It's the most wonderful time of the year!

It's no secret that all of us in the Christian household really enjoy the holiday season. To go along with our Christmas spirit, we are doing our family advent calendar again this year. We had so much fun doing it last year. The first thing Abigail does when she wakes up in the morning is check her calendar's. (She also has a Lego advent calendar that has a small toy to put together each morning. We love this one too!) I love to hear her shriek when she finds out what activity we are doing for the day. This year we are using a fancy new calendar that Granny B sent us last year. It is a little chest with small drawers...just big enough to fit a little treat. Here is the list of activities we are attempting this year!

Dec 1: Attend lighting of the Macy's Xmas tree (Was really the weekend prior but I am counting it here)

Dec 2: Go to Hobby Lobby and pick out Xmas craft supplies

Dec 3: Make popsicle stick tree ornaments

Dec 4: Pick out Xmas Tree

Dec 5: Decorate tree and listen to Xmas music

Dec 6: Watch Rudolph

Dec 7: Have a glass of eggnogg (Or, as we drink in our family, Pumpkin Spice Soymilk)

Dec 8: Make chocolate covered popcorn treats

Dec 9: Make Xmas cards

Dec 10: Go to Xmas party at Dell

Dec 11: Go see the Children's Nutcracker

Dec 12: Watch Xmas movies

Dec 13: Mail letter to Santa

Dec 14: Make wreath

Dec 15: Donate coats to children in need

Dec 16: Make gingerbread houses at Childrens museum

Dec 17: Make salt dough ornaments

Dec 18: Holiday laser/light show

Dec 19: Drive around and look at lights

Dec 20: Buy new Xmas book

Dec 21: Homeade hot chocolate w/marshmallows and christmas carols

Dec 22: Wear Xmas clothes

Dec 23: Make treats for Santa

Dec 24: Read Polar Express

In addition to all of this fun, we have added a new game in our house. Pa and Grant were nice enough to send us a copy of Elf on the Shelf. The girls love it! Basically, it is a small elf that is keeping an eye on things for Santa. He reports to the North Pole on a daily basis and each time he returns he is in a different spot. It is so funny to see how serious they get when they are looking for his new hiding place!

We hope to make lots of great memories to share this season and we are already on the right track. Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving at Grandma's house

This year for Turkey Day we decided to head north to the great state of Oklahoma. My mom was recovering from surgery and my sister Gretchen was having a hard time healing from her cesarean and wasn't comfortable travelling with baby Jack yet. It just made the best sense to get everyone together in Tulsa this year. We were even able to make a quick pit stop at Pa and Grants on the way. We stopped to refuel with a bit of sleep and a morning cup of coffee. The girls just love following Grant around and helping her at whatever she is doing.

I was so glad we made the trek. We had a great time! The girls got to play with cousin Ava, which they have been missing, everyone got to meet Jack, and we got to take our family pics for the third year in a row! My mom and my sister (Meghan, not to be confused with Gretchen who is the worlds worst shopper) are also my very favorite shopping partners. Although we didn't get to do much shopping this year, there are no better shoppers to hit the black Friday sales with. We even went on Thanksgiving this year to get the good deals and beat the crowds. We are just smart like that. It was so nice sitting in my moms cozy den by the fire and filling up on yummy food while the kids destroyed my moms house. (Sorry, mom but they did have a great time.)

It is times like these that make me wish the could get together more often. But, for now I am appreciative that we even get together a couple of times a year considering all of the young children and busy schedules that we all keep.

The Great Camping Adventure - Fall 2010 edition

The first weekend in November seemed to be a great one for a family camping trip. When the weather starts to take a dip, we race outside for the few weeks of beautiful temps before it gets too cold. It is kind of ridiculous, but we have such a short window of perfect weather! At least we thought it was going to be perfect weather. It seems that we didn't read much into the cold front that was coming through. We started out our camping trip with temperatures in the high 70's to low 80's. It was great weather to get camp set up and let the kids run around the camping area. It was jacket weather by the time we were eating dinner around the campfire and having s'mores. By the time the adults went to bed it was freezing! It was so cold that Spencer and I split up the kids and we each slept with one. I was up all night shivering and pondering all kinds of different scenarios. The pack of wild dogs that I heard howling in the middle of the night didn't help with my imagination running wild. I would have headed to the car, except it was a good 100 yards away (I am totally estimating here) and in the middle of the night the thought of getting everyone settled in the car was more than I could handle. So I decided to tough it out. We woke in the morning to find that the temperature dropped to 37 degrees. Here in Texas, that is cold...really cold. The good news is that I seemed to be the only one complaining. Apparently I was the only one on the trip that can't handle the cold. To add insult to injury, the raccoons stole the best food that we had...marshmallows and Hershey bars. They even unwrapped each individual Hershey bar and left chocolate paw prints on our table cloth. The nerve of some creatures!

The girls had so much fun casting their Barbie fishing poles into the river, playing in the dirt, and running around the campfire. We went with one of our favorite families, the Courtois. It was so nice to be camping with one of Abigail's friends. It kept the kids entertained almost the whole trip while the adults got to sit around sipping coffee and chatting.

The campground exceeded all of my expectations. It was a spacious area with lots of old oak trees that sat right on the banks of the Colorado River. On the other side of the river there was a very large granite wall. We were a bit tired and bailed out a little early, but we heard there was some fabulous hiking with several spring fed swimming holes just minutes from the campsites. I can't wait to head back to Colorado Bend State Park in the summertime when we can really take advantage of all the park has to offer!

Unfortunately, I have packed my semi-working camera away with the camping supplies. I will have to consult my family photographer, Philip, for pics.

Halloween 2010

Halloween is definitely one of our favorite holidays around here! Every year we go just a tad bit overboard with decorations, costumes, and of course candy. We tried to keep a lower profile this year. I emphasize tried, Abigail had 3 different costumes. I bought her a Princess Leia costume so that she could be partners in crime with her friend Cosmo, he was Luke Skywalker, but I bought the wrong size costume and that bugged Abigail so she wouldn't wear it. We also bought all of the stuff to make a vampire costume and Abigail wore that to Spencer's work party and art school. But when it came time to trick-or-treat, she was thumbing through the pictures that came with her new face paint and found a scary witch. She insisted that we paint her face green and she turned her vampire costume into a witch with the switch of a hat. Emery was a black cat and she never changed her mind once. It is so nice when at least one of them is agreeable.

The past few years we have gotten a huge amount of trick-or-treaters and I have run out of candy every time. I decided to be prepared this year and bought several x-large bags of candy. Then, in a last minute decision, I decided that I would go walk around and trick or treat with the girls. After all, I was dressed up. It was so much fun! I can't believe that I have been wasting my time sitting at home handing out candy when I could have been roaming the streets with all of the ghosts and goblins.

I have broken another camera, this happens because I drag it everywhere with me in my purse. I am going to have to try a different approach because this is becoming a very expensive habit of mine. That being said, I have to give credit to our friend Philip for the great pics. He hasn't broken his fancy camera and was able to capture some great shots from the night. Emery would not stand still long enough to have her pic taken which is why you don't see any of her below.

Updates on the girls

It seems like it has been a while since I have written a post that talks about what the girls are up to, or any post for that matter. Here's to catching up!

Abigail:

If I didn't know any better, I would swear that I had a teenager in the house. When Abigail gets upset she will scream that she doesn't love me anymore and then run to her room and slam the door. In fact, she will even let me know that she wants a new mom because I am too mean and that she is going to live elsewhere. I have learned to take a page from my mom's book and calmly state that I will help her pack her bags. This usually results in a quick "I love you" accompanied by an apology. When she gets really mad, she tells Spencer and me that she is going to move out when she grows up instead of having she, her kids, and her husband live with us. It is hard to keep a straight face when this happens.

She is either hot or cold. There is no warm with her at this point. She is either the most loving, affectionate, and funny child or she is an emotional bulldozer. I am puzzled by this one, but grateful that most of the time sweetness prevails.

Abigail continues to be interested in a variety of things. Currently, she is enjoying art and gardening classes. Tomorrow she will try out a soccer skills class and she is super excited. (**update** She is having a great time in soccer, but art was short lived.) I am encouraged by her enthusiasm for all kinds of activities. It really solidifies to me that keeping her out of school full time is the right thing to do, simply from the time perspective alone. More importantly, it shows me that an alternative approach to education with an emphasis on inquiry-based learning, a strong social network, and heavy extra curricular activities is the type of education she would most benefit from. While she takes the "rules" very seriously, I just don't see her personality benefiting from a traditional classroom environment that requires her to sit at a desk and limit her play time. With kindergarten scheduled to start next year, the pressure is on for Spencer and I to create or find the right environment for her! We feel like we are already scrambling.

Abigail's sense of humor is very focused on bodily functions at this time (thanks Dad). I personally do not love the bathroom humor, but she and her dad can spend hours cracking each other up!

She and her sister have such a close bond. Abigail is very protective of her. Usually, it is when Emery is getting attention from that Abigail likes to step in and introduce herself. They spend a lot of time together, so inevitably they fight, but they can also send each other into fits of hysterical laughter with a glance. Having 2 sisters myself, I know this routine all too well.

She is becoming aware of how she looks. She wants to "be beautiful" as she tells me. I am unsure where this comes from as the media outlets in our house are fairly limited and I would definitely not consider myself a very "girly" girl. She fixes her hair, coordinates outfits that she thinks look great, and then seeks approval from the family. Of course, just as I say this, she's switched back into being a tomboy who loves to dig in the mud and pick up bugs. She wants to be an entomologist (ant-omologist, makes sense, right?) when she grows up! Ewww...

She is currently obsessed with Cinderella, horses, Scooby Doo, and pop music. I can't take anymore Lady Gaga! She also still loves to be the center of attention and to perform. We have sat through some very lengthy and interesting performances lately.

Emery:

Emery just went to her 2-year well check and ended up in the 95% for weight, 95%+ for head circumference and 85% for height. She has been following this trend since she was born. I guess she takes after my side of the family. To be more specific, my fathers side.

Her language has exploded! She is able to express herself very well now. We have reached the point where I am happy to hear her thoughts, but I sometimes wish that she wasn't quite able to express them so well. I mean that only in the nicest way. The "No's" she so proudly likes to shout at me have become just a little more bossy and usually are accompanied by several other relevant words like, "No, I will NOT pee-pee in the froggy potty!" She speaks in complete sentences now and there isn't anything she has a problem saying. Believe me.

Emery has been a notoriously bad sleeper all of her life. It seems that she is finally starting to sleep so much better! It is most likely because she has her sister in the bed with her at night. I am sure that is comforting to both of them. I guess it could also be due to the fact that I sleep a little harder, and probably don't hear her every time she rolls over. If she needs me she can come find me, and she does at about 6:30 every morning. I removed the monitors from her room months ago and I think we are all sleeping a bit better.

Emery does not have the need to socialize like Abigail did at this age. She likes other kids, but is equally as content just doing her own thing. You will often find her reading alone in her room, or playing on the playground talking to herself and ignoring everyone around her. It is very apparent that she is not going to be a people pleaser and rarely cares if Spencer or I approve of what she is doing.

Emery has caught on that her dad and I are very pleased with her potty training progress. When we are home, we take off her diaper and let her roam around diaper free. Most of the time she runs right to the bathroom and takes care of her business. As soon as she recognized that Spencer and I were delighted and wanted to move her into big girl panties, she decided that she loves diapers. She has started requesting that I put a diaper on her, and does so with a big grin on her face. We just try to remember that potty training has to be her choice. Everytime I change a stinky diaper I tell myself that it is almost over...it just can't come soon enough!

She is obsessed with Snow White, kitty cats (mostly behaving like one), dancing, twirling, and role playing. This last one wears daddy out! As soon as he gets home from work he immediately must start talking in whatever character's voice Emery is obsessed with that day. Her favorites lately are Lightning McQueen, Mater, and Harry Potter.

Summer Wrap up

I'll admit it, I have been neglecting my blogging duties for quite some time now. I am working on getting caught up but you will have to bear with me. We have been very busy this summer and let's just face it, I am not a very organized individual. Thankfully, summer is coming to an end, I say that only because I can't take the heat anymore! This usually means a bit more structure and a little more time to focus on things such as blogging. While I have enjoyed a "fly by the seat of our pants" kind of summer, I am now finding myself seeking some sort of structure.

Abigail is going to be participating in a variety of different things this school year. She is currently enrolled at the Dougherty Arts Center a couple of days a week, gardening, and storytelling/acting. We chose not to pursue an education with ACE Academy this year because the program was full time. We really enjoyed our time at ACE last year, but didn't feel like a full time program was right for our family at this age. Among many other reason, we felt that Abigail's needs would be better met by taking a variety of classes around town that touched on her many different interests. It has only been 2 weeks, but so far so good!

Here are a few pics of some of the activities that rounded out our summer.

Tinkering Workshop: We found this activity just in time, as they were holding the final workshop for the summer. It was beeswax candle making. There were several kids that got their fingers burned in the hot wax, so Abigail and Emery decided that they would just make an acorn shell candle with assistance from an adult. I guess that didn't bother them since Abigail found a tree house to play in and Emery enjoyed working on a collaborative collage.

Fire station tour: The girls had been on a tour before, but who gets tired of climbing on fire trucks? Or, watching a demonstration about the gear and then getting to hold it? (Sorry, these pics were the best I could get with my camera phone)

"Annie": There is a theatre company here in town that performs for free at one of our local parks. I wasn't expecting much for a free play, but the production value was incredible. The girls absolutely love "Annie" and have so much fun dancing and singing all of the songs. Although it had been very hot out during the day, it was a pleasant evening to sit under the stars and enjoy some theatre.

To Grandmother's House We Go!

Our family travels to OK at least a couple of times a year to visit our extended family. We were long overdue for a trip. With Aunt Gigi expecting Jack in a few short weeks, we combined this trip with a baby shower for her. We went a few days early so that daddy could spend some time at Pa's house, and the girls and I could drop off all of my baby supplies in Tulsa for Gigi. We got to spend a few days hanging out with Grandma Cutie Pie and Aunt Gigi. We had a great time! Here are some pics from some of our adventures. I am not sure if the pedicure, giant chocolate ice cream cones, cruising in the convertible, or the presents from Hoppy were the favorite. The girls certainly got spoiled. Isn't that what grandparents are for?