Made my month

So I was honestly nervous for this performance because my kids (mostly my daughter) can be totally unpredictable in these situations. One thing goes wrong, and she is pouting with her finger shoved in her mouth and in stubborn shut down mode. So as the butterflies built up in my stomach (very telling of how I will be at sporting events for my kids) I was thrilled to see that they both did awesome! Drew sung with conviction and took pride in knowing the words and hand motions. Lilly has a little more of a free spirit, showing off some improvisational skills with the choreography.

**Lilly on the end in front row red dress and white headband, and Drew 2 down from her in cream sweater.



Look at the joy. I love when you can see the excitement in the body language, the face, the way she holds her self.


They were going to hit that note...JOY TO THE WORLD




Absolute pure sweetness, yes?


The candy cane song...props always help a song out.


Leaving the stage after the performance, still on could nine.


Sorry, but I couldn't help but sing along, so just ignore my awfulness.

I knew they would come around

Year one



Year two


Year Three


ANd the award for most improved goes to (drum roll please) LILLY!

Some things never get old

I have to say that (almost) 4 is an awesome age. They know their left from right, they know their colors, and then poof, just like that.....they get to play games like twister.



ACTION SHOT





Loving this age.

Was this gift designed just for my daughter?

Genius I tell you! Oh the joy this gift has given Lilly. Right on toymakers, you got this one right! I think she played with this for 45 minutes straight the first time we opened it, and it just keeps on entertaining.





I personally enjoy how Lilly cleans up after the dogs in the sand. The doggie sandbox comes with a pooper scooper too, so I would venture to say that Lilly's favorite activity with the dogs is cleaning up after them, "mommy, I need to clean up this stinky poop right here"

Let's hope this applies when we get a real dog one day. You know what though, I think it really will. She is obsessed with poop.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

Let me just tell you that there is an energy and excitement around our house with Christmas in the air. Every morning, every car ride, every dinner conversation, Drew says, "It's Christmas time MAMA!" Yep...it has been confirmed he is our kid now. The verdict is still out on Lilly :-)


Lilly led the way during our Christmas tree shopping. Whatever tree her sticks touched was going to be the tree. She kept changing her mind though, so we were patient.



Once the tree was home, Drew was very happy to help with the ornaments and unwrap each one to see what would be revealed.


Drew wanted the star and snowflake ornaments to go high up on the tree like, "they are in the sky"


Lilly joined in with her brother and shared some sweet moments decorating together.


Lilly was very proud of her choice of placement of all the red ornaments.


Just to give you a closer look at the spacing. Well done Lilly. Well done.

Things we have learned from our Uncle Mattie...

Number One:
How to be cute.


Number Two:
How to build rivers out of sand at Howarth Park. Mattie admiring his landscape and planning his path for the river.




Number Three:
How to do some amateur UFC fighting moves as well as the ever important, "tap out..tap out when you've had too much Drew or Lilly"



Number Four:
How to hustle people for money like on the streets of New York in this, "Which cup is the grape under" game.


No matter how much explaining and moving the cups in slow motion happened...they always picked the original cup Mattie put the grape under. Hence Mattie's laughter.


Number Five:
If there is anything I want my kids to learn from my brother...it really would be how to play the guitar. Drew attempting here on a Kings of Leon Song.


They already miss him and ask every morning, "Mattie coming to play??" After I explain he had to go on an airplane home, they say, "Mattie goes to work, okay."

A mid-week field trip

We visited Mrs. Grossman's Stickery Factory this week along with a stop into Boppa's work(and where I used to work before the kids were born) It was a fun morning out!


Lilly getting cozy with factory Dog, Angus(kind of a weird name in my opinion to name a dog, right?)







We were early for our tour so we had to waste some time outside. Drew of course chose to play cars on the bumpy picnic table.


Lilly chose to just run around and be a happy girl.

Traveling first class

Isn't my friend Casey so strong that she can carry me around on her shoulders like this? I know my body language or the evidence of a hand holding me up doesn't take away the illusion that we are doing this position all by ourselves.

Fun at the birthday party

These foam things were extremely difficult to get out of and I always needed an adult to help me. But then after the adult helped me, I usually screamed in their face because I wanted to do it by myself. Therefore after this pattern continued over and over, I was eventually banned from the foam pit


My Uncle Mattie came to our party all the way from his house that is far away. He thought he would try to show us how to do the iron cross. Maybe Lilly should show him how it's done.


Yummy cupcakes. I prefer the frosting on my face rather than in my mouth.


Lilly can do her circus swing and I will stick to the safer swing


I had to ask Nana to feed me my cupcake because I didn't like frosting on my hands or really on my face...seriously a clean eater