budding artist

When I showed up at Preschool to pick up the kids, Tallulah's teacher met me at the door with this masterpiece.
She loves to color, but usually want me or Regan to draw people for her, until today! Her teacher was so surprised by the drawing that she took it around to show all the other teachers and when Tallulah said she wanted to give it away Ms. Beaman said "No way, we need to save this for mommy!" I am so glad she did, I think this self portrait needs a frame!

sewing together?

Regan has been bugging me for weeks, maybe months to make a dress or a skirt for her or her sister. Last week she pulled out the rest of the fabric that I had used to make Tallulah's skirt last Christmas and decided she wanted a matching one. When I bought the fabric I had intended to make them matching skirts then, but Regan's lack of enthusiasm for anything I sew for her (and for dresses and skirts in general) caused me to put it one back burner, and then I used some of the fabric when I was making these, so there was not longer enough to make the exact same skirt as Tallulah's.

Anyway since we took this week off of school and the house is clean (straightened anyway), and I can't do any of my Christmas sewing with the kids awake I decided this morning was as good a time as ever to work on the skirt with Regan. So we pulled out the fabric and came up with a plan on how to make a skirt that would be long enough for her and started sewing. Regan lasted one seem before she was off doing something else with her brother and could not be drawn back to the sewing machine, so I was left to finish it on my own. I think it turned out pretty cute and Christmassy- I don't hold out much hope for her actually wearing it though- it was fun anyway!

happy birthday, Micah!

Micah turned 7 today! Where have the years gone? We started the morning with donuts and presents and the fun (and junk food) continued from there.

We had a beautiful day- finally some blue skies!

There were many hours spent at this table building all sorts of creations with the new Lego's.

And of course a birthday would not be complete without cake and a trick candle.
The cake is an ice cream cake of my own creation- I used my spring form pan and layered Chocolate Chocolate Chip ice cream followed by a layer of crushed Oreo's (double stuffed, of course), then Cookies and Cream ice cream topped with ganache and sprinkles- yummy!

off to a birthday party

Tallulah got invited to her first Birthday party this weekend. One of her classmates from preschool is turning 4. We decided that the kitty I made before Thanksgiving would be a perfect birthday gift so today is stitched up a tutu and ballet slippers and she is ready to go! The tutu really should be a bit fuller, but I did not have any more tulle- so this will have to do. All in all, I think she is pretty cute- Hope Lulu's friend likes her too!
It is a gray, rainy day here, so sorry the picture is a bit dark!

7 weeks left

After my post yesterday, in the chaos that is my home, just when I thought the kids might drive me crazy begging to decorate the tree I decided I needed a few minutes (or hours) of quiet to straighten up the house and just breathe. So I sent the kids to the play room with instruction to watch every Christmas movie we own and I grabbed my ipod and started cleaning. Turns out we need more Christmas movies, just kidding :)

Anyway- Jen asked for a belly picture update, so while I was cleaning I grabbed my camera and took a handful of shots, here are a few- 7 weeks to go!

slow progress

I am making slow progress here with my Christmas decorating. The tree is up and has lights but no decorations (much to the children's chagrin), our advent calendars and Jesse Tree are up and I finished putting my Dollar Tree wreath together (not quite as easy as I anticipated as the hooks on these ornaments break pretty easily- I am also not sure where I will hang it- it is too deep/thick for the front door and the storm door will not close with it there!) Despite all that, I am happy with how it turned out. I love the colors and look forward to admiring it for the next month!Well, time to get back to the grind- the children are going to form a coup soon if we don't start decorating the tree! Happy First of December!

christmas tree, family and coming home

We just got back from spending the weekend with my family. We had a wonderful time, but when I went to upload my pictures I was greatly disappointed in the lack of photos I took during our time in MD. Anyway, here are a couple of my favorite from the very few photos I took.

Lulu with her flower at the Christmas tree farm.

Loaded up and ready to go, finally getting to bring home a fresh cut Christmas tree after 4 Christmases of pre-cut trees.

Lulu, unhappy that the sun is shinning in her eye's on the drive home...
and our solution to the problem.

Max's "car cave."
I am so thankful for my family and the time we got to spend with them this weekend (also for the GREAT traffic we had- and on a holiday weekend!) and am coming home with a new resolve to better document these times in photos!