Order Up!

We have a new chef in the family!  Pinky got a toy kitchen for her birthday.  And along with it, a tea set, toy food, an apron and a table and chairs!  We spend a lot of time in her room these days eating snacks, soup, waffles, cheese, and of course sipping tea with cream and sugar. 

Today, I walked into her room to find Pinky stirring and cooking on her stove. "Do you want a bite?" she asked so sweetly. "Sure!" I replied, as if there was an option. "Sit down!" she demanded, as she pointed to a chair! Oh dear, do I sound like that???? Couldn't be!

Birthday girl cooking up some dessert!

Adding a little "spicy" to Sunday lunch.

Tea for Three!

Yes, an iron too! 

She spends so much time eating in her room, no wonder she isn't hungry at dinner time.  Come on over if you get hungry, she's excited to have friend and family around her table! 

Terribly 2

2 years ago today, Pinky was born.

2 years ago, my husband became a father.

2 years ago, I became a mother.

2 years ago, we became a family of 3.

And now, 2 years later, we have a smiley, giggly, sweet, strong-willed, talkative, independent, little girl who has us both wrapped around her little finger (along with her aunties, grandparents, and cousins!). 

Here are some things you may or may not know about Pinky:
She's a terribly good singer!
She's terribly silly.
She's terribly good at puzzles and sorting block shapes.
She's terrible at finishing her dinner most nights.
She has a terrible sweet tooth.
She's terribly interested in owies, and usually has at least one.
She's terrible (according to her cousins) at sharing. 
She's becoming more terribly independent every day.  ("I can do it myself.")
She's terribly lovable!

In a nut shell, she's officially terribly 2!

Home for the Holidays

We're nearing the tail end of our Christmas break.  We look forward to this week all year, and once it is here, it goes much too quickly.  Although times have certainly changed . . . as we've all spent plenty of time "plugged in" with iPads, iPhones, Windows Phones, and laptops . . . Not to mention watching movies (I'm watching Elf as I type) . . . The times "unplugged" are those we remember and look forward to!


Here are some of the things we look forward to and enjoy at Christmas:

• Candle light service on Christmas Eve - Pinky could sing some of the songs this year!  Her favorites were "Away in the Manger" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain".

Home from church.

• Birthday Cake for Jesus
•  Playing games (Favorites this year:  Sushi Roll, 5 Second Rule, and Say Anything)
• Playing outside, even though we were lacking a little white this Christmas, we still had fun!

  

  Riding with Grandpa in the tractor.

Just enuf snow for a snowman!

Outdoor fun!

• Giving presents - whether it's off their list or a special surprise, it's so much fun to give gifts to those we love!

Signed by his favorite Cubs player . . . some Dawson guy?

Tea for Two!

Auntie C was Skyping as we opened presents
Christmas Day.  Gma liked her new picture!

• Enjoying endless pots (acutally CUPS this year as Keurigs were the holiday hit) of coffee and hot chocolate and tea.
• Fudge, cookies, snack mix, lefse, etc.  YUMMY!

I just want Goldfish.

• Spending entire days in our pjs!

• Staying up late and sleeping in.
• NAPS!
• Spending time with family and friends.

4 generations

Christmas Day Snuggles.

Here are some of our favorite Pinky quotes from the week:

• Wanna play Angy Birds on my phone.
• Sing more Jingle Bells.
• Look at me!
• Where Santa go?  Santa at work?
• We to go grandma's house?  Yes-whoooooo!
• No, mommy, I just want cookies.
• All done crying.
• I want some of those. (Referring to Grandpa's whiskers.)
• I want a ring on my finger.
• Go tell it on the mountain, Jesus Christ is born.

Merry Christmas

Send Christmas cards

Decorate tree

Hang stockings

Put up lights

Run to Walmart

Wrap presents

Run to Kohls

Wrap presents

Make treats

Eat treats

Run to Walmart

Make more treats

We all do it . . . and it's exciting and fun and stressful and exhausting.

This year, we decided to start a new tradition with Pinky. . . Rather than taking all of our gifts for each other back and forth, we decided to open them before we left for the holidays.  So, we decided to make it a birthday party for the KING!

Here's a look at the first Birthday Party for Jesus at our house:

Wouldn't be a party without hats!

Check out my new apron from Auntie Sharon!

A potty chair!

"Cute football"

 

Thanks for the presents!

Had so much fun, she tuckered out before ice cream!  
(But after she sang all of the words to "Happy Birthday" to baby Jesus!)

It was so fun to watch Pinky give and open presents this year.  Everything was "cute", and fun, and exciting for her.  How joyful to experience Christmas with a child full of joy!