Chloe is THREE!

My dearest baby girl,

You are three.  You have always been such a good and sweet girl, but yet strong willed and stubborn.  Most of the time you are easy to please but you are a bit of a perfectionist and opinionated on much more than most three year olds.  You love all things pink and sparkly and insist on freshly painted nails. (Your nails look better than mine most of the time.)  You love, love, love unicorns.  You have a collection now that will rival most.  I find it very endearing that you have picked something to love out of the ordinary, but yet still very girly and feminine, just like you.  You stay busy and don't like to nap most days now.  I blame that on me, as I am always feeling antsy, like something needs to be done so you ask often, "What are we doing now?" because you don't want to miss anything.  You also have a southern accent that everyone picks up on.  You say "I'm tirrrrrred" emphasizing the "r" like you were born in the backwoods of Florida.  (Actually your Daddy was, so maybe that is where it comes from.)  You love your "little brother Yates," which is how you introduce him to everyone and it is very apparent you are proud of him and the fact that you have a little brother- one that is so close in age to you that people often mistake the two of you for twins.  You and Yates are inseparable and while you love time alone with Mommy or Daddy on special days you worry about what Yates is doing, or where he is.  You and your little brother play together well, but he irritates you because he doesn't follow "your rules."  You love to play with legos, but you very strategically place them in towers and he just wants to push them down.  You are a rule follower.  You love to sing but you don't want people to sing with you.  (You love to hear yourself sing, and nobody can sing the way you can... trust me.)  You have an insatiable sweet tooth and have found that licking the icing is the best part of the cake.  You also love ice cream, with sprinkles, because that makes the ice cream pretty.  I love you so much my baby girl and while it seems as though it were yesterday that my water broke on New Years day three years ago and you were born the next day, I have loved watching you grow into a beautiful little girl.

I love you to the moon and back... and even farther... much, much farther.
Mama

Sick Day

Monday afternoon I took the kids to see the doctor because we have been fighting colds and a nasty cough for over a week.  Of course at the doctor's office they were just as perky as could be - isn't that how it always is?  Turns out Yates had an ear infection but Chloe, the one who kept complaining she didn't feel good, was just fine.

Since their doctor appointments were earlier in the afternoon we had a bit of time left in the day, which meant we needed to stop for ice cream - because ice cream cures all colds right?  Vanilla with sprinkles for Chloe because according to her it is "pretty" and vanilla with M&Ms for Yates.  After eating every. last. drop. in their cups  (Yates made sure his cup was empty) we headed to the park.  For a while we were the only ones there, and it was so nice to have space and fresh air to play in.  Chloe went down the big slide for the very first time with Yates and we ended our visit by feeding the ducks.

While going to the doctor is never fun, it was nice to spend the afternoon with my babies, just the three of us and it made me long for summer to come quickly so we can have more time together to do as we please without the busy days of the school year.  This was one sick day that ended up with everyone well again, including Mama who needed just one afternoon by herself with her little family without somewhere to go or something to do.

Countdown to Christmas

// Baby, it's cold outside //

// Watching and waiting for Santa //

// Storytime by the Christmas tree //

 // Gingerbread house making (and eating) //

// Santa sighting //

// Remembering Jesus is the reason for the season //

// Lots of loves, kisses and hugs around the Christmas tree // 

As for most this month has already been a blur, but we've managed to savor a few moments together as a family.  With Christmas just a week and a half away it's been really exciting around our house and I wish December could last just a little bit longer.  A few highlights of the past few weeks include visiting Santa three times- and getting over the fact that he was terrifying at first, taking a train ride to see Christmas lights, making (actually mostly eating) a Gingerbread house, and learning about why we celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ.

Next week includes the kids preschool Christmas program, more Christmas parties and a train ride on the Polar Express- complete with hot chocolate and a golden ticket.  I'm not sure who's more excited, the kids or me, but either way the memories we are making have my heart filled to the top of our Christmas tree!

The Most Wonderful Season of All

Yates won't stop talking about Santa Claus.  The fact that Santa Claus gave him a lollipop makes him one of his favorite people in the world.

Chloe won't stop talking about her birthday (January 2).  She's more excited about her party than anything to do with Christmas.

Yates does not like peppermint.  Not at all.

Chloe loves hot chocolate.  For breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and dessert.  If I have coffee, she demands hot chocolate.  If it's cold outside, she demands hot chocolate.  Preferably with whipped cream, not marshmallows.

Yates won't leave the ornaments on our Christmas tree alone.  Particularly the ones with a football, or his truck ornament.  He also insists whenever we are home the lights stay lit on the tree.

Chloe loves to sing Christmas carols.  She tells me that her favorite is Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

Chloe has asked Santa for a unicorn.  I'm really hoping she doesn't mean a real one.  I'm afraid she does.

Yates has asked for a lawn mower, actually lawn mowers.  Considering he already has a play push mower, I'm pretty sure he means a riding lawn mower just like Daddy's.

Santa has a few tall orders to fill before Christmas...

only 20 more days!

O Christmas Tree

On the way to pick out our Christmas tree Chloe told us she wanted a "big one," and Daddy never disappoints.  He bought us one of the biggest trees on the lot.  We spent the rest of the weekend decorating and singing Christmas carols.  This year Christmas has already been so exciting and I hope during the next few weeks time will stand still long enough for us to be able to savor the month celebrating the season as a family.