Friday I read to Noelle’s class and then Anna Kate and I had lunch with her!

Noelle and I were so proud of each other!

Anna Kate and I went to help Ms. Arnold after lunch with one of her Do-Not lessons that she and I brainstormed about earlier in the year.  She had a list of “Do-Nots” to teach the kids about how to prevent bullying and lend a helping hand.  And then, everyone got to make “Do-Nots” out of vanilla wafers, icing, and sprinkles.  It was a great lesson, and Anna Kate had a blast hanging out with the 4th graders!

This is what I saw when I came downstairs after tucking the big girls in one day last week.  I knew they were being quiet, but I didn’t know they were out!  Mike said they both just got cozy and fell asleep!

When we got home, Anna Kate asked me if she could take a picture with the Santa by our front door… who would have thought it?  This girl surprises me every day!

I took the kids to visit Santa at the Arlington Resale store that supports the pregnancy center where I counsel.  Noelle calls him the “REAL” Santa!

And surprise surprise, lookey here… someone wanted to sit in Santa’s lap after all.  She was so smitten!  She was a chatter box too!  And don’t forget the lovely Mrs. Claus!

Noelle and Santa had serious business to tend to, and she was really into it this year!  She’s asking too many questions though… I think this may be her last year to believe.

Anna Kate talked to Santa a bunch too but when she was sitting in his lap, she wouldn’t look at him.  She was really treating him like he was someone famous!

I didn’t try to let Rose sit in his lap… she was chillin’ and very content to stay in her stroller, so I didn’t dare mess up a good thing, if ya know what I mean! 

Rose has been standing and taking baby steps (haha) a lot this week!  She’ll be walking all over the place soon. 

After some morning pics, we went to story time with Mrs. Peggy and friends!

December 7, 2011

You’ve named one of your dolls “Katey Watey” because we always call you Anna Katey Watey. It’s so cute you named your doll that.

Today, you saw a manger scene and yelled out, “That’s Anastasia!!!” when you saw Mary. (Anastasia is the evil step sister in Cinderella). I was cracking up.  I don’t know what made you think that!  That’s the kinda stuff you randomly say all the time that keeps us laughing!

Also, big also, tonight you took a picture off the tack of the cork board (a big no-no). I asked who did it and you said, “A human.” I asked again, and you said, “A bad bad man!” Finally I told you that you needed to tell me the truth and I asked you one more time and you put your head down and said, “Me…” You felt really guilty. Haha! You crazy, girrrl!

December 9, 2011

Today we drove by the hospital and you pointed and yelled, “That’s where Rose lived!” instead of that’s where Rose was born. It made me smile so big!

I write journals for the girls.  It’s a place for me to go and talk to them… from silly little things they say that I want to remember to pouring out my heart to them about life.  It’s really intimate, personal and something special for me to do for them.  From time to time, I’m going to start sharing some of the lighter things that are fun:

October 18, 2011

I always say, “You’re a good girl!” and you always answer, “Well, you’re a good Mommy!” Instead of just “Thank you!” You are always thinking about others and give me so much love. You and your Daddy and your sisters are the best friends that I’ve ever had!

December 9, 2011

You love that the song “The First Noel” says your name over and over again… not only do you love it, you revel in it!  Since everyone sings your name at Christmas-time you said, “I guess that means I’m the Christmas princess!” And then Anna Kate chimed in, “Yeah! And I’m the rock star!” Today when the song came on the radio station, you were beaming in the back seat. I looked in my rearview mirror and you said, “I feel really special.” I was hoping you would!

The girls get to have a sleepover in our room one night per weekend.  They love it, and we do too!  Hearing them breathe throughout the night is so comforting!  Noelle got bonked in the face at school with a building block last week, so she’s had a nasty bruise on her face this week.  She said the little girl that did it apologized 5 times!  Every time someone asked what happened to her face she makes sure they know she apologized 5 times… it’s pretty cute!

Here’s Anna Kate sleeping with the velveteen rabbit Aunt Jojo gave us, and Bo, her whale pillow pet.

Saturday night Mike and I went to his company Christmas party.  It was fun getting all fancied up, but we didn’t get a picture… Rara took the big girls to Caidyn’s birthday party and Aunt Sharon kept baby Rose.  It was a lovely night out!

Here’s the girls with the birthday girl, Caidyn, and her little sister, Carson.  They had a blast at Caidyn’s cupcake party at ASI!

Anna Kate is SO silly… she looks just like our scarecrow in this picture.  I know that sounds weird, but I’ll take a picture of Walter so that you can see what I mean.  One day one of our friends said, “Your scarecrow looks freakishly like your middle daughter.”  I thought it was a really weird thing to say, but now I totally get it.  You will too.  Add that to the list of things to do.  Ha!

When Rara’s in town, the girls get spoiled.  A hot breakfast is her specialty.  She has so much energy to spare and love to share.  Sadly, I got a horrible stomach bug this week, but Rara got to stay and help (thank God).  I couldn’t even get out of bed… it was bad!

Here’s the breakfast line-up!

During the rainy down-time, Noelle drew some maps.  This is a map of how to get to her friends, Ainsley, Sydney, and Colbey’s house.  It is a few doors down so she drew arrows in between the houses to show how to get there!

This is a map of her school!  I love the “Jri Froo!” (Drive-thru)

Anna Kate was such a good girl one day last week, so I gave her a dollar and said, “Let’s go buy something fun!”  I had to run to Michaels anyway, so I let her buy something off of the dollar spot there (with a 40% off coupon so she could have some change for her piggy)… of course, as fate would have it, of all things, she picked glitter glue!  Not glitter glue for a 5 year old… glitter glue for a 2 year old!  Fun times ahead!  I got myself into that one!  Oh yes, and she begged and begged to wear her purple flip flops, but she didn’t scream or throw a fit about it (can you tell where we’ve been), so I said, “Sure… but your toes will be cold.” and she sweetly said, “That’s okay, Mom.”  And it was.