Our Bird Friends

My dad made us a bird feeder earlier this year and we finally put it up this summer. We took a break from putting seed in after I saw two HUGE mice eating food that was on the ground. I about flipped my lid when I saw them.  I figured out how they were getting into the yard so I put a brick there. Haven't seen any since.  I'm sure they still come in, but out of sight means out of mind.

In lat November, we put the seed back out and after a few days the birds started coming back.  The girls and I love watching them each day.  Sometimes there are seven dove at once sitting on the fence. We have even found them sleeping under the small tree and on our porch.  I don't mind at all.  Recently some finches have come too.  

Christmas Morning - Santa

Mallory was the first one to wake up (as usual. We woke Matt up and then went and got Maggie. Both of the girls were so excited to see what Santa had brought them.  Mallory was so cute because her first priority was to see if Santa ate his cookies AND to make sure the reindeer had eaten their carrots she put on the back patio.  Santa and the reindeer both had only left crumbs. Mallory was so happy!

Matt told the girls he wanted to take a picture of them with their gifts. Mallory was the first to strike a pose and Maggie quickly followed.

Mallory received the number one gift on her wish list - Sofia the First Royal Bed Set.  She also received a Strawberry Shortcake Berry Bitty Market. She loved both!

Maggie received a Dora the Explorer Backpack Toy Set and a Dora doll.

Their stockings were filled with Strawberry Shortcake toothbrushes, new containers of hand soap, field journals to scribble in and some other little random fun items.

Christmas Eve

Our tradition is to open our family Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve. We do this to allow more time and not be so rushed on Christmas morning since we will always go to McKinney or Greenville for Christmas Day.  Mallory and Maggie had so much fun opening their gifts from us and from each other.  Matt and I started a new tradition this year of only giving the girls six gifts.  They get something to read, something to wear, something they want, and something they need.  We also allow the girls to give each other one gift and of course Harold gives them a little something.

Mallory received the following this year- 

read - Strawberry Shortcake book with multiple stories include

need- London double decker bus long sleeve shirt 

want- Cinderella snap dress doll and extra snap dresses

wear- purple peacock dress

from Maggie- Max and Ruby coloring books, snack container, and bag

from Harold - Disney Princess water bottle

Maggie received the following this year- 

read - Dora the Explorer book with multiple stories include

need- paint set

want- Little People Disney Princess dolls to go with her new castle

wear- purple peacock dress

from Mallory - Dora the Explorer purse

from Harold - Minnie Mouse water bottle

Neighborhood Train and Santa

Today was the day of the annual Christmas even that the HOA puts on for the neighborhood children.  Mallory and I enjoyed the train ride.  Last year the train ran out of gas so Maggie and I ran to Target, while Mallory waited around with Amy and Ethan Berry.  This year I was able to ride it with Mallory and it was a lot of fun.  We both enjoyed ourselves. (Maggie was at home taking a much needed nap)

After the train ride, Mallory enjoyed a cupcake and played with Annalise who is in her pre-k class.  My ticket was actually drawn during a raffle and I won a $10 gift card to TGI Fridays.  Mallory and I will use that for a special lunch date when Maggie has her last day of Mother's Day Out this fall semester.

When we were leaving Mallory actually stood next to Santa AND didn't get scared. This is a HUGE milestone for her.  She even told Santa that she really wanted a Sofia the First Royal Bed set.  I was so proud of her for being so brave.

Icemaggedon

This is our only picture from Icemageddon. We stayed inside during most of the ice storm. I had no desire to go outside and risk falling and hurting myself. The girls don't need two parents that can't walk! Mallory and I went out for a few minutes today. It was cold!!!!

Trimming the Christmas Tree

We typically trim the Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, but that didn't happen since Matt went to the ER. Papa Nick helped me get the tree down from the attic and then a couple of days later I put it up all by myself. I was quite impressed with myself because that tree is very heavy. With everything that had happened in the past few days I just wasn't in the spirit to decorate the entire house this year. I also knew the girls wouldn't keep their hands off the tree so we just put up their ornaments this year.

Each year, we give the girls an ornament that represents something that special meaning to them that particular year.  This year we chose to give them an ornament that we purchased in London.  Matt and I bought these princess ornaments at the Windsor Castle gift shop.  Mallory and Maggie both loved them.  Mallory wanted to play with hers so we had to have several discussions of fragile they are and they are not to be played with.  I want them to be enjoyed for many years.

After we decorated the tree, we had our traditional Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes.   This has been a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember.  This year, Little Debbie came out with red velvet cakes and they were terrific.  

Here are the girls and Matt enjoying their treats.

Making a Gingerbread House

Last year, Mallory and I decorated our first ever gingerbread house and I decided to make it a yearly tradition.  This year, we let Maggie help.  I wasn't able to take pictures while making the house because I was constantly having to tell the girls to stop eating the candies.  Needless to say, I'm very impressed with our work since many candies WERE eaten!

This is the side of the roof that Mallory decorated.

The right side of the roof is what Maggie decorated. They both decorated the front.  I was in charge of the icing.

The picture describes what happened most days the house was out.  Maggie's little hand going towards the spearmint bushes wanting to eat them.  She just couldn't grasp that they weren't for eating and that they would not be good even if she could get hold of them.

Christmas Light Debaucle

Today started just like any other day, but it sure didn't end like any other day.  The weather outside was pretty nice so Matt decided he would finish putting up the Christmas lights.  Everything was going well until he started putting up the lights over the garage.

I was standing there (doing my job of holding the lights) and all of a sudden I see the ladder and Matt falling straight towards the ground.  We locked eyes and what was maybe three seconds seemed like three minutes as he came crashing down and bounced, and then rolled onto the driveway.  I ran over and asked "are you okay?" and Matt told me that he thought he broke his knee. I decided I had better call 911 because there was no way I was going to attempt to get him up and in a car with a possible broken knee.

The fire engine and ambulance showed up in a very timely manner, but it felt like forever.  Like clockwork, the sirens and lights show up to the house and all the neighbors come out to see what is going on.  (I would have done the same thing.)  The EMTs loaded Matt up on the stretcher and the firemen put up the rest of the lights for us.  I thought that was so nice of them to do.  Needless to say, Mallory and I took a large gift basket of goodies up to the firehouse the next day.

We received good news in the ER that no bones were broken. That was truly a miracle and I KNOW without a doubt that God protected Matt from something far worse.  Now we have to go see a surgeon to determine if there is any internal damage related to muscles and tendons.

Mallory's Fall Music Concert

Tonight was Mallory's Preschool Fall Concert.  We rolled her hair in sponge rollers the night before so she would look super fancy.  She chose this special outfit to wear.  The sweater used to be her cousin Abby's.

Mallory sang so well and did great!  We are so proud of her.  I wish I had pictures of the concert that I could post.  (Her school has strict rules about posting things online).

Happy Halloween

I am not sure why but I got ZERO shots of Mallory this year at Halloween.  Maybe it was because I was focusing all my time on trying to get Maggie to wear a costume. I don't know.  Mallory was Cinderella and Maggie was Maggie.  We had an elephant costume and a kitty cat costume for her to wear and she refused to put them on.  So glad they were borrowed!

We had a lot of fun trick or treating. Before we left, we had pizza and chili next door at Kaylee's house.

Buzzy Bee's Adventures With Us

Mallory's class has a mascot named Buzzy Bee and he comes home with a different child each Tuesday. This was our week with Buzzy and Mallory was so excited to have him come home with us. Buzzy spends two nights with each child and Buzzy journals his adventures. On Thursday, Buzzy goes back to school and the teachers read what Buzzy wrote to the class.

Buzzy explored our backyard and even ate nectar from our flowers.  He flew up into the play fort and even went swinging with Mallory.

  

Buzzy wanted to show off what a good flyer he is, but he ended up getting stuck in the tree.

Mallory wanted to take her stuffed dog Ogo for a walk so I carried Buzzy in his pouch.  He was very tired and needed to rest.

Buzzy slept with Mallory.  We were nervous that his snoring/buzzing would keep her awake, but it didn't. Whew!!!

Buzzy had a great time. He was very well behaved and I told him that he could buzz on back anytime he liked.

Blase Family Farm

I recently found a Groupon for a pumpkin farm not too far from our house in Rockwall.  Matt took the day off, I packed us a sack lunch, and we headed out for some fun.

We had fun feeding the goats until one got unruly and bit both Mallory and me.

Mallory and Maggie enjoyed playing in the hay.  It was supposed to be a mini hay maze, but it was pretty beaten up. They had fun so that is all that matters.

  

We then walked up the hill and went on an actual hay ride. The girls really enjoyed it.  After the hay ride we had our sack lunch at the picnic tables.  (Everything was shaded so that made it extra nice!)  Here are some pics of the girls having more fun.  We will definitely have to come back next year.

Funny Things From This Summer

I'm not very good at capturing all the funny things that go on, but here are a few that I was able to.

Mallory always hopes for the race car cart at Target. )There is nothing race car about it, but it reminds her of the ones at Lowe's.)  Today, Mallory spotted this cart sitting outside so I ran to get it. I couldn't dare walk to get it...what if another mom was eyeing it too! This cart allows the girls to sit next to one another and it has room for all our friends that travel with us to Target.  Here they all are today - Mallory, Doll, Pink Baby, and Maggie.

Matt and the girls playing around with the iphone.  Maggie looks like a little girl and not a baby in this photo.

I was working on my packing list for New York and Mallory asked if she could make a to-do list like I always do. This is what hers looks like.

"If I lie here real still will Mama think I'm one of Mallory's dolls?  If so, maybe I won't have to take a nap!"