Mommy-Anna Claire Time

Anna Claire always refers to time without Madeline as Mommy-Anna Claire time. 

When I think of all the intangible gifts I can give her, what she wants most is time and attention! Heck, I need it too! 

With Madeline teething for weeks on end and catching virus and virus, she has monopolized most of my time and Anna Claire has been extremely tolerant and understanding and SO deserved a little one-on-one time! 

Madeline is transitioning to the Chick's class right now so it is wise for us to take her in a little while each day so she can acclimate before I go back to school. 

This gave me the perfect chance to hang out with AC. 

Monday, we exchanged and returned some gifts and spent some of her Christmas money. She was so excited to finally get her Taylor swift cd. She also loved lunch at zaxby's. 

Tuesday she loved lunch with mommy at Cheddars and going to see annie the movie. We watched the original this weekend so it was very perfect and timely! 

I could think of a million things I should have or could have done instead but none that I would've enjoyed more. Which is probably why I won't see a lot of  progress professionally until my kids are older! They come first. 

New Years fun

As Anna Claire gets older she so desperately wants to be included in the New Years excitement.

With two little ones under five though, Larry and I have become homebodies. That doesn't mean we can't have fun! I have plenty in store for Miss AC tomorrow!

For one thing: We're gonna count down till noon instead of making her stay up till midnight and be grumpy the next day. She will love counting down till 12:00. I've blown up balloons for her to pop each hour to make it even more fun. I've printed off a time capsule form for her to fill out all about her favorite things from 2014 and a form for her to write her resolutions. We're also gonna play a Frozen scavenger hunt and make her mocktinis and blast silly string at each other. Good times.

Most of the ideas posted here came from http://www.allthingsthrifty.com/2014/12/new-years-eve-party-ideas-with-kids.html.

New Years fun

As Anna Claire gets older she so desperately wants to be included in the New Years excitement.

With two little ones under five though, Larry and I have become homebodies. That doesn't mean we can't have fun! I have plenty in store for miss AC tomorrow!

For one thing: We're gonna count down till noon instead of making her stay up till midnight and be grumpy the next day. She will love counting down till 12:00. I've blown up balloons for her to pop each hour to make it even more fun. I've printed off a time capsule form for her to fill out all about her favorite things from 2014 and a form for her to write her resolutions. We're also gonna play a Frozen scavenger hunthttps://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7u0z9INCiFCbGNlRDh2Y0FYTFU/preview?pli=1  and make her mocktinis and blast silly string at each other. Good times.

Kindergarten Christmas Party

It's hard to find the silver lining when you have a sick baby, but for me, this year, it meant being able to go to Anna Claire's Christmas party.

Madeline had a stomach virus which kept us both home, but then she oh so luckily started feeling much better that afternoon so Larry kept her while I went to the party.

The look on Anna Claire's face when I walked in was so worth going. I underestimated how much it meant to her and it melted my heart to see that a simple gesture from me could make her that happy.

Here are some pics from the fun.

Famous Cooker, Like her Daddy

Anna Claire often tells me that one day she wants to be "a famous cooker" like her Daddy. We realized some time ago that AC thinks "famous" means really good. I guess we just never corrected her thinking that was pretty cute.

Anyway, she recently started backing up her dream with action. She's been asking Larry to help with dinner and he's been letting her... Much braver than me!

This week she has washed, peeled and de-rooted potatoes. And she has topped and tailed green beans. She has been so proud to have helped. She told me she made the meal and that Daddy just watched. Lol

The Santa Experience

Must be nice to have enough money for fancy Santa pictures. I would mumble this under my breath the past couple of years when admiring the beautiful Santa photo sessions of others, while mine were the classic ones you get taken with the mall santa.

Absolutely nothing has changed from last year to this year, but this year I indulged and took the girls for a fancy session. I may never do it again, but Anna Claire is peaking in her belief and excitement about Santa and I wanted that captured and preserved for all time.

They were crazy expensive and I left with a knot in my gut after writing the check, but they turned out beautiful and literally brought tears to my eyes when I saw them.

Santa was perfect. This is the face I picture when I think "Santa." I can't imagine a better one.

The girls, (sure I'm biased) were photogenic and had the most amazing expressions and hand postures. Madeline did not smile, but she was also not digging Santa. She cried most of the photo shoot, so it is miraculous that Daphne caught any sans tears.