Okay FINE

So Carly has been yelling "Daddy I want you!" "Daddy I'm scared!" "Daddy I need you to come HERE!" "Daddy I want you NOW!" "Daddy I'm so sad and I need you to come in here and sit on my bed and I need you right now-ow-ow-ow."

All with a very sad and pathetic wobbly voice that would be funny if it weren't so annoying that it's 8:30 and she should have been asleep an hour ago.

She's not tired at all because she slept for about twenty minutes this afternoon and we missed our walk due to Bree miraculously falling asleep after crying all day and Carly missed her recesses at school due to the rain.

I don't want to say it out loud. So I won't...I'll just say, not every day. Maybe a couple of times a week and on weekends. Also we're never missing a walk again.

Decos and Chicks

We're keeping it low-key around here...which simply means I'm not (technically) buying more holiday decorating stuff. So, that being said, I can neither confirm nor deny that those sparkly red candles and perhaps this sign and maybe a couple of tree-shaped votive holders were on super sale at Kohl's this morning and are now in our home.

Carly dressed herself on Sunday. I love it. And for her hair, let me see if I can remember exactly what she asked for..."two ponies and they are up, up, up and then twisty like doorknobs but they don't open acause that would hurt and all the hair in the back it is in clips so it's not messy and fallin' down." I interpreted her request to mean two little buns...and I was happy we figured it out. She was trying to open stickers with baby scissors - sweet girl sat there working at it for five minutes before asking for help.

My sweet little baby. I was trying to get a photo of her ponies while they were still in and she was just like this.

And in this photo, she looks SO much like Carly! You like my polka dot pants? I stole them from Paul. =)

You Wanna Hear a Funny Joke?

A few weeks ago I actually said out loud to someone that we probably weren't going to do that much decorating this year. It is a testament to that person's politeness that they didn't actually laugh in my face at that moment.

Because really. It doesn't get much more festive than Christmas and you know how we love us some festive in this house. More to follow of course! I'm sure the three of you are SO excited to hear all about it!

Thoughtful Girl

Carly decided to outgrow all of her pants the week the weather turned cold enough that she needed a new infusion of warm clothes anyway. It was just so convenient. And awesome that I had a valid excuse to get into Target like I've been DYING to do all weekend long.

Most of the toy sales were over (not that we needed anything, but still) and nothing was on sale in the Christmas section (although it was fun to look), but luckily for us most of the clothes we were looking for were still on sale. Yay for us! So we got a couple of pairs of jeans, a couple of pairs of tights, lots of basic t's to layer and one truly awesome sparkly chandelier shirt that I secretly wish came in my size. We also picked up a bunch of summer-season clearance skirts and t-shirts (in a SIX!!!!) for less than $2 each which was SO fun for me!

I can't tell you how much fun we had trying on everything. The three-way mirror is her best friend...of course I didn't ruin the moment by explaining how the three-way mirror becomes an evil, evil experience later in life. Let's just let her believe it's always magical and fun to be able to see your front side AND your backside at the same time. That is just too much truth for me. But it's SUPER when you're four! =)

So right now my little fashionista is wearing one of her skirts that are technically supposed to be for next spring...it's brightly colored stripes...with black leggings, a pink t-shirt, her cool rainbow shoes and gloves. She and Paul are gathering supplies for us to make our own cheesesteaks for the Eagles game later. We'll be putting up our inside Christmas decorations and just hanging out, enjoying our time together...it keeps hitting us that this is our last (fill in your event) in this house. It seems to have gone by so fast and we think that the shock will wear off soon. We have a lot of months left to enjoy this area and our friends here. =)

Birds

I found a nest in our tree.

The girls had a great time playing all morning with Poppy.

And they were sad when it was time to say goodby to Grammy and Poppy. Grammy and Poppy were sad to go! They have an eight hour drive ahead of them...not fun. Here, Bree is wondering if I'm going to get shoes on her feet before she can escape...

...and she won, making a break for it with the stroller while Carly was having a moment.

While We Weren't Shopping

It took all of my willpower not to shop today. It was so hard to resist. Thankfully, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Dennis invited us to the Renaissance Festival, which helped distract me from the skipping-a-sale ache in my heart. I know it's not really a deal if you buy something you don't need, but the frugalista in me dies a little bit to pass up a 60% off sticker.

The very first 'people' we met were these trolls. Their costumes were AMAZING! The he-troll even had these giant troll feet with huge black toenails.

There are some situations to which the only appropriate response is laughter. Like when an enormous troll is sticking out his tongue and growling right in your face and his troll girlfriend is trying to club you.

We walked around for a while and saw this guy - who happens to be the World Champion Jester (that title really exists and he really won it) - eating fire.

She said, "THAT. Is NOT safe." Uncle John (in the black) and I thought Carly was so funny.

Then Carly and Lilly rode "The Pretend Dragon It Is Not Real"

And we met the queen! I almost had to just leave when the queen said "Oh, huzzah" to Carly's curtsy. It was just a little too much...but Carly thought she was super awesome.

Post-jousting, Carly got a photo with a knight. She was the only little girl in a sparkly princess dress...everyone else who was dressed up had plain dresses...no tulle or glitter. Carly was like, "But why would you wear a princess dress without sparklies?" and I have to say I wondered the same thing. All the characters walking around would bow really big to Carly and for a while Carly would do a little curtsy back - it was totally cute.

Little bird perched on her nest.

Some random weird guy with a costume and a weird English accent told Carly he was going to take her snack....this was the face she made:

And then. I allowed my children to eat a deep fried Snickers bar. All the relatives that were there (Aunt Sarah, Uncle Dennis, Uncle John and Aunt Janet and their three sons) and Lilly and Joey all had a bite so there wasn't a whole lot for Bree and Carly...but still. A fried candy bar. If you want to take every single thing these girls are normally not allowed to have and roll it all up together and cover it with powdered sugar...they LOVED it.

Turkey Day! =)

We started the day with a chilly Turkey Trot. Carly and Poppy ran a mile in 13:22 (probably what my time would be...) and she did awesome. I think her resounding success was largely due to her magical noodle necklace.

Bree and I f-f-f-froze. By the end of Paul's race we were extra ready to get into the car and away from the wind.

And wouldn't ya know. We hit an unidentified piece of road trash and voila! Second flat tire of the week. I was so thankful that we stopped less than a mile from our house.

There is something special about my Aunt Sarah's house. Maybe it's the prisms? Bree was a big fan.

And we were introduced to the wonders of Uncle Dennis' iPhone. Here he is showing my dad the My Beer application. If you turn the phone sideways it makes it look like you're drinking a beer and then the glass empties. It's so funny!

We have so much to be thankful for this year...like every year. What a wonderful day!

Thanksgiving Eve

This is not related to anything, but I should tell you that Carly and I discovered that Target brand lotion tissues are sort of sparkly. We're big fans of sparkly.
***
Grammy and Poppy are here! They brought Max, aka Goggy, and he was on his very best behavior. He liked being petted and would flip over so we could scratch his belly. Every time that happened, Bree would be very worried and would say, "Uh-Oh! Goggy!"

Carly was tagging the fence.

I tried to explain to Carly that trash talking doesn't work with Chutes and Ladders.

Uncle Lynn came to have dinner with us! Bree adores him.

No he's not squishing the baby! She gives hugs like this...little tree frog. And Max is trying to work his weinie dog mind meld on me.

So...my first attempt at red beans and rice went over very well...clearly. Bree's little hand is cracking me up. She still can't see over the table so she reaches around until she finds something.

Then Bree put the Goggy to bed. She piled him up with blankets and stuffed animals. He tolerated all of it so well. We're very proud of him. =)

Today I'm Thankful For...

A flat tire.
We were on our way to a party and then our plans changed. Bree went in for a very short nap and while Carly and I were waiting for the tire-changing guy to come, we got twenty minutes of something we never seem to have any more...time where it's just us with nothing else to do.

It was pretty great.

The party was pretty great too. Amazing food that all the mamas ate way too much of and that the kids barely touched at all. Miss Julie didn't mind all of us destroying her home.

Bree...finally wearing the dress I bought for her eight months ago.

Look at that sweet baby face.