This was the scene the other day...

They have actually done this several times lately.  While one of them is on the toilet, the other reads -  to pass the time I guess?!?!  I've told them and told them that privacy is a wonderful thing, but I guess they just don't get it.  What a true (four-year-old) sister and friend will do!

Happy 7 Caleb!

Caleb's birthday celebration started a couple weeks early at school.  We took some cupcakes adorned with Phineas and Ferb rings to share with his class.  Caleb gets to sit at a table with three other boys who are a lot of fun!  Everyone loved the colored frosting (store-bought and crisco-thick) - blue was the favorite and messiest!

After opening a new bike helmet on his birthday, we decided to head outside and try it out.  We went to the greenway and had a great time in the mild weather.  What a contrast from a year earlier when we opened the front door on Caleb's birthday and had a foot of snow!

 

After that we headed to McDonald's and then the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie.  Whew!  Who was in charge of planning this day?!?  And then as if that wasn't enough, we topped it all off with chocolate cake and peppermint ice cream!

 Later in the week Caleb invited his two favorite friends, Shayaan and Travis, to Chuck E. Cheese - the perfect place for a couple of crazy boys...

 and two cute sisters!

Christmas 2011

The girls and I got dressed up and went to a condensed version of the Nutcracker!  I had so much fun watching their little faces as each new dancing number came onto the stage.  Girls, fancy costumes, leaping and twirling - perfect Christmas activity for them!  

 For Christmas Eve dinner we did cheese fondue.  The "dipping everything in cheese" idea was a big hit!  We did lose a lot of veggies in the sea of cheese and the whole table and everyone's shirt was covered with cheese, but it was worth it.  We had planned to end with chocolate and sweets, but the dark chocolate  turned out a little bitter and melted to a funny consistency - should have stuck with milk chocolate!

This was the scene in our front yard before the kids went to bed on Christmas Eve.  A carrot for each of  Santa's reindeer, with a name tag of course.  Caleb thought it was important that each reindeer know which one was for them:

 I was excited about the way our Christmas lights turned out this year!

 Christmas morning surprises included Lalapalooza "Silly Hair" dolls for Avery and Presley...

 Sparkly, light -up shoes and hula hoops 

And for Caleb, a Nintendo DS!  His friend Nathan got the same thing - they got together and perfected their game...

Here we are on our way to church Christmas day.  We were trying to master the art of posing for a camera with the timer on.  It sure makes a difference when you're behind the camera making your kids laugh -

Merry Christmas!

Happy Happy Holidays 2011

Caleb will be seven in a few days and Avery and Presley are four years old. I took this picture when we were waiting for our table at the Angus Barn Restaurant on Thanksgiving. It was a festive and beautifully decorated place to go to start off the holiday season. The kids behaved well almost the whole time and the only mishap occurred when Caleb thought he could find his way back to our table by himself after going to the bathroom. It turned out great though, because the staff member he asked for help was so impressed that she gave him a t-shirt to take home as a souvenir! We ate and ate and ate (it was a buffet!)  In fact, I kept eating because not only was it delicious, but I was trying to consume an amount that would come close to my share of the bill, plus a kid or two, ha ha. 

Fall, IN ACTION!

Trick - or - Treat! (October 31, 2011)

This year we had a pink princess, a purple fairy 

and a red ninja!

Some of my favorite accesories...wings and sparkly shoes (did you know you can get just about ANY color of sparkly shoes on Target's website?)

and my favorite ninja move...

Here's the neighborhood clan before hitting the streets

Once we did get outside, the rain was drizzling on and off and it was chilly - Avery designed a holder for her candy bag out of the handle on her umbrella -

Presley tried doing the same, but

it didn't work out for her as well.

I persuaded the girls into coming home while their brother was off collecting even more loot.  They celebrated with lollipops!

Another successful Halloween!

Little carvers! (October 29, 2011)