♥ Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ♥: December 2009

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Happy 9th Birthday Macey Jane!

Nine years ago today, I became a mommy. Time really flies! I can remember the night like it was yesterday...driving to the hospital in a blizzard on Christmas night. Having to walk the halls because there was literally no room at the "inn". Nineteen hours and a c-section later, my 8lb. 6oz. screaming bundle of joy was born. Now look at you! I am so proud of the young lady you are becoming. Please don't grow up too fast. I love you sweetheart.

Macey enjoyed 2 birthday parties (and 2 cakes). Below are pictures from her party with school friends.

Merry Christmas (part 1)

The first part of our Christmas celebration started at Grandpa Tom and Grandma Judy's house the night before Christmas Eve. We were joined by Uncle Scott and Aunt Megan. Unfortunately I was feeling a little under the weather, coupled with the fact that our stay was cut short by a day due to snow, so I ended up with fewer pictures than I would've liked. But, at least I got to capture the smiles on the girls...

Macey playing Santa and handing out the gifts

Emmy waiting patiently by her stash!

Jolee waiting by her stash!

Macey opening presents while Uncle Scott and Aunt Megan watch...

Jolee getting ready to give Grandma & Grandpa a hug

Next year we are all praying for Santa to bring Uncle Scott and Aunt Megan a special gift of their own...a baby! If all goes well, maybe next Christmas we can visit them in Atlanta and welcome a new addition to our family. Keep your fingers crossed!!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Mom, can we eat 'em NOW?!

It's Christmas break!! Time to decorate some gingerbread cookies. The girls admired their work for about 20 seconds, and then they started eating!

Proud artist #1

...and #3

Gingerbread Bikini Girl

The whole gingerbread family...mmm, delish!

Dear Santa, We've Been Good!

We ventured to the mall to see Santa Claus so the girls could share their wish lists. Being mid-December, the mall was packed with busy shoppers everywhere. In other words, total mayhem! However, when the girls and the other children saw Santa come out, the wonder, magic and excitement in their eyes made all of the craziness melt away...it was SO worth the trip! Macey wants a DSi, Jolee wants Lulu the Fur Real kitty, and Emmy wants a BIG dollhouse. The girls have been good this year (well, for the most part!), so I'm betting that Santa and his elves will deliver!

Santa's cute little helper

Santa's furry friend

Thursday, December 10, 2009

So Much to be Thankful for...

I am so very thankful for my beautiful, healthy girls and my amazing husband who takes care of all of us.

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This Thanksgiving post is late...where oh where does the time go?! We took to the road over Thanksgiving and headed west. Our first stop was Grandma Judy's and Grandpa Tom's house.

I am thankful for wonderful grandparents who would do anything for their grandchildren.

I am thankful for my beautiful daughters.

Our next stop was my dad's house. We got to see my dad, Amy and baby Nathan (the most content baby I've ever seen!). We also visited my Grandma Frieda who had just been admitted to the hospital that day. It's so hard seeing the ones you love in pain, but I am thankful for the doctors and nurses trying to nurse her back to health.

I am thankful for my awesome dad and the big tree in his yard that the girls love to climb.

Our final stop was my mom's house. My mom and her husband have quite a bit of land and the girls love exploring, trying to catch the wild kittens and playing with the dogs. I am thankful to be able to let them roam and be kids and not have to worry about them when we are there.

I am thankful for my amazing mom and her zest for life.

Dialogue with Emmy

"I love you with my most loviest heart."
Whenever she finds a coin on the ground she says, "Look! It's my lucky day!"
"Once upon a time there were 2 little girls: Mommy, Daddy, Macey, Emmy and JoJo"...
"Mommy, I love you every single day."
When asked, "How old will you be after your next birthday?", she replies, "Free".
Emmy: "I love you!" Mommy: "I love you, too!" Emmy: "I love you MORE!"
Favorite questions: "Why?", "Because why?", "What?", and "What's that mean?"
She's been saying this A LOT lately-- "I'm more hungry"...every 15 minutes!

Jolee's Funny Quotes & Questions

"I don't have peanuts, I have a vagina!"
Grady said: "Jolee, you have school tomorrow", Jolee said: "Oh, the PAIN!, THE PAIN!"
"Every time I push my belly out, my pants pop open!"
"Daddy, I love you so much that I can't let you out of my sight!"
"I'm warm...like a piece of toast."
"I have never, ever, EVER tooted in school!"
"Don't eat the yellow snow!"
"If we had a boy cat AND a girl cat, and they kissed...that would be GROSS!"
"Sometimes the world is a mystery..."
"What are bees' feet called?"
"Zip your lip and throw away the key!"
"Mom's the Mystery Farter!" Note: I'm sure it wasn't me...must've been Daddy!
When deciding whether or not to add chocolate to her ice cream she said, "I'm gonna go for it!"
"It smells like there's a butt in my nose!"
"Mom, I ROCK at this!"
"Tell it to the Judge!"

Macey's Corner: New things I've learned in school

In a handful of soil, there are more living organisms than there are people on the planet.
I have learned multiplication facts by two, three, four and five and division facts by two.
To reduce pollution when shopping, purchase items that are not in a box or that have little packaging.
A refuge is a place where animals and plants are safe.
In statistics, "mode" is the number that appears most often, "maximum" is the largest number, "minimum" is the lowest number, and "range" is the maximum minus the minimum.
A menorah is the candle holder in Hanukkah celebrations and a kinara is the candle holder in Kwanzaa celebrations.
In English, the days of the week start with a capital letter, in Spanish they don't.
In Germany a Christmas tree is called a Tannenbaum
Germany is a country in Europe.
Kwanzaa is a seven day holiday honoring the ancient African tradition of celebrating the year's harvest.
There is a difference between a food chain and a food web. Food chains follow a single path as animals find food and food webs show how plants and animals are connected in many ways to help them all survive.
Another word for collar bone is clavicle.
Not all spiders spin webs to catch food, some dig holes.
Today I completed 100 math facts in less than 5 minutes.
Amphibians are cold blooded animals.
In a math addition problem, if there are more than 2 numbers, find the facts of 10 and then add the others.
A fish that has spikes and puffs up is called a Puffer Fish.
Veteran's Day is also known as Armistice Day.
The phalanges are bones that make up our fingers and toes.
Check back often! Macey will populate this list.

Savin' Green, Bein' Green, Gettin' Lean

No Paper OR Plastic: Instead of buying giftbags for Christmas or birthday presents (especially for adults), buy re-usable grocery bags that the recipient can use everyday.
Cut it Short: In ALL of the baking I do, I always use less sugar than the recipe calls for. Even if you cut it just a little bit, every little bit helps. And, we never miss it!
No More White Stuff: The next time you have to buy flour, buy whole wheat flour. I use it in all of my baking and my family can't tell the difference!
Challenge Yourself: I got this idea from another blog I visit daily. Challenge yourself to not go to the grocery store for an entire week. This forces you to be creative with what you have on hand. It's also a great way to use up the odds and ends in your pantry. It got a little difficult at the end of the week, but we did it! Plus, the savings from that week were very noticeable on our grocery budget!
Rewards Cards: Take advantage of the rewards cards at stores you shop at often. For example, we use the Office Max rewards/recycle program and are able to get free stuff there with the rewards we've accumulated. I also get special discounts at Dick's Sporting Goods which comes in handy buying my running shoes every six months. Other cards I have are for CVS (they give you money to use on your next purchase), Hallmark (free coupons), all the grocery stores (you get the store's discount plus sometimes discounts on gas), shoe stores (special coupons), you get the picture.
Free Movie Nights: Do you have a Redbox kiosk nearby? If so, you can find Redbox codes online every Monday and Wednesday to get a free movie. And, even if you don't get the codes, movies are only a buck! Bye, bye Blockbuster!
Soccer Mom Must: Car pool, duh!
Don't be a Heel: Don't throw away the heels from your loaves of bread. I don't like eating them as sandwiches, either, but toss them in the freezer until you get several of them. Then, toast them in the toaster and throw them into your food processor...wala!...whole grain bread crumbs! And, they're a lot healthier than most of the breadcrumbs you buy at the store.
Behind Bars: Our family goes through granola bars like you wouldn't believe. I love that my kids like to eat this healthy snack, but I don't like how expensive they are. I found a great recipe that is so versatile you can tailor it to your own likes and dislikes. One pan costs pennies and makes 16-18 bars. Recipe is found above in "Janie's Kitchen".
101 Uses for Vinegar: I use it as a fabric softener (and no, our clothes don't stink!), mixed with water it is WAY better than Windex, my friend Stacy uses it to kill her weeds, I spray it on the counters to help get rid of ants, and this is just a few of things I can think of off the top of my head! Google it and have fun!
Stacking Coupons: Did you know that you can use a store coupon (ie. Walgreens, Target, etc.) AND and manufacturer's coupon for the same item? For example, you can print Target coupons (good only at Target) and clip your mfr. coupon to use on the same item. If you do this when the item is on sale, it's an even bigger bonus...many times you can get it free or almost free!