winter days

Like most everyone else, we have been stuck inside the house for the past few days because of the cold and rainy weather. So our activities have looked a lot like this....reading...lots of reading! Here Quinn is reading Mercy Watson Fights Crime...one of our recent faves.

...and yesterday I caught her reading Junie B. Jones all by herself! We have also been building forts...

..and jumping on the bed...both my kids love to jump on the bed...and it is NOT against the rules at our house. I can't think of a better way to spend some energy when they are cooped up!

Oxford girls trip 2011 to Birmingham

There are some people in life that you have known forever...and these are my girls! I feel so fortunate to still be in contact with them and occasionally we all get to go on a fun trip and reconnect.  This trip we went to Birmingham and ate at several wonderful restaurants and shopped at the Summit. They are all so precious to me and when we get together, we often laugh until we cry. Can't wait to do it again!

100th day of school

We recently celebrated our 100th day of school! Only 80 more to go! :) Quinn's class had a fun dance where they counted to 100 in ones, then in tens, then in fives...and it had fun body movements to do as they were counting. This is one reason I knew Quinn would LOVE Mrs. Moak..she loves to dance and sing! They also got to bring a snack and count 100 of them out to put in the BIG 100th day munchie box. Then they all got to take a few scoops home. Fun way to learn counting for sure!

lately

As you probably noticed, I took an unintentional blogging break..so now to fill you in on what has been going on around our house! Tyndale LOVES to cut these little fruits and vegetables from his kitchen. And he never does anything in the kitchen without an oven mitt on! Safety first, you know... This 'mitt' is actually a baby doll's sock, but it works.

Quinn has learned how to make coffee for us...from start to finish! I feel like I live at Starbucks!! She loves to do it because it makes her feel like such a big girl...she even grinds and measures all by herself! Usually I have some coffee-grind clean up to do after she does this...but it is worth it! Both kids have been making us laugh a LOT lately...as an example...We were in the kitchen the other day when we heard Tyndale yell, "help! help!" So we went to investigate and found Tyndale under the bench in our den...with Quinn's riding helmet on..chasing after a ball. He thought he was stuck because the helmet was so big. We all laughed so hard...even T.

And last but not least, we have been doing a lot of dancing! It has been far too cold to get outside so the kids love to blare the music (Hannah Montana, Sleigh Bells, etc) and dance up a storm!

Pajama Day

Quinn had pajama day at school last week, so I dropped by to take some pictures.

Here is her whole class in their coziest gear!

splinter

One of our favorite babysitters, Miss Lydia, was home from Ole Miss for a long time for the Christmas holidays, so Quinn and Tyndale got to play with her a LOT! One night Brad and I went up to Jackson to meet Kristy and Noel for dinner and Black Swan...and when we came home.....

...this was the message that Quinn left us on our message board! Ha! The next morning we got the splinter out...just loved the note!

Year-End Interviews

Quinn
weight: 45 lbs.
height: 47.5 inches
favorite food: french fries
favorite drink: Pepsi (umm...has she ever had Pepsi??)
favorite book: Babar books
favorite book character: Ramona
favorite song: Twas the Night Before Christmas (from her program)
favorite movie: Grease
favorite tv show: Berenstain Bears
favorite place: Virginia..to visit Meme and Gee
favorite restaurant: Broma's
favorite animal: horse
favorite character: Chloe from Beverly Hills Chihuahua
favorite friend: Hadley
favorite toy: rocking horse
favorite color: white or blue
favorite thing to do: horseback riding
dislike: white potatoes
if I had one wish, I would wish...to have a barn and a horse
the best thing about being five is...reading books
when i grow up, I want to be....a dentist

Tyndale
weight: 34 lbs.
height: 36.5 inches
favorite food: corn dogs, cashews, anything with ketchup
favorite drink: anything in a can
favorite thing to do: vacuum, push his lawn mower, "go to work" in his car, dance
favorite movie: "animal movie"...Little Einstein World Animals or Neighborhood Animals, Cedarmont Kids movies (or Cedar Munk...as we like to refer to them...courtesy of Quinn)
favorite outfit: robot pajamas
favorite place: "pay-gound!" (playground)
favorite song: Behold/Knock Knock Knock from Cedarmont kids, Twinkle Twinkle, Jesus Loves Me
favorite toys: his lovies: Blue Boy, Udder One Blue Boy and Moo Cow
favorite things to say: "I not like that", "Quinn Boo-Boo!", "Who dat is?", "I ride in Mommo car", "Guess What? I luuh you!"

Christmas day!

Quinn and Tyndale are all smiles as we prepare to see if Santa came!

He did!! Tyndale noticed the main gift for him right away....

a motorcycle! Just what he wanted!

We adore Babar around here...so we were so excited that Santa brought several Babar books!

Tyndale mainly wanted to sit right by his motorcycle and wasn't really even interested in opening other presents at first.

Quinn got the karaoke machine that she wanted!

Daddy got some wooden spoons in his stocking and Tyndale decided to try them out in his kitchen.

Gimmie and Big Daddy arrived while we were opening presents...with more presents!

Big Daddy and Gimmie gave Quinn a beautiful chair that will match her pink desk perfectly!

We removed the furniture from the living room for the Eve of Eve party, so we had a japanese-style Christmas (that makes no sense I am sure)...all on cushions on the floor...next to all the presents! I think Tyndale likes his new "bank-et"!

After all of the present festivities and a nap for all, Meme and Gee came over and we all went to Big Daddy and Gimmie's house for more Christmas fun...and presents. Here Quinn is enjoying her new MP3 player that Meme and Gee got her. Daddy filled it up with Disney, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, and Sleigh Bells.

Betsy and James enjoying the fire.

All the cousins riding on Daddy's back...fun fun.

Thanks for your help this Christmas She-She! We will miss you until next time!

Meme and Gee left after Christmas day to help Grandma and Grandpa in Florida. Grandma has been having some health complications lately and they needed some assistance. The good news is that she has been doing amazingly well for the past few days and is recovering very quickly. We all hope and pray that she continues to make progress! We feel very blessed to have had a Christmas full of friends and family...love, happiness and chaos. :)

Eve of the Eve Party

Once again we celebrated the Eve of the Eve at our house. Here are Brad and I in our tacky Christmas sweaters.

Anna, Chad, Mitch and Holly. And yes, that is a handpainted ornament on the tuxedo shirt that Chad is wearing....

Mitch and Holly

Mark, Chad and our best outfit winner, Jason Anding.

Nic and Jason

Michael and Katy. I think Katy was a close runner up....I mean....the reindeer socks? Priceless!

Dorothy, me, Sloane and Holly

Jeff and Mitch....looks like he is talking about something very serious and important...that's always when people love for you to pop up in front of them and flash the camera in their faces...

Rachel, Anna and Glenda

Josh, Sloane and Chad. We had a very fun night...including karaoke, great food and friends!