Monday, November 28, 2011

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

We finally got our tree put up and Jason hung the icicle lights outside (thanks babe!). I usually put 2 trees up- one in our living room and one in the entry way. However, with the house being on the market and feeling a bit like a hippo these days I decided to stick with just one tree. As per tradition, we put up the tree in the living room while watching 'A Muppet Christmas Carol'. Emma was much more involved this year, giving our tree her own decorating twist and resulting in lots of ornaments that need a little bit of love (in other words some hot glue).
Emma had about 20 ornaments confined to 2 branches. I had to even it out after she went to bed in fear of the tree tipping over due to excessive weight on one side :)

While I love the themed trees, decked out in one or two colors with a uniform look, ours is very special. Each ornament had a story to tell. They have been collected over the years by each family member and have meaning to them. Hence why we have two trees- there is a whole other tote in the basement full of ornaments that typically adorn the tree in our entryway! Now to drag the other 10 totes out of the basement to complete the holiday atmosphere around here...

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Two Parties Down and Lots More to Go!

Two days after Thanksgiving we loaded our truck back up to head up north to see my dad's side of the family for a Thanksgiving/Christmas extravaganza. It was great to see all the family and let the little ones run around together. Due to distance, we don't get to see them too often so it's wonderful when we get a chance to gather everyone together. Good times, food and laughter were had by all. Here's a few pics of the kiddos having fun.
 The older girls spent lots of time jumping on Papa Spence.
 The three hams posing with their new cameras from Great Grandma and Grandpa.

Here are a few pics of some of my homemade presents. I love crafting and giving out unique gifts this time of year! I will do some tutorials later... it's a bit busy around here these days.
Tutus for the girls.
Christmas wreaths for the adults.

It was great to see everyone. We will be praying for my grandparents as they make their trek to Florida for the winter months! Hope you enjoy the sunshine snowbirds :)

Monday, November 21, 2011

Three Little Turkeys

We did a fun craft today that all the kids enjoyed. It was pretty simple to throw together too.

All you need is an apple (could also use a potato), some toothpicks, mini marshmallows and food coloring.

Start by separating the marshmallows into individual bowls. Add food coloring to the bowls and stir. I found the gel food coloring works best. Give your marshmallows 1-2 hours to dry on a paper towel before letting your little one handle them or it can get very messy :)


While the marshmallows are drying, insert toothpicks in the apples on one side. These will be the base for your turkey feathers.


Once the apples are ready, let the kids go to work. Smaller fingers might need a little help getting the marshmallows on the toothpicks. You could challenge older kids to make a pattern with their marshmallows.



Once they were done, I glued some googly eyes and a piece of construction paper in the shape of a beak. Now we have some cute little turkeys to decorate for Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 18, 2011

Growing Pains

I've finally entered my third trimester- the count down to d-day has officially begun! While I'm trying to fully appreciate every moment of this pregnancy (especially since it might be my last), I'll admit to having a few things to groan about.

I've been having a lot of trouble with my hips these days. One side in particular. If I jump up and try to walk off quickly, my leg tends to just give out. I've gotten close to landing on my rear end a couple of times. I try to remember to take it slow, but it's easier said than done when you're after a 3 year old who is intent on getting away from you!

Getting dressed is becoming more challenging every day too. Not only is it hard to pull on my socks, I don't enjoy picking out what to wear. Many people have graciously given me clothes which I sooo appreciate. I have several cute pieces that I love and seem to wear over and over, but there are lots of other pieces that just don't fit me right. And maternity pants drive me crazy! While they are super comfy, they don't stay put. I spend all day long hiking them up.

Thank goodness for my pregnancy pillow or I'm sure I wouldn't be getting any sleep either. My hubby hates the thing, but I'm not willing to give up a good night's sleep. He complains that it takes up too much room in the bed and he can't cuddle with me, but he tends to roll to his side of the bed within minutes of falling asleep anyway so he'll get over it.

Have I also mentioned that this kiddo doesn't have a name yet? While big sister has settled on Elmo, I don't think that will be making the final cut. The hubby and I haven't had much down time together lately, so it's kinda been put on the back burner. Anyone have some great boy's names they'd like to share?

Speaking of big sister, we've been battling quite a bit lately as well. Some of it's due to busy schedules I'm sure. We're working almost every day and rarely see daddy. Add to that the upcoming addition to our family and the possibility of moving and things probably seem quite unstable to our little one. In the course of a week she's had almost a dozen accidents. This is from a child who had never had an accident before! She's also been insisting on being fed at meal time. I was greatly relieved when I looked into it a little more to find this regressive behavior is completely normal.

I think the biggest issue for me right now is the unknown. I want to be nesting, putting all of baby boy's things away. Since our house is on the market it will just have to wait a little longer. Come mid-January, if the house hasn't sold I can start finding the right place for all his tiny things. Plus the upcoming holidays and carzyness leaves me feeling behind on everything right now. Grant me patience Lord, it's not my best virtue!

Friday, November 11, 2011

Bath Tub Fun

I found this idea on pintrest the other day and had to try it. I was a bit hesitant with our old porcelain bath tub, but after a quick pre-kiddo trial I found that it's not a problem. All you need is a paintbrush, some water colors and a willing munchkin.


Emma loved it! I actually had to force her out of the bath tub after over a half hour of painting. We will definitely pulling the paint out again in the future.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

FSBO

Yep, it's official. The hubby has placed a for sale sign in our front yard two weeks ago. Never mind that Christmas is only a month and a half away and I'm 6 months preggo. I'm a planner, an organizer- this is turmoil for me. Praying for clear direction in the next few months as our life is kinda up in the air!