Merry Christmas!!

Riley was very excited to bake cookies for Santa last night. We made sugar cookies with rainbow sprinkles. They tasted great. We all ate a cookie before we headed to bed.

Santa must have thought our kiddos were EXTRA good this year because there were lots of presents under our tree this morning.

Brenden received a train play mat and a new train. This was the only thing he could focus on right a first. It took opening up his stocking and a few other presents before he stopped playing with the train.

Riley opening up her stocking stuffers. She loved all of her stocking stuff.

"It's what I have always wanted!"

Brenden cheesing with his Curious George.

Daddy was very excited to receive a NIKE jumpsuit. Along with a pair of slippers, a Austin Peay T-Shirt, Michigan Football Jersey, a book (he likes to read all of a sudden), and many stocking stuffers.

Mommy was VERY happy to receive a Michigan hoodie. She also received two Willow Tree figures (from both Riley and Brenden), a sweater, canisters, slippers, a pink screw driver, and many fun stocking stuffers.

The one and only thing that Riley wanted for Christmas this year was her Dora Roller Skates. Well Santa remembered his toy bag last night and left Riley her skates. She was so excited to have them that she had to open them right away and wear them. I don't think she has taken them off all morning/day long. I was impressed with her ability to skate. She has fallen a couple of times but has gotten right back up and tried again. The longer she wears them the better she does.

Brenden opening up his gift from Daddy. I think this was one of his favorite gifts. Once it was opened and daddy had it put together and Brenden woke up from his morning nap, he put everything one it. His trains went down the car ramp along with is cars and trucks he received.

Riley with her baby that pees on the potty. Just with in the last two weeks Riley has asked her daddy for this doll. So when he went shopping he had to find it. Well this came as a challenge since daddy waited to do his shopping until the week before Christmas. He originally picked up the wrong baby and had to return it. We then came home and tried to order the doll online and found that it was out of stock or only a store purchase. The PX had lots of them but the price difference was like 20.00 but it was the last chance. I went to pick her up and found that they only had Spanish speaking babies, until I began to look behind each and everyone to find the little blond. Success! We have the baby for Christmas. Well we continued to shop and found the same baby at Wal-Mart for 20.00 cheaper and the baby came with a bounce outfit (PJ's and slippers). Yes we bought that baby and returned the baby back to the PX. Now this happened all with in two days. Once she opened the baby, Missy, she was worth the challenge. Riley loves her. She has played with her all morning long. Missy is a fun baby to play with as she talks and says over 50 phrases. Missy likes to brush her teeth, drink water, and wash her hands. As a mom it's fun to watch and listen to Riley and Missy play.

Riley and Brenden enjoyed Christmas morning. They were very excited. Riley received another baby this morning that looks like Molly but can go in the bath tub with her. She named her Mallory. Thanks to The Ringman's all of Riley's babies will have extra clothes to wear.
Baby Mallory in one of her new outfits.

Brenden holding up his new football that he received from The Ringmans. He loves football. This is his favorite sport at this point. Brenden and Daddy has to take a time-out from opening presents this morning to play ball.

X-mas Paper Swords

We have all waited until the last of the wrapping paper was gone so we could have the empty cardboard roll underneath. Well my two kiddos and husband are no different. We went through several rolls of paper this year. I believe it's because the items that were wrapped were bigger and used more paper not that we bought more. Either way we had lots of empty rolls to use has swords.

Brenden was able to escape from daddy with his sword.

Watch out, Daddy! I know how to use this thing.

Capture again for a cheesy picture.
Riley to the rescue. Daddy is not use to double team. When you mess with one sibling you mess with them both. Daddy getting it from both kids.

Holiday Pictures with Daddy

We were taking pictures of the kids with daddy in front of the tree. Once again we wanted a photo with both kids and daddy but one of the two kids did not want her picture taken so we had to do two separate pictures once again.

Riley was not paying attention and daddy sat next to her and smiled and I took the picture. The picture turned out great. I guess this is how we will have to do pictures in the future. The surprise attack.

Brenden is a ham. He loves to pose for pictures and is starting to say "CHEEEEESE!!" when I pull out the camera. It's very cute.
Brenden saying "Cheese".

The kids together. Brenden is trying to get away from his sister who seems to pull him around.

Trying to get another picture of the kids in front of the tree. This task was harder then I thought it would be. They are both ready for Santa in three days.

Monkey See, Monkey Do!!

Daddy comes home and we no longer have children we have monkeys. Both kiddos want to be upside down all the time. So here we are with our beautiful children hanging upside down.

Brenden had enough but Riley would live upside down if we let her. So we took this time to tickle her belly. But like the Title states Monkey see, Monkey Do.......

Yes this usually means that Brenden wanted a turn but this time it was Daddy. He wanted a turn. So mommy held him upside down and the kids and I tickled his belly.

I am not sure if it really tickled or if it was just funny to be hanging upside down in my lap.

Yes this is what its like with daddy home. Always playing and goofing around with each other (kids included).

Happy Holidays!!

Riley is very excited this year about Christmas. She wanted to put the Christmas tree up all by herself. I hang the lights and Riley did the rest. A few ornaments needed to be at the top of the tree for safe keeping from little hands. Those were past off to me and Riley balanced the tree with all the other ornaments.

Remembering the ornaments. They were ALL her ornaments once she found her name snowman.
Looking for the perfect spot.

Hanging a "kid" friendly ornament at the bottom.

Our finished product. She was very proud of her Christmas tree. She made sure that Brenden did not touch it and that it was safe. When we left that day to go shopping she was very happy to see it just the way we left it when we returned home. I think she was worried that it would change while we were gone.

The other day she even went to talk to Santa Claus himself. This is the first year that we were able to walk up and talk to him without crying. She would not sit on his lap or touch the man but she did share that she wanted "Dora roller skates". After asking for her skates she waited for Brenden to visit and we were getting ready to leave and she wanted Santa Claus to give her her Dora roll skates right then. I had to explain that he did not have his toy bag with him and that he would bring them to her on Christmas Eve when she is sleeping. It was very cute to watch her understand what was going to happen.

My 1st Hair Cut

Brenden is now officially apart of the BIG boy club. He went with daddy on Saturday to have his hair cut. He was not to sure what to think when we first walked into Bo's Barber Shop. Here he is sitting in the chair by himself just waiting.

Sitting by himself was not going to work so daddy sat down with him and Jessica cut off his first locks. They were placed into a bag for us to keep.
Brenden wanted mommy so mommy and daddy traded places.

Mommy and Brenden watching as Jessica was getting her supplies ready. Brenden was scared but very brave.

Brenden fighting to sit still. The noise of the clippers made him very upset. He did very well sitting my my lap as Jessica cut away his cute baby hair.

After getting his hair cut Brenden joined Riley in the toy zone to play. He also received a lolly-pop and a certificate that stated he was a brave boy and is now apart of the big boy club.

His hair cut changed his face and made him look more like a toddler then that little boy we had at Thanksgiving time. It's amazing how a hair cut can change a person. My baby is growing up and growing into a little big boy.

My little big boy.

Happy Birthday Nana!!!

Happy Birthday Nana!

Hope you had a a wonderful day. We are still eating your birthday brownies here at the house. They sure are tasty.

WE LOVE YOU!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Friends, Family and Turkey

Thanksgiving Day started with lots of phone calls from family members who were not in town. Here is Ben talking on both cell phones with his parents and his brother.

As the day began with a quick run to McDonald's for breakfast and to pick up the newspaper for the ads, I returned home to begin the process of making turkey dinner. Here I am having a issue with my forhead. I had already began to touch the turkey and my hands were yucky and I had an itch so I tried my best and thanks to mom this is what it looked like to those around me.

Looking for the rest of the items to continue making dinner.

I had a couple of little helpers. Brenden put on his appron and danced around the kitchen "helping".

This was my second helper, Trista. She is a year younger then Riley. She loved helping out around the house and was very cute.

Once I had the turkey in the over Riley and I had a few moments to pose for a picture. I have learned that Riley is more and more like her mommy then I thought. Scarey.

Once dinner was finished the kids received their plates and then the adults went through. I guess being the cook I was the last to get my plate but received the privledge to sit at the kids table. Riley wanted me all day long and I was so busy cooking that I sat on with her to eat our dinner together.

After dinner we had to put on our party dresses and do a little dancing. We have been watching "Dancing with the Stars" and Riley wanted to dance like them. She needed her dress on first.

Once we had Riley dress Trista then needed a dress too so I found an old dress of Riley's that fit her prefectly and she was able to dance too. The girls dancing with their mommy's.

Daddy wanted to get a dance in with his Pretty little Princess too. Riley was telling Daddy how to hold their hands and how to dance. Very cute.

Daddy is dipping Riley. She asked to be dipped and showed us how to do that as well. She watched every little detail of each dance and wanted to dance just like the dancers.
After a long day of playing with family and friends, eating turkey dinner and dancing the kids were tired. They both fell asleep on their way to the hotel with Nana and Papa. They spent the night with Nana and Papa so Mommy, Daddy, and Aunt Mimi could get up early to go shopping on "black Friday".

We all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. It was the best Turkey day in about two years. Hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend and holiday.