor. She asked when he was coming home; I told her we didn't know yet, and she was OK with that. I don't think this will be terribly difficult for them because they are so young, but I do want to give them an honest answer that's age~appropriate.

As for me, Walter, and Cody, I think we're all waiting for Tanner to come walking down the hall, to lick us on the arm, to rest his head on the arm of the chair to be petted, or to swat us with that crazy tail. He would wag his tail so hard he couldn't keep his back legs on the floor, and that earned him the nick~name Boogie~Woogie. Tanner was always the one who met me and the girls at the door every afternoon, and he was our watch~dog in the yard. He was the one who would come up and give the girls a big lick on the face. He was also the one who would pee all over you when he was excited to see you! He was our first baby and we will always, always love him.

Out and About

2011-09-08T06:11:00.000-04:00

We had a busy and productive loooong Labor Day weekend. It's gotten easier and easier to take the girls along on errands and the great thing is, they seem to enjoy themselves and rarely give me problems.

Saturday, the girls got signed up for dance class {!!!}. After that we went around the corner to People, Places, and Quilts to get fabric and thread for a special project {I am ever so grateful for the little corner of toys they have that allows me to browse the bolts of fabric...and so are the girls!}.

After a quick trip to Target, we made a stop at Shoe Carnival for Keds. I got to spin the wheel {wish I had a picture of that!} while we were there because I was the only person in the store with a library card. The girls thought I had lost my mind when I dragged them barefoot to the front of the store waving my library card, but I won a $3 off coupon. Woot!

Later, we met Granny, Aunt Michelle, Connor, and Dylan at Cracker Barrel...

Sunday was grocery day and swimming at the pool. On Monday we found the new Talbot's outlet {60% off red~line} and the girls got ballet & tap shoes and leotards & tights. They are so excited about dance class...pics coming soon!

There's a Snake in My Boot!

2011-09-06T06:19:00.000-04:00

The girls think this is just the funniest line from Toy Story. They'll say, "There's a snake in my boot!" and just roll on the floor laughing. Well,......

We were not laughing Monday when there was a snake in the yard! I still can't believe I walked out there and took. a. picture. Yikes!

The creepiest thing is that Walter. the girls, and the dogs were all outside {!!!} while I was finishing up supper. I heard Walter telling the girls to go inside and for the dogs to get on the porch. His tone seemed a little off but I didn't think much of it, then he I heard him tell Anna Claire to ask me to bring my camera outside. For a second, I think the thought of a snake flashed through my mind, but I sure did not believe it until I saw it...and it made me gag (seriously). I know that's strange, but there was just something about seeing that slithering snake that made me ill. I still managed to photograph him, though. You know, for posterity. May he rest in peace.

Side note: we have no idea what kind of snake this was. {Do you?} Walter was sure it was not poisonous, though. I asked him on what basis he was making his assumption, to which he replied, "I just don't think it is." Huh?

September 1st...

2011-09-01T21:13:00.000-04:00

...has been a very random day. It started out when I awoke around five am and realized Mallory had slept ALL. NIGHT. LONG.

A little later I walked onto the back porch to let out the dogs and it was cool outside. At this point I am thinking September is going to bring good things.

The girls had their first "show and share" at school today. I wanted them to take in something thoughtful and creative, but I was "schooled" in how show and share actually goes down in play school by Aunt Michelle so...they took toys. Needless to say, Anna Claire and Mallory were thrilled. Anna Claire took her Ariel lovie and Mallory took her Disney princess figurines. I quizzed them on what the other kids brought and, yep, they all brought toys. Oh, well.

I called to check on the girls after lunch to find out Anna Claire had a temp of 101.6. Talk about random. She kept the fever most of the day, but has seemed just fine otherwise...no symptoms other than being a little tired. Let's hope she isn't coming down with something.

Tonight was parents' night at play school. From talking with their teachers, it sounds like the girls are doing great. We haven't had much art work sent home yet, but there were multiple pieces displayed in the classroom, including the girls' look~alike dolls, so I snapped a quick pic with my phone because I never got an "after" picture at home. I was completely amazed by the number of "dolls" that had been done by parents. Shocking! While I did help the girls a bit, I don't think there was any doubt Anna Claire and Mallory were the artists here, and they had so much fun doing it!

So Long, Irene

2011-08-29T20:31:00.004-04:00

This is about as scary as the skies got around here last Friday. We did get out of school early and one rain band brought quite a heavy downpour around the two pm hour, but other than that, Irene pretty much passed us right by. And for that we are mighty grateful!

After picking up the girls early from my parents we went home, put on our pj's {'cause that's what you do when you get out a half-day for a hurricane} and made mini-pizzas for dinner...Mallory likes hers with extra black olives.

Girls, the toppings go on the pizzas!

Saturday night we met Aunt Michelle, Connor and Dylan for dinner at La Hacienda {we ate sooooo healthy this weekend}. I have pretty much given up on ever trying to get anyone to look at the camera.

So, another pretty uneventful weekend around our household. I guess we'll have to see what the upcoming holiday weekend has in store for us. No school for Mommy on Monday!!!

Play School is Hard Work

2011-08-25T18:50:00.002-04:00

First Day Fun

2011-08-23T20:44:00.001-04:00

Today the girls came home from school with these picture~magnets {which are proudly displayed on our refrigerator door} to commemorate their first day of school last week.

I am oh~so~happy to report that their second day seems to have gone just as well as the first...all they had to tell me was that Mallory painted a yellow fish, Anna Claire painted a purple fish, they had granola bars and grapes for snack, and they sang the "goodbye" song.

Back to School

2011-08-18T20:42:00.001-04:00

Today was Anna Claire and Mallory's first day of three~year~old preschool! It was a great day!

I am pleased to report that we got through our first night of "homework" last night. I could so easily become one of those moms who does the projects for her children. {Hi, my name is Lisa and I am a perfectionist.} I had to stop myself a few times when I really wanted Mallory to let me trim her fabric or when I wanted Anna Claire to let me center the bow {for example}, but I restrained myself and I am so glad I did. They were so proud of their look~alike paper dolls they created just the way they wanted them.

I got a few pics of the process, but sadly none of the finished products...

This morning the girls and Dylan were all smiles and very excited...like they were old pros at preschool or something...but not really willing to give up many smiles for the camera...

...or stand still for very long. Must have been nervous energy.

Once it was time to head inside to their classroom, Granny had to chase a very eager Mallory down the sidewalk!

We were actually the first ones in the classroom. Anna Claire and Mallory were very excited to hand in their "paper dolls." I had a chance to get a few pictures, but they were so excited and interested in all the new toys and centers I could hardly get them to look up and give me a smile.

They had a great first day and were eager to talk a little about the playground, the songs they sang and books they read, and they seem quite excited for next week. I think they're going to have a great year!

Meet the Teacher

2011-08-16T20:07:00.002-04:00

The girls' got to visit their new classroom today and meet their new teacher...Mrs. J. The great news is that Mrs. Lori moved up and now she is the assistant in their new three~year~old class...I think this has really helped to ease any of the girls' nervousness about a new teacher and new classroom.

It was crowded and busy, so I didn't really get any great pics, but here's a peek...

In the girls' class of ten friends there is only one other little girl. That's right...seven boys! {one of them is Dylan, of course.} Two of the little boys are a pair of fraternal twins! Fun! Only one of their "friends" from last year is in their class again this year...and he is the little boy who bit Mallory...twice.

I asked the girls afterwards what was their favorite thing in their new classroom: Anna Claire said Mrs. Lori and Mallory said Dora!

Well, we already have homework and it's not even the first day {a little art project and an "All About Me" questionnaire}, so I guess I'd better go get organized for that!

Sleep, Anyone?

2011-08-16T05:59:00.000-04:00

Sunday night marked one week since implementing our new "get mommy out of the girls' room at bedtime without a temper tantrum" plan, so I thought it was safe to share a little update {no fat lady singing here}.

Since there was no possible way I was locking Mallory in her bedroom which is what everyone was telling me we should do {sorry, guys}, I locked myself in our bedroom instead {sometimes is was hard to tell whose temper tantrums were worse anyway ~ Mallory's or mine}.

I won't go into the night~by~night details but will tell you we went from night one of Mallory screaming for an entire hour and a half until virtually passing out from exhaustion {please don't judge, we tried everything to avoid this} to last night with both girls falling asleep peacefully in their beds alone with our bedroom door wide open ~ and last night wasn't the first night. Things improved dramatically from night one to night two and just kept getting better from there.

The last four nights, actually, have been smooth sailing at bedtime...and thank goodness, for poor Walter's sake, because when it became evident that I didn't have what it took to break away from Mallory at bedtime, Walter stepped in, took over, and toughed it out with Mallory {and Anna Claire}.

We still have some work to do with Mallory waking up in the middle of the night, but the good news is lately she has been waking up once, going to the potty, then going right back to sleep...and yesterday she didn't wake up until 5:15 and still went back to sleep until 6:45. Last night she woke up at 12:20, and now it's 6am...and she's still asleep. yay!

We'll keep our fingers crossed for continued improvement!

It Took All Summer

2011-08-15T12:50:00.000-04:00

Now that summer is practically over, Anna Claire and Mallory have finally taken the plunge. One day last week they simply decided they'd like to float around in the pool wearing their $1.99 CVS rings and they haven't looked back.

Not only will they float around but they will kick their feet and "swim" wherever they want to go. They will even jump off the side of the pool wearing their rings. Of course we are in the pool with them at all times not letting them out of our sight, but to not have a child clinging to your neck, to not have to try to tread water with that child {or two} trying to climb on top of your head, to get Anna Claire off the pool steps ~ this is pool~time freedom like we've never experienced.

Catching Up...

2011-08-11T21:34:00.000-04:00

I have hardly picked up my camera in two weeks. It has been HOT. We’ve made some progress with Mallory’s sleep issues. My first {almost} two weeks back to work have been a whirlwind of long days, lots of meetings, and plenty of teacher trainings.
But, we have managed to sneak in a little bit of fun as we try to hang on to summer as tight as we can.

Once we settle into our back-to-school routine, I hope to have more of the girls’ cuteness to share…a little more regularly I hope. Without further ado, here are a few of the more recent pictures from my camera {in no particular order and with just a bit of commentary}.

At Mingo Point after the golf tournament a few weeks ago...Mallory, Grandmom, and Uncle Grange...

Anna Claire and Walter...

These are the only two pics I got! Can't believe that! I missed a great photo when Mallory and Brennan got up on stage with Grandmom to thank everyone.

Hope's princess birthday party...Mallory remained in full princess regalia the entire party {dress, shoes, tiara}.

Having make-up applied...

Anna Claire's freshly polished nails...

Decorating tiaras...

Taking a swing at the pinata...Mallory uses two hands...

Anna Claire uses one...

Candy!...

Hope got the Disney Princess Barbie collection {seven princesses!!!}. Mallory would not take her eyes off those dolls. I told her she'd have to talk to Santa.

Two tired little princesses...

Mallory does not take off her Belle dress. We actually bought her a Rapunzel dress two weeks before the party. She wore it every day...the hem ripped all the way around, she spilled milk down the front and the tulle ripped in two places. We bought the new Belle dress the day before the party.

Looking out onto the back porch watching the rain and blowing bubbles. Sweet!

Watching Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage on YouTube...

Playing in their rain coats while it rains outside. Please do not miss the smile on Anna Claire's face and the shoes on Mallory's feet...

A couple of weeks ago at the mall after spending our Gymbucks!

The weekend is almost here...hopefully more pictures to share. The girls start school next week. I cannot believe it!

First Salon Visit

2011-07-28T20:25:00.006-04:00

This afternoon, Anna Claire and Mallory made their first visit to a hair salon for a little trim. I took them to Lisa who also does my hair {they thought it was so funny her name is also Lisa}.

I took before pictures before we left. Truth be told, the after pictures wouldn't look very different if I had taken any, but that's OK. I just wanted the scraggly (if that's a word} baby hair ends cut off.

Bye~bye ringlets {sniff} Of course I kept a little lock of their hair for their baby books.

Waiting our turn...

I couldn't believe it but both girls let Lisa wash their hair. I guess playing hair salon all morning helped.

I had to show this picture just so you could see how long Anna Claire's hair actually is, even though it doesn't look it when it is dry and curly...

The girls didn't really get their rest time today, and they were so sleepy at the salon. Not long after we got home I found Anna Claire asleep in the chair.

And then Mallory walked in the room dressed like Mulan. She pulled this look together from the knees down all by herself. When Mulan is fighting the Huns, she wears black shoes with white knee socks along with the rest of her gear. Those are last year's black patent leather shoes and Walter's ankle socks.

Rained Out

2011-07-27T21:29:00.004-04:00

Rain in the 'ville all day yesterday kept us inside and rain along the coast today cancelled our trip to Sullivan's Island.

We did, however, manage to keep ourselves busy painting...

{yes, those are birthday party decorations in the background; I just got up and took them down. shameful.}

making jewelry...

and fixing peanut butter pie...

Only four more days of my summer break left; hopefully the sun will come out tomorrow!

What's Missing from This Picture?

2011-07-27T13:38:00.000-04:00

Last night we moved the glider out of the girls' room...just one more step in trying to help Mallory end her night~waking habit.

The great news is that since dropping scheduled naps a couple weeks ago, falling asleep has become much better for Mallory. The girls are in bed at 7:30 and Mallory is asleep just a few minutes later. It takes Anna Claire a little longer to fall asleep but that's always been OK because she doesn't cry for us to stay until she falls asleep and she stays put in her bed.

We'd hoped by now Mallory's waking up in the middle of the night would have gotten even a little better, but it hasn't, so we went to have a chat with Dr. Tillman Monday because, truthfully, I am exhausted and at my wits end getting up at all hours of the night and struggling to get her to stay in her bed without waking up her sister. It was good to know Dr. Tillman thinks we're doing everything right but that Mallory is just extremely strong~willed {tell me something I didn't know} and it's just going to take longer to break this habit and reset her "clock."

We came up with a few new ideas and made some adjustments to old ideas and the first is taking the chair out the room because when Mallory wakes up at night she wants to be rocked. The thinking is that when she realizes she isn't going to get what she wants {rocking}, she'll stop coming to get me.

So, last night she only woke up once with no fussing about not being rocked, though I ended up sitting on the floor for about ten minutes before I was able to negotiate with her to allow me to get back into my bed {I know, negotiating with a three year old in the middle of the night. It's insane}. She did fall asleep by herself and stayed in bed the rest of the night.

A small victory? I'll take it.

Taking the Plunge

2011-07-25T19:21:00.000-04:00

Early this summer it was as if the girls had forgotten they'd ever been swimming in a pool. We've hardly been able to get them off the steps all summer. It's not as if they're afraid of the water because they love their kiddie pool and splashing in the waves at the beach and playing on the steps of the pool. Yesterday we finally got them jumping off the side of the pool again{wow, are my arms sore today}. They are cured!

Lunch by the pool....sloppy joes. Is there a better place to get messy eating sloppy joes than outside by the pool? Super easy clean~up!

Anna Claire and Mallory's favorite poolside snack...boiled peanuts cooked up by Papa.

Last week was pretty slow. We went to the river last weekend, but I forgot to put the memory card back in my camera so no pics {boo!}. I had to go into work Wednesday and Thursday, so the girls got to make a day trip to the beach Thursday with Granny, Michelle, Connor, and Dylan.

The tell~tale sign that the summer is quickly coming to an end is when the pool water is so warm it feels like your stepping into a warm bath. We hit that this past weekend. I've only got one more week before I have to report back, so we are trying to squeeze out every last bit of summer fun. It's just kind of hard to do when it is so darn hot outside.

No More Naps?

2011-07-19T20:47:00.003-04:00

Anna Claire and Mallory "resting" this afternoon

It's been one week since we dropped regularly scheduled naps for the girls in an effort to lengthen nighttime sleep and {hopefully} put an end to Mallory's nighttime wakings. I can probably count on one had the number of times Mallory has slept through the night since April 12, 2010, the night she launched herself out her crib causing us to switch both girls to toddler beds two nights later. It has been an exhausting year and three months. Dr. Tillman thinks {and we hope} if Mallory can fall asleep more easily at bedtime, the nighttime wakings will stop. Well...

More recently, since late spring, the girls have been falling asleep around 8:30 {too late in my opinion, but they just weren't tired}, waking up at 6:30 {much too early, don't you think?} and napping for a solid 1-1/2 hours each day with Mallory continuing to wake up a few times a night {usually once or twice, but sometimes more}. It just sort of gradually evolved to that.

Our new plan has the girls resting on our bed for a hour to an hour and a half. Sometimes we read or sometimes we watch a Disney movie, and twice they've fallen asleep for 30-45 minutes {see picture above} and that's been OK because some days they are just more tired depending on how we've spent our morning. They are in bed and asleep by 7:30 which is really great because they are good and tired and not overly tired and fussy as we'd feared. However, they are still waking us between 6:00 and 6:30 and Mallory is still waking up in the middle of the night. Baby steps, right? For now, getting out of their room at 7:30 instead of 8:30 or sometimes 9:00 has been a major morale booster around here.

Chubby Little Cubby All Stuffed with Fluff

2011-07-16T19:56:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, just after I had finished with the shower door/curtain, Aunt Michelle called and asked if we wanted to see the new Pooh movie. Now, Anna Claire and Mallory have never been to see a movie in a movie theater and the closest they've gotten was Mickey's Philharmagic at Disney which was a total disaster that could have had something to do with it being 3~D and spraying water in their faces {for the record, at Disney they did great with the Beauty and the Beast and Nemo live shows}.

I hesitated at first, but we watched the trailer a few times on YouTube, and I found out it was only 69 minutes long, so off we headed to the girls' first movie in a theater.

They did great, by the way. Anna Claire was a little nervous at first, burying her face in my sleeve for the previews, and Mallory sat in my lap for the first half, but they absolutely loved the movie which was very cute and were completely engaged from start to finish. These pictures from my phone are awful, but we had to commemorate the event...

Open Up and Say Ahhh...

2011-07-15T16:35:00.002-04:00

So, we've had a pretty busy week running errands and playing and all...but not many pictures to show for it. Monday we ran errands and had lunch at Panera with Aunt Michelle, Connor, and Dylan. Tuesday Connor came over to play so Dylan could go to the doctor. Wednesday we went to the dentist {!!!} library, my office, Daddy's office and the fabric store {whew!}. Yesterday we played at home all day, and so far today, we have removed the nasty shower door and replaced it with a nice, pretty shower curtain. All that, and it looks like we've dropped naps {omg!}.

Back to the girls' first dentist appointment...let me just say we looooove Summerville Pediatric Dentistry and everyone there {Brandon and Brig, you must take Owen there}! The experience was wonderful, the girls were all smiles {though a little nervous}, they did just great, and they are cavity free! I am a proud mommy!

Dr. Baker says Mallory has a cross bite which could likely correct itself once her permanent teeth are in, and Anna Claire is missing two teeth {e and h, to be precise}, but we already knew that. Dr. Baker says the development of baby and permanent teeth are often completely independent of one another, so it doesn't mean the permanent teeth will be missing, too, but since granny and I both have a dental history with the same two teeth...we'll just have to wait and see.

They tried to take an x~ray, but Anna Claire {brave girl} had trouble holding the film perfectly still, so we couldn't see anything, and there isn't really anything to do about it now, anyway. She'll have a routine x~ray when she's six, and hopefully that'll tell us if those two permanent teeth are there or not. Probably time top upgrade to dental plus!

Now, that shower door...it really doesn't have anything at all to do with the girls other than they were so great to play with each other contentedly and let me do it. I got the idea at the beach that we could remove the yucky, hard~to~clean, contractor~grade shower door and replace it with a shower curtain. Since we have a soaking tub and separate shower stall, I really wanted to find some fabric to make a narrower shower curtain, but I couldn't find anything I liked. I couldn't even find a store~bought shower curtain I liked enough to cut down to size. Then I remembered I had a shower curtain from our previous house in the linen closet. Well, I'm a little impatient with these kinds of things and just couldn't wait for Walter to get home from work, so I took the door down all.by.myself! That's not such a huge feat, actually...it was really quite easy. I'm not in love with this ivory battenberg lace shower curtain, but I already had the curtain, new liner, rod, and hooks, so this little transformation was free!! Gotta love that.

Life's a Beach {and then you have to come home to a heat index of 112}

2011-07-13T15:32:00.000-04:00

We had a lovely {though exhausting} week at Edisto which included days spent splashing in the waves, digging holes in the sand, building sand castles, exploring marine life, looking for seashells, playing with cousins...and nights spent wide~awake when the Mallory refused to stay in bed and woke up several times a night. Is this the end of naps?? More on that at a later date.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy just a few memories made this past week...

A new favorite movie...Mulan. {I've got to say I love it, too. Not your typical Disney movie and a great message for girls.}

Early morning runs on the beach...

...not only are the girls having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep at night, they are awake at the crack of dawn. When you're sharing a house with others, that is not a good thing.

Our annual golf cart picture...

Mallory "playing" Wii for the first time...

Already can't wait for next summer's beach week!

Beach Bound

2011-07-02T13:42:00.000-04:00

We'll be back soon! Have a great 4th of July!

...Anna Claire and Mallory helping measure out the ingredients for rice crispy treats.

Watermelon Pops and New Dresses

2011-07-01T09:19:00.001-04:00

Ever since we made yogurt pops last week, the girls want everything they eat to be on a stick.

I present to you...Watermelon Pops...really just a slice of watermelon with a popsicle stick stuck through the rind {cut a slit in the rind with a knife then work in the popsicle stick ~ not so easy}.

I thought this was a great idea in that perhaps the girls would get less sticky from dripping watermelon juice, but I was wrong. It was a novel idea, though, and they had lots of fun eating the watermelon...and dripping all over their new dresses.

I whipped up these simple dresses during nap times Tuesday and Wednesday, and since I used my own homemade pattern {!!!} I think they turned out great. I have been looking for a sundress pattern with angel sleeves forever {these "sleeves" are a little shorter than I originally imagined, but at the last minute I doubled over the sleeves so I would not have to hem them}. I finally gave up the pattern search and made my own. Not too bad.

Play Time!

2011-06-30T22:09:00.000-04:00

Once the we got the girls' playroom tidied up for their birthday party, I took a few pictures for their old-fashioned baby book since I have tons of pics from their old playroom that used to be in the spare room but so few now that we've moved things up to the FROG. I thought I'd share them...

The slip~covered chair my mom helped me with... {could not have done it without this}

Anna Claire helped me with the wall decals...

I thought we needed a table and lamp by the chair, but I didn't have a penny to spend, so I dug out a lamp I used to have in my classroom and a TV tray table from a set Walter and I got as a wedding gift. A little spray paint on the table and some scrap fabric and ric~rac from my stash and viola...

The before picture...

Just keepin' it real, y'all.

Three~Year Well Check

2011-06-30T21:53:00.000-04:00

{Anna Claire}

37 3/4 inches tall and 31 1/2 pounds

{Mallory}
37 1/2 inches tall and 32 1/2 pounds

The girls are doing great! Mallory needs to drink more milk and stop biting her fingernails {which I already knew}, and I think we've got a plan for dealing with a few discipline issues arising from these terrible threes...everyone warned me!

Week after next we head to the dentist {yesterday's appointment was cancelled ~ sick dentist}.

Blueberry Picking and Puddle Jumping

2011-06-29T14:06:00.000-04:00

Yesterday after breakfast we picked blueberries. Both girls were very excited at the start but it was hot even in the morning, and they both eventually lost interest. About that time our bucket was full. Not bad for maybe forty~five minutes of picking which included two false~alarm trips to the potty for Mallory which eventually resulted in poopy panties. Lovely.

Don't be fooled by Anna Claire sitting down on the job. While Mallory and Dylan ran around playing their three~year~old version of freeze tag, Anna Claire was right there beside me {most of the time} trying her best to fill her bucket.

I love this picture of Connor and Mallory.

Now, I am looking for some inspiration on what to do with a gallon of blueberries. Any good recipes out there? I am leaning towards these blueberry cheesecake bars.

While the girls were napping a good old~fashioned summer thunderstorm started up. Great napping weather for the girls who both slept beyond their usual one~and~a~half hours. Once the thunder finally woke them up and the rain stopped, we went outside to jump in some puddles and burn off some energy.

The Easter Bunny brought them these rain boots for Easter 2010...and they finally fit!

I love this picture because it shows how long Mallory's hair is...and how short Anna Claire's is. I am thinking they may need their first haircuts before school starts. Mallory...just and inch or two to even up the bottom which will probably mean the loss of those sweet baby curls still hanging on to the tip ends of her hair. And Anna Claire... to try and give some shape to her thick, wavy mop.

DIY Waterslide

2011-06-26T06:33:00.000-04:00

Hours of enjoyment!

Yogurt Pops...Brilliant!

2011-06-25T14:42:00.000-04:00

This is not a new idea. I saw it in a magazine ages ago, so I thought it was time to give it a try. I cut a slit in each lid with a knife, and Mallory stuck the popsicle sticks in.

Then, we popped them in the freezer for a couple of hours.

Yum! Sitting on the back porch in the summertime deliciousness!

What I love about these is that they melt a lot slower than popsicles and don't really drip. And, if you want to try them, I ran them under warm water for just a few seconds to help them slide out the yogurt cups easily.

Art Appreciation

2011-06-25T14:15:00.000-04:00

Anna Claire and Mallory love to paint and I love that they already have an appreciation for it. However, painting can be messy {they do pretty well, considering}, so it's not an any~time~of~day activity around here. I usually encourage them to paint in the morning...while they're still in their pajamas...and that usually satisfies their creative urge.

Most of the time, they paint upstairs in the playroom, and since we moved their playroom upstairs back in December {probably my favorite room in the house!}, I never seem to remember to bring my camera up there, and if they're doing something cute or silly, the moment has usually passed by the time I run downstairs, get the camera, then run back upstairs.

Since school has been out we've been spending a lot more time upstairs and I've been bringing my camera along...so here's a little peek at the artists at work. Sadly, I didn't take any pictures of their finished pieces, but I do save their paintings...for a little while at least.

I think I really need these frames to display some of their mini masterpieces {great idea, Holly!}. Their bulletin boards are still full of their school work, and while I need to clear them off for fall, I still haven't found a viable storage option. {any suggestions?}

Summer Fun in the Sun

2011-06-24T15:09:00.000-04:00

Disney World will probably be the highlight of our summer, but make no mistake ~ we have been enjoying ourselves in other ways, too. Since it has been sooooo hot lately with heat indices topping out around 110 degrees {!!!!}, we have been spending a lot of time in the water.

This may be a little redneck, but with the girls potty trained, taking the potty outside has been a life~saver. With all the water they drink in the pool, we'd otherwise be making trip after trip inside no doubt dripping water all over the floors. This is just so much easier.

Sunbathing...

Is there anything better that eating tomatoes straight out the garden? No sooner had Granny put the basket down than Mallory was digging in.

Walter spent Father's Day either doing cannonballs into the pool, or being "pushed " in by Anna Claire and Mallory. Pushing people into the pool is there new favorite game. I'm not so sure we should have started this.

Looking for Daddy's sunglasses...

Father's Day was also Grandmom's birthday, so after spending the morning in the pool, we headed over to celebrate!

Happy {belated} Father's Day to Walter and my dad and Happy {belated} Birthday to Grandmom!

We finally made it to the beach yesterday and to the Sand Dunes Club on Sullivan's Island. We've been trying to get over there forever because Granny and Papa have privileges through SCE&G. When we woke up yesterday morning, I saw ~ and smelled ~ the first signs from the wildfires. I didn't really want to spend the day outside at the beach in a smoky haze but hoped the ocean breeze might help. When we got there it was so hazy you could hardly see the lighthouse and we could smell the smoke, but once the tide turned and the breeze kicked up, it got much better.

Lunchtime!

The girls love their Little Einsteins beach charis {my $3 yard sale find last fall!}.

Probably the best part about the Sand Dunes Club is the pool. The girls loved it because they thought they were at the water park, and I loved it because it was free, and because we were able to rinse off all the salt and sand before the ride home. I definitely think we'll be going back!

Disney Part V: Our Last Day {or the magic must eventually come to an end}

2011-06-20T21:40:00.000-04:00

Cousins being silly on the bus...

On our last full day at Disney, we spent the morning at Animal Kingdom. I was at first worried it would be a lot like Hollywood Studios in that there wouldn't be much for the little ones to do. I was kinda right, and the entire morning ended up being saved by the Finding Nemo show {see, it was a lot like Hollywood Studios}. This show was awesome and I am so sad that flash photography wasn't allowed. The girls might have liked this as much as the Beauty and the Beast Show.

As soon as were were through the gates, we saw Goofy. Wait a minute...who's that going in for the hug first?

After our photo op with Goofy, we headed straight for the safari. I won't bore you with pictures of all the animals, but the girls loved the ride!

Later, we rode the Triceratops Spin...

And Anna Claire goofed off with Goofy and Pluto...

Of course, Mallory had already seen Goofy that morning and had met both Goofy and Pluto earlier in the week, so she did not feel the need to wait in line to have her picture taken with them again.

That afternoon we headed back for one final time to Magic Kingdom to ride some of our favorites one last time.

Since we had our big sit~down meal at the Yak and Yeti {yum!} at Animal Kingdom, we grabbed a prime parade~viewing spot on Main Street and ate corn dogs, hot dogs, and fries while waiting for the parade to begin.

Trying for a family photo...

I don't know what we're looking at, but the girls are in awe!

And the next minute they were hiding their faces from Captain Hook!

The next morning it was time to head home...

Making a wish in the fountain of the hotel lobby...hopefully they wished we'd be back soon!

Our final attempt at a family photo...

Just how exhausted do Walter and I look?!

We had an great time, though, and cannot wait to go back!

Disney Part IV {or we're finally getting the hang of this}

2011-06-20T14:47:00.001-04:00

Our third full day in Disney World might have been the best. I think the girls had finally adjusted to being off~schedule a bit and were able to just go with the flow. We spent both the first and second half of the day at Magic Kingdom. I forget if I've already mentioned it or not, but we headed back to the hotel every afternoon after lunch for naps ~ a must for us!

After finally giving up on the girls ever riding Peter Pan, we settled on the the tea cups, instead.

Afterwards, the girls had Mickey Mouse ice cream...so messy, but so good!

And we finally convinced them to ride the Winnie the Pooh ride ~ a small victory!

We just happened to run into Pinocchio after lunch...Mallory was not impressed. She never cried at the sight of a character, just refused to make eye contact.

Taking a bus ride back to the hotel for naps...

That evening, we headed back to Fantasyland for dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table. On the way, we finally found the rose garden where Rapunzel and Flynn hang out, but the line was long and we could not be late for our reservation. I took a quick pic for the girls from a distance.

Do you think the girls were a little excited to have dinner with four princesses? Before making our way up the winding staircase to the dining room, the girls got to meet Cinderella and have their picture taken with her. Prints of these pictures were part of the deal, so I'll have to scan those in later. As for the other princesses {my own two included}, I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Cinderella's Royal Table was first class...delicious food, amazing location {I mean, we ate inside Cinderella's castle}, and unprecedented face~time with the princesses. Worth every penny!

Afterwards we rode a few more rides {Dumbo, the carousel, It's a Small World ~ you know, our good ol' standbys}. On the way out the park, as people were starting to line the streets for the Electrical Parade, we literally ran into my parents coming in from Epcot. We stopped right on the edge of the sidewalk in front of the train station to catch up with them. Not planning to watch the parade until our last night, but realizing we were standing in a prime location, we plopped right down on the sidewalk and claimed our spot for the parade. It doesn't get any better than that!

The girls waiting patiently for the parade to begin...

They were completely fascinated by the parade, and I have to say after all these years and as many times as I've seen the Electrical Parade, it just does not get any better than seeing it with your children for the first time...and I don't mind at all that I'm still humming that music in my head.

Best. Day. Ever.