Merry Christmas {2016}

What's Up This Weekend?

Here's what's up this weekend at our house:

• The Rev and I have a date night planned in the big city tomorrow. P.F. Chang's!
• And a trip to the city means that we can visit some stores that we need to and finish up some Christmas shopping. So close to finished!
• Next week is the last week of school before Christmas break, so I need to assemble gifts for Elise's teachers.
• If you have been hanging around for a while, you know that my least favorite part of Christmas is wrapping presents, but I have put it off for as long as I can and the pile is getting big, so this weekend I must wrap!
• And because Christmas is not busy enough, we are also in the middle of (finally) redoing Elise's bedroom so that it is a little more big girl and functions a little better for her. Moving furniture, assembling furniture and even painting furniture are in progress!
• Plus, we are going to see my Mom perform in the "Messiah" and surprise Elise with a trip to see the Christmas lights!
• And of course, it is not a weekend without the usual house cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and meal prep.

What are your plans this weekend?

A Super Hero Party for Our Super E

I think it is her intense love for her Daddy and his intense love for super heroes, that draws Elise to them. She had been asking for a Super Hero Party ever since we finished celebrating with her pumpkin party last year. I loved the idea and scoured for ways to make it a girly Super Hero party.

She indulged me with a photo shoot and that helped me create invitations to set the tone of the party.

Next, came decorations, I was able to locate a lot of pre-made stuff in our aqua, pink, and yellow color palette. These balloons from Birthday Express were a favorite of mine, but I was probably most excited about the skyscraper cupcake stand!

Our earlier party time (that is what was available at the YMCA) and a desire to keep it simple meant we just served a variety of Super Hero inspired snacks - Avengers Granola Bars and Cheez-Its, Super Hero Yogurt, Cake Batter Dip with Cookies, and Batman and Captain America inspired fruit trays.

Our Super Hero guests (everyone was so great to wear their favorite hero costume) ran wild in the gym, pulled open a piñata, and enjoyed a balloon avalanche. And of course, we had to send them home with bat signal flashlights (just Dollar Tree flashlights with a vinyl bat sticker placed to project a bat signal on the wall)!

Elise had an absolute blast and has requested another Super Hero Party for next year...but ssshhhh, the Rev and I are planning a huge surprise trip for next year's birthday celebration, so no party needed!

Summer 2016 Recap in Photos

Time to start catching you up on all that happened during my blogging break! Here is a look at the highlights of our summer.

 

{Kiddie Camp & Swim Lessons at the YMCA)

 



 

{Cousin Time}

 

{Beach Vacation}

 

 

{Shenanigans}

 

{Friends!}

 

{My Sweet Girl!}

4th of July Recap in Photos

{Fireworks & Sparklers}

{A New Skirt}

{Festive Red, White, and Blue Drink - Sparkling White Grape Juice & Frozen Berries}

What's Up This Weekend?

Here's what's up this weekend at our house:

• Father's Day(s)! Since we are tied up all day Sunday, we are planning to spoil the Rev on Saturday with dinner, then follow up with gifts and cards on Sunday - he loves to stretch a holiday out!
• Assembling Father's Day goodies for all of the Dads in our church congregation.
• Sandal shopping - Elise is in desperate need. These are our favorites that we get every year, but her size has been hard to come by thus far this year.
• Some rest for Elise - she is doing an all day kiddie camp, 3 days a week, and having a blast, but no nap means she is a little grumpy some evenings. I am hoping that she can catch up this weekend because...
• Vacation Bible School starts on Sunday and that means that we will be at church until at least 8:30 every night through Wednesday. Exhausting!
• Countdown! Only 2 weeks of work left before I break for the month of July. Can't wait!
• And of course, it is not a weekend without the usual house cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, and meal prep.

What are your plans this weekend?

Weekend Recap in Photos

 

{Last swim lesson - oh, how far she has come!}

 

{Toe twinsies}

{Church trip to Zootastic}

 

{Daddy's Flower Girl}

She Is Listening...

The Rev is an extrovert, I am an introvert. He is a go out and do new things guy, I am a stay home and live safe gal. He loves to try new things, I love to stay in my comfort zone. He is spontaneous, I am planner. We are a true Odd Couple and somehow it works.

Elise is a true mix of the both of us - wants to jump in and do, but hangs back until she is sure. She loves the idea of an adventure and greets each day with a "Where are we going/what are we doing today?," but still wants you to outline the plan for her so that she is prepared. We try very hard to talk up any opportunity to do something different and get her excited to try new things, but she still hangs back a little. Up until 6 months ago, she wouldn't get in a bouncy house, and any slide bigger than what she is used to is usually a no go. 

Her friend, Ridge, had a birthday party this past Saturday - a dinosaur themed water party - her preschool friends, water guns, a small pool, and a giant bouncy water slide. I figured the slide was going to be a no, but 2 hours into the party, I looked over and there she was taking turn after turn on that huge slide, like it was no big deal at all. When we finally dragged her off to go home, I told her how proud I was of her for being brave and going down that big water slide. And in words that have come straight out of our mouths to her so many times she said to me, "I just told myself, "You can do it, you are a brave girl, you can do hard things."            

Someday, too soon in the near future, she will be a moody teenager and I will be convinced that she does not listen to a word that I say, so this is my reminder that she is always listening, even when it doesn't seem like it.

Photo credit to our friend, Brooke

 

May the Fourth Be With You!

Daddy has been trying to raise a little Star Wars (Star Whores if you pronounce it like Elise!) fan...RD Tooty (R2D2) is her favorite. Happy Star Wars Day and may the fourth be with you!

 



Weekend Recap in Photos

{Volunteering at MerleFest - anybody want a turkey leg the size of your head?}

{Strawberry Picking!}

{ A sports themed Prom Photo Shoot}

{Lots of rain!}

MeeMaw, Mimi, and MaMaw

 

I had a "MeeMaw," and Elise has a "Mimi" and a "MaMaw." My "Mom" called her mother "Mama," and my aunt did too, but she spelled it "Momma." Do you know what they all have in common (besides being family)? You cannot find a greeting card with any of those names on them in the store. As a gal who has a name that is never spelled correctly on the cutesy stuff in the store, this irks me.

When I received an email from Cardstore and realized that you can personalize many of their Mother's Day cards with any of those, I was so excited! I always felt so weird buying a card that said "Grandmother" or "Mother," they just didn't fit.

You can even add your own photos to many cards and their prices are often lower than cards that you have to settle for in the store. And as always with Cardstore, you have the option of having them mail the card directly to your Mom or Mimi for you!

Hurry, you have to place your order by May 2nd to get it to your special lady in time!

P.S. What do you call your mother and grandmother?

Overwhelmed...

Where to start? I have been so overwhelmed with life lately that blogging has been the last thing on my mind.

Work - coming into the busy time of year (end of school year) and our deadline for scheduling next year's courses is 3 weeks earlier than normal. Not so much of a problem if I didn't need others to make decisions before I can do my part. Is it bad to want a job where you just work alone and don't have to rely on people to get stuff done?

Home - Elise is going through a bit of a testing phase. I think that she had more time outs last weekend than in the first 3 years of her life combined. Threenagers are tough! I wouldn't trade her for the world, but I wouldn't mind if this phase just passed us right on by!

Health - Coming off of a 4 day smoke smelling, massive headache spree. That combined with the fact that I can't seem to sleep and my body just hurts (some chronic pain, some from exercise) and I am just feeling blah.

Weight Loss - Stalled. Working as hard as I can at exercise, but having more struggles than usual with my eating.

My co-worker across the hall is always playing this song when she feels overwhelmed...words to live by and a much needed reminder of Who is in control of all of my circumstance (the good and the not so good).

I delight myself in You
Captivated by Your beauty
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

I know the power of Your Cross
Forgiven and free forever You’ll be my God

All that You’ve done is so overwhelming
I delight myself in You
In the Glory of Your Presence
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

Cool Whip - Elise's Imaginary Friend

So, last May the Rev took Elise to visit his parents for a few days, while I was still stuck at work, waiting on my summer break to begin. Because it is his favorite food group, her PaPaw let her have Cool Whip to eat every day - on pancakes, with berries, probably just straight from the spoon, too...and that was the beginning.

Not long after, she began talking about her friend, Cool Whip. She told us that she was her sister but that she lived at another house...here...in the retirement village where she had gone trick or treating with her friend, Piper, the year before. The village is on the way to the Y and we go there several times each week, so she waves to her and tells her "Hello" every time we pass.

The Rev and I have been taken to task if we forget to put Cool Whip in the bed with her each night. One evening last August, we had a particularly long trip home from church because Cool Whip kept getting out of the car and we needed to stop and let her back in...

I keep waiting for her to move on, but she'll be playing on the playground and turn to yell for Cool Whip to come with her. She'll wait for Cool Whip to climb up the slide with her and then tell her that she did a good job when she slides down.

I was a little worried at first and then I read this:

"studies had shown that kids with imaginary pals use more complex sentence structure, have richer vocabularies, and get along better with classmates. Kids who create a playmate get a chance to practice taking both sides of the conversation. They try on different roles, think abstractly, and conjure up original ideas. An elaborate fantasy world is like a test lab for some of the most important childhood skills."

I guess we won't worry if Cool Whip sticks around a little longer then... besides Cool Whip is a way better name than Bing Bong.

A Baby, A Girl, and A Sister

At about 1 year old, Elise got her first baby. A plain little doll that cost $5 at WalMart - she picked it out when she was sick and we were wandering around waiting on a prescription to be filled. As soon as she could talk and was asked the doll's name, she replied "Baby." And that is what she has always called her. She sleeps with her every night, without fail. And in extreme cases when the most severe punishment is required (usually reserved for telling a lie), she loses baby. It breaks her heart and she cries and says, "But I love her!" Baby is her girl.

(Sometimes even Baby gets a timeout..)

Baby is not all that attractive, so I bought her another, cuter, stuffed doll. Elise named her "Girl." Not one to be swayed by looks or the cuddly factor, Girl is largely relegated to the toy box. She is no Baby.

(Girl, all by herself, in the dress up trunk...)

Cue this past Christmas, when Elise asked for a sister for her baby. Specifically one with diapers. This caused mass confusion amongst church members and her teachers at school, since when anyone asked Elise what she was getting for Christmas, she replied with "A Baby Sister." Christmas morning came and there was the new baby doll, complete with diapers, who was promptly named, you guessed it, "Sister." She was Elise's jam for all of 1 week before she was forgotten in favor of Baby.

(Christmas morning with Sister)

3 lessons here:
1 - Sometimes a cheaply made WalMart doll is all you need.
2 - We will for sure need to invest in a Baby Name book when it is Elise's turn (in 30 years) to have a baby of her own!
3 - Never try to come between a girl and her baby!