The Daily Skup

I love January

2012-01-28T07:17:00.000-06:00

There was a time when I disliked the month of January. In the South it is usually our cold, dreary month. (Not that it gets that cold down here but I would consider this month our "winter".) It always seemed to me that the month of January dragged on and on. This month was always the hangover to my holiday high. Taking down all of the Christmas decorations was depressing and sad to me. December is always so incredibly busy with so much going on and then January comes and our calendar is empty. I felt as if January was boring and drab. It definitely was not my favorite month or time of the year. But over the last few years, my view of January has drastically changed and it has now become a month I love!

Now I love the slow pace of this winter month and the quiet and peace it brings. It is now the month when I can recharge my batteries and start fresh with a clear calendar and a clean slate. It helps me to refuel from the holiday high and to catch my breath. It helps me be better prepared for a busy spring.

This January has been a little different than others. It has been quiet and nice and relaxing but it has also been warm instead of cold. Our weekends have been spent playing outside and spent together doing fun family things. I have really made progress on my cleaning out the house project because I have time to work in the house. It has been so nice to realize that nothing is on the calendar for the weekend so we have made last minute plans to the movies and to the zoo. We have spent time watching football and playing board games. All reasons why I love January!

January = time! And who doesn't love having a little free and extra time in their week? There is no other month like January on my calendar.

Now my favorite month is coming to a close and we move into a very busy February and then spring.

January was good to us this year and it didn't disappoint. I would have loved for it to have been colder but I have to realize that wearing shorts in January (like we do the rest of the year) is part of living in the South. I'm over it already! Maybe we'll get a few winter days in February.

The best part of January has been spending even more time loving on these two.......

They really are growing so fast. I know all parents say it all of the time but it is so very true. I am treasuring this time with them at home. I am one of those strange parents who loves having my babies home with me everyday. Sure there are times when I feel like I am going to pull my hair out and lots of times when I feel like they are always under my feet but I truly cherish it! I keep thinking about how next year MK will go to school 5 days a week instead of 3. And then the following year she will be in kindergarten, all day - every day, and Walker will be in preschool 3 days a week. Those days are right around the corner. They won't be under my feet forever and when "the going gets tough" around here, that's what I tell myself. Before I know it my January days will be spent in a quiet house. Then I may change my mind again and dislike this month.

But right now, in the year 2012......

I love January!

And this silly girl......

And this adorable boy.....

It makes me take a deep breath, thank God for my beautiful family, and look forward to the busy weeks and days ahead. January has been spectacular for us this year! For really no other reason than that it has let us recharge and spend that extra time together. There was not much of a holiday high for me this year. I have to admit that the holidays were a lot on me for some reason it took it's toll. January has been my high and I hope I can carry this reinvigorating feeling with me throughout the rest of the year. So thank you January......until next year!

**I took these pictures at the very beginning of the month before we took the Christmas tree down. I had been planning on writing this post for a month now but time spent with family and away from the computer postponed my plans. I have been somewhat of a slow blogger in January but it has fit with our schedule. Look for things to really pick up soon! Enjoy the last few days of your January - I know I will!

Zoo days

2012-01-27T07:32:00.000-06:00

We have had a very unseasonably warm January this year. In a way it's been nice because the kids have had lots of time to play outside and the sunshine and warmth have made for some beautiful days. But I miss winter. January and part of February are usually the only cold months we get down here and this year it has felt like spring instead of winter. But at least it has allowed us to do some fun things on weekends! Last Sunday it was near 80 degrees so we decided to take the kids to the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. My in laws gave us the great gift of a season pass to the Audubon Zoo for Christmas and we plan on taking full advantage of it by visiting the zoo and aquarium often! Thank you so much Nana and Baboo! Our first trip to the zoo this year was a blast!

We spent most of the day at the playground at the zoo. After seeing the flamingos, elephants, and white tigers, we went to play for a while.

Both MK and Walker enjoyed the playground. It had lots for each of them to do.

They crawled through the tunnel......

Walker tried to climb on everything. He was pretty successful most of the time.

MK spent lots of time on the slides because they were just her size. She doesn't like the really tall slides. She's still working on her courage to go down the big ones. But there were several at the zoo that she was very comfortable going down.

Our little monkey climbing......

Peek a boo! I see you!

A different slide.....

MK even taught Walker how to slide and he loved it..........

WHEEEE!

Sliding together........

Our kids love the Audubon zoo because they have a carousel. It is a beautiful carousel with lots of animals you see at the zoo on it. And it goes fast! Jeremy and I got a little dizzy. Walker rode it 3 times and MK rode it twice.

Walker chose to ride the zebra first and he did not want me to take his picture. He want the carousel to GO!

While we were on the carousel, Jeremy was helping MK on the monkey bars. He was teaching her how to hang by herself and the right way to get across the bars.

We were so proud of her. Gym has helped her confidence and made her brave enough to try this several times. And she really enjoyed it - so did Jeremy!

Walker loved this tunnel. He would crawl through and slide down. He played with some other children his age or a little older than him.

I love watching him observe another child and then figuring out how to do it himself. He is such a fast learner. He is always trying new things.

I really enjoyed watching our two play and like I said, we spent most of the day here. They had such a great time on the playground!

Go Molly Kate! Climbing up and swinging all by herself. Daddy is a good teacher!

After playing for a long while, we headed to the carousel again. MK chose to ride the alligator on the carousel and Walker rode the leopard.

Then we went to the cafe for lunch. Usually I would pack a lunch but because this was a last minute trip, I packed only snacks and knew we could get lunch at the zoo. These two enjoyed chips while we waited on our food.

lunch at the cafe......

Doritos - Walker says, "Yummy!"

With our bellies full, we walked around the zoo a little while. MK sat and watched the monkeys for a long time.

Walker watched the monkeys for about 3 minutes and then found a little stage to dance and play on.

We stayed on that stage for a long time. There were lots of kids playing together on it. MK and Walker had a ball. We couldn't get them to leave that area.

Enjoying time at the zoo together.......

Getting down! This boy loves to move and groove!

Then before we left the zoo and called it a day, guess where we ended up again? Yep, the playground.

And the carousel......

Walker said, "frog - ribbit ribbit" when I asked him which one he wanted to ride. So here he is on the frog.

MK rode the flamingo because it was next to the frog. Neither of them would look at me.

But Jeremy did! Hi Daddy!

My sweet loves! It was such a fun day. I absolutely love doing things together as a family.

My best girl!

After several hours at the zoo, we were all worn out and ready for the ride home. MK slept the whole way home but Walker kept us company. Jeremy and I were exhausted after chasing after them all day but it was so worth it. The weather was perfect and the day was too! I know we will be visiting the zoo again soon - especially if the weather stays warm this winter!

Sunday at the Movies

2012-01-25T07:31:00.000-06:00

This month we spent two Sundays at the movies. We took the kids to see Chipwrecked (the third chipmunk movie) and Beauty and the Beast. I was so excited that Disney was re-releasing Beauty and the Beast on the big screen. It has always been one of my favorite movies and Belle is Molly Kate's favorite princess. We chose not to see it in 3D because I didn't think MK would keep the glasses on the entire movie. Mimi came with us to see Beauty and the Beast and Walker slept in her lap through the whole movie. He ate a little popcorn and then passed out and didn't wake up until the very end. MK has seen Beauty and the Beast several times at home so she knew the story and the songs. She enjoyed seeing it in the theatre and so did I. It is such a great movie.

In the lobby of the movie theatre were Alvin, Simon, and Theodore figures. We had seen the chipmunk movie a few weeks before so the kids wanted to go see them.

Of course our wild man would't stand still long enough for me to get a good picture of him with the chipmunks.

"Talking" with the chipmunks........

MK posed for me with each one. Here she is with Alvin.

And Simon.......

She looks like she is posing with her best friends. Isn't this a cute picture? My sweet girl likes to pose and she is looking so grown up these days.

My sweet boy doesn't like to pose much. He doesn't have time for that but he will every once in a while. He had a blast checking all of the arcade games out.

After the movie we walked over the the bookstore to read and play. The bookstore is still one of our favorite places to hang out.

We all enjoy spending Sundays at the movies. It is a fun family outing for us!

Gym parent watch day

2012-01-22T08:11:00.001-06:00

Molly Kate takes a gymnastics class every Tuesday at the Little Gym. She absolutely loves it! There are 8 children in her class and her teacher is Mrs. Erin. MK adores her teacher and classmates. They have all become good friends and have so much fun in class together. Mrs. Erin is a fantastic teacher and is so good with each child. She has really helped MK overcome some of her fears and MK is so comfortable with her. Gym is such good exercise for MK each week. They run, jump, flip, roll, tumble, and climb. MK started at Little Gym over the summer because she showed interest in gymnastics. She loved it so much that we decided to continue the class this year. I love it because she is learning skills in a laid back, fun, safe environment. I have been so surprised with how much MK has learned and how much braver she has become. When she first started gym she wouldn't even walk on the beam at all. Now she'll walk on the high beam and with Mrs. Erin's help even roll on the beam! It has been so good for her confidence. She looks forward to Tuesdays because she knows it is gym day! A few weeks ago, it was parent watch day at gym so I got to go in and watch her class. Walker stayed with Mimi because I knew he wouldn't watch. He'd want to participate and disrupt the class. His turn will come. The kids started out behind a mat and Mrs. Erin introduced each child. They would run out and do a trick and then go stand by the wall. MK was all smiles when she ran out! This was the end of her trick.......

Then they showed us how they skip, gallop, and run. They have to really listen and follow the directions. I love MK's braids in this picture.

When they move around the gym they make a train and follow the leader.

They also showed us how they connect to each other by hanging on to the feet of the person in front of them. They moved around the mat as a team. It was so cute!

Running and having fun!

Waving to Mommy and the audience. She loves being in front of an audience and eats it up.

I wish this picture were brighter but the look on her face was so cute.

After completing some tricks they raise their arms like this and say "Ta-da!"

They showed us how they do forward rolls........

This is most of her class standing by the wall waiting their turn.

Then they did monkey jumps.......

And donkey kicks.......

And they lined up to go to a new part of the gym.

MK climbed like a spider up the rails and then through the circle mat.

She waited her turn with Mrs. Erin to show off on the low bar.

Mrs. Erin helped each of them pull themselves up and over the bar. They flip back first.

And then hold it......

Then flip forward to get down.......

MK patiently waiting her turn.......

They moved to a new station and MK did lounges on the low beam.......

And ran her feet up the mat to get up on the little bar.

Swinging like monkeys.......

Waiting her turn for the high beam......

An attitude on the beam - working on her balance.......

Checking to make sure Mama is watching her - especially on the high beam!

And Mrs. Erin helped each chid do a forward roll on the beam......

Yay Molly Kate! I was so very proud of her!

Swinging on the bars.......

Waiting her turn by the wall.....

Finishing the class with a big "ta-da!"

Then they clapped and worked on rhythms on the mat.

I had a great time watching my sweet girl perform her tricks and interact with her friends. I am so happy that she enjoys gym. It is so good for her. I love that she is a performer and that she smiles so big! I know she'll enjoy this second half of the gym semester just as much, if not more, than she has the first half of the semester. Can't wait to watch her again in May and see her new skills and tricks!

Playtime

2012-01-18T08:21:00.001-06:00

These two spend a lot of time playing together every day.......

I often find them on Walker's bed reading books together. Be still my heart! I love that they are siting together and love even more that they are "reading"!

This is Walker's favorite book right now. It is a board book that has lots of pictures in it. MK use to like this book also. Walker's favorite page is the shapes and numbers page. He knows most of his letters, can count to 13, and is learning his shapes. He can recognize the heart and circle but all the others he doesn't know as well. I really need to work with him on colors and shapes more. But at 20 months old, he knows a good bit.

MK loves all books and "reads" every day. She is putting sounds together and actually reading 3 letter words on her own these days. Her teacher noticed that she was starting to read words before Christmas and brought it to my attention. It is amazing to me because she sounds out the letters in her head - not aloud like most of my students would. She literally looks at a sentence like: A red fox ran, takes a minute to sound it out in her head, and then reads it aloud. She has always loved books, letters, and words and I try to foster her love for reading each day.

I also often find these two playing kitchen in MK's room or jumping on her bed.......

We recently took her bedrails off and they don't jump anymore. I think they are afraid they'll fall off. I will hear giggling coming from her room and when I peek in, this is what I see.........

And sometimes I even capture this moment.........

One of their favorite things to do is to climb on Daddy. They are blessed with a Daddy who comes home from a long day at work and is willing to play with them. They love playing with and on Daddy!

Daddy likes to tickle them. They climb on him likes he's a jungle gym.

Siblings are built in play mates and it makes life at home fun. Sometimes they like to play by themselves and lots of times they fuss over the same toy. But recently they have been working it out and taking turns much better. I find as Walker gets older and older, MK is more willing to play with him. She can get pretty bossy but he doesn't seem to mind. He does exactly what she tells him to because he knows that is the only way she'll play with him sometimes. In fact recently she told him that she was the medium boss and Mommy was the big boss. She also told him that he is a little boy and she is a big girl so he has to listen to her. We'll see how long the "obeying" lasts but it works for now. He absolutely adores his Sissy and loves any kind of attention from her. He learns so much from her by watching, listening, and imitating. I can honestly say that MK gets her bossiness honestly - just ask my Mother or Grandmother! Poor Walker will just have to live with it until he gets old enough to tell her that she's not his boss! I can remember my Mom telling me that I was not my brother's mother. I use to boss them around the same way MK does Walker. I would even punish them and send them to their rooms. I was definitely a little mother and MK is too.

I say it often but I am so thankful that MK and Walker have each other. It sure makes days at home more fun for them!

Tebowing

2012-01-18T07:46:00.000-06:00

Molly Kate and Daddy "Tebowing" after the Denver Bronco playoff game..........

Tim Tebow has become quite popular lately. He has gone from backup quarterback to the starting quarterback for the NFL team the Denver Broncos. But he has not only become popular for his skills on the football field. He is extremely popular and talked about because of his religious views. Tim is very open about his faith and beliefs in God and he lets the world know it! In my opinion, it is hugely refreshing to see a professional sports player with this kind of attitude. He is truly a role model in every sense of the word. He is kind, humble, talented, and above all thankful to God. He gets down on his knee after a big play to give thanks to the Lord. It has become somewhat of a phenomenon - everyone across the nation is getting down on one knee to imitate him and they call this pose "Tebowing". Of course there is lots of controversy about his talent and especially about how he shares his religion with everyone. But for whatever reason, Tim Tebow has become a household name and has the nation taking notice. And for some, turning to religion again. I think he's pretty awesome. He has been the same since his college days at the U. of Florida. Even though he gets made fun of all the time for showing his love for the Lord, he doesn't let it stop him, change him, or get to him. A role model for sure! There needs to be more of these young men in sports for our children to look up to - they need to know that it is not about the money, the cool cars, the touchdown dances, the endorsements - it's about staying true to yourself no matter what the cost. So I say Go Broncos! I am a Tim Tebow fan and I love that MK and Walker know who he is. I don't mind at all that they want to try and imitate him - even if they don't fully get it right now. I hope they will one day and will look up to the Tim Tebows of their world. Can I get an AMEN? Or at least can you strike this pose and "tebow" with us?????

The Broncos and the Saints lost over the weekend in division play off games. They are now both out and won't be making an appearance in this year's Super Bowl. Now I'm pulling for the Giants and a former Rebel, Eli Manning!

Purple and Gold

2012-01-17T09:06:00.000-06:00

This year LSU played for the National Championship. They had an incredible 13-0 season. The game was on January 9th in New Orleans. LSU played Alabama and it was #1 vs. #2 - a rematch or the "game of the century redo". (If you remember these two teams played in the fall and it was dubbed the game of the century.) This month they played each other again for a shot at the national title. I think the entire state was painted purple and gold on Monday, January 9th. There was so much excitement about the game - it was all that you heard about on tv or the radio and it was definitely the topic of conversation around town. MK's school are big Tiger fans so of course they had purple and gold day on that Monday. She modeled this LSU dress for me.......

Walker wore purple and gold too but didn't want to take a picture. Mimi recently got him these "LSU" shoes.

This was the best picture I could get of the wild man that day........

MK actually wore this little outfit to school because it is more comfortable than a smocked dress.

It was a very warm January day so before school, the kiddos played outside.

You know it's warm if MK is wearing a sleeveless top and Walker is in a shortall. This picture looks like they are playing in the month of September - not January. But this is the South and we have been having a very mild, pretty warm winter. Walker, as you can see below, was thrilled that I was taking his picture.

When Sissy was at school, Walker continued to play outside. I will say that is a benefit to having a warmer winter. We can play outside in January. Walker got this Toy Story 4 wheeler from Santa and he has LOVED it!

He can't steer but he pushes the button and off he goes - up and down the driveway. Again he was thrilled having his picture made. He was just NOT in a picture mood. I have a lot of people tell me that he is alway smiling in pictures and seems like such a happy boy. And that is very true most of the time. He was just having a straight face kind of day.

And a determined to not look at the camera kind of day!

Unfortunately Alabama won the game by a huge score. It was a blowout. LSU looked and played terrible - the worse they've played all year. They definitely didn't look like a 13-0 team. But you can't win them all! And although every Tiger fan was so disappointed, I reminded them that it could be worse. They could be an Ole Miss fan and have not won one SEC game all year. It really was an awful game but LSU had a great season and are already picked to be high in the rankings next year. The hype was fun and my family had a great time in New Orleans. College football is now over and it's time to get ready for the NFL playoffs. WHO DAT - GO SAINTS!!

Here comes the bride

2012-01-12T14:38:00.000-06:00

If you are wondering if this little girl still likes to play dress up........

This should answer your question! For Christmas, MK got lots of new dress up clothes from Grandma Sugar, Mimi, and her cousin Ashton. They all know how much she enjoys high heels, crowns, and pretty dresses. Mimi gave MK this bride vail, flowers, and shoes. MK paired it with my very first dance costume - that blue dress she is wearing in this picture. That costume is 32 years old! I was the age MK is now when I wore it in my first dance recital. Talk about vintage - the costume has held up well over time.

When MK dresses up she loves to pretend that she is a specific character and she usually does a show about that character for us. On this day she was the bride and the show was about her royal wedding.

And Walker didn't want to miss out on the fun. He tried to sneak into a few pictures with the bride. She told him he was too little to be the groom. He didn't seem to mind.

Here comes the bride, all dressed in blue!

My girly girl has always enjoyed playing dress up and she does it every single day. She loves to make up songs, music, and dances in her costumes. She has accumulated quite a collection in her dress up trunk. I love her vivid imagination and I love seeing her fashion sense shine!

LSU/Ole Miss basketball

2012-01-12T14:26:00.001-06:00

Over the weekend, Ole Miss came to town to play LSU in basketball. My Uncle Bobby gave us tickets to the game so we got all dressed up in our red and blue and took the kiddos to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center to watch the Rebels play. We got there early so that we could see Mike the Tiger. It was such a warm day. The kids were able to enjoy some time outside on campus.

Getty'up Tiger!

MK wanted to just hang out on the Tiger's tail.......

I couldn't get a good picture of Walker because he wouldn't stand still for long.

After having fun with the statue of Mike the Tiger, MK and Walker went to see if they could find the live Mike the tiger.

He was napping in the shade. I can imagine that his fur coat makes it pretty warm on days like this. You can see him to the right of MK laying down.

My cousin, Amanda, and her two boys joined us. They were decked out in their purple and gold.

We attempted to get a picture of all 4 cousins but didn't have much success.

We thought the game started at 12:00 but it didn't start until 1:00 so we were there very early. It gave the kids a chance to watch the players, cheerleaders, and dancers warm up.

Ole Miss played terrible. It looks like we are not going to be good at basketball either. LSU won by a big score. MK got some "real" LSU cheerleader pom poms. She cheered for both teams.

Walker was pretty good during the game. He didn't sit still in the seats too long. I walked around with him. He loved climbing up and down the steps in the Assembly center. He got an LSU basketball and had a blast playing with it in the corridors.

We left at halftime because we were all starving. We went to Pastime for pizza before heading home.

Too bad the Rebels didn't win, but we had fun at LSU. When we got home MK did some cheers with her new pom poms.

And Walker actually stood still and posed for a quick picture. Too bad it's not a clear picture. I grabbed my phone and not the camera because it was the closest thing to me and I know he doesn't stand still long!

It was a fun family afternoon and it's always good when we get to wear our red and blue down here. Even when the Rebels lose. Hotty Toddy!

Reunited

2012-01-09T07:55:00.001-06:00

There is a song that has lyrics that go, "reunited and it feels so good". Well we were finally able to get together with our play group twice over the holidays and that song came to my mind as I watched the kids play together. The "big" kids have been together since before they were one. Molly Kate, Devin, Noah, and Wyatt are good friends and always play well together. They have literally grown up with each other. Now we each have a "little" kid too and it's fun to see them interact with the big kids and the kids their age. I hate that we haven't seen our friends very much this year. The big kids have all started preschool and we are on different schedules so this fall we have only gotten together a hand full of times. We are thinking about getting the little ones together while the big ones are in school. Walker really needs to play with kids his age and I really need the girl time with my Mommy friends! I love our play group and we have really missed our friends. After Christmas, we got together two weeks in a row. It was unseasonably warm so the kids were able to play outside. They loved being outdoors and we soaked up the 70-75 degree spring weather. The kids found a pile of leaves and had a blast. I tried to capture a little bit of that fun.........

These look like fall pictures instead of January winter pictures! A pile of leaves and good friends makes for a very fun play date! I hope we get together with our play group again soon! It was so good to be reunited again!

Hugs!

2012-01-07T08:17:00.001-06:00

There has been a lot of this going on in our house lately...........

and I absolutely love it! MK and Walker are into giving hugs to each other. They wrap their arms around each other and walk around. And they are always laughing and smiling when they hug.

They think it's funny and I think it's sweet. These are the moments I want to bottle up and remember forever!

Does it get any sweeter? Love my babies!

Believe me, they are not always this sweet to each other so I have to capture it while it lasts. This is what they do part of the day and the other part of the day I am refereeing fights over toys or telling them to stop hitting. But they do play a lot together. Especially these last few weeks since MK has been on a break from school. I'll take the fights as long as they come with hugs daily. This is an incredible sibling bond that they will share forever! I pray they always look after each other and take time to hug!

2012

2012-01-07T07:54:00.002-06:00

We welcomed in the new year by relaxing and cleaning. On New Year's day we put up most of the Christmas decorations and I started on my "spring" cleaning project. One of my resolutions is to get this house in order and to completely clean out each room, closet, and cabinet. After 6 and 1/2 years in our house, we have accumulated a lot of stuff and half of it needs to go. It will take me the entire month of January to complete this project but it has begun and I can't wait until everything has a place again! We spent the entire day playing and enjoying each other's company. I love family days at home with Jeremy and our babies. Walker wants to wish you all a Happy New Year!

Before bed, he got his second wind and was being a wild man! I love his Elmo pajamas and he does too!

Obviously my cleaning project didn't start in the living room. Because we were home all day the kids drug out lots of toys into the living room and they were still there at bedtime. We really need a play room for all of their toys!! They have consumed our house and are everywhere. It doesn't matter how much I organize them or how many toy bins we have, they still always end up scattered throughout the entire house. Sign of the times......that's what I keep telling myself. One day they will trade their toys for Nintendo DS, clothes, and electronic things. Toys will not be under my feet forever although it feels that way now! MK and Walker literally play with everything they have and they love their toys. I clean out the toy bins every few months but keep their favorites. MK does a descent job of picking up after she plays with something but Walker messes up when he cleans up. It never fails, I will have just put up his toys in a basket or organized them and he is right there behind me to dump them out. It drives me nuts!

So having a "clean" house with an active 19 month old and 3 year old is not in the cards right now. Plus add that to my very lacking housekeeping skills and then you can see why I need to "spring" clean this house! My only resolutions this year (and they are big ones) are to keep a clean house, eat healthy, stay active, and take time to love my babies each and every day!

2012 is going to be a good year!

I can feel it and I think Walker can too!

Here's hoping I can stick with my resolutions longer than the month of January. And please forgive the red eyes in these pictures. I haven't had time to edit them out.....I'm too busy cleaning......and busy with the kiddos. Next week we get back to our regular routine of preschool, dance, and gym. We have enjoyed some down time after the holidays but seem to do better on a routine. I am looking forward to kicking off this new year. There is something exciting about the clean slate of a new year. Happy 2012!

New Year's Eve

2012-01-03T17:39:00.001-06:00

We spent New Year's Eve with family again this year. My brother and sister in law, Patrick and Blair, invited us over to their house for a small party. Patrick BBQ's and Blair makes all of the sides and always has yummy desserts. The kids were excited to go over to their cousins' house. Clara and Molly Kate took a ride on Clara's new horse, Lucky.

These two had a great time with each other, like always.

Walker thought he was a big boy and tagged behind the big kids. He pretended to be a knight with Clara's sword.

And then he did a little sparring with his big cousin, Clayton. I tell you what, this boy learns alot from those big cousins of his!

MK modeled a crown.......

And Clara and MK tried on all sorts of New Year hats, headbands, and crowns.

I would say that they love each other. It's pretty evident in these pictures.

They really had a good time being silly and playing together.

I couldn't get a picture of my two together so I settled for this........

Walker tried blowing the horn like Clayton did.

My New Year baby........

Only he's not really a baby anymore! He's definitely a toddler and sometimes he thinks he's a BIG boy.

MK and Walker were both scared of the fireworks this year. We stayed inside while the others shot fireworks. MK was really worked up and nervous about the loud noise so we left around 9:00pm to go home. We turned on Dick Clark's rocking New Year's Eve from Times Square on tv and watched a few performers. Walker fell right to sleep. MK finally fell asleep with her hands over her ears. Thankfully neither of them woke up at midnight. In our parish it is legal to pop fireworks so on New Year's Eve, 4th of July, National Championships, big football games, and the days leading up to and after these events are a little crazy. It's like being in Disney World for the end of the night fireworks show. I can understand why MK didn't like them this year. I don't really care for them either. MK spent the next night like this in Jeremy's "ear muffs". At least that's what MK calls them........

She slept great since she couldn't hear the fireworks. It was a low key but good night. It's always fun to celebrate with family and we enjoy going over to my brother's house for this holiday. Happy New Year!

A Smokey Mountain Skupien Christmas!

2012-01-02T07:18:00.000-06:00

We got together on the night of December 27th this year with Jeremy's extended family. The Skupiens Christmas party usually has a theme and this year it was a Smokey Mountain Christmas. We all got together at Ryan's place again this year. He has the perfect garage/space. Uncle Scott made pizza and hot dogs on the grill, Baboo made chili, and there was all sorts of other yummy "camping" foods. Of course we had a fire and s'mores for desert. Lauren had decorated to make it feel like we were really in the Smokies and had cute signs that said "don't feed the bears" and "Gatlinburg 604 miles" hanging around the garage. It was a great theme for the Skupiens and made me miss the Smokies. We had such an awesome time there this past summer. After catching up and visiting with family, we ate dinner, and then it was time to open gifts.

Grandma Sugar always gives the kids a bag full of presents. She shops all year long for Christmas. This year MK and Walker got some clothes, a keyboard, snow globes, and shoes. MK's favorite gift from Grandma Sugar was a box of dress up clothes. Walker's favorite gift of the night were the M&M's from his second cousin, Miles.

Jeremy's aunts and uncles always give our children gifts. Aunt Nita painted them each a plate. I am holding Walker's in the picture above. Aunt Lila made MK a precious red pillow case dress and Walker got his big blue reading chair. He loved it but we don't have a picture of him in it because Jeremy had already packed up the camera before he opened it.

This is the scene as all of the adults and kids exchange gifts. It is fun for everyone.

My favorite gift of the night was this beautiful pink pillow case dress for MK. Aunt Lila had made it from one of Mamaw's blouses. The buttons on the dress even came from the blouse. It made me cry! This was such a special and sweet gift. I can picture Mamaw in this blouse and I can't wait to see MK in her new dress. It will be something we save forever and hopefully can pass down to other generations.

Besides the M&M's, Walker liked this dinosaur and his new truck. He was a busy body most of the night and when he wasn't running around outside, he was being friendly and visiting with everyone.

While the adults played Dirty Santa, MK tried on some of her dress up clothes. She danced, sang, and twirled. She put on a show for everyone.

And we tried to get a family picture this year. This is Grandma Sugar with her 3 children and their spouses, her 6 grandchildren, and her 8 great grandchildren. This picture makes me smile. MK would say, "We are all Skupiens!"

Then we decided it would be fun to do silly faces........

And then straight, serious faces.........

We all had fun! It was a great party and a great night. I really enjoyed catching up with Jeremy's cousins. We don't get together very often and it's always nice to visit. Thank you so much to Grandma Sugar and all of the Skupiens for the wonderful gifts. Our Christmas marathon is now over. This was our last event and it was a fun one! Now Christmas is officially over. It sure was a great 5 days. We are exhausted but so blessed! I am looking forward to celebrating the New Year next and then taking time to relax and rest!

Christmas at Nana and Baboo's 2011

2012-01-01T12:51:00.000-06:00

This year we celebrated Christmas at Nana and Baboo's house with a breakfast on December 27th. The cousins woke up and played for a while. They all hung out near the Christmas tree. It was so cute to see them all anxious to open their presents. We had to keep Walker away from the gifts because he would open them all. Nate helped with that by keeping him busy and entertaining our wild man.

Nate is such a sweetheart to Walker. He takes such good care of his little cousin and loves to hug on him. Walker just adores Nate and Luke. I love pictures like these of the cousins having fun hanging out and just being together. It melts my heart. We do not see our Georgia cousins nearly enough. We are going to try and see them more this year.

We couldn't contain the little ones for long. They were ready to get the party started. So before we had breakfast, we shared and opened gifts. MK got 2 really cool pop up books from Nana and Baboo. She loves the Princess pop up book and looks at it all of the time.

Luke and Nate seemed to really like their dragon pop up books too.

Walker got a bard book because he is too young for a pop up book. He would tear it up!

MK got the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls and Walker got a fun boat with fish and a ride on toy.

All the girls got Hello Kitty blankets and umbrellas. These were huge hits with all 3 of them. Stella had to make sure her umbrella worked.

The adults exchanged gifts while the kids looked at all of their new things. We all got some wonderful things! My favorite gift was our renewal for a family membership to the Audobon zoo and aquarium. Thank you Nana, Baboo, Walt, and Sarah for all of our gifts!

The Skupien clan opening presents........

It looks like Christmas morning! This was the first year that we opened gifts in the morning and we all enjoyed it. It may be our new Skupien tradition. Charlie was helping Walker put together his train made of blocks and MK was observing everyone and everything.

After all the presents were open and the trash picked up, Baboo made a big breakfast and we all sat down together to eat. I am so happy that we do this with our family. These times around the table all together are so special. We are definitely creating good memories and traditions for our children. The children don't sit long but they sit long but the adults do. I love being able to sit in my pj's, drink a cup of coffee, and catch up with family. It's the best way to start a day!

And while we were visiting over coffee, trouble and trouble were sharing a cereal snack. You have to watch when Stella and Walker are together. They make for a fun but explosive combination!

Nothing better than girl cousins! I love and adore my cousins and I am so thankful that MK will grow up loving and adoring hers too. Charlie and MK also shared a cereal snack.

Walker was introduced to rock music and headphones by his big boy cousins on this trip. I asked Luke what were they letting Walker listen to and Luke said, "you don't want to know!"

Walker was hooked.

He'd find their Nintendo DS and put on those headphones every chance he got. I think he just liked being like the big boys.

And apparently he liked the rock music too!

Jeremy and I took the kids downtown in Ocean Springs around lunchtime. We just wanted to get some fresh air and walk around. I love to window shop downtown.

We found this little boat (in Louisiana we'd call it a pirogue) all decorated for Christmas. It was so fitting for the Mississippi Gulf Coast so I made the kids pose for a picture.

We had such a nice Christmas in Ocean Springs this year. It was so much fun being able to be with family and especially being able to spend the night. We still have one more party to go......then our marathon will be over. Merry Christmas from the Mississippi Gulf Coast!

Mississippi sleepover

2012-01-01T09:37:00.000-06:00

We went to Ocean Spring this year on December 26th. Molly Kate was so excited because she was finally having a "sleepover" with her Georgia cousins. She and I both love when the family all spends the night at Nana and Baboo's house together. It was a rainy afternoon and both kids took a long nap on the way to Mississippi. When we got to Ocean Springs, we took the kids over to Danny's house for a visit with the his family. We do this every year and always have a great time with Mrs. Leslie, Mr. Jason, Charlie, Carmen, "Uncle" Danny, and "Aunt" Brooke. For the last few years Danny and Charlie have made fish tacos and we eat and catch up. Danny and Brooke got engaged on December 23rd! We are so excited for them and can't wait for the upcoming wedding! The kids had presents to open from Uncle Danny and Aunt Brooke. Walker loved his ride on toy.......

And MK got this Princess doodler. She and Aunt Brooke put it together and colored. MK also got 2 adorable outfits. I can't wait for her to wear them. Thank you so much Uncle Danny and Aunt Brooke! We love ya'll!

After our visit with the Wilders it was back to Nana and Baboo's house to play with cousins and eat pizza. MK and Stella read a book.

The girls played dress up and put on a show for us. Stella was a half naked ballerina, MK was a witch, and Charlie was a flower child. These girly girls are so cute together!

Don't you just love their poses?!

The wicked witch of Mississippi.......

Walker hung out for a while but had fun chasing around his big boy cousins.

The girls got out the colors and coloring books and colored together for a while. This is why I love having sleepovers with cousins........

because you can capture priceless moments like these.

Nate and Luke both took time to play with their "baby" cousin, Walker. Walker would walk around saying, "Nate, Nate" when we couldn't find the big boys.

It's funny how the girls pair off and the boys pair off. They all played so well together on this trip. They had a great time at Nana and Baboo's house.

The boys showed Walker all kinds of new tricks.

MK adores and looks up to her big girl cousin, Charlie.

It had been a long time since we had spent the night at Nana and Baboo's. MK had a hard time falling asleep because she was so excited. She kicked Jeremy out of the room in the middle of the night because he was snoring so loud. We were all excited about celebrating Christmas with Nana and Baboo the next morning!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2012-01-01T08:40:00.000-06:00

After a relaxing and fun morning, we went over to Mimi and Papa's for a gumbo lunch. This has become a favorite tradition of mine in recent years. When I was growing up we always went over to my Nana's for a traditional Christmas lunch. Now we have a very small group of Yarborough's gather at my parents house and we eat Patrick's gumbo. It is a much quieter afternoon than the night before and I usually can find more time to visit with cousins, aunts, and uncles. Our kids are the only kids there on Christmas day. The gumbo was delicious and the desserts were too. After lunch, the kids had fun showing off a few of their new toys. MK showed Grandma her new i pod touch. This was a special gift to her from her Daddy.

Walker was turning on all of Mimi and Papa's Christmas toys and dancing and marching around the living room.

Mimi got a Wii for Christmas and we had so much fun dancing to Abba songs with my aunts and girl cousins. MK had fun dancing to children's songs. She had to keep her brother from ejecting the disc several times.

Then we had a concert in the living room and rocked out with Elmo!

MK played the guitar and Walker and Morgan played the keyboard and drums.

This is MK's rock face!!

Rockin' it out some more.......

Then it was Walker's turn to play guitar.......

All holiday, they have both loved turning on all of Mimi and Papa's noisy Christmas toys. Every time we go over there, they have all of them on at once. Papa has even enjoyed it and I have found him singing Christmas songs and dancing with the kids a few times.

I absolutely love these outfits on my two! Laura in Mississippi made these adorable baby Jesus outfits for MK and Walker. They are so different and unique and perfect for Christmas day!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

It was a fantastic day from beginning to end. Now it's time to pack for Mississippi! We have the Skupien family Christmas celebrations in the next few days. We are only on day 3 of our marathon Christmas parties! Looking forward to our road trip and partying a little more!

Christmas morning 2011

2012-01-01T07:57:00.000-06:00

Molly Kate was anxious to open the presents under the tree this year. Last year she waited a long time before she was ready to open gifts on Christmas morning, but not this year. She wanted to see what was all wrapped up! She and Walker started unwrapping........

MK got a Leapster 2 and some fun games to play on it.

Walker got a puzzle with lots of different locks. It probably won't take him very long to figure out how to unlock each one.

They both got a few board games, a doodle pad, and a Little People play set. MK's was a castle. Walker's was a train.

They both had fun ripping into that wrapping paper. Walker was into unwrapping this year. He wanted to open everything. He just likes to rip and tear things.

Walker got more Yo Gabba Gabba figures to go with the ones he got at the live show. He was very excited about this!

And MK loved this Angelina Ballerina dance with me game. She had given it to her girl cousins, Clara and Stella, and I knew she wanted one for herself.

Walker opening his train........

Our living room on Christmas morning.........

This is Walker's determined/what am I doing wrong face! He was getting into Sissy's games and wanted to check out and open her Doodle Bear.

One happy girl on Christmas morning!

We tried our best to get a picture of our two together in their pajamas. You can see how that turned out......

Walker really loved Sissy's kitchen. He cooked all morning long. You can tell he's been working in the kitchen. He takes all of the food out. Notice the food all over the floor and kitchen.

MK spent some time taking care of her Bitty Baby. She fed her and changed her diaper on her new changing table. She is a good little Mommy.

Walker tried to open every box he found, including this toothpaste.......

I had to get another picture of his determined face. This look kills me!

MK's baby was well fed. She even ate fruit and bread from the kitchen.

The kids played with all of their new things all morning long. Christmas morning is so much fun! I made waffles but neither of them ate. They were too busy playing.

Walker loves his Elmo and all of the instruments that came with him. He just sings along with Elmo.

Walker must be making cookies. This is part of having a big sister - he learns how to wear oven mits and play in pink kitchens. He watches everything his big sister does and does exactly the same. We have been baking a lot over the last few days and every time he hears the kitchen timer, he'll say, "ready!" I guess now it's his turn to bake a few Christmas cookies.

Jeremy and MK hooked up her Leapster 2 to the computer so that she could start playing games.

Showing Daddy how to do it........

One more attempt at a picture in their Christmas p.j.'s........

Our big girl in front of the tree. She had such a great morning. Our tree started out with only ornaments at the bottom but has ended up now having only ornaments on the top half thanks to Walker pulling all of the ornaments off.

Walker really didn't want to stop and take a picture. There was too much for him to play with and new things to get into!

I know I took a ton of pictures (like I always do) but I just want to remember this morning forever! I want to remember their expressions, their looks, their smiles, their laughs, and their excitement this Christmas morning. Time, and especially the holidays, go by so quickly! I try to capture every moment and memory that I can. Oh and I have to thank my sweet hubby for my beautiful framed pictures and camera. We had said we weren't getting each other gifts this year but he surprised me with a few wonderful things! I don't write about Jeremy much because I write so much about the kids. But I can tell you that I have a wonderful, thoughtful, sweet husband who I loved dearly. And who I share each of these experiences that I write about with. He is usually behind the camera helping me capture these moments. Hope your morning was as special as ours was this year! Merry Christmas!

Santa stopped here!

2011-12-30T22:02:00.003-06:00

I guess the Reindeer food Molly Kate put out in our yard last night worked. The glitter must have done it's job and shined brightly in the moonlight, making sure that Rudolph would see our house and stop with Santa and his big bag of toys. When our kiddos woke up on Christmas morning, this is what they found......

Santa left Walker the Rockin' Elmo that he asked for and a Toy Story ride on car, and a mini race track.

Santa left Molly Kate the pink vintage kitchen with the bowl of fruit on top that she asked for and a baby doll changing table.

Walker woke up first around 6:30. Jeremy and I kept him out of the living room for as long as we could. It gave us time to set up the camera and get ready for Christmas morning. Finally at 7:00 we had to wake Molly Kate up. She never sleeps in but she was so worn out from the last two nights that she probably would have slept until 8:00. She opened her eyes and we were all in her room. She said, "hey I didn't know all of ya'll were here." Then she realized what day it was and the next thing out of her mouth was, "did Santa come?"

The first thing Walker did was get on his car. He knows how to hold down the button and go!

MK ran to her kitchen and then checked out the stockings and what was around them. She was most excited about the stickers and mini lalaloopsy's that Santa had brought.

Here they are checking everything out........

And of course, Walker had to check out the kitchen too. He loves to "cook" things. There were a few fights early in the morning over the kitchen but I had expected that and we settled them pretty quickly.

And the morning pretty much went like this.........

There was a little cooking and a little sharing,

a little riding,

a little crying (I can't remember why now but I'm pretty sure it had to do with sharing).

There was a little rearranging,

a little drumming with Elmo,

and a lot of smiling!

Walker got his turn in the kitchen while MK looked at what was in her stocking.

These are Walker's two favorite fruits: banana and apple. They look pretty real and I think at first he thought he could eat them!

MK enjoyed pulling surprises out of her stocking. She loved everything that Santa brought her this year.

Then we finally got Walker to look at what was in his stocking.

He was most excited about this toothbrush and toothpaste. He loves to brush his teeth.

There was a lot of playing and then MK was ready to open the gifts under the tree.

I absolutely love Christmas morning. I love my kiddos in their Christmas pajamas and their faces when they run out to see what Santa has left for them. Jeremy and I were both just as excited as they were. All the stress was definitely worth it - this morning was definitely one of the best mornings ever! I know my kiddos would agree!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-30T21:42:00.001-06:00

We spend Christmas Eve with the Yarborough's each year. It is the way I have spent Christmas eve my entire life and I absolutely love it. Most years it ranks right up there in the running for best night of the year. I always look forward to being with my entire extended family on this night. And I really look forward to the Italian food! This year, Molly Kate and I met lots of my family at 4:00 mass - another family tradition. Jeremy and I decided it would be best if he stayed home with Walker. Mass is so crowded and Walker will not sit still for long. There would be no place for him to walk around and we have to get to the church 45 minutes early to get a seat. So wild man had so say his prayers at home. After mass, we all go over to my parent's house for a big party.

Walker had a blast chasing his big boy cousins, Beau and Clayton around. Michelle helped round them up for a picture. Wild man thinks he is 7 years old like his big cousins. He forgets that he is just 19 months old. Boys will be boys and he certainly fits in with the rowdy ones in our family!

The best Christmas gifts to me every year: my sweet babies! We did not get a family picture this year. The night just got a little hectic and the kids are usually not in the mood to take many pictures. I was lucky and so happy to get this one!

Jeremy is always so sweet and tries his best to take a few pictures during the night. It is hard to carry around a camera, eat, visit, watch the kids, and open presents. We typically do not have many pics from this party each year because there is just not enough time and we just don't have enough hands.

MK and Walker enjoyed opening gifts from Great Nana and their great aunts and uncles. MK loves Squinkies and Great Nana gave her a play set with a ferris wheel for them to ride in and a box of 100 Squinkies. Walker got a dog that sings and dances. He gives the dog hugs and kisses.

Walker was tired and not feeling great so he was pretty clingy to me. I was also not feeling well so we were both a little overwhelmed by all of the action and excitement. When my extended family gets together there is easily 35-40 of us. That makes for a very loud and exciting night. MK was also a little overwhelmed by all of the wildness of the night but by 9:00 pm they had both gotten their second wind and were running around adding to the wildness.

Walker wanted to open everyone's gifts. He'd go up to a present and say, "open" and just start tearing into it. That is why I had not put any gifts under our tree at home. He would get so upset when we would take the present away. He just wanted to unwrap everything.

MK helped pass out gifts to everyone and she also helped us open presents. She was so excited about Santa Claus coming tonight. It was so sweet to see her enthusiasm for this special night.

We made it home and put the kids straight to bed. I know for a fact Mrs. Claus and Santa were going to be very busy all night long!

Christmas Eve Eve

2011-12-30T21:17:00.001-06:00

Tonight is the night before Christmas Eve so I call it Christmas Eve Eve. The children are tucked away in their beds, most of my cookies are baked, and all of my presents are finally wrapped. We celebrated at Mimi and Papa's house tonight with my immediate family and it was such a fun night. I am now sitting at the computer very late, listening to Michael Buble's Christmas album and pondering where the last month has gone. It truly feels like Thanksgiving was about 4 days ago instead of 4 weeks ago.

This time of year is so hectic and busy. I like to take time on this night in my quiet house to just stop and reflect. It seems there is so much to do to prepare for Christmas and then it comes and goes so quickly. That is probably the only thing that I don't like about the holidays. I want the shopping, stressing, baking, no sleeping, and craziness to all be worth it over the next few days. Usually the magic of the holidays do not disappoint me!

There is so much to say about my thoughts and feelings right now but I am soooo tired! The preparations for this year's holiday have worn me out! I do want to say that I feel so happy, blessed, giddy, excited, and emotional. Every year I want it to be the "best Christmas ever" for my kiddos and my family. I try very hard to give our children cherished Christmas traditions and memories that will last a life time because my family did this for me. I still can think back to Christmas pasts and the warmth and excitement I felt being surrounded by family. I want that for my children - mostly for them to feel that warmth and love at Christmas. I feel that as their Mommy I am helping to "write" their story and by golly, Christmas will always be a big chapter in their life books - hopefully a chapter they remember for always. So see, I don't put any pressure or stress on myself this time of year. This is part of the reason I am so tired tonight! And it doesn't help that we have all come down with soar throats and runny noses. But do you see the hugs and smiles in these pictures in this post? I'd say that my babies feel the warmth this Christmas season!

There was so much more I wanted to do this holiday season but we just ran out of time. For example, I really wanted to go out one night to look at Christmas lights but the rainy weather and runny nosed children kept us from being able to do that this year. We will find time next year! Even though there are things that we did not do, there are so many things that we did do. My blog is proof of that. I just looked back at what we did during the month of December and realized how much we had going on and all that we have done to celebrate and prepare for Christmas this year.

And in looking back at this past month, I feel completely satisfied, grateful, and happy. I have definitely felt the warmth this Christmas season. And even though there will always be more that I want to "write" in my children's life stories, at least I can be happy and content with the present and what we are living and doing now! So tonight there are no regrets or worries, just excitement for what is to come in these coming days. It's time for me to turn off the computer, Christmas tree lights, and Michael Buble and to go to sleep. We have a very fun, very busy few days ahead of us! Merry Christmas Eve Eve to you and yours.

Christmas at Mimi and Papa's 2011

2011-12-29T08:22:00.001-06:00

Mimi and Papa have us over each year on December 23rd for their Christmas party. We eat pizza and sweets and visit with my Grandma, Poppo, Nana, Mimi, Papa, my brothers and their families/significant others. It is always a very relaxed evening and so much fun for the kids. I am so glad that my Mom has started this tradition for our family. I grew up with lots of Christmas traditions that stand out in my memories and I know this night will be one that stands out for my children as they grow. Mimi and Papa's party starts a 5 day marathon of family Christmas parties/events for us. We will keep celebrating Christmas with family until December 27th this year. How lucky are we?!!

Walker was so excited about his new wooden rocking horse. He took it for a ride before we opened gifts. He loves to ride on things so this is perfect for him. While the adults ate and talked, the kids entertained themselves. Walker chased MK and Clara around the living room and they all sang Christmas songs and danced. They had fun playing all together.

This was the most excited I had ever seen Molly Kate. She has begun to realize that she gets to open presents and get new toys at Christmas. She has been so excited and ready for Christmas this year. MK woke up with a big smile and was giddy all day long. It reminds me of how magical Christmas is for kids. I can remember that feeling and that excitement. I still feel it now, especially when watching my little ones enjoy this special holiday. And I know that Christmas is about Jesus' birth and we stress that every day during this season. I completely agree that it is about the giving rather than the receiving. But I agree with that now as an adult and I enjoyed "getting" as a child. We do a big Christmas in our family and we always have, even when I was a child. My parents enjoy giving to our children and they may spoil them rotten - but I am ok with that at Christmas! I grew up with huge Christmas mornings and I understand the true meaning of Christmas so giving lots to our children now, won't hurt them later. I tell MK and Walker that Jesus loves us so much that he lets them open gifts on his birthday. We should all live so unselfishly. Because he does that for us, I make the kids pick out toys for the needy and we try to "give back" all throughout Christmas time.

Precious girl cousins, Clara and MK were all smiles. This is a great picture above of both of them. I cherish these kind of moments at Christmas. They are sharing the love! Walker tried to get in their picture too below.

The best picture we could get of Mimi and Papa's 4 grandchildren: Clayton, MK, Clara, and Walker. They are standing in their birth order but I think it just happened that way.

Can you feel the excitement?!?!

Grandma, Poppo, and Mimi were ready to watch the kiddos open gifts.

These two were surveying the scene and trying to decide what was in those pretty wrapped packages.

Walker still doesn't really get the present thing yet. He was laying on the floor and surveying people's feet instead of the presents.

It was finally time to start unwrapping.........

Pink rollar skates, lalaloopsey doll, board games, pajamas, a baby doll with lots of clothes and accessories were among MK's gifts.

Lots of trucks, a zoo, talking and learning toys were among Walker's gifts.

Walker loved these boots from Mimi and Papa.

He opened them, sat in the middle of the floor, and took his shoes and socks off. Uncle Chad helped him get his boots on.

And then Walker was on the go in his Sesame Street boots.

This kids loves to put on shoes so these were perfect. I have a feeling he'll be wearing these a lot.

MK was so happy!

She loved everything that she opened and was ready to start playing with her new toys.

Walker loved this Ernie from Poppo and Grandma. He hugged it and walked around with it for a long time. It is one of his favorite characters on Sesame Street. My Poppo's name is Ernie so it was so fitting that they gave this Ernie doll to Walker.

Walker tried opening gifts with one hand. He didn't want to let go of Ernie. Walker would open something and want to take it out of the box to play with it immediately. We had to take everything out of it's packaging. Mimi helped him open gifts and I helped MK.

Opening together.......

Uncle Chad and Aunt Christal gave Walker this drum and you can tell it was a huge hit with him!

He loves to drum on everything! He sat their and banged on it for a long time. He even put down Ernie to play the drum. That entertained him while the adults opened gifts.

The girls played together with their dolls. They took this doll to the beauty salon and were also entertained for a long while.

Thank you so much to Mimi and Papa for all of the wonderful gifts for MK, Walker, Jeremy, and myself. It was a very fun evening for us all! We are beyond grateful for all that my parents do for us and hope that they know how much we appreciate them! I love you Mom and Dad! Thank you for helping to add to the magic of Christmas for my children.

Preschool Christmas Program

2011-12-26T08:24:00.000-06:00

Molly Kate had school until Dec. 21st this year. She loved going to school during the month of December because they were making lots of fun Christmas crafts and ornaments and practicing for their program. The 3 and 4 year olds put on a Christmas program on the last day of school. MK was so excited and had been counting down the days to her program. She had been singing all of the songs at home for the past month. The preschool had asked that the children wear their Christmas Sunday best so MK chose to wear this dress. It has a white lace candy cane collar.

Before I took her to school we took these pictures of Walker and MK dressed in their Christmas best!

Hugs for brother......

The program was at 11:30 in the chapel. MK had a bunch of family there to watch her. Jeremy, Walker, me, Mimi, Grandma, Poppo, Nana, and Baboo were all sitting in the second row. She was one lucky little girl to have so many relatives there for her. We were all so very proud of our sweet angel.

The program was titled, "A Savior is Born". The music teacher directs the program and did such a wonderful job with all of the preschoolers.

First the 3 year old girls wore halos and sang, The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy. They all looked so sweet and angelic. MK was belting it out and sang every word. Her teacher told me after the program that she had never heard MK sing that loud. She asked me if MK takes dance because you can tell she has stage presence and enjoyed performing on the stage.

Next the 3 year old boys wore crowns and sang, We Three Kings. They also did a great job. I can only imagine how hard it is to get boys to stand still and sing. I know how hard it is to get my 19 month old boy to stand still!

Above MK spotted her family and waved to us from the stage. Below she was waiting on the side while the other classes sang.

Each 4 year old class sang a Christmas song and then all of the 3 and 4 year olds sang together.

They sang Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, Feliz Navidad (because they learn Spanish at school), and We wish you a Merry Christmas. They all did fantastic! It touched my heart hearing those sweet little voices singing together.

I love this picture with their mouths wide open just singing their hearts out. What a beautiful way to celebrate Christmas and to honor Jesus!

They were all truly adorable. It was a wonderful program and all of our family enjoyed it so much!

Kudos to the music teacher, Mrs. Melissa, for putting together a fabulous program.

Is there anything sweeter than hearing little ones sing about Jesus or anything funnier than hearing 3 and 4 year olds try and sing Feliz Navidad?!? The whole audience had smiles plastered on their faces during the program.

At the very end they all shouted, "Merry Christmas" and waved. MK looks pretty proud with that little grin and big wave.

After the program, we went back to MK's classroom to have a Christmas party. Jeremy, Nana, and Baboo took Walker home and Mimi took Poppo and Grandma home so I was the only one who went to the party.

The children made these stocking ornament crafts first. MK is adding stickers to hers.

Next they played a game - pin the nose on Rudolph. I had signed up to help with this party so I drew a reindeer and cut out red circles for noses. Sometimes it helps to be a former kindergarten teacher. I use to draw, color, and make things for my classroom all of the time. I covered each child's eyes with my scarf and let them each have a turn to put their nose on Rudolph. It was fun for me to do with MK and her classmates. I have no pictures of the children playing the game since I was the one helping but this was what Rudolph looked like when we finished. They had fun and were so well behaved. They each took a turn and sat so nice and quiet to wait their turn. I enjoyed being a "teacher" for about 15 minutes again. It's times like these when I really do miss having my own classroom - especially this time of year!

Then it was time for a snack.

MK and I made reindeer cookies for the party. She loves making cookies.

Mrs. Melissa's class.......

MK tasted the icing off of her cupcake while the other kids ate theirs.

Enjoying their snack and sitting so nicely at the tables.

Then it was time to tell friends and teachers, Merry Christmas and to get ready for a nice break.

MK had helped me make the treat bags from the party moms and she enjoyed handing them out to each of her friends. She had a wonderful time at the party and the program. I'd say it was a pretty good day for my sweet girl.

I am so proud of this angel and how far she has come in her first semester of preschool. It seems like I was just dropping her off in August on her very first day. Now she is already halfway through the school year. It doesn't seem possible.

We went home to visit with Nana and Baboo who had come from Mississippi to see MK in her program. MK keeps reminding me that there are only 4 days left until Christmas and I still have lots to do! But it was so nice to take time out for the program and party. It was a wonderful day!

Macy's Santa National Tour

2011-12-23T23:37:00.002-06:00

Mimi and I took the kids to the mall on Monday night because they were having a very special visitor. The Santa who rides in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was on a national tour. He was stopping by Baton Rouge with a few of his elves and we wanted to be sure to see him. We got in line about 45 minutes before he was due to arrive and we were about the 5th people in line. They had a special section of the store decorated and ready for Santa.

To pass the time while we waited in line, they had elves passing out candy to the children. Walker was thrilled with the sucker he got from the elves. We told him he had to sit in the stroller to eat it and he did!

They had face painting and MK got her face painted for the first time. She chose a gold Christmas star and told me that it even had glitter on it.

They had Christmas music playing and MK and Walker both had fun dancing.

And Mimi walked around with them while we waited. Usually I wouldn't post a picture of anyone from behind but notice how skinny Mimi is these days? I am so incredibly proud of my Mom! She has worked very hard all year and looks awesome!

Santa arrived and paraded down the aisles of Macy's. He even had an umbrella and zydeco band like he was in a Mardi Gras parade. He definitely knew he was in Louisiana!

Santa and his elves asked all of the children to gather around his chair and he read to them the story of The Night Before Christmas. MK was standing in line to get a balloon and didn't want to leave the line. But Walker went right up to the front with all of the bigger kids and just stood and listened to the story. That's him standing up........

After the story it was time to meet Santa and to take a picture with him. They both were a little shy but sat on his lap and talked to him briefly.

Santa gave them a color book, a stuffed duck, cookies, and hot chocolate.

A man was making balloon characters and MK got this Hello Kitty. She was thrilled!

And she got her brother an Elmo. And he was thrilled!

We left Macy's and headed towards the food court for a quick carousel ride and dinner. Then it was time to go home because it was getting late. I don't think I've ever been to the mall at night with my kiddos. This was a first.

I'm glad we went to see Santa at Macy's. It was a fun outing for all of us. Mimi and I love the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and when she and I go to New York in December we always make time to see Santa at Macy's in Harold Square. Mimi says he is the real Santa! I'm glad she was with me because like most events with my two, it makes it so much easier to have an extra set of hands. This definitely kicked off Christmas week for me and put us all in the holiday mood.

Sleigh Ride

2011-12-23T08:07:00.000-06:00

One morning this week, the kiddos stayed in their pajamas until noon. We even ran by Mimi's in our pajamas. And while we were there, they wanted to sit in Mimi's sleigh.

Thankfully I had my trusty i-phone camera and was able to get a few pictures.

Doesn't this picture just make you want to sing, "Dashing through the snow, on a one horse open sleigh"

They had fun and MK was pretending to be Santa. She told Walker that he was Rudolph.

They sure are a cute Santa and Rudolph! Glad they were able to take a sleigh ride this year!

First Ballet

2011-12-23T07:55:00.000-06:00

This year I shared one of my all time favorite holiday traditions with my sweet daughter. We went to see the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre's production of the Nutcracker. It was her very first ballet to see on the stage. What made it even more special was that she was there with 4 generations. My Nana, my mom, my cousin, myself, and Molly Kate sat together and shared this tradition. The Nutcracker has always been a big tradition for me and my family. Last year I wrote a post on why it is so special to us. You can see it here. Since I have danced in the BRBT's Nutcracker (many, many moons ago), they have changed the production. Instead of the traditional setting, it is now set in Louisiana and they call it A Tale from the Bayou. I was just as excited to see the ballet as MK was.

MK wore her smocked ballet dress to the Nutcracker. A big thank you to Nancy for sending her this beautiful dress last year for her birthday. I am so excited that she was able to wear it on such a special occasion.

She was all smiles and so very excited! MK knows the story of the Nutcracker from books and from seeing it on tv so she couldn't wait to see it in person. She loves theatre and live shows. Amazingly she sits so still and watches intently. She takes it all in.

Mimi bought MK her very own Nutcracker and she was so proud of it. She held it like it was her favorite doll. I wish these pictures would have come out better but it was so dark in the lobby that I didn't get a good picture. The smile on her face says it all.

We had excellent seats close to the stage. MK couldn't wait for it to start. She kept counting down the minutes until it began. There were lots of children in the audience.

MK sat on my lap between Mimi and Great Nana. She sat up so straight and tall and wanted to see everything that was going on in the party scene. She loved Clara and the party girls.

This production had a few pyrotechnics during the fight scene and it scared MK a little. It was loud and bright and made me jump a few times. She loved the party scene but the fight scene made her a little nervous. In the snow scene she saw a "real ballerina" on point shoes and of course, it "snows" on stage and in the audience so she loved that.

She enjoyed the angels and Mother Ginger in the second act and she said that the Sugar Plum fairy was her favorite. The Sugar Plum is my favorite too. They had more pyrotechnics in the second act that scared MK a little more. I have to agree that it was a bit much for a ballet. It made everyone jump and a little on edge. I always love watching ballet live on stage so even with the pyrotechnics, I was happy to be in the audience.

A friend of mine posted these pictures of us dancing in the Nutcracker on Facebook recently. I was a flower in the picture above. (I am in the front on the left). And I am dancing in the Snow scene in the picture below. (I am the one with dark hair.) These pictures bring back such wonderful memories for me. I loved every minute of the years I danced in the Nutcracker. I wish I could still do an arabesque like that above on pointe! That was definitely when I was much, much younger! But ballet is still my passion and such a big part of who I am as a person. I am so lucky to be able to continue to share my love for ballet with my students at PGDC and my daughter.

I am so glad that we went to the Nutcracker this year. It was a beautiful production and so special to share it with my sweet girl and so many generations of our family. I am hoping we can make this a yearly Christmas tradition.

My little ballerina

2011-12-23T07:09:00.000-06:00

For the last week of dance before Christmas break, Molly Kate had fashion leotard week and could wear a colorful leotard instead of a black one. She chose to wear her new purple tutu. She calls it her Sugar Plum Fairy tutu.

She recently got a new purple tutu, black tutu, and leg warmers. She puts them on every morning and dances all around the living room. She also asks that I put her hair in a bun like a "real ballerina". (I took all of the pictures in this post on my i-phone so they aren't the best quality.)

I love these pink polka dot leg warmers. MK makes up her own dances and dance steps. If I ask her to do a ballet step, like a passe or arabesque, she'll sometimes oblige but usually she'll tell me that she is doing her "own" steps. Like this pose below..........

It looks like a passe. Or this pose she did for me at the dance studio before her class.......

Kind of looks like she's trying to do 5th position?! I do LOVE her "own" ballet steps and poses. And I remind myself that she is only 3 years old so if her feet are not turned out and pointed in every pose that it is ok! It's very hard being a ballet teacher and a Mommy of a little ballerina. It really is all about the movement at this age and I bite my tongue and let her just dance. The last thing I want to do is make her not enjoy it and make it too technical. So while I do encourage her to point her toes, I cheer and clap, and compliment her beautiful made up ballet. Oh how I love watching her joyfully dance around my living room!

Every once in a while, MK will stay after her dance class and watch me teach a few classes. Usually she sits by the mirrors and watches or she'll play in the office with Miss Phyllis' granddaughters. But last week (for the first time) she wanted to try to take class with the big girls. Because it was the week before Christmas break, we were having a short class and then playing a game or doing a Christmas activity so I let her join in. In every ballet class I teach, we start at the barre with plies. MK went to the barre and was ready for plies.......

She even attempted some turns in center and went across the floor with the big girls trying to do pas de chats and cabrioles.

And my little ballerina......

She had so much fun with the big girls. It made her night being able to dance in my class. I could just cry looking at this picture of her at the barre, trying to do 4th position like those big girls. I adore a little girl in a bun, tutu, leg warmers, and little ballet shoes - especially when she is my little girl. I know Molly Kate may not want to dance like I did her whole life but I am sure enjoying sharing dance with her now!

Grandma Carpenter

2011-12-20T07:36:00.001-06:00

This weekend we celebrated a beautiful life. Jeremy's grandmother passed away on Tuesday, December 6th and over the weekend we went to her wake and funeral. Jeremy and I called her Grandma Carpenter and our children called her Mamaw. She lived an incredible 92 years and had 2 children, 5 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren. Heaven definitely gained an angel the day Grandma Carpenter passed away! We knew the end was near for Mamaw for a while and we were able to say goodbye to her and tell her how much she meant to each of us before she died. We took this picture in November with Mamaw at her assisted living apartment. The kids and I saw her one more time after this during the Thanksgiving holidays. We all loved her so much!

There are no words to express what a wonderful person she was. Mamaw had a calming spirit. She loved with her whole heart and encouraged us to do the same. She led by example and was such an inspiration for so many. From the moment I met her, she made me feel so welcomed and loved. Some of my favorite memories are playing Phase 10 with her at her home in Hattiesburg, eating Taco Bell after church with the whole family around her kitchen table, her stories about fishing and teaching, and watching her love on my children - her great grandchildren. Our children were so lucky to have known her, if even for a little while. She was one special lady and we miss her so much already!

In this picture are Mamaw's grandchildren in the back row and her great grandchildren in the front row. This is a priceless picture to me! Such a beautiful bunch and a testament to the legacy Mamaw is leaving behind. As always with funerals it was a weekend mixed with emotions. It was of course very sad to have to say goodbye but also happy because we were surrounded by so many family members who we don't get to see often. Friday night was the wake and the cousins all played so well together. Stella and MK were all smiles and happy to be together.

And these two........

Well, let's just say we have to constantly keep an eye on them. This blonde duo are the real "trouble and trouble"! Can't you tell by those adorable grins? That's how they win you over and stay out of trouble! Stella and Walker are the babies of Walt and Jeremy's families and they are the active ones of the bunch. I am amazed that they sat still long enough for a picture - a priceless moment for sure.

Stella, Nate, Walker, and MK having a little fun. It was nice to hear their little voices and their laughter during the wake. I know Mamaw loved having them running around the funeral home. She wouldn't have wanted it any other way!

Nate and MK striking a pose.........

Waiting to see what he can get into next. Walker loved following around his big boy cousins, Luke and Nate. They were so very sweet and loving to him.

The funeral was on Saturday and the service was at the funeral home. I heard it was a beautiful service but I wasn't able to stay for long. MK was a little overwhelmed and cried (no, make that screamed) for her Daddy so I had to take her and Walker out and into the back of the funeral home for the duration. Jeremy was a pall bearer and was able to sit up front with his brother. I knew that I would be in charge of the kiddos and was expecting not to attend the service. Many wonderful memories were shared and songs beautifully sung. It was a fitting way to honor and remember such a fabulous woman. All of Mamaw's great grandchildren looked so beautiful and handsome all dressed up for the funeral. I was able to get this picture of Mamaw's 3 great grandsons. I absolutely love this picture of the boys.

After the burial, we went to Mamaw's church, Main Street Baptist, for a delicious pot luck lunch. It was such a wonderful way to relax and enjoy the family and visit after a hard few days. It was so nice to catch up with family and to meet relatives. The children had such a great time playing together. Here are my two in their gingerbread outfits.

Showing a little love for each other......

I changed the kids into more comfortable clothes for the ride home.

MK and Walker played and played on the little stage. Neither one of them wanted to go home. They both slept almost the entire way home. It was an emotionally exhausting weekend for us all.

It was a sorrowful time and a joyous time. We know that Mamaw is in a better place and looking down on each of us. We also know that with God's help and love, he will heal our broken hearts. It is so hard to say goodbye to those we love. We hope Grandma Carpenter's memory will live with us forever and we intend to keep her memory alive for our children. We are continuing to send prayers and much love to my Mother-in-law and her brother, Mike, as they continue to grieve for their mother. We love you and are thinking of you Nana and Uncle Mike!

Visions of sugarplums

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.......

Do you think sugarplums are dancing in these little heads? We spent the night in Hattiesburg over the weekend and the kiddos slept in the same bed. They ended up all snuggled up like this and I couldn't resist taking a picture. Sweet dreams my sweet angels!

Gingerbread playdate

2011-12-18T09:05:00.000-06:00

Molly Kate was invited to a Gingerbread play date at the Babin's home last weekend. Sarah Babin and I have been friends for years. Her husband and I went to high school together and she and I taught at the same school for a short while until they moved to Texas. This year the Babins moved back to Baton Rouge and we are so excited to have them home! Sarah is one of the most creative people I know and she hosts a Gingerbread play date every year. We were so excited to be invited and MK couldn't wait to decorate her Gingerbread house.

Sarah gave each child a house, white and green icing, and a muffin tray filled with different kind of candies. (Did I mention how creative she is?!!) She had everything so organized and prepared. You can tell she is a teacher!

The children all gathered around the table and went to town decorating their little houses.

Ever since Hollydays this year, MK has been asking to decorate another gingerbread house. This was a perfect one for her to create. She is always so serious about her decorating!

She asked me to put the white frosting all over the roof and she got to work adding the candy.

I have learned to just step back and let her creativity soar........

I learned that lesson when teaching kindergarten. There were so many times when I was a teacher (and now as a parent) when I wanted to help the kids or at least steer them in a certain creativity direction. But I quickly learned it was best to let them be "in charge" of their own creations. Because after all, if they followed my suggestions it would be my project and essentially not their own. And lots of times their projects came out so much better than mine would have! MK is no different from my students. We often have different things in mind when it comes to creativity and finished products but I love seeing her creativity and what she comes up with on her own!

Decorating the tree was fun!

MK liked adding gummy bears. I tried to get her to taste one but she didn't eat one bite of the candy in her muffin tray. I really am thankful that she doesn't like candy. Now Walker would definitely be different. He has already opened (on his own) and eaten 3 Hershey kisses for breakfast this morning without me knowing it. I found wrappers by his cup of milk and chocolate on his face.

All of the children enjoyed this play date so much! This was such a great idea and fun for all of us! Hannah and Sam were serious about their decorating too.

MK and Nate were two of the last to finish. They took their time.

Molly Kate's finished product.....

Sarah also made Reindeer food with the kids. They mixed oatmeal and glitter and put it in bags so that they can spread it out on their lawn Christmas Eve night. Then the reindeer will be sure to see their house and stop so that Santa can come!

And Sarah also had a craft for the children to do. They made Christmas tree ornaments. MK really enjoyed making her tree.

After all of the fun projects, the kid played. This was such an awesome play date! I just love Sarah and am so happy that she shares her creativity with my kiddos. It was so nice to be able to visit and catch up with old friends. Thank you so much Sarah for inviting us and we hope to see you and your kiddos soon!

Christmas parade 2011

2011-12-16T11:06:00.002-06:00

Molly Kate and I participated in the Denham Springs Christmas parade again this year with our dance studio, Phyllis Guy Dance Center. It started out a little chilly but warmed up as the afternoon went on. We had to get there 2 hours before the parade started so MK played games with her friends, Julianne and Victoria.

The older girls passed the time by taking pictures, talking, and acting silly!

MK really liked the shirts this year. They had Santa's in a kickline on the front. She also loved having the same shirt as all of the big girls had.

MK and Julianne - they are in dance class together and hang out at the studio often.

To pass the time the girls did the Cuban Shuffle line dance. We taught it to MK and she had a blast. She was right up in the middle of them dancing but she made me dance next to her so I didn't get her picture. She would walk right, then left, then kick, and then shake and twist. She was so cute dancing with all the other girls.

MK with Emily

Some of MK's favorite dancers: Sophia, Avery, and Catherine. She got big hugs from them!

The back of the t-shirts looked like this......

MK and Julianne decided that they were going to dance to pass the time. They were doing bourres and butterfly runs down the side walk. Then they were trying to "hip hop" like the big girls.

It was finally time to line up after waiting a long while. MK rode in the wagon again this year and I pulled her behind the dancers.

She and Julianne rode next to each other and along the parade route, people told them they had the best seats in the house!

We are ready for the parade to start!

Miss Phyllis rode behind everyone in the golf cart.

Once we started moving and the parade began, MK waved and smiled at the crowd while the girls danced in front of us. She had a ball and we got so tickled at her wave. She and Julianne would wave to one side and then the other. It was so funny.

About halfway through the parade, MK told me that she needed to take a break from waving and smiling to everyone so she just rode and enjoyed it.

Lots of people stopped us along the way, like this kind lady to give MK beads, candy, and stuffed animals. She didn't have to watch the parade to get treats. She loved the animals!

Riding through downtown Denahm Springs........

The parade is long - 2 miles - but MK did great. The weather was better this year than last and she had fun people watching and waving.

I love small town parades and this is a great one. It reminds me of when I lived in Oxford and would participate in the Christmas parade every year. I danced in it as a Rebelette, walked in it as the coach of the Rebelettes, walked with our dancers at DKSD, and rode on the Nutcracker float with my ballerinas in Oxford. I have great memories of that little small town Christmas parade. I'm hoping by participating in this one MK will also have great memories one day. She told me next year she was going to dance with the big girls instead of ride in the wagon. I think we'll wait a few years for that but she sure did have fun dancing with them before the parade.

Christmas cards 2011

2011-12-15T20:45:00.000-06:00

I was very happy with our Christmas cards this year. We had photographer Jamie LeJuene create them for us. I wasn't sure if Walker would smile or even sit still long enough to take a picture but both kiddos did great! Jamie did a mini photo session and named it hard candy Christmas. She had bright colors and candy as decorations. I put the kids in bright Christmas pajamas because I didn't want to stress about keeping Walker from getting dirty before he had his picture made. I was so proud of myself because for once I had my cards sent out at the beginning of December instead of the end of the month. Hopefully all family and friends have received their cards by now. Here is the front of our 2011 Christmas card....

and here is the back......

I love that MK was hugging her brother and I love the look on both of their faces. And the back is priceless. They are both looking at those suckers with amazement. MK didn't eat hers because she doesn't like candy and Walker banged his on something and it broke into a hundred pieces so he didn't eat his either. It was a fun little photo shoot and went so much better than I expected! Merry Christmas to you all - may your days be merry and bright!

Santa Claus 2011

2011-12-14T22:24:00.001-06:00

Last week I took the kids to see Santa at the mall. I had a little shopping to do and I figured if they were in good moods and the line wasn't too long, we'd see the man in the big red suit. It was a cold day so we bundled up. When I go to big places that require a lot of walking (like the mall or zoo) I still use my double stroller. Both kids are very comfortable in it and it makes it so much easier for me to get to where I am going. I love to put them in and stroll! Walker won't stay in a stroller too long but if MK is in the front she usually persuades him to stay seated.

We got lucky and the line to see Santa was relatively short. We stood in line for a few minutes before they let us into "Santa's workshop". Walker was so excited to get in there and explore.

MK and Walker both enjoyed the decorations. I couldn't believe I got them to stand together for a quick picture. They were all dressed up in Christmas outfits and big smiles.

I adore these pictures of the two of them together - especially this time of year! As you can tell, they were both in great moods!

It started to "snow" inside the workshop while we were there. MK thought that it was so neat.

She and Walker tried to catch the falling snow. Walker loved running after it and laughed and laughed.

It doesn't snow much down here in the South so it's always fun to see the white stuff drifting down (even when it's not real).

Walker was able to run around and check everything out while we waited our turn to sit on Santa's lap.

When it was our turn, both MK and Walker went right up to Santa and I helped them onto his lap. They smiled big smiles and were as happy as could be. Santa visited with them for a short while and gave them each a color book. I was a little nervous about how they would both act. MK had seen Santa at Hollydays in October and was scared to death of him and I was so afraid Walker was going to cry. But we got the most adorable picture of them with Santa this year.......

It was a great experience for both of them! I did try to go into a few stores but Walker was not wanting to stay in the stroller and I'd have to chase him around the store instead of shop so I decided it was best to go upstairs for lunch and a carousel ride.

We rode the carousel twice. The first time they both rode on horses.

Walker kept saying, "Whoa" and MK was laughing during the ride. They both loved it! Walker fussed when it stopped. He looked like such a big boy up on that horse.

We had lunch in the food court and took a bathroom break and then it was back to the carousel for our second ride of the day.

On the second ride, MK wanted to ride the Tiger and Walker rode the horse next to her.

I had two different people tell me during lunch how well behaved my children were. I just smiled and said thank you and thought if you had only seen them in the store downstairs you might not think that. I really was proud of them both especially during lunch. Walker actually sat in the high chair for a long time and ate well. MK always sits still and is typically well behaved but like all children, she has her moments. And her moments are dramatic!! People tell me often, "you have your hands full" and I always think or even say, "yes I do but I'd rather them be full than empty!" It is not always easy to go somewhere by myself with both of them but I do it all of the time. I usually treat it like an adventure and most times they both surprise me and act better than anticipated. I have come to realize that my children are not always going to be on their best behavior and that they will have melt downs in public. I deal with it and move on. It happens to every mother. MK told me on the way home, "I'm sorry you didn't get any shopping done Mommy but it was a fun day." And I would definitely agree. The shopping can wait for another day or I can always shop online. Days like this one spent with my children enjoying life can't wait! And I am hoping for a few more fun days with my babies before this year ends. We all came home happy - even though the only thing that got checked off of my list was the Santa picture.

Yo Gabba Gabba in New Orleans

2011-12-13T21:39:00.001-06:00

If you have toddlers or preschoolers in your home then I bet you know of DJ Lance Rock and the Yo Gabba Gabba gang. We all love the children's t.v show Yo Gabba Gabba at our house! We discovered it on Nick Jr. when Molly Kate was about 5 months old. She has always loved the bright and unique characters and has always danced to the music from the show. Walker has also watched it from a young age and he too is always captivated when it comes on. He calls it "rock" and asks to watch it every single day. It is definitely a different type of children's show but that is part of the appeal. I like the messages that they send like that it's ok to be different and that you should not bite your friends. We watch Yo Gabba Gabba as a family a lot and Jeremy, myself, and the kids can sing all of the songs.

Last year the live show was coming to Houston and we had tickets but sold them because we decided as the show got closer that going to Texas was just too big of a trip at the time. This year Yo Gabba Gabba live show came to New Orleans and we got tickets early - we were all so excited about seeing the Gabba gang in person. Below is Muno, Foofa, Plex, Toodee, Brobee, and DJ Lance Rock on stage.

The show was at 3:00 on a Tuesday so we drove to New Orleans after MK's gymnastics class. Uncle Chad met us there and sat with us. We had great seats.

I wasn't sure if Walker would sit through the show or not. At the first live show (Max and Ruby) we took him to he only sat about 15 minutes. But for Yo Gabba Gabba he watched and sat through the entire show! He sat in my lap a while, in Uncle Chad's lap a while, and he even wanted to stand up with his light for a while. He was completely captivated by his favorite characters.

MK sat on Jeremy's lap the whole time and watched intently. It takes MK about half of the show before she will warm up and participate. It was the same here....she didn't want to dance or sing at first but towards the end of the show she participated.

It was a great show! Jeremy and I sang along to every song. We enjoyed it as much as the kiddos! We all stood up and danced - it was like a dance party and so much fun!

The look on Walker's face during the entire show was priceless! He enjoyed it so much and was so excited. I couldn't believe how still he sat to watch the Gabba gang. He was even singing and dancing. It was like he was mesmerized by Plex and Brobee. I knew he'd love it but I never imagined he'd love the live show as much as he did! When they sang his favorite song he was so excited and sang along "beat a beat rock rock!"

During intermission I bought the kids souvenirs. MK picked out a Toodee doll for herself and she chose the Muno and Brobee doll for Walker. After we gave it to him, he never put them down! He held those characters throughout the entire second half of the show and afterwards. It was so adorable!

We were able to get VIP passes so after the show we stayed for a Gabba Party. We met each character and took lots of pictures! This was a huge highlight for both MK and Walker. They were star struck and so excited to see the characters in person. MK went right up to each one and Walker followed her lead.

We saw Muno first......notice that Walker has still not put his characters down yet - even when meeting the real thing!

Next MK wanted to meet Toodee. She and Foofa are her favorites. Walker put down his souvenirs to pick up a balloon.

Toodee was giving hugs.......

Jeremy took all of these pictures so you won't see him but Uncle Chad was excited to meet the Gabba gang with us. I love this picture below.........

Then we saw Plex or as Walker calls him, "robot". He is one of Walker's favorites. He wanted to get down and stand next to him. MK was a little nervous around Plex so I held her. She wore her Matilda Jane robot dress with "Brobee sleeves" to the show.

Next we met Brobee and it was the cutest thing ever........

Both MK and Walker just adored Brobee. He is smaller than the others and he hugged them with his long arms. They were both all smiles! Walker started crying when we had to leave Brobee. He loved him so much!

And last we saw Foofa. She is my favorite so I wanted to have my picture made with her.

By this time, Walker was very comfortable with the characters. He was trying to get close to Foofa but her belly was getting in the way.

They had water and snacks but we didn't take time to stop and eat. We had just enough time to see some characters a second time and Walker went right to Plex. He was trying to give him a high five. We were so thankful that Uncle Chad was there because he really helped chase after Walker.

And Uncle Chad had a little fun too! I think Plex is his favorite character.

Then Walker walked right over to Toodee and turned around and just stood there waiting on us to take his picture. It was so funny!

Toodee loved him and hugged him a lot.

And then we saw Muno one more time.

The last thing we did was story time with DJ Lance Rock and Glitter Girl Leslie. We all sat and listened as they read a story about the Gabba gang. They interacted so much with the kids and DJ Lance even pointed Walker out during storytime. I think we were all a little star struck by him. Jeremy and I said one of the highlights of our night was high fiving DJ Lance Rock. Walker kept calling him, "rock" and MK kept saying he was a real person (because the others are characters and dressed in costumes).

It was really so cool to be so close to him in person! He was great with the kids and made everyone feel special. It was "awesome" as Walker would say.

And finally Biz came out and talked to the kids and rapped a little with them. It was cool.

After the show we stopped by Uncle Chad's house and then went to eat dinner at Liuzza's. We had planed on going to City Park to look at the Christmas lights but it was a cold night and it was raining. So Uncle Chad jumped in our car and we just drove around the park to see the lights. We are hoping to go back on a better night. It was definitely a fantastic day! Jeremy and I both said it was worth every penny spent just to see the kids faces light up. They both enjoyed it but Walker absolutely loved it and it was so much fun to see him with the characters and singing and dancing at the show. It was so much fun for all of us and will be an awesome family day that we will all remember for a long time! Walker woke up the next morning saying "Da da da da Toodee" and "Yooooo Gabba Gabba".

Jingle our elf

2011-12-12T07:34:00.001-06:00

After we got the house all decorated and the Christmas tree up we found a package on our back door. It had come all the way from the North Pole and it was our very own Elf on the Shelf! Molly Kate was so excited because she had seen the movie on tv and knew all about the elf and his magic. These elves are very popular among little ones and their parents and make an appearance in your home this time of year.

We read the book and then had to name our elf. As a family, we came up the the name Jingle. So now we will forever have Jingle the elf as a part of our family. The kids went to bed and Jingle got to work.

Jingle left MK and Walker a special breakfast. He brought donuts all the way from the North Pole because he knew white powdered donuts are both of my kids' favorite treat. He left place mats, elf cups, Santa cups, and a note reminding them to be good because he flies back every night to the North Pole to report their behavior to Santa.

Jingle also made a snowman out of donuts. I guess this what elves eat for breakfast.

The kids were so excited to wake up and see their special breakfast. They went right to the table and wanted to eat. You will notice that it is dark outside in these pictures. That is because my kiddos are very early risers and are both up between 5:30 and 6:30 every morning!

They both loved the elf cups because they had bendy straws. Walker really enjoyed drinking from the straw.

It was a very fun morning!

MK and Walker sat at the table for a long time and just enjoyed their donuts and milk.

It was so much fun watching MK get so excited about the elf on the shelf. It was pretty lost on Walker but he was thrilled with the donuts. They really enjoyed their special breakfast and this was a fun way to kick off the holidays around our house.

Each morning MK looks for Jingle. After his nightly trips to the North Pole he lands in different places around the house so that he can watch the kiddos. Sometimes he leaves little treats for them, like Christmas socks and goldfish snacks. Sometimes Jingle is pretty creative with his hiding spots. It has really been fun for all us.

I can say that MK is her mother's daughter! Like me, she loves the magic of Christmas and really believes! She has really been trying hard to stay on Santa's good list and the elf is helping her to do that. Now Walker is his father's son and loves Christmas but doesn't seem affected at all by Jingle's presence in our home. His behavior has not changed and he could care less if the elf is watching. MK tells him everyday that he better get off the naughty list and that Santa is not going to bring him any presents. Walker just smiles at her with that twinkle in his eyes and that mischievous grin on his face. I can tell he's thinking, "oh yeah.....wait and see!" This is why I love the holidays with children. It is so much fun and it is magical!

Deck the halls

2011-12-11T17:46:00.000-06:00

This year I had lots of help decorating the Christmas tree. The night the we got the tree, Jeremy spent all night putting on 2000 + lights. So the next morning, I let the kids help me with the ornaments.

Molly Kate enjoyed looking at each ornament and finding a branch to hang them on.

Walker enjoyed turning the lights on the tree on and off. He found the button and thought it was great!

I helped MK put hooks on the ornaments and then she'd find a place for them on the tree.

Walker even looked at a few ornaments but wasn't really interested in them at first.

I love how each ornament has a story or was given to us by someone special. I remember the ornaments on our tree growing up and would look forward to seeing them each year at Christmas. These are two of my favorites on my tree. A student gave me this pencil ornament and my Aunt Barbara gave MK this clown ornament on her first Christmas. She loves this little clown.

A lot of our ornaments ended up at the bottom of the tree this year like this star and this snowman. It was the easiest place for little arms and hands to reach. In fact the top half of the tree is pretty bare.

Getting into trouble.......

Being silly and putting the ornaments in his mouth........

Hanging a few on the tree......

and then pulling them off of the tree to throw or play with........

Sissy helping brother bear.......

Out of trouble for the moment.......

Posing by the decorated tree.......

Molly Kate has been making some beautiful handmade ornaments at school. Here she is showing her red robin and reindeer.

I cherish these so much and hope to keep them forever!

Finding a special place for the ornaments that she made.......

And this is how I find wild man often......

Standing in front of the tree with the button and laughing because he can turn the lights on and off. For some reason this picture reminds me from a scene in the movie Christmas Vacation. He is our Eddie!

MK also made this ornament at school. I absolutely love it! It is so precious and special to me!

I LOVE matching Christmas pajamas - especially striped ones!!

After the decorating was finished these two posed for me in front of the tree.

A typical picture..........

I love, love, love Christmas time!

We are continuing to deck the halls around here and make it look and feel a lot like Christmas!

Pink tree

2011-12-10T20:52:00.001-06:00

Molly Kate was soooo excited to get put her pink Christmas tree up in her room this year. She had remembered it from last year and couldn't wait for Jeremy to get it out of storage.

She took the job of decorating it very seriously. It was so much fun watching her go through all of her ornaments. I had them stored in a separate box. She has princesses, hello kitty, tinkerbell, ballerinas, and other girly things.

She did a great job decorating her little pink tree and she was so proud!

MK is really into decorating for Christmas this year. She has loved helping me with our big family tree, the mantle, and the rest of the house. She told me that at school they are decorating the classroom with all of their artwork and she has brought home the most precious handmade ornaments that sit proudly on our tree branches. I absolutely love this time of the year and especially love watching it through her eyes! She is just like me and loves Christmas!

The finished product.....fit for a princess!

Now if we can just keep the little prince who lives in our house out of her room and away from her pink tree that would be great! Walker likes to take the round ornaments off of her tree (because he can easily reach them). He throws them and says, "ball". As you can imagine, MK gets so upset and a quarrel ensues. Walker has his own small blue tree in his room but it is on his dresser because he kept knocking it over. It has no ornaments but looks very festive. Walker is not as impressed with Sissy's tree now that it's been up for about a week but he still loves to agitate his big sister and will still occasionally take an ornament from it.....just to keep her on her toes ......and just because he can! 'Tis the season for sibling rivalries and fussing, right?!! Have I mentioned I love this time of year? Even with the extra craziness it seems to bring to our house!

Big Boy Bed

2011-12-10T07:43:00.000-06:00

Walker hit a big milestone last week.......he now has a big boy bed in his room! At first he was a little confused......

but it didnt' take him long to be excited about his new bed.

Walker is not a good sleeper and it was just time to get him out of the crib and into a big boy bed. He did not sleep well in the crib. Neither of our children are very good sleepers. They are like Jeremy and I and don't require much sleep. After MK turned 2, she started sleeping much better but still gets up early. I am hoping when Walker turns 2 he will do the same! We didn't move MK to her big bed until she was 26 months. Walker is almost 19 months so we moved him much earlier. It seems he does lots of things at an earlier age. I guess it's because he is the second child and I am so much more comfortable "mothering" him than I was with MK at a young age. I've done it once before and have a lot more confidence this time around. And I think Walker does things earlier partly because that is his personality.....he is not going to sit around and wait. He thinks he is a 3 year old most of the time and is always trying to do big kid stuff.

We got this trundle bed from a friend and it is perfect for Walker.

I found this Disney Cars bedding at Wal-Mart during a black Friday. I figured it would be perfect until I figure out how I want to decorate his new big boy room. I don't have the comforter on it in these pictures.

Walker loved the bedding. He pointed to the cars and said, "car - vroom, vroom" and "car - beep, beep".

I think he was pretty excited about his big boy bed......wouldn't you agree?

He was all smiles. It was as if he knew that this was a big milestone. I think really he was just happy to have a bed in his room like Sissy has in her room. He can climb up onto her bed and likes to get in the bed with MK.

Walker looked so cute in his Christmas pajamas. He wanted to sit in his bed for a long time.

Then, like always, he started to explore......

And then realized he could stand, run, and jump on the bed.......

Our little monkey in action!!

He was so proud and wore that sweet smile on his face. It made my mommy heart happy. I was a little sad about taking down his crib because he is my baby and he just seems to be growing up so very fast!

I love this boy more than I could ever express! Look at that face.....I bet you'd love him too!

Finally he was worn out from playing and exploring and decided to lay down on the pillow.

Night night my big boy!

Sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite!

Now the crib is in storage and not even in our house for the first time in almost 4 years. I'm not sure how I feel about that but I am glad that we did this during the holidays when I am super busy and thinking of so many other things. I think it made it easier for me to accept this change. I am a little sad but also feel happy and excited as we start to experience new challenges, changes, and milestones as my babies grow. It has taken Walker a few nights to get adjusted and use to his new bed but now he is sleeping well in it. I am so happy for my big boy and I know he is happy too!

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-09T07:04:00.001-06:00

Last weekend we went to Louisiana nursery in search of the perfect Christmas tree. Molly Kate and Jeremy did the most searching and I chased Walker around.

Walker loved the mazes that the trees made and you can tell he was constantly on alert looking for things to get into!

This boy is ALWAYS on the go! He only hesitates briefly so that he can scan the area. Then he finds something in seconds and he is off towards whatever it is that has caught his eye.

MK enjoyed looking at all the different kinds of Christmas trees and Walker enjoyed the mud puddles!

Jeremy chose an 8 foot tree (I can't remember the kind.....I want to say a Noble Fur) and while he checked out, I took the kids to the plant section to look at the decorations.

It didn't take long before Walker was wet from the bird baths and fountains. MK just watched her little brother and she stayed out of trouble!

Walker liked walking through the lines of trees......

Daddy and his little angels!

It seems this is the look I always get when he turns around every once in a while to make sure I am still following him......

MK watched with Daddy as they put the tree on top of the car so that we could get it home.

Before we left the nursery, I wanted to get a few pictures of our kiddos.......

Notice the hugging pose.......Walker will only stand still if Sissy is hugging on him and holding him still!

I love theses two in their festive Christmas clothes!

Once we got home, MK was ready to start decorating. She helped me put the stockings on the mantle and the Nativity scene on the bookcase. We put trees up in each of their bedrooms and added decorations to the kitchen. I did not do a ton of decorating this year because we have a curious 18 month old in the house who likes new, shiny, bright things! I had to take the garland off of the mantle because he figured out how to pull it down. It's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our house!

Just relaxing

2011-12-05T08:36:00.001-06:00

One afternoon I found Walker sitting on the couch like this......

He was just relaxing and playing a game on my i-phone. I love those little crossed feet!!

Doesn't he look so grown up? I mean when did my precious 18 month old baby get so big?!?

It amazes me that he can play games and watch videos on my phone. He knows exactly how to do it from watching his big sister and from just figuring it out on his own.

This is definitely a sign of the times......a young one on an i-phone. I don't want to even think about what technology will be like when it's time for him to get a phone. Thought this was funny and wanted to share.

Thanks and Giving

2011-12-05T07:48:00.000-06:00

This time of year we all stop to give thanks for our many blessings. Thanksgiving is a special holiday because it reminds us to be thankful for all that we have. I get a little weepy and emotional this time of year thinking of all that I am thankful for. I know how blessed and lucky I am and I try hard not to take those blessings for granted.

Trying to explain what it means to "be thankful" is not easy. Molly Kate and Walker are too young to truly understand the meaning of the words but we still talk about what it means to be thankful and enforce saying "thank you" to others. I hope to lead by example not just during the holidays but all year long. I want to raise 2 gracious and generous children with big hearts. Not an easy task, but one I will try my best to achieve.

Molly Kate and Walker Vincent are two of our greatest blessings and they are so loved by so many. I hope they will carry that love in their hearts forever and want to help others. I have been trying to "pay it forward" this month by helping those in need. Showing kindness and being generous to others makes me feel so good. Even it it a small gesture each day or a bigger one each week, I always feel so good after lending a helping hand.

My wish is that Jeremy and I will raise our children with compassion towards others. We are so grateful for all that we have and we need to help those who do not have as much as we do. All month I have been doing random acts of kindness in front of our children with the hope that they will notice one day and understand that it is important to give back.

I guess I think about generosity and compassion more this time of year but I am going to try my best to continue to pay it forward all through the twelve months of 2012. Teaching morals and manners is so important and I feel a great deal of responsibility as a parent to pass this on to our children. Our greatest teacher is Jesus and his father and I always look to them for direction. There are so many times that I wish I could start a day over because I haven't acted like the parent I want to be. Perhaps because I lost my temper too quickly or didn't spend as much quality time with my babies as I wanted. But I know that each day I can start over and I also know that no matter what kind of day I'm having or how I feel about my parenting skills, my kiddos know they are loved! And after all, if you have LOVE you are as rich as kings!

I try my best to teach these two to be loving and compassionate to each other first. I am a firm believer that morals start in the home and I am constantly reminding MK and Walker to share and to "not hit"......it seems that it may take a while for them to completely get this concept! :) But in time, they will....I pray!

Skupien Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-04T22:58:00.000-06:00

On the day after Thanksgiving this year, we left early and drove to Hattiesburg to see Grandma Carpenter. We met Walt, Sarah, and their 4 kiddos up there. We had a short visit because we didn't want to overwhelm Grandma. She is 92 years old and suffering kidney failure and as Jeremy puts it "old age". Grandma is an incredibly strong woman but her body is shutting down. We all wanted to see her for the holidays and took the opportunity to do so while we were all in Mississippi. It was definitely worth the trip to see her surrounded by her 6 great grandchildren. Grandma Carpenter is one special lady and we all love and adore her so much! After our visit in Hattiesburg, we drove down to Ocean Springs to be with Nana, Baboo, and Grandma Sugar. Walker was not feeling well. He woke up in the middle of the night with fever and I didn't know it then but he had ulsers in his mouth and was getting a mild case of hand, foot, and mouth disease. He was a trooper but just plain didn't feel well. We tried to take a few family photos since it is not often that we are all together. Here are a few of the better ones......

The Skupiens: Sarah, Walt, Jeremy, me, Walker, Charlie, Baboo, Luke, Stella, Grandma Sugar, Nate, Nana, and Molly Kate (Poor baby Walker was sick but we wanted him in the picture.)

Grandma Sugar and 5 of her 6 great grandbabies. Walker was just not feeling well enough to be with his cousins and sissy. He wanted to love on Mama and to rest. Trying to get these 5 to smile and look in the same direction proved to be a big chore........

Priceless pictures of family!

Nana and Baboo with 5 of their 6 grandchildren. This is such a special picture. I wish Walker would have been feeling better so that he could have been in the picture. Maybe we'll be able to take one with him in it at Christmas.

There is nothing like a grandparent's love! These turkeys were being silly and making Nana laugh.

A beautiful picture of Luke, my oldest nephew, and Nana.......

And one of Molly Kate and Nana - so very sweet!

We had a yummy lunch of chili and burritos. We typically don't do a traditional Thanksgiving meal with the Skupiens. It may be non traditional to others but it is traditional to us and I love that we have a varied and different menu each year. MK and I made these turkey cupcakes and brought them for dessert. They were a big hit with the kiddos.

After lunch we always help Nana and Baboo decorate their Christmas tree. This is one of my favorite Skupien traditions and I look forward to it every year. I love seeing the kids get so excited about trying to figure out a special place for each ornament. It usually starts out as just the girls participating.....

But it never takes long before the boys want to join in. They always find new and creative ways and places for ornaments. Nate crawled under the tree to hang a few icicles.

Stella and MK seemed to go to the same spot on the tree to hang their ornaments.

Stella

Molly Kate

Charolette (also known as Charlie)

Nana has so many ornaments and each one has a story behind it. It is so nice to see Walt and Jeremy's children hang the ornaments that they made as kids. I never get tired of hearing stories from their childhood.

Walker started feeling a little better and tried to help some. He wasn't really interested in the tree but he did like the "balls" or round ornaments.

I like this picture of the oldest grandchild, Luke, helping the youngest grandchild, Walker.

And traditionally, Walt and Jeremy have to hang a few ornaments. They can't let the kids have all of the fun! Sarah and I usually stick to handing out the ornaments and getting them out of the boxes.

We did get one or two smiles out of wild man on Friday. I didn't realize it but it was hurting his mouth and throat to eat. He is so tough and didn't let it get the best of him.

Nate working hard under the tree.....

Walt and Luke hanging an ornament together........

MK loved decorating the tree and had a great time!

She even got up under the tree like her big cousin Nate.......

Walker liked the boxes......

And Nate showed him how to use the "tuba". Nate loves babies and was so sweet with Walker. They swung together outside and Nate really looked after him.

Nana and Baboo were observers this year of all the action. They have so many helpers. I'm sure they have to go back and rearrange a few ornaments. I think there were lots on the bottom half because that is where all of the children could reach. After the decorating was complete, we went outside to swing, play, and roast marshmallows. It was a great Thanksgiving celebration. The best part was being all together. I can't wait until we do it again at Christmas - it is right around the corner!