Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!!!

Today the kids and I celebrated Dr. Seuss's birthday with a themed playdate over at a friends house. I brought along a hat craft, our stuffed Cat in the Hat, a Green Eggs & Ham book tucked inside of a Dr. Seuss backpack. Oh and Harlow just happened to have the perfect Dr. Seuss dress by Sweet Plume.

Poor Cat in the Hat being dragged around like that!

I brought along supplies so each child could make their own striped hat

So fun!

My friend Kristy served the kids Green Eggs & Ham.

Even after I read the Green Eggs & Ham book to the kids, Aiden wasn't so sure about actually eating green eggs (he doesn't even like eggs) & ham...

but he did try them and he still wasn't a fan.

Harlow however was and she ate everything on her plate.

It was so much fun celebrating such a beloved author of so many of our favorite books.

Snow Much Fun

We were so excited to get snow again this year, the kids couldn't wait to get out and play in it. The best part about snow in TX is it only lasts for a day or two and then it's gone. We took the kids out yesterday while it was still snowing and then I took Aiden and Harlow out again today while the groung was still covered in snow.

I think we could benefit from some snow bibs and gloves, the kids wanted to play outside longer but we just couldn't make our winter coats and mittens work for the freezing cold and wet snow. At least the big kids and I had rainboots. In any case we had fun, Paige built a snowman yesterday and Aiden enjoyed kicking him down today. Harlow enjoyed just running around outside.

using our Bilibo to slide down the hill

Harlow's adorable Owl hat is by Snap-Happy Boutique

love her litte foot prints running down the driveway

Aiden sharing his snow with his sister

so glad I bought these rainboots from Target this year, they really have been put to good use

Blogs that make Me Happy...Happy New Year!

I was thinking back on my year and the things I really enjoyed doing, one of them being reading beautiful Blogs. Reading a good Blog is usually just what I need for a little downtime while the kids nap or sometimes to get some inspiration.

I wish I had an iPad so I could spend more time reading these beautiful Blogs or hey, even better so I could make more time writing on my own Blog. I think I will put that on my 'wish' list for the New Year, it seems like the perfect way to 'stay connected' when I can't be at my computer which is most of the time chasing after 3 kids.

My favorite Blog by far is Kelle Hampton's enjoying the small things, her entires are all so inspirational and her pictures are all sooooo beautiful.

I love keeping up with my crafty on-line friends, so many of them have great Blogs:

Joyfolie - yes you knew already that these are my very favorite shoes for Harlow but also I love reading her Blog because her talent and pictures are both so inspiring.

Joyfolie has a fur wrap giveaway going on right now over on the Blog so hurry and enter by tomorrow night.... crossing fingers that I win it.

Dear Lillie - love the Blog and I LOVE to shop all things Dear Lillie

Evy's Tree - my favorite Hoodies ever!

Forty Toes - Jenn takes some really beautiful pictures of her gorgeous daughter Stella Marie and also has a fabulous Etsy store

Princy n Paris - has some of the sweetest hair accessories in her Etsy store

Just this past week I have found another couple of Blogs that I also really enjoy reading, one of them is the Roseland family Blog, Jenni seems like such a fun mother that I can really relate to. She is also very generous, she has a wonderful Matilda Jane giveaway I hope to win for Harlow.

The other is ashleyannphotography Under The Sycamore Blog, she has a really great DIY project section.

I could go on and on, I really love a good Blog and lucky for me so many have them.

I have a few resolutions for my New Year. I would love to learn to sew. I just need a sewing machine first so I can get started on the 'learning' part. I also want to learn to use my camera, I think I need to take a local class so I can start to 'own' my camera in the manual settings. Lastly, I hope to stay-up on the laundry. With a 5 person household and Harlow in cloth diapers it almost seems impossible not to have laundry on the couch but my hope is I can come up with a schedule in the New Year making it easier in some way.

So that's it, now it's time to sit on the couch with Jon and greet the New Year just before heading to bed. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year filled with much love and happiness!!!

Ho Ho Ho it's Santa time 2010

It's always so exciting to get to play Santa, I set everything out and Jon is the official 'builder'. I think my favorite part is seeing all of my hard work come together, when I see it all on display it's always picture perfect.

My favorite purchases this year was Paige's pink 16GB Nano, Aiden's Darth Vader Sleeping Bag and Harlow's vintage Sesame Street playset with all the figurines that I won on Ebay. I think the kids would agree those were some of the favorite Santa toys this year.

We started Christmas day at 7am, the kids checked out their Santa loot, I made some cinnamon rolls for breakfast, after breakfast it was time to open presents and then it was time to play with all the new goodies.

After getting dressed we Skyped with my sister Jennifer and her family and of course played some more until it was time to enjoy our Honeybaked Ham dinner. After baths, we played a couple games with the kids before putting them to bed.

Aiden wanted to sleep in his new sleeping bag so he invited Paige to sleep in his room with hers but he couldn't stay quiet enough for the 'sleep' part so Paige wanted to go back to her room; Aiden stayed in his sleeping bag and quickly fell asleep after settling down. Jon started a fire and he and I watched the very funny movie 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'.

Christmas Eve

they each opened a present

Mrs. Claus on Christmas Eve

hay and carrots for the reindeer

more reindeer food on the grass

milk and fresh-baked cookies for Santa

Aiden's Christmas - Mighty Beanz, Darth Vadar sleeping bag, cars, Pillow Pet, double Lightsaber and Super Mario figures

Harlow's Christmas - Happy Blankie Pig, Little Giraffe Pillow, vintage Sesame Street toys, Joyfolie shoes, doll clothes, toys and Coupe Car (below)

Paige's Christmas - mini-Lalaloopsy, pink nano, nightgown, Imogen's Garden doll, doll clothes, art supplies and Hello Kitty stuff

squinkies are a favorite

crayon making

we made new rainbow crayons

our youngest Jedi

beep...beep

Harlow enjoying her new Clickeroos

Paige's new doll Calantha with Harlow's doll Aster dressed in fabulous Melamoose Co. clothes

My house is still a mess from all of the toys but I think it's fun to leave it out for a few days to enjoy Christmas a little longer. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, you can tell we did.