Teddy Bear Tea

Last Thursday, Karlee and I attended a Teddy Bear Tea at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center. I have heard about it the past few years but this was our first year to go. We had so much fun on our little date. It was a monsoon outside and I almost said we would just stay home but I am so glad I changed my mind.

We walked in and Karlee immediately went to talk to the big bear. Our hostess showed us to our table and there was a big surprise. Karlee had a new teddy bear sitting in her chair. We had brought one from home because I didn't know she would get one at the tea. So, we had two teddy bears join us for tea!



Karlee had hot chocolate for the first time and she enjoyed loading it up with marshmallows. Our lunch was served and Karlee enjoyed trying all the different tea sandwiches. But, I think her favorite part was when the big bear came and sat at our table with her. She kept hugging him and giving him high fives. It really was sweet.



After lunch was served, the kids gathered around the fireplace and sang Christmas carols. There was an "elf" named Eli that sort of ran the activities. He was phenomenal! He flitted and fluttered around and made me tired just watching him. Then he read two Christmas stories and both happened to be some of Karlee's favorites, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Twas the Night Before Christmas.




After story time, we went back to our table and enjoyed lots of sweet treats. We boxed some of them up to bring home and share with daddy and Madelyn! I hope to be able to attend this next year. Maybe Madelyn will be able to join us and some other friends. We were the only table of two. Karlee asked why she didn't have any friends sitting with us at our table (I actually knew no one else there ... hard to believe!).

First Round of Christmas Gatherings

On the weekend before Christmas, we kicked off our Christmas celebrations with gatherings for both sides of my parents families. Saturday we headed to my Mawmaw's house for an afternoon of fun with my dad's family. My aunt, uncle, and cousin were here from Louisiana which was a special treat for everyone. We enjoyed yummy food and opened a few presents. My Mawmaw sews really well but has a hard time getting to it these days. She just can't sit for hours on end and finish something like she used to. I have always told her that as long as she is able, I would much rather have something made by her than anything bought in a store. So, I was excited when Karlee opened her gift and found a Christmas apron, a Christmas cookbook (child's cookbook printed on fabric and sewn together), and a regular everyday apron. This is a perfect gift for Karlee because the child is always in the kitchen wanting to help cook and wanting to just create something of her own. Madelyn also received her own Christmas apron, everyday apron, and a Christmas fabric reading book. The excitement continued when I opened a matching Christmas apron and an everyday apron. These are treasures for me that I will keep forever. Now, every Christmas, we can put on our matching aprons and whip up some special treats and always have my Mawmaw with us. Of course the kiddos had to open a toy each too because my mom said they just had to have a toy to open. Like we really need more of those!!



On Sunday afternoon, we spent time with my mom's side of the family at one of my cousins house. This Christmas gathering can get chaotic quick with all the people and all the presents that the aunts, uncles, and cousins always have. This year was different though. The young kids still draw names and the adults play dirty Santa. But, instead of all the aunts and uncles buying gifts for all the kids, we decided to adopt a family. Our entire family is blessed with what we have so our kids do not need all the gifts that they usually come home with from this gathering. We chose a family that has a student in my cousin Jamie's class. Each family contributed whatever they wanted to give and Jamie had a wish list from the family. They did not know the teacher was doing this. Someone from the principal's office just told the family that another family wanted to help them out for Christmas and to please provide a list of the things they most needed. Jamie and Tabatha went shopping on Monday before Christmas and the items were delivered to the family. The fact that our massive family could help a family in need enjoy Christmas was so fulfilling. We can all get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas and not stop to think about the real reason for the season. We were able to spread our joy and love to a family that we have never met. I truly hope we continue this tradition.

My girls enjoyed their gifts and Madelyn was funny figuring out how to unwrap them. She is at such a fun age and her little face lights up with everything.

Caroling on the Porch

Karlee had her first ever big Christmas program today. She has talked about singing songs for the past few weeks and has belted them out in the car whenever one she knows comes on the radio (I keep it on the Holly station during December). I found out today how she knows the words to "Feliz Navidad" and why she says "she ain't gettin nothin for Christmas"!! The entire program was so cute. It's amazing watching the 3, 4, and 5 year olds together and seeing how much Karlee is going to grow and change over the next 2 years at Indian Pines.










Karlee did great and sang (for the most part) all of the songs and did all of her hand motions. Watching all the kids was just hilarious! They all sat and sang for about 30 minutes and only at the end did a few of them get restless (notice the two boys putting the decorations in each others hair!!).



The class Christmas party is tomorrow and a special visitor is supposed to make an appearance. I bet I know who it will be! Stay tuned ...

Ballerina in the Making

Last Monday, the parents got to come into the dance class and see what the girls have learned so far. I was very impressed with my little ballerina. After only 2 1/2 months, Karlee was doing very well in her bar routine and floor routine. Plus, she was one of only a few that were listening to the teacher and not cutting up in front of all the parents!!





I didn't get too many pictures because I was trying to video too. I needed more hands. Chip was wrangling Madelyn! I can't wait until the recital in May to see them do their full routines for ballet and tap. My goodness, watching Karlee dance at Nix brings back so many memories from my childhood. I hope she loves to dance as much as I did (and still do!!).

My Special Place

I absolutely love a Christmas tree, especially a real one. There's just something about the lights in a dark house and the ornaments twinkling in the lights ... and the smell (my favorite part).

After I put the girls to bed, I usually lay on the couch for a little while before heading to bed (catching up on Facebook and Twitter!!). Plus, Chip is usually watching something I could care less about on TV in the bedroom. My night time ritual just has a whole new vibe to it in December.

I couldn't help getting out the camera to capture a pic of our tree a few nights ago. I'm quite fond of it this year. Please take notice of the wrapped boxes along the hearth. This is my best attempt at keeping Madelyn out of the tree (and out of the fireplace!). They are just diaper boxes filled with junk to give them some weight. There is usually a huge box in front of the tree that is an actual present for my dad but I moved it for the picture. That crazy child was getting up on the hearth and walking over to reach the tree. I have no idea how it has not been pulled over before I came up with this idea. Karlee never bothered the tree but Madelyn is a whole different story!

Festive Fun

I love this time of year. There are lots of things around town to take the kids to. Last week we went to the Auburn Hotel and Conference Center to see the gingerbread houses that the school of architecture builds every year. Karlee loved the trains going around two of them. We met up with the Spratlins and Mason loved the powdered sugar that was all over the tables representing snow! We all stayed and ate at Ariccia afterward. The meal was yummy and we were a sight with 4 kids under the age of 4!!






Little momma telling baby sister "no no" when she wanted to touch (pull off) the ornaments!


Then on Sunday, Chip, Karlee and I headed to Atlanta to see "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" at the Fox Theater with the Spratlin family and the Hensarling family. We all left our babies at home to spend one on one time with our first borns. Karlee, Mason, and Tanner had so much fun together. And, we could not have asked for them to be any better behaved than they were. Complete angels the entire day. The musical was fantastic!



After the show, we took Karlee to Lenox mall to see Santa and headed to Magiannos for dinner (one of our favorite Italian restaurants). We had a very long day and this sweet child was a trooper. Lots of fun memories were made that day!!

December 1 ... Special Delivery

Last Thursday night, Karlee and Madelyn came home from grandmomma's house to find a special delivery had been made. Karlee noticed something shining on the wall upstairs next to her room and went running to see what it was.

She found that someone had put a shining snowman outside of her bedroom.



Karlee then noticed that her bedroom was glowing red. She walked in to find that Mr. Sprinkles had moved her little Christmas tree and was sitting in it holding a note.



Chip read the note (notice Madelyn is very interested in hearing what it says!). Mr. Sprinkles had delivered a big bag of wrapped Christmas books ... 25 to be exact! He told both girls that he had flown around the house and gathered all the Christmas books they already had and Santa included a few more new books straight from the North Pole. The note instructed them to open one book a day to count down the days until Christmas and they had to take turns picking out the book and opening it. Karlee's eyes were as big as quarters and her smile was priceless!




Karlee of course said she was first to pick out the book and open it. She dove right in and came out with "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" first. She was so excited!!





The big bag of books includes Santa and reindeer books, but also includes many books about the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus. We have all enjoyed seeing what book will be pulled out each day. We do this at night after bath and it's fun to sit in either of the girls rooms and all read the book together. Madelyn sits for most of it!! Her favorite part is crawling in the big bag and picking a book.

Mr. Sprinkles has to say a big thank you to Pinterest for the idea!!

Griswold's ... I Think Not!

Karlee has been very excited about decorating for Christmas this year. Driving around town at night, she yells "there's some Christmas lights" every time she sees some in someone's yard. Sunday morning before the rain started, Chip brought down the wreaths from the attic and got out the spotlights to decorate the outside of the house. Karlee helped hang the wreaths and made sure they were straight! She then told us where to put the spotlights and helped stick them in the ground.

I went back inside with Madelyn and about 10 minutes later, Karlee came inside and said she was ready to put the lights on the trees outside. WHAT? I looked at Chip and he said "yep, she wants to put lights outside on the trees." Now, don't take this the wrong way but I'm just not a "light up the neighborhood with our Christmas lights" kind of person. I enjoy seeing it in other people's yards but I just prefer a nice wreath on the windows at my house.

I could not tell that sweet face that was full of excitement "no" so we compromised with just lighting up the bushes by the mailbox so daddy didn't have to drag out the ladder to decorate the trees. We drug a few lights out of the attic and made sure they worked. Karlee helped Chip take them outside and they went to work wrapping them around the small bushes. Notice Karlee has on her work boots (and still in her pjs!). Madelyn had to join in on the fun too.






I'm pretty sure it won't stop with just lit up bushes in the years to come. Once she sees the neighbors with blow up decorations, she'll probably want one of those too. I have to admit I did see a Santa that pops his head out of a Christmas tree the other day and thought it was cute (cute for someone else's house though!!).

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

We ventured out to "pick" our Christmas tree on Friday afternoon. Karlee loved running through all the trees and finally settled on the perfect one. We went smaller than usual this year because I'm very afraid wild child #2 is going to pull it over on top of her before December 25.

We came home and put the girls down for a nap while Chip and I got the tree set up and ready to decorate. When they woke, a special visitor had arrived.




Mr. Sprinkles was waiting outside the door with a package. He made his annual delivery of the box of special ornaments for Karlee and Madelyn to hang on the tree. Karlee was so excited looking through the box and hearing me tell her what the ornament represents.



Chip and I strung the lights while Karlee kept asking if it was time to put the ornaments on yet. It was so much fun to see how excited she was to decorate for Christmas this year. She's really gotten into it all. We let Madelyn get into the bag with the plastic ornaments so she could help also.






I really love our Christmas tree. It's not fancy or any kind of theme. It's almost like a story of our life. I have an ornament that was given to my family when I was young from an elderly lady that lived up the street from us on Clearmont Street named Ms. McCollum. I have ornaments from the year I bought my first home in college and had my very first Christmas tree of my own. I have special ornaments that Chip's Granny hand-made and gave me at a Christmas shower before we were married. She passed away the year after we were married. Of course I have "Our First Christmas Together" from 2002 when Chip and I got married and baby's first Christmas for both the girls. I have a picture ornament of Karlee from each Christmas and one for Madelyn from last year (this year hasn't been made yet!). All the handmade ornaments that Karlee made at Parkway were hung by her this year. Besides the plastic balls (replaced the glass ones this year because of wild child #2!), every ornament on our tree has a story with it. I hope to pass these along to the girls one day and hope they carry the stories along with them. Pulling out all the ornaments is one of the most special times of the Christmas season for me.



The picture above was about half way through. I didn't get a finished version photo because I had my hands full keeping Madelyn from trying to get in the tree! Separate post about this adventure coming later!!