An Amazing Christmas!

As a great friend said, "what did we do before our girls?" I am not sure. This was such a fun Christmas season! Emmy Ruth was old enough to ask for things and really get into it, so we had a blast.

First we celebrated with John's family. They came to visit us and brought lots of Rapunzel gifts. Emmy has been into Rapunzel since watching Tangled so they were a really big hit. Gandad also brought a Rapunzel puppet and an awesome music set. Emmy also got a new suitcase. I asked her where we could take her new suitcase--we are planning a trip to Disney World in May and I have been talking it up but I am pretty sure she doesn't "get it". So, when I asked where we could take her new suitcase, she answered, "camping!". We could totally go camping at a fraction of the price.

Aunt Cathy was really good at attaching the Rapunzel hair.

Daddy looked fabulous in the hair too! All she has asked for from Santa was a pink dress and a purple Barbie. She did see a specific pink dress she wanted but Santa brought this one to a Christmas party with AunTee's family. She was so excited that she wore it immediately after Santa gave it to her and then all of the time at home afterwards. She and Lucas had a big time.

She even wore it with her Rapunzel hair!

On Christmas Eve, the Jacksons came over to celebrate with a big brunch. We had a blast. Emmy insisted on putting her own bow in so it was a little lopsided and this was how she fixed her plate---lots of powdered donuts and some oranges and a piece of bread. It is Christmas time and there are no rules for eating then!

Sol and Emmy patiently waited on Daddy to get the toys opened....

Rose really enjoyed the markers and coloring book that Papa Richie and LynnLynn got Emmy.

Tara and Lucas came over so that we could go see Peter Pan at the Studio on the Square. It was great. Before hand, we got to open presents and Lucas loved his Star Wars helmet.

The kiddos were super cute dressed up for the show. We got to sit on the front row and felt super special.

And then there was Christmas morning. Santa was just fabulous to us!!! She immediately jumped on the couch to see what all he left her! The thing she was most excited about was the piggy bank.

Emmy got a super duper roller coaster just like Sol has. She was thrilled!

And she got a Paper Jams guitar and amp. Well, she kinda did... really it was for John.

I am so glad she liked her abacus. I knew that with all the music she and John do together that there had to be a little mathematician in there.

And she got the very dress she wanted. She saw it when I was looking online for her some church dresses and it popped up. Obviously... not a church dress. But, she loved it. And we printed out a picture of it and included it with her letter to Santa so that he woud know exactly what she wanted. And Santa nailed it!

Nana and Papaw Ricky came by to wish us a Merry Christmas. Nana and Emmy had a quick cookie at her new table while they were here.
What an amazing, amazing Christmas!!! We are so lucky and thankful for a wonderful year. One of my favorite gifts that Emmy Ruth got this year were some books from our family in Akron. We don't see them very often and we keep in touch online, but it is certainly not the same as being together. But, Cathy sent the kids some books for a Christmas gift. I was so happy when we sat down to read them before bed. One was the Christmas Story and the other was the Night Before Christmas. I had planned to look them both up online and get a good version instead of trying to rehash from memory. It was very special to my heart that she sent these and I loved reading them to her. Again, a great touch to an amazing Christmas.

Happy Birthday Julia!!!

Our brilliant Julia had a great birthday party--even Santa came to tell her happy birthday! Here she is blowing out her candles.Rose loved the cupcakes. :)Sweet Sol wanted to make sure Santa knew exactly what he wanted.

First Haircut

At almost 4 years old, I finally got The Girl her first hair cut. We tried once before and she got scared but when she saw Lucas getting his hair cut, she was all over it. I think she likes being pampered.

Emmy-tude

Oh she’s a hoot! Here are a couple of her latest and greatest sayings…

--Last night I asked if she wanted to watch Scooby Doo before bed and she said “no, I think a quick game of Candyland should do the trick”.

--This morning, I was trying to put her shoes on and she wasn’t being very helpful and she finally just said “ok, now watch and learn”.

--We were shopping at TJ Maxx and came upon this picture of the Last Supper. Emmy said, “Mom, are these pilgrims?”. Lucas said, “no, Emmy, I think they are superheroes”.

--We put up the nativity scene and I was talking about Mary and Joseph, Baby Jesus, and the shepherds and angel. Later on, Emmy found a snapshot that was in some of Grandma Jackson’s photo albums; it was a baby in a bathtub on the porch of a house, I am sure it was Daddy. She came running in and asked if that was a picture of Baby Jesus. John told her that yes, we had the only snapshot of Jesus.

I am loving that we have Santa Claus to hold over her head to get her to act correctly. She thinks I have Santa Claus’s phone number on speed-dial on my phone. Works like a charm!

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, I worked on cleaning out her closet and trying to rearrange her room to give her more play space. When we were lying in bed the other night saying our prayers, she said she was thankful for her new “castle room”. Ahhh…be still my beating heart!!!!!!! And yes, she is sleeping in her own room! All it took was a unicorn Pillow Pet!

Pumpkin Patch

Seriously... how do I love thee? Let me count the ways....

These children are just precious. I can't stand it!


Sol loved the sub that was there....

And he's quite the gymnast.

Such a handsome boy.

And Emmy Ruth running. And Running. And Running.

Sweet Rose.
This was the closest I could get of the kids in front of the measuring sign.

Rose wasn't much more cooperative.

Neall was a little more helpful. So was Laura.

The kids all loved the haymaze... especially Rose. She's obviously a genius since she figured her way out each time.

Emmy carrying a pumpkin.

Jumping in the cotton.

Sol was so excited when he saw this gun.... Neall was a little excited too. :)

Boys and Girls

Yesterday was Veteran’s Day, so I was off work and took advantage of it by picking up Lucas at school. I loved it that when I got there, the teacher said, “Oh you must be his Thia”. Yep, the one and only.

 

After a trip to Old McDonald’s, we picked up The Other Tara and went shopping. Lucas was not impressed. They love each other so much but Lucas and Emmy Ruth are definitely all boy and all girl, respectively. Here are my favorite quotes of the day…

 

Lucas:    “Man, I was pooting like a banchee.”

                “Go backards, {at Target}, back to the Star Wars movies.”

Emmy:  “Lucas, will you kiss me?”

                “Can we go home now so I can paint my nails?”

 

Halloween

Emmy Ruth has been saying for weeks she was going to be "big Snow White" for Halloween. It took us a while but we finally realized that meant she wanted to wear the fancy Snow White dress and not the simple one she had. My friend Leigh gave her the dress for her birthday and she has loved it! I thought she would want something different for Halloween but she insisted on wearing it. Of course, that meant I had to be the Wicked Queen.

My Lu is 4!

I can't believe Lucas is already four years old!!! He is so totally into Star Wars so he had to have a super Star Wars party. There were asteroid stomps (on bubble wrap), light saber battles (with balloons) and lots of games and tunnels. It was so much fun and we are so thankful to have Lu in our lives! Emmy Ruth tells us all the time that she is going to marry Lucas. :)

John entertaining the kiddos... A silly AunTee...There were light saber battles... And of course presents to be opened followed by the required picture of all the kids...

Daddy taught Emmy Ruth how to play pool... An amazing Star Wars cake for an amazing boy...

Elvis?

I have an Elvis postcard tucked in our bathroom and a few weeks ago, Emmy started asking about him. So, after me trying to sing a few songs, we downloaded one of the albums from iTunes. I must say that she was not thoroughly impressed but we are working on that.

 

Last night when we were reading our library book “The Twelve Dancing Princesses”, I mentioned the eldest one and Emmy said, “Elvis! He is in our bathroom!”.

 

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyy????????

A decade or so ago when Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by Tonya Harding, the clip that played over and over was of Nancy on the ground, holding her knee screaming "why? why?". That is stuck in my mind as I hear that question over and over and over and over.

Watching Mulan, she asked John a thousand questions about why they did this or that.

Why do we have to wear panties to school?

On the way to school, why is the sun up? Why is her school to the left and not the right?

When driving the other day, I almost couldn't figure out what she meant when she asked why that truck was carrying that other truck. I finally found the street sign and explained that if someone parked in the grass, his or her car would be towed. Why? Because there is a law against that. Why? Because cars go on the street and parking lots. Why? Because Mama was apparently a very difficult child to raise and she is now earning it all back.

The perfect gift

For Father's Day, Emmy wanted to get John soap.

For Neall's birthday, Emmy wanted to get him the latest Kendra Wilkinson book. She said it would be perfect for him. He does love to read.

For my birthday, Emmy told John she wanted to get me scissors.

Aunt Becca's birthday is coming up and Emmy told me tonight she wanted to get her toliet paper.

I can hardly wait to see what our Christmas list looks like.

I let Bill out in the back yard to do her thing when I go downstairs to  do my thing (get dressed). This morning when I went to  let her back in, I noticed something moving in the pool. (Yes. it is still up. On one hand, this is awful as it is October, but on the other hand, we were actually in the pool about two weeks ago, so it’s not been up unused THAT long. And I don’t have the time to nag Burton on it right now.) I thought it looked like a squirrel and you know how I am pretty sure my demise will come from rabies so I didn’t want to get too close. I stood on the Adirondack chair to see the little rabid beast swimming in our pool! Emmy was having a rough morning so to kind of snap her out if it, I asked if she wanted to see something funny, there’s a squirrel swimming in your pool! Of course she did.

 

So, we go out, and I don’t see it. I thought it might be against the side of the pool closest to us and I am not about to get right on top of it and look in so holding ER, I climb up the ladder for the slide and we stand on the top of the slide to look. No swimming squirrel. But one at the bottom of the pool. I said, oh he must have gotten out, but of course she sees it and says “I SEE IT! It’s DEAD!”

 

In the kitchen, she says, “I’m gonna invite Jillian over to see my dead squirrel!”

 

At the orchard

We were very late getting to the orchard but that was ok since The
Girl pretty much had free reign of the place. And she had a blast.

She's still not a morning person, screaming "mornings are not fun"
yesterday as we headed out the door!!!!