Mushroom Paci

This is a piece of pretend play food.

This is it used as a paci.

Any questions???

Much Love,
Jenny

Yes, Ashley REALLY does use it as a paci when she can't find a real one. TOO much!

4 year Anniversary

This year our Anniversary landed smack dab on Thanksgiving. While it was nice to be surrounded by family and our girls, it just didn't feel like an anniversary since we were so focused on turkey.

Now I am sure we will eventually celebrate it (we always do, even if it's month's later) formally. But Rob was sweet enough to bring the flowers home to me on our anniversary Eve and I was sweet enough not to go Black Friday shopping Thursday night. Now we just owe each other a nice dinner, or a trip somewhere awesome.

Much Love and Happy 4 years to my hubby! I can't believe it's only been 4 years.... seriously.
Jenny

Turkey Trot

Halfway through the Macy's parade we took a break to go on a family turkey trot. Wearing our hats we had all made the night before we drove up the road to "Snow White's forest" for a nice morning hike.

And of course we did some running!!!

EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!!

We didn't see any turkeys but we sure had fun!

Love,
Anna and Ashley

Macy's Turkey Day Parade

Thanksgiving morning we got to eat breakfast on the couch while watching the Thanksgiving Parade!!!! We had yummy pumpkin povitica bread with berries. YUM YUM YUM!

Our favorite part of the parade was seeing Charlie Brown, Buzz Light Year and of course, SANTA!!!!

Love,
Anna and Ashley

PS Mommy was really happy that we liked the parade because Daddy could cook his side dishes and she could vacuum the house for company and then join us for the rest of the parade :) We love this new "family tradition" of watching the parade!

We will have to check this one out every year

We checked this book out of the library last week.

Well....... someone decided she wanted to keep it....

Yup- that's Anna's name in a library book!

OOPS!!!

We will just have to check this one out every year just to see the name :)

Much Love,
Jenny

First Movie Theatre Experience

This morning we took the girls to see their first movie in a theatre, Wreck it Ralph.

We saw it at Palazzo 16 theatre (literally minutes away from our house) and found that children 3 and under are free at any movie. BONUS! Then we found out that if you bring 2 canned goods you get a free small popcorn. So for $12, all four of us saw the movie and shared 2 small popcorns.

And the girls loved the experience. They did great. You would have thought that Ashley would have had ants in her pants but she literally laid on our laps the entire 2 hours we were in the theatre. And whoever didn't have Ashley, had Anna.

When we first got there, Anna looked at me and saw, "Mommy that's a HUGE TV!" And when the surround sound started she was so shocked and said, "How it do that?"

As for the movie, we think we saw one that was too old for our girls. It is a very cute movie but their were some potentially "scary" parts during the movie and 2 or so different times Anna told me she was scared. But when I told her not to watch, she said, "YES! Me watch!" So I really don't know if she was scared or if she was just "scared." But I guess that's the gamble you take when you bring your kids to a movie you haven't seen before.

Later that evening we made pizza and then drove around our neighborhood and nearby ones to see all the Christmas lights. Everytime we saw a light we'd say,  "ohh ahh eeee oooo!" It was so cute. When Ashley would spot some lights she yell, "MORE! LIGHTS! Ohhhh.... ahhhh.... eeee... ooooo!" And Anna got so excited when she saw purple ones.

Then we did some rough housing when we got home- super fun day.

Much Love,
Jenny

Leawood City Hall Tree Lighting

Well, nothing gets you in the holiday spirit more then a tree lighting does. That is if you live in New York City and get to see their Christmas lighting!

Well we went to Leawood's Town Hall tonight with Aunt Anne and Kate and let's just say it was something you would go to only if you knew a kid who was singing in the elementary choir or dancing in the dance studio's performance. I think we might have been the only people there who didn't have a connection. I was pretty bummed because I wanted it to kick off my Thanksgiving week with some Holiday spirit.

But the girls had fun. They loved the music, got to see the woodchuck named woody (even though we kept calling him chippy), had a cookie or two, ran around outside at night and got to see a Christmas lighting. Sure it wasn't Rockefeller but they know no difference and had a blast together like they usually do!


Waiting for the lights and listening to caroling

Here we are with "Chippy." Both girls were pretty timid when they first saw him. After a while, Anna was taking pictures with him and Ashley was giving high fives!

Following Chippy into the Town Hall for refreshments. Yes, we are holding his hand and just letting him take us in away from our parents. Note to self- Kate will leave with any mascot; she fears no mascot :)

 

Cousin Pic (Ashley wanted nothing to do with pictures- shocking, huh?)

Pretty Lights

We had a blast running around outside- can't you see our blur in the picture above! We literally ran circles around the lights after the ceremony!

Dance party on the stage!!!

Much Love,
Jenny

PS IF we show up again next year, we will arrive 30 minutes later, just for the lighting!!!

Foyer

Besides paint, our foyer is complete! With the rug that initially started the "vision" of the first floor, the chair and table we inherited from Granddaddy Riggs, the mirror that was on sale at Target, old decorative balls placed in a glass bowl we got for our wedding and my elephant lamp that I feel madly in love with when I first saw it at World Market, I am now loving this space.  Once we get rid of the beige color on the walls (currently thinking of painting the chocolate grey color you can see in the rug) and add a little pillow with flare to the chair it will be even more awesome!

Much Love,
Jenny

Robe

We had been talking all week about Anna possibly getting a robe like mommy and daddy and all week she has said she wants one but when she is bigger. I asked why and she said "those robes too big for me." I really think she thought I was talking about her wearing OURS!!!

Well today while we were at Costco we snagged this bad boy up. She wore it from the moment she tried it on, out the store, in the car and during nap she hung it in a "special robe place." And when Daddy got home she told him, "you aren't going to believe my special stuff" and ran upstairs to show him her robe.

Now I can't wait to cuddle in the mornings with this soft little girl :)

PS- Do you love my new Belle doll? It was the newest Kate "donation." Anna says she is so beautiful!

Much Love,
Jenny

PS Now i just have to find a 2T for Ashley. The smallest I have found is kids 5.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from this house of turkey's to yours!

It was Anna's idea to make the crafts for our turkey trot in the morning. When I asked them if they wanted to go on a turkey trot/walk in the morning they got really excited and Anna says, "Can we dress like a turkey?" Man, I love that child. GENIUS thinking! So we made these "turkey feather" hats.

Gobble Gobble!

 

"I love my teachers"

I told Anna that she wouldn't be seeing her teachers for a while since she has no day out tomorrow due to Thanksgiving.

Her response was priceless....

"I love my teachers. Me be so excited to see them again. They help me do things at school. They help me open my snacks. They play with me at school. I miss my teachers."

We all love Mrs S and Mrs. W!

Much Love,
Jenny

Cinder-ella!

Sunday night we had a family "Cinder-ella" cleaning extravaganza of mommy and daddy's bathroom. See, they don't want to admit it but it hasn't been cleaned since moving in 5 months ago. Mommy says something's gotta give and in this case, it's their bathroom. Now don't get me wrong, they wash the sink and toilets twice a month and they had washed the shower and bathtub once but the floors needed it bad.

So we divided and conquered. Us little kids washed the bathtub (and yes Ashleys squirt bottle squirted mommy right in the eye after this picture), mommy did the sink and floor and daddy did the shower and toilets. We had lots of fun and ended it with a bath. Mommy kept yelling "Cinder-ella" like the stepmother throughout the entire cleaning time. We thought it was so funny!

Love,

Anna and Ashley

PS Mommy says she thinks we started a new monthly tradition... we will see if that happens :)

My Best Friend

"Mommy I so happy Ashley came out of your belly. She my best friend."

Love,
Anna

Speech Week 1

We are so proud of Anna. So proud.

This week she has been working on her homework consisting of 8 words starting with "sp." They are spider, spoon, spill, sponge, spin, space, spot....... and I should know the 8th one since we have practiced her homework at least twice daily in the car, at lunch and dinner, before bed, etc.... Well anyway, in addition to those words she has also been reading the book "Spot goes to the beach." And she has ROCKED those words when naming. Once I even heard her say spoon correctly in a sentence!!!!!!!!!! So spirits are high in the speech world and we will see what Miss Lisa sends home tomorrow.

When I told her we were going to see Miss Lisa tomorrow she got super excited and said, "We play games and get homework mommy!!!!!" And she couldn't have been more excited. About homework.

I know this excitement about school and learning will die down, but for now it is just awesome. She is having fun and learning at the same time. Awesome.

Much Love,
Jenny

PS Ashley is also loving these words. She does the sssssssssss trick (using her arm) and says the words with Anna as well. Drives Anna nuts but is good or both of them :)

PS The 8th word is speak!

Santa

Saturday we went to see our favorite Santa!!!

It is the same Santa we have seen every year and it was so much fun. We ate lots of good snacks while waiting, watched Kate meet Santa, and when it was our turn we were both so excited!!!

Ashley was extremely cautious when meeting him and Anna was timid but lured in his direction; she went straight to his lap. My original plan was to have Ashley go first since I knew she'd throw a fit but that didn't work out. So needless to say Ashley started SCREAMING and CRYING the minute Anna was on his lap and she wasn't. But did putting her on his lap help at all. Absolutely NOT! WOW that girl can squirm her way out of any situation!!!! Don't worry- I have it on video and hope to show you our nightmare of a time with Ashley and Santa.

But for Anna and Santa, can you get much cuter????

OH dear Ashley.... I might have scarred you.

Even bear couldn't calm her down; neither could a candy cane!

Here we are waiting to see Santa!

Much Love,
Jenny

PS The girls already have their favorite Christmas song. It's Santa Clauses Party and it might drive me over the edge by Thanksgiving :)

When I bigger....

.....can I do that mommy????

Anna has been asking this more and more and it is so cute when she asks it. Today we drove by an ice skating rink and she said, "Awesome. When I bigger I do that?" She has mentioned that she wants to do dance, ballet, cheer leading, riding big girl bikeand sleeping in a bed like mine when she gets big.

And whenever she tries to snap her fingers like me she says, :mine don't make any noise. When I get bigger and bigger they will, like you."

Right now, according to her, "she's still big, but a little bit small."

I love that girl.

Much Love,
Jenny

New chairs

Dont they look just awesome!!!! We love them and their orange POP!

Now I just have to figure our the colors for the living room and find some prints and frames!!! It's coming along :)

Much Love,
Jenny

PS And the only time it looks like this is when we are all sleeping....... the rest of the time it's a toy disastar zone :)