Addison's Adventures

365 Project. Week 8.

2012-02-25T18:59:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 8.

No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed

2012-02-22T05:23:00.000-08:00

One of the rules we have in this house is NO JUMPING ON THE BEDS. Not because I want to suck the fun out of Addie's childhood, but because a)she has bunk beds and b)she's not the most coordinated little thing. I'm just trying to avoid injuries here. So when I heard her laughing hysterically from the other room I went into our bedroom to find her jumping like a crazy person all over the bed. When I asked her what on earth she thought she was doing, she simply stated she was "Pretending to be at Aunt Liz's house". Ah, the loophole. Penny's rule is that there are only 2 beds in the world she is allowed to jump on. Hers, and her parents. Addie LOVES Penny's rule, and takes full advantage at Aunt Liz's house. I guess I have to give her credit for thinking quickly with that excuse...

365 Project. Week 7.

2012-02-18T17:47:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 7.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-13T15:35:00.001-08:00

365 Project. Week 6.

2012-02-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 6.

365 Project. Week 5.

2012-02-04T10:55:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 5.

Camera Lens

2012-01-31T14:42:00.001-08:00

Addie pulled my camera down off of the counter. I dove for it, but wasn't quick enough. My 50 mm lens literally shattered before my eyes. Sad day. I'm ordering a new one tomorrow. Luckily, my parents love me. They got me this bad boy for Christmas. Addie's a lucky girl I had something to keep me distracted. :)

Aunt May came to Visit

2012-01-29T23:04:00.000-08:00

Aunt May came to play! Yay!

Baby Addie

2012-01-29T16:18:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 4.

2012-01-28T21:06:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 4.

I dread them turning 16...

2012-01-28T14:28:00.001-08:00

The last day Aunt Liz and Penny were here, we were trying our best to wear Penny out so that she would sleep the whole way home that afternoon. After having collided with Addie the day before and busting her lip and nose up, she wasn't being quite herself, so we thought a nice, quiet car ride for Liz would be nice.

The girls still LOVE the trampoline!

I LOVE this picture of Penny!

Addie running and yelling "You can't catch meeeeeeeee".

And this would be the reason I dread them being 16. Addie has recently learned to drive her Power Wheels. And it is FAST. WAY TOO FAST. She delights in flooring it, and taking off. The girl loves to feel the wind in her hair.
As you can see, Penny was a tad bit nervous when she first rode with Addie...

However, she quickly grew to love it.

I actually had to call Liz outside (she was inside working on a project for me) for backup. They were easily outrunning me, and running into the street before I could get around to stop them.

And then, Addie taught Penny her favorite trick. It's not enough to fly around in her little convertible. She has decided she likes it best if she closes her eyes, laughs hysterically, and floors it. Penny quickly took note of how fun this was, so she started doing it too. Which means even when you jump in front of them to stop them from running into the street, they don't see you, so they just run you over.

They were quite adorable, even in their craziness.

Back to jumping some more...

Penny.

Addie.

We finished out of visit with a nice picnic lunch before they headed back to Atlanta.

I SOOOO love that these little girls are growing up so close, and that they really do love seeing each other!!

A Day at the Park

2012-01-27T23:12:00.015-08:00

While Penny and Liz were visiting for the circus, we took advantage of the nice weather and headed to our favorite park!

Addie's all time favorite thing to do at the park!

Penny practicing her balancing skills.

Aunt Liz hanging around...

Addie and Penny

Aunt Liz posing with the Dragon.

Aunt Liz and Addie.

Penny and her Mama.

Penny going down the big slide.

Addie going down the big slide.

We are still LOVING this weather!! (Minus all the storms!)

The Circus

2012-01-26T23:52:00.000-08:00

The circus was in town this week, and it did not disappoint. We luck out when it comes to tickets (they are EXPENSIVE!), since Ryan works for the railroad. With just one phone call, we got tickets for our family, as well as Liz and Penny. We KNEW Penny would be excited, since the theme this year was dragons. Unfortunately, Penny fell at our house earlier in the day, busting up her lip and nose. It looked pitiful! So, she wasn't quite as enthused as I think she normally would have been. However, she did say as soon as we got back home that she had a great time. Addie LOVED every second. She clapped and cheered and was completely captivated by the whole thing.

Addie eating her popcorn waiting for the show to start.

Penny enjoying her popcorn.

Addie watching everything going on.

Fun Circus Acts.

Cute girls during intermission.

We actually left during intermission to head home. Penny was MORE than ready after her rough day, and although Addie was still happy, she had no clue we didn't see it all. The girls got to go and experience the circus, and were still very excited (and wound up!) about it all when we got home. I love that we live close enough that the girls can experience all this fun stuff together. I'm sure we'll be heading back again next year!

Cowgirl Addie

2012-01-26T15:55:00.000-08:00

Happy 10th Birthday!!

2012-01-23T23:36:00.000-08:00

My sweet, precious baby turned 10 today. It's hard to believe she's already 10, and at the same time it's hard to remember life without her. It's been a rough year for Sassy, but we are so happy that she's healthy and happy. We can't wait to celebrate another year with her!

This was her mad face when I told her she couldn't have a Happy Meal (her annual birthday dinner) this year due to her previous Pancreatitis. We gave her some grilled chicken instead.

Playing outside with Addie and Me.

Addie loves Sassy. And Sassy has been sweet enough to tolerate Addie.

Two of my favorite girls in the world!

Happy 10th Birthday, Sassy Louise!

A day at the beach...

2012-01-23T18:19:00.001-08:00

We've been talking about beach houses a lot over here. Mainly trying to decide on one with the rest of my family for our beach trip in May. Apparently Addie was MORE than ready to go to the beach. She got out her Minnie blanket, told me she was at the beach, and requested her beach chair, her sunglasses, a bucket, and a shovel. She kept telling us it was the perfect day to be at the beach. She will be SO excited when we actually go to a real beach, although I do love her imagination.

Sweet and Sassy

2012-01-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

Sweet and Sassy. Probably the best 2 words to describe Addie these days...

365 Project. Week 3.

2012-01-21T20:26:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 3.

Bath Time

2012-01-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

Bath time may very well be Addie's favorite time of day. She LOVES bubble baths now, as opposed to a year ago, when they sent her into complete screaming fits of terror...

Baby Jaguar Coat.

2012-01-19T21:06:00.000-08:00

Liz and I took a ton of Addie's old clothes to a resale shop in Atlanta while we were visiting them last weekend. We happened upon this coat, that I KNEW Addie would like. Although it's a couple of sizes to big for her, she LOVES it. And insists on wearing it most of the time. She told the cashier at Target today that she was wearing her Baby Jaguar coat that Aunt Liz bought for her. Ha. I tried to convince her to wear her "play" coat outside today, but she refused. She said she NEEDED her Baby Jaguar coat so she could go play. She has quite the opinions these days...

Addie's finally able to reach the pedal on her Power Wheels. And the girl is a CRAZY driver. Comes by it honestly, I suppose...

First Car Wreck. Sigh.

She jumped out to pick me a flower. :)

My little fashionista.

Bath Time

2012-01-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

Lately Addie has been OBSESSED with Bubble Baths. More specifically, Dora Bubble Baths. You know, because it makes the water pink. (This is a nice change from a year ago though, when the mere sight of bubbles in her bath would send her into a screaming fit of terror...)

Sharing?

2012-01-15T05:41:00.000-08:00

Sharing? Or perhaps not so much. At least she didn't just rip the fire hat off Penny's head without offering her a new one, I suppose...

The Greats

2012-01-14T23:45:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun getting to celebrate Cory's 4th Birthday with him. After all the guests left, we tried our best to get a picture of The Greats. Success!! This may very well be the first picture of all 6 of them where they are all looking at the camera, and no one was crying! Yay!!

Penny (2), Addie (2), Iain (5), Cory (4), Isaiah (2), and Laina (1)

365 Project. Week 2.

2012-01-14T17:57:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 2.

Project 365. Week 1.

2012-01-07T21:36:00.000-08:00

365 Project. Week 1.

This is more like it.

2012-01-06T21:48:00.000-08:00

Oh Alabama. The weather went from a FREEZING 20 something degrees and jumped back into the high 60's. That's more like it! Addie and I took full advantage of the beautiful afternoon, and spent the entire time outside.

She LOVES her tricycle.

We spent lots of time on the trampoline.

She has finally totally figured out the car. She was zipping up and down the driveway yelling for everyone to watch out. Probably good advice...

Drinking and Driving.

Then, we finished up the afternoon with a little yard work.

I'm hoping this weather stays!

FREEZING

2012-01-05T19:33:00.000-08:00

Seriously, Alabama? We live in the South. It should NOT be 20 degrees outside. Sigh.

She told me she was getting ready so she could go to Target.

So over this weather.

Winter Days

2012-01-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

The weather in Alabama is CRAZY to say the least. We have had some REALLY nice weather, and all of the sudden it turned into FREEZING cold. Makes me miss Florida! So, Addie and I didn't leave the house at all for a couple of days. Luckily, we had lots of new toys to help us pass the time. By far her favorite is her Play-Doh Fun Factory she got from Aunt Liz, Uncle Chris, and Penny. We have played non stop with it.

She was VERY excited to use a knife. I should probably be worried...

Making Spaghetti

It was harder than she thought. Ha.

Addie is in a phase where she LOVES to make up words. They usually sound similar to real words, but then she cracks up laughing while you try and figure out what the heck she's talking about.

One of her other favorite games is her Dora Matching Game. She will play it for a good 45 minutes. It's a nice break!

Sassy likes to stayright beside wherever Addie is these days. Luckily, she can always find the sunlight to lay in. :)

New Year, New Adventures...

2012-01-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful New Years Eve. At home. Just the 3 of us. It was low key and fun. We had sushi take out, and watched Nick Jr with our favorite tiny person. I couldn't think of a better way to bring in the new year!

DaDa and Addie practicing their putting together in the backyard.

Playing a little soccer.

Silly girl.

Splarkling white grape juice for Addie. :)

Champagne for the Mama and DaDa,.

Addie's had a pink charm on the glass so we didn't get them mixed up. :)

Cheers!

Excited to have a "real" glass!

She kept "cheers"-ing us.

Addie picked out hats for us all at the store earlier in the day. She was quite excited when we all wore them. Silly girl. Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years!

Happy New Year!!

2011-12-31T18:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I am spending the night at home with my favorite people tonight. :)

Also, I can't believe how much my "baby" has grown this year. Sigh.

Happy Birthday, Aunt Liz!

2011-12-26T23:00:00.000-08:00

I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I LUCKED OUT in the Sister-In-Law department. She is absolutely one of my best friends, and I can't imagine our family without her in it. I love love love that we are raising our sweet girls together. It is SO nice to be able to complain about share the joys of motherhood with each other. Well, today Liz turned 30. I, of course, started the morning off for her by playing "Funeral March" by Chopin as she walked down the stairs. Ha. We had a really fun day celebrating though. The White's came to visit, and it was SO good to get to see them!! We really need to make it a point to visit with them more! We always have so much fun when we're all together!

Aunt Briarly reading to Penny.

Uncle Barry reading to Addie.

Aunt Pam and Addie.

Liz enjoying everyone singing Happy Birthday to her.

Blowing out her candles.

Aunt Pam and Uncle Barry got Addie and Penny these crazy gorillas. They have a banana and when you take it away from their mouth, they scream and wave their arms, then they giggle when you put it back. The girls LOVED them.

Aunt Briarly taking a spin in Addie's car.

Granddaddy playing Crack the Whip with the girls.

Aunt Briarly and Addie.

Aunt Pam watching Penny jump.

Addie

When Briarly first went to run, she forgot that Addie was only 2 and can't actually run that fast. Addie held onto the rope for dear life, flew up in the air, and then was dragged about 10 feet while still holding on. Everyone was cracking up, luckily Addie wasn't hurt and thought it was hilarious, so she kept falling.

Uncle Barry and GiGi in a competitive soccer game.

Penny and Granddaddy

Aunt Briarly and Addie tying up Granddaddy

Addie and Granddaddy

Uncle Barry and Addie

Addie and Granddaddy

Sweet Cousins. Chris and Briarly. :)

Penny and Granddaddy.

Granddaddy and Addie

Addie and her DaDa

Uncle Chris was seeing how high he could toss Addie. GiGi was not pleased. Ha.

She was running from person to person to have them throw her in the air.

My 2 favorite people.

Apparently Addie has been watching to much CSI, as she wanted her chalk outline drawn. Ha.

Liz and I ended our day with a trip to Flip Burger for birthday milkshakes. Nutella Marshmellow style. It. Was. Amazing. Seriously, everyone should try one! Plus, Flip makes their milkshakes with Liquid Nitrogen and that makes everything more fun.

Happy 30th, Liz!!

Christmas Day

2011-12-25T23:49:00.000-08:00

Every.Single.Adult. was up before Addie and Penny. They got up around 8, and after both of them drank some milk, we headed to the living room.

First glimpse of the tree. Clearly GiGi is the most excited. :)

Penny running to start opening presents.

Addie heading for her presents.

Addie opening her Santa gift.

Penny opening her Santa gift.

The tricycles were a hit!

Granddaddy helping them ride in a circle.

Ryan had a golf Christmas. New golf glove (that he's modeling), golf shoes, golf clubs, golf balls, you get the idea. Needless to say, he's excited!

Chris. In a turban.

Addie opening presents.

Okay. I know she's 2. I know this is a paddle ball. But she really wanted it one day, and I told her she could have it for Christmas. We're working on not killing people with it.

Some of Addie's favorite things she got were for her pink dolly from Santa. She got a high chair, a stroller, a pack 'n play, and a bumbo chair. She loves taking care of her baby.

Delivering gifts to be opened.

Penny had asked Santa for 4 Dragon Books. So, in keeping with her Christmas theme, GiGi and Granddaddy found her this giant stuffed dragon. SHE LOVED IT. Addie was a bit freaked out by it at first, but once she realized Uncle Chris would fly them around the house on it, she was sold.

Penny got a Mr. Potato Head to match her Mrs. Potato Head.

Penny was having her Sesame Street band put on a concert for us all.

Uncle Chris modeling his new jacket.

And, then there was Sassy. After her health scare last month, she has been placed on a SUPER strict diet. She can only have dry diet food, and an occasional 5 calorie milk bone treat. Anyone who knows Sassy, knows this is very sad for her. The girl LOVES to eat. Usually she racks up on Christmas. Everyone spoils her more than normal. Unfortunately for her, I reminded everyone she couldn't have any food.

Penny helped her open her bags, and this was Sassy's reaction when she realized it was ALL toys and NO food. Poor Sassy Louise.

Dr. Addie is in the building.

Penny loves Richard Scary books, and lucky for her, her mama found her the world's biggest word book.

Weirdos.

Addie taking a break to have some "tea time" as she calls it.

Safety first. Ha.

Baby races. (For the record, Granddaddy and Addie won)

Playing monster finger puppets with GiGi.

So, we all found it REALLY funny that there was a GIANT dress up closet that neither one of them noticed until the very end. Here they are checking out themselves as ladybugs in the mirror on the side. (Penny actually got a dress up box from her Daddy, so GiGi and Granddaddy added to her stash as well)

Addie taking it all in. She LOVED LOVED LOVED this!!

Cowgirl Addie.

Thanks for the megaphone GiGi. :)

Seriously. I'd like to point out that I have the craftiest parents ever. Last year they built her the kitchen. This year, I requested a dress up closet for Addie. So, Granddaddy built and painted it, and GiGi filled it to the brim with all kinds of fun stuff! They are the best!

Another big hit was the Rapunzel vanity that Uncle Chris, Aunt Liz, and Penny got for Addie.

Addie checking it out.

Penny trying it out.

Granddaddy filming it all for everyone. :)

And, while everyone had a good Christmas, I must say I was MOST excited by what was under the tree for me. My parents COMPLETELY surprised me (which does NOT happen often) and got me a camera lens that was on my wish list! Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L. I LOVE IT. Just sayin'...

Testing out the new lens on Granddaddy. :)

We literally opened presents from about 8 am to 2 pm, with lots of breaks, snacks, and playing with toys in between. Unfortunately it rained all day long. Luckily we have a giant unfinished basement/garage that we took advantage of. The girls played down there for a couple of hours later that night to help get some energy out.

Thelma and Louise

Of course, Uncle Chris wanted in on the fun.

Then it was back to the dress up closet for the girls.

"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize." Claree- Steel Magnolias

I hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas! I can assure you, we did!

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

This year (as last year) we had to stay home for Christmas so Ryan could work (although he did actually take a couple of days off! Yay!). Luckily, my family came to stay with us and celebrate. We have had SO MUCH FUN. I think it's safe to say that the adults are just as excited, if not more, than the girls. Liz and I tried to keep the girls as busy as possible all day in hopes of an early bedtime. (And, it actually worked!)

They started out the morning by finding Jingle Bells and Holly (Penny's elf) swinging from the chandelier above Addie's table. This was their last night here until next year, but it's been fun.

Later in the morning, we went on a Bear Hunt with Granddaddy. The girls rode in the wagon most of the way.

These girls LOVE their Granddaddy. It's so sweet. And it reminds me of when I was little and my Granddaddy would take us on fun adventures like this. :)

Checking for Bears.

Collecting pinecones to put in their pockets.

Checking out Bear City. We saw it in the distance once we got to a cliff in the woods.

Sweet Cousins.

After our Bear Hunt, we still had lots of afternoon to fill. Liz and I stayed home with the girls while everyone else went to the Christmas Eve service at a friend of my parent's church. They said it was amazing, hopefully next year, the girls will be old enough to go and sit through it!

We made salt dough ornaments for Addie and Penny to paint. They turned out fun. Can't wait to stick them on our trees next year!

We went and sprinkled our reindeer food in the driveway so they would have something to snack on while Santa was delivering presents.

The girls made sure that they spread it our for all the reindeer.

Then they taste tested some of the cookies we made for Santa.

After everyone got home from church, we opened our Schweizer Name gifts. This year's theme was socks. I got a cute bag and some socks from Aunt Kristen, but somehow managed not to get a picture of it.

Addie opening her gift from Uncle Alex.

She got an adorable sock monkey. Which she named Socks. That girl is original, huh. Along with some cute tights! She has dragged Socks everywhere with her the past few days.

GiGi got a cute ornament from Micah.

Granddaddy playing with the sock puppets that he and Penny got from the Brannons.

Ryan and Chris with their socks from Jeff's family.

Telling us she loves Socks.

Liz got a cute flower pot from Haylee.

Granddaddy was having way too much fun with the sock puppets.

Then we put out cookies and milk for Santa.

After all that excitement, it was time for Addie to open her last Advent book. She opened The Night Before Christmas, and Granddaddy read it to her and Penny before they headed upstairs to bed.

After the girls headed to bed, we set up the living room. Santa got there just in time to fill stockings and leave the girls their one present each they had asked for.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Rainy Day Play

2011-12-21T15:12:00.000-08:00

It has been crazy warm here for December (like in the 70's every day), and I am not complaining! Although, I will complain about the rain. Trying to run around town finishing up last minute Christmas preparations with a 2 year old is hard enough, adding the rain makes it nearly impossible. So, Addie and I decided to stay home and make the best of it. We put on rain boots, rain coats, and jumped in every.single.puddle. we could find. And we had a blast.

First puddle of the day. She was quite excited.

She was watching her reflection in the water.

She was yelling that she was "jumping like Peeeenie" here. (Who has been known to jump. Nonstop. Ha)

Striking a pose. :)

Rain Boots from Penny. Addie calls them her Valentine's Day Boots.

Rainy Day Ringlets.

Rainy Day walk with my favorite little girl. :)

Christmas Cards

2011-12-20T08:16:00.000-08:00

My friend Kera and I took Addie and Delilah out at the end of November for a quick Christmas Card Photoshoot. I managed to get some good shots of both girls, and Christmas Cards were actually ordered early for once! Now that everyone has received them in the mail, I thought I'd share a couple of the pictures.

Addie and Delilah. They looked so cute!

One of my favorites of Addie.

It's hard to be a model. :)

And the final Christmas Card with my 2 sweet babies on it.

O Christmas Tree

2011-12-15T03:04:00.000-08:00

While we were visiting GiGi and Granddaddy last week, we had to snap a couple of quick pictures of the girls with their Christmas Tree. In their matching Christmas jammies of course.

Here they are inside with GiGi's tree...

And then outside looking at Granddaddy's tree.

Tryon Christmas Parade

2011-12-14T06:25:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to be in town during the Tryon Christmas Parade. The Bells decided to come with us, and they definitely helped keep the girls (and us!) entertained.

Cassie and Addie

Playing in the fountain

Addie and Aunt Liz waiting for the parade to start

Uncle Chris and Penny waiting.

Aunt Sam and Luke

Silly Penny.

Sweet Cousins

The parade wasn't too long, had enough things to watch that the Addie and Penny sat relatively still, and had a Santa yelling through the Fire Truck loudspeaker to the kids "Don't y'all let yer parents eat all yer candy!" I mean, perfect, right?!

Watching the Parade.

Watching for Candy.

Penny was intrigued!

Ha. No clue why Penny is smothering Addie. :)

These girls LOVE their Granddaddy.

After the parade was over, we headed across the street to the Fire Station. Santa was there waiting to visit with the kids, and to give them a little gift. We were attempting our best to talk the girls up and get them excited about Santa in attempts to get a cute picture of the two of them with the Big Guy in Red. They were SUPER excited while in line, and may or may not have been THOSE children. You know, the ones everyone running like little crazy people and making other parents VERY thankful that those aren't THEIR children. :)

Waiting in line.

Penny's feet aren't even touching the ground. This was while they were supposed to be waiting to see Santa.

We were attempting to get them to come back in line.

Aunt Liz. Professional Toddler Wrangler.

Silly girls.

Then it was FINALLY our turn. Addie was prepared to ask for a Pink Tricycle, and Penny KNEW she wanted 4 Dragon Books.

Obviously, Addie is thinking about whether she really wants to be up there or not.

Penny clearly forgot about the Dragon Books she had practiced asking him for, and was not amused at all that she was put on Santa's lap. Here, the nice volunteer firemen are trying to bribe her with some Candy.

Penny is still not having it, but in the commotion, Addie did say she would like a pink bike.

Penny then thought maybe if she gave the candy back, they would let her get down. :)

I'm pretty sure Addie was eyeing the candy Penny handed back. Ha. Santa Picture Fail.

Luke, on the other hand, was a champ. Although he did NOT take our $5 bribe to tell Santa all that he wanted for Christmas was a family who loved him.

Personally, I like Santa's steel toed work boots. :)

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-10T04:48:00.000-08:00

Although we don't see NEARLY enough of the Jewells now that they've moved, when we do see them, Addie is SO excited. She talked all week about getting to see them all. So to help his mama out while she and Alison did last minute party planning, Elias came over for a playdate/sleepover. The two of them had so much fun together, and they even dressed up Sassy for the occasion (she was thrilled.)

Keeping with their tradition of Holiday Cookie decorations, we played outside until it was dark, then came in to make cookies. This year was SO different than last year! They were careful, and very specific about how they wanted to do things, where as last year was basically just sprinkles flung from floor to ceiling.

I love Addie's concentration. Ha.

Elias was giving her tips.

Cookie Dough Cookies

Fresh out of the oven.

Ready to decorate.

Finished Products. Looks pretty good!

And just a quick comparison from last year. They look SO grown up now...

Love these Two!

Letter to Santa

2011-12-03T09:13:00.001-08:00

I took Addie to Macy's to mail her letter to Santa yesterday. She was VERY excited to get to send it to him, and worked very hard on her list before we left. (Her list included a pink Doll, a bike, a new car, toys, and Gigi. Ha) Macy's donates $1 to the Make a Wish Foundation for each stamped letter that you mail to Santa, so it's a win win!

Mailing her letter.

After we sent the letter off, we went down to ride the carousel. As usual, Addie loved it, but was very excited to see that all of the animals had been switched out and had been replaced by Reindeer.

She kept yelling "Yee Haw, ride 'em Cowboy". Silly girl.

She's been begging to go back and ride her Reindeer again. So, I suppose we'll be going back very soon...

Advent Calendars

2011-12-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

To kick of the Advent season, Jingle Bells the Elf brought Addie a fun Advent "Calendar". She arrived from the North Pole last night with 24 Christmas Books all wrapped up for Addie.

So each night before bed, Addie gets to unwrap one present to read. She LOVES it!

I love her little painted toes. :)

She unwrapped her first one immediately. (On another note, if anyone else decides to do this, it's not a smart idea to give a 2 year old a stack of presents, and then tell them they can only open one. Just sayin...)

After we read the first book together, she told me she was going to read it to Sassy (who was lounging in the sun) to make her feel better. Such a sweet sister. :)

We also have an actual Advent Calendar that GiGi got for Addie a couple of years ago, once again, I can't actually keep thing IN it (oh the joys of a curious 2 year old...ha), so I have to slip them in the correct day right before it's time for her to open in. I got Addie a tiny Christmas tree, and GiGi bought 24 ornaments for her to decorate it with. So now every day she can open up the correct number and get an ornament out for her tree. She thinks it's very fun, especially since she is not allowed to touch the ornaments on our tree.

Hanging her first ornament.

It looks pretty empty right now, but it will be fun to watch it fill up as we count down the days until Christmas.

Poor Sassy!

2011-12-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

My sweet Sassy Louise had to go to the vet because she wasn't acting like her normal self for the last couple of days. Thank GOODNESS we took her in when we did, because it turns out she was much sicker than we suspected. Addie and I tried to play with her and get her to relax while we were waiting between tests for her, but she wasn't quite as amused as we were.

Addie was having a great time though...

Clearly, Sassy was not...

My two sweet babies...

Me and the Sassers

Love my two babies.

Sadly, after all the blood tests came back (and there were LOTS of blood tests), Sassy was diagnosed with Pancreatitis. (MOST likely caused from eating a bit too much at Thanksgiving..) My poor girl! I didn't even know dogs could get that! She had to stay in the vet hospital overnight, and ALL day today to be treated with IV fluids, steroids, antibiotics, pain meds, the works. She was going to have to stay for a few days, but she is MISERABLE, and they know it. So, she's getting out early. I just went with Addie to go pick her up, and she was one HAPPY little dog to see us come through the door. Her levels are almost back to normal, and apart from her shaved front legs where they had IVs in her, she's doing great. She is going to be on a SUPER strict diet, which for Sassy will be hard, but now she's prone to this, so we will have to be very careful. They sent her home with special diet food, which she immediately scarfed down the second I gave her half a can of it.

I am so happy she's healthy and is back home. I couldn't imagine our family without our sweet Sassy Louise.

Santy Claus

2011-12-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

I took Addie up to the Bass Pro Shop to visit the North Pole exhibit and see Santa, or as she calls him "Santy Claus". (We went to Bass Pro because they give you a free picture, so you're not wasting $20 at a mall to watch your little princess scream her head off) Being that she's a 2 year old, you never know how it's going to go with these things. I mean, you are putting her on a strange man's lap who is offering her candy... She, however, did much better than I expected. She walked right up to him and told him Merry Christmas. She then told him she would like a Pink Dolly for Christmas, and then said she needed a candy cane. He told her she could have one if she would take a quick picture with him, and she obliged. And, although she refused to smile, at least she wasn't screaming her tiny little head off, right? I totally count that as a success.

Jingle Bells is Here

2011-11-30T18:39:00.000-08:00

We started doing Elf on a Shelf this year. Addie got it last year as a Christmas present, and we unpacked it this year and started the tradition.
My parents were here, so they read her the Elf on a Shelf book, and she listened very carefully...along with Sassy.

After they were done, there was a knock at the door, so GiGi and Addie went to answer it.

There was a pink package for Addie waiting for her.

She was VERY excited to get a present, and went racing to the living room to open it.

Meet Jingle Bells. (Named by Addie.)

After the initial excitement wore off, Addie put Jingle Bells back in the box, and told GiGi to wrap her back up so she could open her present again.

So she did. :)

This went on about 35 more times, until there was literally no wrapping paper left.

I have a feeling this will be fun....

It's beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas...

2011-11-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

We put the tree up and decorated it last night with my parents.
To say Addie LOVES it is an understatement.
Christmas is going to be SO.MUCH.FUN. this year.

I took a Click Workshop (actually, I've taken a couple of them now) a while ago with some friends, one of the things they talked about was getting a fun "glowing" picture of your Christmas Tree. They gave all the settings, and told you how to set it up. Another girl who had taken the class posted her picture from last year on Pinterest (AKA the best website in the WORLD), and it blew up! So, I'm linking up to her blog so you can see hers as well. :)

Also, anyone who wants to try it themselves, here are the settings:

Camera in Manual

ISO 3200 (1600 will work as well)

F 1.8 (I used my 50mm lens)

SS 1/30

Make sure to use a tripod, or just prop your camera on a counter or couch so you don't get any movement.

Soup Day

2011-11-21T03:23:00.000-08:00

Addie has always loved to look at books and have us read them to her. We've always had a few that were her favorite, and that everyone who had ever been around her had completely memorized from reading them SO many times. Her newest ~~obsession~~ favorite one is Soup Day by Melissa Iwai.

We are lucky enough to get AMAZING children's books from my parent's neighbor from time to time, and this was one of those times. Originally, GiGi had given this book to Penny (she always splits up the books between the girls), but Addie loved it, and Aunt Liz was sweet enough to insist Addie take it home with her. We read this book approximately 17 times a day. At least.

Last time GiGi was here (after reading this book OVER AND OVER AND OVER), she told Addie that next time she came to visit, they would make the Soup Day Soup. Holy excitement. Well, not one for empty promises, GiGi delivered. She was coming on Sunday, so Ryan and I took Addie shopping on Saturday night for all the ingredients she would need to cook with GiGi.

She was VERY excited to be picking out the groceries by herself.

Browsing the Veggie Selection.

"Oops...we almost forgot the Parsley" (she was yelling this as loudy as she could. It's one of her favorite lines of the book. Ha.)

Throwing her purchases into the cart.

All the ingredients ready to go!

Addie and GiGi preparing to cook up their soup.

They washed and peeled all the vegetables.

Double checking which shapes to cut their veggies in.

Cutting the celery into squares.

Looking for a measuring cup.

Measuring out her celery squares.

Cutting the carrots into circles.

Taking her job very seriously.

Chopping potatoes into cubes.

Getting everything onto plates to dump into the pot.

Finishing up the potatoes.

GiGi helping Addie cut the zucchini.

She loved getting to help cut up the "soft" veggies.

Cutting up the mushrooms. Which Addie thought was HILARIOUS for some reason. She was cracking up. Silly girl.

Measuring out the mushrooms.

She also INSISTED that everything be put in a measuring cup before going onto the plate. Ha.

GiGi chopped up the onions.

Reading about what to do now that everything's been chopped up.

"Oops...we almost forgot the Parsley!"

Holding her Green "funfetti" as she calls it.

Starting to add the ingredients in.

Double Checking the recipe. (Which was nicely printed in the back of the book!)

Tossing in the potatoes.

Adding more ingredients.

Stirring the soup.

Simmering on the stove.

Playing outside with GiGi while waiting for it to cook.

Cooking up the pasta to add into the soup.

Building a castle while they wait for the pasta to cook.

Checking to see how the soup smells.

The Final Product.

Addie's soup.

She thought it was quite tasty, and was quite proud of herself!

Sassy liked it too.

This was such a cute book, and Addie was SO excited to make her Soup Day Soup. This was a perfect way to kick off our Holiday Festivities this week!

Happy Birthday, Penny!

2011-11-06T06:49:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been 2 years since I got a phone call from my big brother saying that Liz was in labor. He waited until 6am to call me, although they had headed to the hospital in the middle of the night. I immediately threw some clothes in a suitcase, packed up 5 month old Addie, and drove from Tampa to Atlanta. I woudn't have missed her birthday for the world. Now, that sweet, tiny little baby is 2! She is hilariously funny. She is SO VERY smart. She is strong willed. She is adorable. Obviously, she takes after her favorite Aunt. :) I am so very, very thankful that she and Addie will grow up best friends and as close as can be. She is the closest thing Addie will ever have to a sister, and Addie loves her with all her heart. She talks about "Peeeeenie" every single day, and is forever needing to go to "Peeeenie's house". They play together so well, and truly just enjoy each other.

We headed to Atlanta to celebrate her big day with her, and had such a great time!

Liz's cute Birthday Banner she made!

The cake

Cupcakes

Liz, Penny, and Chris

A little flashback from her Birthday last year, then this year.

The Birthday girl clapping when everyone was done singing to her.

Opening some presents

Trying out the camera Addie got for her.

Playing in the leaves after the party

Oh how I love these sweet girls!

And just to show how much Addie has grown in a year, this is playing in the leaves last year at Penny's party, then this year.

Happy, Happy Birthday Penny! We love you so very much, and can not wait to see what the next year brings!

Ballet

2011-11-02T05:01:00.000-07:00

When Addie very first started her ballet classes back in June, needless to say it was chaotic. And by chaotic I mean 10 little brand new 2 year olds screaming for dear life and clinging to their mamas legs for all they were worth as sweet Ms. Lori pulled them off one by one and placed them all, still screaming, in the studio with her. It was, perhaps, one of the most hilarious and heartbreaking things to watch. They would generally calm down after a few minutes and then get into the class, and it only lasted a few weeks before they were fine to go on in.
Now, I literally have to hide Addie's "Dancin' Clothes" as she calls them, from her until it's time to walk out the door. The girl LOVES it. And I love that she loves it! I can NOT say enough good things about Children's Dance Foundation! Ms. Lori is absolutely so sweet and patient with these crazy 2 year olds, and they just adore her. They also have a fabulous piano player (Mr. Steve) who is so nice and patient as well! This last week they got fitted for their Spring Recital Outfits. I can not wait to see the cuteness... (on another note, the 2 year olds don't perform at the BIG Spring Recital. They found they got too freaked out, so they have a special performance in one of the studios for Parents/Friends/Family, etc...smart idea, really...) (disclaimer...these pictures are being shot through a 2 way mirror, so the quality is not great...)

Love my little ballerina!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

Addie was "Holly Golightly" ala Audrey Hepburnfor Halloween this year. This is absolutely my favorite costume she's had to date. It was posted on Pinterest, and luckily my friend Kera was crafty enough to figure out how to make it, then walk me through it. LOVE how it all turned out. (I had to add long sleeve shirt and tights because it was cold out!)

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

2011-10-31T18:19:00.000-07:00

Christian Way Farms Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

Elias Foster (my sweet Godson) turned 3 on Halloween. To celebrate the occasion, he had his birthday party at Christian Way Farms Pumpkin Patch. We decided that since we would be driving through Huntsville to get there anyway, we should pick up some friends along the way. So, Christy, Elias, and Sawyer all made the trip to Kentucky with Addie and I! The Elias' have met a few times before, so it's always fun to get them together, and we needed to hit up a Pumpkin Patch this year, so it all worked out perfectly!

When we first drove up, we were greeted by Goats in Trees.

Elias petting the goats.

Addie and Elias checking out the farm animals.

Instead of sandboxes, they had giant old truck beds filled with corn to play with. To say they loved it would be an understatement.

One of the ladies who worked there asked if they wanted to feed the animals, of course they said yes. Then she informed them they needed to grab some corn, shuck it, then take that corn over and grind it, then scoop that in a bucket to feed the animals. Apparently they make you work for it here, ha. But, they LOVED it, and thought it was SO much fun!

(Elias realized quickly why KY farm boys don't wear ties. Hahaha)

They also loved the pumpkin patch version of a "Train".

Brooke with Elias and "Other Elias" in the wagon.

Addie, Elias, and Elias in the corn truck

Addie of course found the pink shovel first thing.

Sweet Jude was there!

Addie riding the tractos with Aunt Lis

Silly girls.

Addie jumping on haybails with Aunt Brooke

My favorite almost 3 year old boy.

Elias wasn't amused that he was having to push Addie on the bike. Ha.

Little Pumpkin Baby 2.0

Playing a little corn hole

Then off to the Pumpkin Patch/Corn Maze

Brooke and Elias going to pick out their pumpkin

Addie was apparently very excited to pick hers out!

The Jewells. :)

Elias, Addie, and Elias

Love my sweet girl!

Birthday Boy! I can NOT believe he's THREE.

Me, Brookie, and Elias. <3

We had SO much fun (minus the CRAZY bee stings Christy got!), and I'm SO happy we got to celebrate Elias' birthday with him!

Heroes in a Half Shell

2011-10-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

We had our Annual Mom's Group Halloween Party, and as we did last year we picked a theme for the costumes. This year with our group of best friends, there are 4 boys, and 1 girl. So, we went with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. They had a reporter who was always with them named April O'Neil, so the boys were the turtles and Addie was April. They looked REALLY cute together!

The tiniest turtle slept through all the festivities... but he looked equally cute!

Addie Cakes

2011-10-27T12:40:00.000-07:00

Addie is looking SO much older to me in pictures lately. And she's no longer avoiding my camera (which she was doing for a while), which is nice! She also has opinions on EVERYTHING. She tells you what you should do, how to do it, and when to do it. And she's not afraid to tell you "I don't want it" or "I don't like it"...which is a phrase she unfortunately taught her cousin this last week, who also thought it was a good way to express herself. Sorry, Liz!

Taking Mama's picture

She also has been VERY opinionated about her clothes lately. And her hair. Let's hope she has a good fashion sense...Lord KNOWS I've tried my hardest to instill one in her. Ha. She actually picked out this outfit herself.

Breakfast at Tiffany's

2011-10-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Addie has a few Halloween Costumes in the works this year, but her main one, and my favorite, is Audrey Hepburn. She got to try it out at a Trunk or Treat event last week for the first time. (On a side note, she also won Best Costume. Yay)

Happy Fall!

2011-10-27T07:47:00.000-07:00

Addie is currently OBSESSED with jumping into leaf piles. Seriously. She has been standing at the back door telling me she needs to run and play in her leaves. So, who am I to tell her no...

Adventures at GiGi and Granddaddy's House

2011-10-01T15:24:00.000-07:00

We spent the rest of GiGi's birthday week playing around Tryon and having a great time!

Granddaddy carved a pumpkin with the girls.

We checked out the Hands on Museum in Hendersonville, which both girls have been to before, and still love!

We went to see a horse show at Harmon's Field, although the girls had MUCH more fun running around the field with Granddaddy than doing anything else.

We went to the Farmer's Market/ Farm Day downtown the day we were leaving. However, it was SO windy and cold that we didn't last too long.

And, we got to visit with Great Marty and Uncle Randy. Such fun for them to get to spend time with the little girls, and I was SO glad to get to visit with them!

Then we let the girls run and play before loading them up to head home.

We had a fun week, as always! Can't wait to go back!

Skytop Orchard

2011-09-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Today is GiGi's actual birthday. Addie greeted her first thing this morning with a "Happy Birthday, GiGi!", and Penny followed with a "Happy Valentine's Day, GiGi" Ha. These girls keep us constantly laughing! After Liz and I had planned to spend GiGi's birthday with her, I decided to look for fun fall things to do while we were there. I've been wanting to take Addie to an Apple Orchard, but we don't really have one near us. However, I found Skytop Orchard a few miles from my parent's house. Perfect. Addie and Penny were VERY excited to go pick apples, and we all had a blast! This place was AMAZING, and we'll surely be making it an annual trip. There was TONS to do, and the girls wore themselves out playing so hard. We picked apples, fed animals, played on playgrounds and in playhouses, played on a giant spider (Addie's favorite. Ha), and picked out a pumpkin to take home with us. Enjoy all the pictures (there is a TON of them!).

Checking out the pumpkins

Welcome to SkyTop Orchard!

GiGi and her girls

There were TONS of different choices in apples

Checking out the petting zoo area

Trying out the first apple that she picked

GiGi wanted her picture by the Granny sign.

It was fun until Addie's braid got caught in the tree. Ha.

Off to pick some more apples

Tractor Time

The Giant Spider.

Climing into the Pumpkin House to go down the slide

Granddaddy helping them.

Playing on one of the playgrounds

Addie eating her Apple Cider Doughnut. YUM.

Sweetest Cousins Ever.

We're going to take their picture here every fall.

Heading out to pick their apples

Playing in the Bamboo Forrest

Then off to pick a few more apples...

Apple Bags filled, and now picking out their pumpkin.

Such a fun place! Can't wait to go back next year!!

Surprise, GiGi!!

2011-09-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

GiGi turns 55 on Sept 28. (Hmm..hopefully she won't be mad since I posted her age...sorry, Mama!) On her 50th birthday, Chris, Liz, and I drove up to surprise her for the big event. I drove from Florida, met Chris and Liz in Atlanta, then we headed to Kentucky for an AMAZING birthday dinner Daddy was having catered at their house. We arrived right at the time we were told, rang the doorbell, and my mom came down to the door. She opened it, looked at us, then proceeded to shut the door in our faces. So, we don't really surprise her anymore. (In her defense, she did open it about 10 seconds later. To us standing there staring at her in disbelief. Apparently, she was VERY surprised, and had to take it all in. We still make fun of her for slamming the door in our faces after SOME of us had driven for 12 hours..) However, I thought that after 5 years, she may be ready again. So Liz and I packed up the girls, and helped them practice saying "Happy Birthday, GiGi" as we headed to North Carolina. The night before we helped the girls make her a GIANT card that said "Happy Birthday, GiGi" that they had colored. We went in with a plan, and the girls executed it PERFECTLY. GiGi was teaching until 7, so we killed a couple of hours in Tryon before heading to their house. (Luckily Jay and Betsy have LOTS of toys for little people, and are always nice enough to let us come over and destroy their living room with no notice. They're the best!)
Once we got to the house, we got the girls out, snuck through the back gate going to the pool house, and got them ready. GiGi's last lesson was over at 7, so right at 7 we had the girls each hold a side of the card and we sent them walking in front of the big glass doors where GiGi was teaching. She. Was. Shocked. Luckily these were sliding doors, so we knew they were safe from her closing them on the two of them.

She was speechless for a minute (and those of you who know her know that DOES NOT happen often), and then so very excited to hug on her sweet girls! (She did acknowledge Liz and I too, just after the little girls.) And Addie and Penny were VERY excited to FINALLY see their GiGi (after being promised numerous times that we were "going to see GiGi at GiGi's house", but then taking them to a million other places first).
As she was telling her last lesson goodbye, Addie and Penny escaped onto the pool cover. Liz and I immediately told them no, and started to grab them off of it, but Granddaddy was on their side. As usual. He told them they could play on it, and boy were they EVER SO HAPPY to hear that news. Apparently their pool cover is basically a giant water trampoline to two little people. (P.S. the promise that it would hold an elephant...yeah. not so much.) They had SO much fun though, and just laughed at each other non stop. Oh, and they got completely soaked.

We have lots of plans for GiGi's birthday week, so stay tuned!

Storm Shelter

2011-09-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

Speaking of ALL the rain we've been having, apparently we live in the natural disaster capital. Storms, Tornados, and Earthquakes have apparently become the new normal for Birmingham. We had rain. Lots of rain. And as the power flickered on and off, I thought it couldn't be THAT bad. I. Was. Wrong. We kept calling the power outage line, and it would say an hour, or two hours until the power would be back on. It lied. By the next morning, (this was Tuesday) it said it would be SATURDAY before it was back on. Because of rain. CRAZY. Well, I'm not crazy. No WAY I was staying in a house with no power for 5 days with a 2 year old! So, I called Liz. And told her we needed a storm shelter. And she was nice enough to say of course. So, we left for Atlanta!
Addie was VERY excited to see Penny, Aunt Liz, AND Uncle Chris. Which is fun, because she used to not really like Uncle Chris. However, now she loves him!
Penny gets to jump on her bed. Addie does not. (Addie's bed is MUCH higher than P's, she has bunk beds so she'd hit her head, AND we have wooden floors...so she'd kill herlself. Ha) Addie thought jumping on Penny's bed was the most fun thing ever. Then the two girls made themselves somewhat of an obstacle course that they went round and round on. It's so much fun to see how they choose to interact with each other!
Penny and her Daddy

Addie's turn with Uncle Chris

Addie was also OBSESSED with this Lady Bug Backpack that Nan gav Penny for her 1st birthday. The ONLY time she took it off was for bath time. She even slept in it.

LOVE.THIS.PICTURE.

Silly Girls.

We hit up story time at their library. Most of the kids did exactly what they were supposed to, however, Addie and Penny thought it would be MUCH more fun to chase each other in circles and laugh hysterically.

Ring around the Rosy

Parachute Time

We played outside in the backyard. Liz played ~~fetch~~ some sort of hide and seek game with them. Which they loved.

We also visited the indoor Mall Play Place. Addie being the super sweet little girl she is, decided no babies should be allowed to play where she was. She also decided the deciding factor for a baby was how they fixed their hair. If they had a ponytail or pigtails, it was all good. If not, she would yell "Stop, Baby. Stop, Baby." We're working on her manners now...sigh.

They had quite a few tea parties together, and Addie made sure Penny always said "cheers" and tapped their glasses together before drinking.

Sassy, of course, went with us. However, her skin allergies were going NUTS and only seemed to get worse the longer we stayed. I finally ended up taking her to a vet that Shadow used to go to. Apparently, she had gotten a few fleas (8 to be exact) from their yard while we were there. And since she's so SUPER allergic to everything, it sent her over the edge. So she got a couple of shots, some medicine, a flea pill, and some special shampoo, and we were on our way.

Me and my first born.

Lots of bedtime stories read by Uncle Chris

Putting on a concert together.

We went and ate some yummy Mexican food, and the girls got balloons after they ate.

The girls built lots of castles together.

The girls also constantly wore each other out!

On Friday morning, we FINALLY had power back, so we went to a park in Marietta before heading home so that Addie could get some energy out before riding in the car.

We had SO much fun and were SO VERY VERY thankful to be able to have somewhere to stay until we had power back on! Addie slept the entire way home, which was great! She even helped me clean out our fridge and throw EVERYTHING away when we got home.

A portion of what I had to throw out. So sad.

Grocery Shopping as soon as we got home!

Here's hoping that was the last of the Natural Disasters we see in Birmingham for a while!

Rainy Days

2011-09-05T17:38:00.000-07:00

We've had NONSTOP rain here, and Addie had had enough of being cooped up inside. Aunt May was visiting over Labor Day weekend, so we put on Addie's rain gear and let her play outside for a while. In the rain. And she thought it was hilarious. And refused to come back inside. But she had fun, so it was all good.

Aunt Liz to the Rescue

2011-09-02T16:32:00.000-07:00

I called Liz in somewhat of a panic needing her help to organize Addie's toys. You see, they had TAKEN OVER our entire house. She had toys in the living room, including her kitchen, she had taken over the small bedroom on the main floor as another playroom, she has her big playroom downstairs, it was to the point of craziness. So, I called my oganizational guru. And she came through like a champ! My house is organized, we ~~crammed in the closet~~ got rid of all the old toys Addie had outgrown and they're ready to go to a consignment sale next week. Not only that, but Liz also organized closets, the fridge, and the pantry. Yay!
It wasn't all boring organizational stuff though. Addie and Penny are finally old enough to LOVE to play with each other. They have full on conversations and it is SO VERY cute and sweet! So, we had LOTS of fun with Little Wiggy here!!
Addie's playroom was in desperate need of some fun artwork on the walls, so I came up with a little project for the girls to do to add some color to the otherwise boring beige walls.

Penny checking out her paint brush

Then they decided it would be more fun to paint with their feet!

Wiggy was pleased with her work!

Addie adding some finishing touches.

Then we had to hose them off. I cleaned Addie up first.

Then, Addie being the SUPER SWEET cousin she is, helped clean Penny up. Hahaha. This MAY be my favorite picture of them so far.

After some painting, they had to get some energy out on the tampoline.

Then they had some dinner together.

And took an after dinner drive together.

We waited for their masterpiece to dry, and then hung it over one of the couches in the playroom, and it actually turned out completely adorable!

Addie LOVES when she gets to see Penny, and I LOVED having Liz here to organize my life!! So, thanks, Aunt Liz!!

Sandbox

2011-08-30T12:22:00.000-07:00

Addie was the lucky raffle winner of a Sandbox at the One Small Step Walk we went to on Saturday. But not just any boring sandbox. This one has wheels so we can move it around wherever we want (it’s out on the screened in porch for now), and the lid for it is actually a chalkboard. Addie L.O.V.E.S. it. She insisted on getting new shovels for her sandbox at Target, and has been in heaven playing in it. Who knew it would be so entertaining. And the bonus is, she is perfectly content to play in it all be herself. So I can sit on the porch swing with my laptop while she plays her sandy little heart out.

27 Months

2011-08-27T12:28:00.000-07:00