Playgroup Christmas Party and new Car Seat

What a busy day!  We left home this morning and didn't get home until dinner time.  After Harper's morning nap we went to meet Robby for lunch, ran a few errands, when to the pediatrician's office for Harper's flu booster shot and then off to our play group's Christmas party.  

We tried to take a picture of all the kiddos and this was my best shot.  Let me just tell you, getting them all in the same frame was a success in itself.  

Here are all the kids (minus 3-4 that weren't at the party)

Annabelle, Handley, and Harper waiting patiently while everyone took pictures

When we got home Harper got to try out her brand new car seat.  I decided to go ahead and order her "big girl seat" before our trip next week and it arrived today.  (I got her the Recaro Signo on sale at a GREAT price.)  I can wait to install it in the car this weekend. 

Here are the girls with my Dad.  He's been in town this week doing some work and we've really enjoyed getting to visit with him. 

Reindeer Cookies

Handley and I did a little baking today.  We put on our matching Mommy and Me aprons (an early Christmas gift - thank you Great-Grandma!) and got to work making these cute reindeer cookies for our play group's Christmas party tomorrow.  

I found the idea for these cookies a few years ago in my Southern Living Magazine and I'm so happy that I tore it out and stuck it in my recipe folder.  It's really easy so I'll share the steps with you in case you want to make them too. 

Use a roll of refrigerated sugar cookie dough and cut into 1/2 inch slices.  Place slices on a cookie sheet and using your fingers squeeze the middle of the cookies to make the reindeer face. 

Break the curved parts off of pretzel twists and push the pretzel pieces into the sugar cookies for the antlers. (We had trouble breaking the pretzels without them all falling apart so some of our antlers are full pretzels and I kind of think those look even cuter.)

You can tell which pretzels Handley did. :-) 

Bake cookies as directed on the package and as soon as you pull them out of the oven use chocolate chips for the eyes and red M&M's for the nose - you have to move quick to push them into the cookies to make sure they stick.  

We had so much fun baking today that we'll definitely be doing some more over the weekend and we'll also be making cookies for Santa next week!

A busy, but fun weekend

We had a busy but fun weekend!  Friday night I went to a girls night out Christmas party with ladies from my neighborhood.  Then on Saturday I took the girls and we meet up with some of my high-school girlfriends for our annual get-together.  We had a nice lunch while the kids played together.  It was fun seeing every one's kids and getting to catch up.  I can't believe I forgot my camera, but hopefully Lucy will send me some that she took! 

Today we had a birthday party to attend for Handley's friend, Sophia, who lives in our neighborhood.  She was celebrating her 2nd birthday at Gymboree.  We'd never been there before, but hope to go back because it was so much fun! When it was time to go Handley kept saying she wanted to go to another birthday party at Gymboree.  

Harper loved the mascot "Gymbo"

Handley takes a turn down the birthday slide

Robby was holding Harper and I was across the room with Handley.  Next thing I know I turn around and Harper is taking a ride on the "tube" 

Handley's turn!

Then Daddy has the great idea for them to go together!

I didn't get a picture of Handley and the birthday girl because things got crazy when it was time for pizza and cupcakes.  You know two-year-olds love some cupcakes! 

Tonight we had another fun Christmas party to go to with lots of kids.  Handley had fun running with the older kids and playing in their jump.  She hated to leave, but it had been a very busy day and we were all ready for bed.  On the way home we took a tour through our neighborhood to check out the Christmas lights and then skipped baths and put the girls right to bed. 

I forgot to post this a day or two ago - Handley was so proud of her Christmas crafts that she completed at playgroup on Thursday! 

Harper - 8 months

Harper is 8 months old today!!!  I'm kind of sad because it is just going by way too fast.  I just had the thought today that she is going to be 1 in only 4 months. I wish I could press pause and just freeze the age she is at right now for a year or so.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stage.  She is so sweet, so cuddly, and so much fun.  She and Handley are starting to "play" together more and are constantly making each other laugh.  We had to lower her crib because she is already trying to pull-up and I've had to re-baby proof a lot of stuff now that she is a crawling machine! 

At 8 months she: 

• is a crawling really well and is getting really quick
• has discovered she can crawl and explore (get into everything)
• loves to cuddle and loves being held by her Mommy
• is waving bye-bye
• can give kisses (at least I think she knows what she is doing!)
• says ba-ba, ma-ma, na-na, da-da
• still sucks her thumb when she is tired
• sleeps with her head crammed into the same corner of her crib each night
• is eating all finger foods now and likes sweet potatoes 
• loves snacks (Puffs, Mum-Mums, and graham crackers)
• adores her big sister
• gets the hic-ups every time she laughs
• sleeps 12 hours at night and takes 2 (45 min.-1.5 hour) naps each day
• is starting to discover how much fun it is to play with Sydney
• has 4 teeth (two bottom front and and top two eye teeth - she's going to look like a vampire!) and more on the way
• smiles at any and everyone who acknowledges her 

Here is a video of her from last night.  It's nothing special or fancy, just Harper being Harper at the end of the day. :-)

"Practice" before the big day

Harper opened one of her Christmas gifts today from her friend Paxton.  We received it in the mail and were going to wait until Christmas, but since she's never opened gifts before I wanted her to have some "practice" before the big day.  

I could have guessed that she'd really like playing with the wrapping paper and the bow! 

She got a really neat shape sorter.  Thank you Paxton!

Other exciting news...Harper is now eating from a snack trap!  I think these little snack cups are the best invention ever.  They have a  lid with slits so kids can get their snack without spilling it everywhere.  I loved them for Handley when she was starting to snack and in fact, she still uses hers.  I had hoped Harper would be able to do figure this out before our 7 hour road trip to see my parents on Christmas.  Now I can at least keep her happy with Puffs and Cheerios! 

And here is a sweet picture of Handley loving on Sydney. :-)

This is what happens...

...when you fall asleep on the couch and Handley gets a hold of you - a necklace around your neck and a sticker on your forehead.  :-)

We rode the Pink Pig!

Yesterday we made our way through the pouring rain to get to Lenox Mall and ride the Pink Pig (an annual Atlanta tradition).  We met our friends Tiara and Avery there for a fun day!  The girls had fun last year, but this year was even better.  Handley and Avery held hands and ran through the mall together thinking they were hot stuff.  I can just picture them as teenagers shopping at the mall together. :-) 

After the Pink Pig we went to see Handley's favorite guy...SANTA!!!  She is in love with him and we couldn't get there quick enough.  This was actually her second visit to see him and she ran right up to sit on his lap.  Surprisingly Harper did really well too.  She just kept staring at him and then looking back at me.  She started to get a scared look on her face so I scooped her up and then she was all smiles again. Handley told Santa she wanted a bike, a little house, and some starburst candy and that Harper would like some "baby toys". We'll see what he decides to bring them on Christmas morning.  

We completed our day with a trip to the food court for lunch at Chick-fil-a and peppermint milkshakes!  (I can't seem to get enough of these and it is probably a good thing they don't serve them year-round.)