Christmas 2010

We had such a wonderful Christmas. We now spend Christmas Eve with my parents since Pax is here. We don't want to travel too far, after all, Santa has to come to OUR house!! Pax enjoyed getting to play Santa and as you can see, Princesses are the new thing. Dora is still her love, but the Disney Princesses are a close second. We ate a wonderful meal and opened all our gifts. It takes Pax 5 hours longer than anyone else...she has to stop and OPEN everything before she moves on to the next gift! We decided not to go so overboard next year. ;)






We came home and got all ready for bed. We told her for about a month about Santa, how he comes to your house on Christmas Eve, and that she had to get to bed quick so he would come!

I feel terrible that we didn't do the whole milk and cookies thing for santa, but honestly..Pax still doesn't quite 'get it.' She knows who santa is, but that's about the extent of it. We both agreed that this would be the last year we would get away with this. ; ) She did tell us when she woke up and saw everything...

"The HO HO bring me this!!" So, she's close.





This was my favorite picture!! I was wanting to get Paxtin's expression when she saw her new Princess car, but check out my husband's!!! He looks just as excited. =)








We traveled that day to Cody's home town and had our final Christmas celebration. I was terrible with my camera and didn't get any pictures. =( Pax had a blast and we were all WELL beyond blessed again this year. Cody and I also got some fun new things. It was the year for technology, for sure.

I am typing this blog from my new laptop!! I also got a kindle, which I LOVE. I am already searching for tons of new books to dive into. Cody got a new BIGGER tv and an iPOD. Again, it was a wonderful Christmas for us all. =)

it's the most wonderful time...

I just love Christmas. Everything about the holiday and the days leading up to it! There's so many fun things to do and we've been busy enjoying all the sights and fun times.

Late last week we decided to build our gingerbread house. I have built one every year for as long as I can remember. Even before I had Paxtin, I would build one for me and Cody. I love them! They are so cute to sit out for Christmas. Now that Pax is older, she can fully appreciate the fun in decorating a house--and eating the candies. = ) This is how P's little house turned out!









This past weekend we had our first Christmas with Cody's mom, stepdad, and grandma. It was also our first time hosting guests at our house, so I was very nervous. We finally felt that the house was all ready for people to stay overnight and everything turned out just perfect! We had a great time, my bbq sandwiches turned out sooo good, and everyone loved their gifts they got. Paxtin enjoyed spending time with her mimi and poppy T. She's so funny when they're around-it's like me and Cody don't even exsist!! Pax got some great gifts and a lot of new jammies. She was WAY excited to get her new Tinkerbell kitchen...look at that face!



And I got a great new jogger stroller...something I have been wanting for awhile now. I've already tried it out several times!!

We are all ready for our Christmas celebrations this weekend. Pax and I are planning to make snickerdoodle and sugar cookies for Santa...and carrot sticks for the reindeer. We will also be traveling up to NWA Christmas Day to spend Christmas with family there. We will be busy to say the least. I'm hoping for a wonderful little traveler and a well behaved little lambie...

Of course, she's going to be a total goober. ; ) But how can you be mad at a face like this??





I will post all out pics from Christmas sometime next week.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

thirty months...and a few extras.

Well, I didn't exactly do what I planned...to blog all week! But, I did manage to upload my pics I've had trapped in my camera for forever now. And I realized I hardly have ANY cute pics of Pax. I have seriously been slacking on my picture taking and I must do better...mommy fail!!



OK--enough excuses. Paxi baby is 30 months today!! Unbelievable is about the only word that I can use to describe how 30 months makes me feel!! Doesn't that seem like SUCH a huge number?? I feel like she's growing entirely way too fast and while I love this age so much, it is definitely providing us with lots of new challenges. 'Terrible Two's' is not some urban legend...



I could list a million things about pax at this age, but I will just keep it short and sweet for this post! I am loving this age to death--she is definitely a TWO year old--but, all in all she's an absolute JOY. She's sooo funny, smart, sassy and still the greatest thing in the whole world. =)

Happy 30 Months Boo baby!!

YIKES!

Bad blogger award goes to ME!! I have been so busy and really haven't had a TON of pictures to add. =(

I plan to change all that this week. =)

(almost) wordless wednesday

Moments before this picture, he scared her to death! She went to crawl in bed and he was under the comforter. I think she jumped 5 feet in the air. We're so mean! ; )

Yard work with daddy

This past week has been unseasonably warm. Temps up in the 80's during the day and mid 50's at night. It definitely doesn't feel like November, but it sure has been nice! Cody wishes it would just get bitterly cold and STAY that way. I'm more of a warm weather girl, so this change in the weather has been HEAVEN to me!!

Pax enjoys this warmer weather in November...she's able to get outside more. She is trying to kick an ear infection she's had for 2 weeks now. I have been limiting her outdoor play when its too windy and cold. So, this week has been perfect-got us out of the house and playing!!

Cody was working outside this morning on some landscaping in our front yard. Since we worked so hard on getting the inside done, we left the outside projects for a later date...well, that time has come and they are in desperate need of some TLC. Pax is Cody's #1 helper. Wherever he is, she is right there with him. She LOVES to help him work on whatever little project he's piddling with. And I love the time they get to spend together. :)




I hope her love for helping continues for a long time. It's always nice to have a kid who enjoys the physical labor. ; )

Here's the tree they planted together. And some of the work they did. Pax was most intriqued by collecting and dumping the rocks into the flower beds. =)

29 months

Paxi is on the verge of 2 1/2 and she's definitely at an age that I am loving. Some days are a little more challenging than others, but this has been my favorite age yet!

Paxtin at 29 months:

*Pax is gaining more independence-she wants to pull her pants up alone, pick out her shoes and bows, brush her own teeth, etc. Granted we have to help her with a few things, she's got great initiative and wants to be in charge!

*We've been using lazy days at home to work on potty training. I try and not go anywhere all day, so she can wear her panties at home. She is OK using her little potty, but the big potty and the potty at school are still scary. :/ She is more willing to sit on hers for a treat, so that's improvement.

*Speaking of 'scary', she's been going through this weird phase where everything is 'scawee'. I'm not really sure where it started, but the oddest things are scary to her. She's also started to be afraid of the dark and going into a dark room. Everything it seems is 'kinda scawee'. I try very hard to be patient with her and fully explain or show her that what she thinks is scary, simply isn't. Hopefully, she will just grow out of it.

* Paxi is 100% obsessed with dancing. Which makes me SUPER proud-I LOVE to dance, too. She and I, and sometimes daddy, will dance about 30 minutes everyday. I'm sure we look super silly, but it's oh so fun. She would dance for hours, if I left the music on!

* Shower time is quickly becoming her favorite time. We started doing showers because they are way easier than baths. She can quickly get in with one of us and we kill two birds with one stone. Cody usually lets her get in for about 10 min alone and she wets her hair and washes with her special bar of soap. It's so cute-and I know she feels so independent...even if we are standing RIGHT there.

* The 400 questions a day have already started with this one. She asks me at least every other minute, what am I doing? What am I making? What am I going to wear? Where am I going? WHY?? I know this is how she learns about the world around her, so I always make sure I thoroughly explain each of her questions. No matter how many times I answer them. ; )

* We recently started Pax 2 days a week now at MDO. I got a job working down there, in a pre-K room, so it has been a blessing for her to go more than one day. I know she LOVES it. I am also happy to be right across the hall from her. I love to peek in and see what she's up to. It seems the dress-up center and kitchen are the favs. =)I also notice how confident she is around her friends. She's come so far and really gained a lot more self-assurance since she's been going to MDO.

* Princesses are HUGE for us right now. Pax has never actually WATCHED any of the Disney princess movies, but she has several things with princesses on them. She's obsessed! I have all my VHS Disney movies and I hope to get them switched over to DVD. She would LOVE them!!

We are so surprised by her everyday...she keeps us on our toes and ALWAYS laughing. I know some days are rough, but for the most part, we have an amazing little lady. She's exactly what I hoped she be at this age. =) I can't believe we are almost to THREE!!!

Happy 29 Months Lambie!!

Halloween Activities

Well, here I am...updating on Halloween a whole week later! Eventually I will get back into blogging more frequently, but I sometimes just don't feel motivated. :(

This year's Halloween was a lot of fun--our town trick or treated on the Saturday before the actual day and there were lots of fun things going on that day. Cody and Pax spent the afternoon at the annual downtown Fall fest, tasting chili and playing games. No pictures of that--daddies aren't the best at remembering to capture the moments. ; )

Later that evening, we went to our church for their annual Fall Carnival. Pax went last year, but was too little to really enjoy anything but the big hayride with me. This year, she got to ride the little train all on her own and that was where we spent the majority of the time!! We tried the cake walk and a few other games, but ended up right back at the train.






After a quick dinner, we dressed Paxi up and headed out to do some trick or treating. She was a little bumble bee this year... wish I got some better shots of her in her costume, but she wasn't in the best mood--trying to kick an ear infection. :( She seemed to perk right up after she got a few TREATS though. ; )



I was really terrible with my camera this year. She was so grumpy and darting from house to house, it was really hard to get a good shot of her. She did look super cute though as the little bumble bee!! :) It finally dawned on my husband and I how hard it is to do all these activities...we were DEAD tired after trick or treating and couldn't help but sit and wonder how OUR parents ever made it!!

Vote for Pax!

Too Cute Creations is having a photo contest and Pax is entered!! Just click, LIKE, on Too Cute Creations facebook page, and then LIKE on her picture to vote!!

Family Pumpkin Patch visit 2010

So we went back to the pumpkin patch...told you it was the month of a thousand visits to the patch. I *think* we are done, but at this point, we could be going again, who knows.

Since we were going with my mom and dad, I wanted Pax to look semi-nice and get some cute pics with them. (Her dress is by Becca at Too Cute Creations by the way!) She did really, really good staying clean in an ALL WHITE dress and I was shocked. We ended up at a different patch than last year due to not being able to leave early enough, so I had no idea what to expect at this one. It hasn't rained in weeks, so this patch was a total dust bowl. And my kid comes out looking like she never went in. I love it.

I did manage to get some pretty cute shots of her out with the pumpkins and on the hayride. I think my parents had just as much fun as Pax. (If not more...)

TLC 2010 Trike Derby

Ladies and gentlemen...

Start your engines!!!







I just adore Paxtin's Mother's Day Out program. It's at my childhood church, I know everyone, and they do really fun activities for the kids. Every year the school organizes a trike derby. It's their main fundraiser-raising money by individuals "sponsoring" a child. Paxtin individually raised $85 and her class $500!! I was so impressed with the turnout, simply from Paxtin's little class alone. =)






So, the trike derby was the ultimate photo opt for a mommy. They even lined them all up on the starting line!! Pax was a little rusty on her bike, having to have daddy help her around a few laps, but it in the end, they all were winners. =)