Fireworks and Sugar Cookies

Boy have we had fun this week! I love the entire week of Thanksgiving and also the entire month leading up to Christmas. Our days are filled with baking and family. Two of my favorite things.

One of Ellie's favorite things to do is help Grandma Marti make sugar cookies. She gets so excited about each and every step from rolling out the dough all the way to putting on the sprinkles. My Mom is so patient with Ellie even when she gets
carried away with the sprinkles.

I was working on a project on the computer downstairs while the two of them were decorating cookies and every two minutes I would hear my Mom say (in a happy grandma voice, not an exasperated mommy voice), "Whoa Ellie! That's enough! That's enough!" And Ellie would say, "But Grandma, there's one more spot!" So I came up to see how is was going and there was Ellie covering every inch of the cookies with colored sugar sprinkles. She was so proud of herself.

Rolling out the dough

Frosting (with my Mom's delicious homemade cream cheese frosting - yum!)


Learning to take it easy on the sprinkles

I love our family tradition on the day after Thanksgiving. And no, it's not braving the crowds and throwing punches at all the Black Friday sales. It's not our thing. But after a yummy dinner at my Mom and Dad's house with my Dad's side of the family, we brave the crowds and the cold on the town square where we wait to see Santa arrive on his fire truck to flip the switch for all the Christmas lights followed by a great fireworks show. Ellie was so excited to see Santa and she had a blast watching the 'big boomers' with her cousins this year. I was a little worried that the fireworks might scare Piper but I was wrong. She was absolutely mesmerized. It was so cute. In fact, this year I think it was more fun for Rob and I to watch the girls' reactions to the fireworks than to watch the actual fireworks.

Ellie with her favorite Uncle RyRy

Piper and Rob enjoying Piper's first fireworks show

Snuggling Daddy to get warm

All bundled up

Can't Help Dancing to This Song

Pleasantly Surprised

I thought maybe when we went from no kids to one kid that I might go crazy. And not the fun kind of crazy. The crazy kind of crazy. But I never did. It was actually kind of surprising considering my tendency towards sadness. The first few months were exhausting only because I made them that way, not my newborn. I stressed over all the little squeaks, grunts, and sighs she would make, the number of wet diapers, how much time passed between feedings, whether or not she was breathing all night, you name it I stressed about it but I never fell into the new mommy depression I had expected. I've had bad days here and there but all it all it was a fun adventure having my first baby.

Then I thought for sure I would go nuts when we went from one kid to two. Surely the chaos would drive me insane. Everyone told me the transition from one to two is really difficult (I hear it's nothing like going from two to three but I don't think I'll ever find that one out for myself, thank you very much.) I was honestly expecting days or weeks of uncontrollable crying from all three of us girls in the house. It never happened. Ever. Not even just a little bit. In fact, when we became a family of four it kind of felt like we had always been that way. It was something to be excited about and definitely not something to freak out about. Everything felt so peaceful. I did lose sleep over it but only because baby number two seemed to think the nights were days and days were nights. That's sleep worth losing if you ask me because looking back, those late night snuggles and walks around the house with a teensy little swaddled baby are way too short. And for some reason I never felt like I had been up all night. The newborn phase never really phased me this time. What an amazing blessing.

I was thinking the other day about how I was never really a 'kid person' growing up. I was never comfortable with kids and never knew what to do or how to act around them. I rarely babysat and I never liked holding babies. I even considered not having kids. And if I did have kids I thought for sure I wouldn't love being a mom. Imagine my surprise when I fell fiercely in love with our first baby from the moment I found out I was expecting. And when she came, so did my motherly instinct. Everything came so naturally to me - I couldn't believe it. I'm not even kidding. I loved her so much! And then I wondered how I could possibly love another baby as much as my first. Dividing your love? How is that even possible? I learned when our second baby arrived that a mom doesn't have to divide her love between her children - it exponentially multiplies. I felt that same fierce love for our second. And I have since realized that I love being a mother. I really really do. I enjoy it like I never thought I would.
It was the most pleasant surprise.

Nibble Nibble

Don't you just want to nibble on those deliciously chubby legs? I can hardly contain myself around them. And her pigs! Oh! Her perfectly cute little piggies! And those cheeks. It's amazing that she has any left since everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) who sees her wants to nibble on them. It's not even fair to the rest of the world. She is just too cute and chubby.

A Fairy Princess Halloween

Here are our two little fairy princesses on Halloween night. Ellie had a blast going to the trunk or treat at our church and then to visit Grandma and Grandpa Great and then Grandma Marti. Piper was even a good sport about wearing her little tutu and if you can see them, check out her adorable little 'ballet slipper' socks - she got them from Rob's aunt when she was born and they are too cute for words!

Wish List

This morning I asked Ellie what she wanted for Christmas. I should know better than to ask a question like that first thing in the morning since I will most likely be informed of her wish list all day long until bed time. These are the things she came up with in the first two minutes. Looks like I'm in for a day of giggles:)

• a polar bear who likes me
• red jammies
• purple jammies with polka dots
• a seal
• a purple animal
• pickles
• a new movie that's ice age
• a christmas halloween costume
• to climb a tree
• my toys to be real
• a sea star
• five more toys
• a trumpet with buttons and a long string
• a violin
• new princess shoes with bows
• polly pockets
• new pictures
• little kid hunting pants

*updated at 8:30pm tonight: Ellie said, "I jus' want everything for Christmas."

I think that just about sums it up.

Got It Figured Out

So yeah, I just turned thirty-one the other day. When the crap did I even turn twenty or twenty-five? It feels like I skipped over them completely and went straight into my thirties. Weird. Does anyone else feel this way? Like inside your head you're still in your late teens or early twenties?

When I was a teenager I always thought thirty-anything sounded old. Turns out it's not that old. Who knew? When I imagined myself as a thirty-something I knew for sure I would have everything figured out. That I wouldn't still be struggling with some of the same things I struggled with as a teen. That I would be confident and strong and perfect in lots of ways. Which is funny because I still struggle with all of the same things but it's okay - I'm working on it :) And I feel very happy about where my life is right now despite my many weaknesses. I actually love my life. At least I've got that part figured out.