Christmas is coming!

Christmas is coming! Time to decorate! Time for old family traditions and time for making NEW family traditions. This year I'm trying my hand at the advent calendar. I found this (better than what I've seen in stores) advent calendar at Target. I wasn't too thrilled with the price but it was nicer and a bit prettier than the ONE other one they had there for the SAME price. I bought some See's candy chocolate balls and little Santa's (for the 25th - though I think it's silly to have a 25th door because it's Christmas day! What more do you want?) And I also purchased some Lindt chocolate too. I stuffed the chocolates inside and wrote on little slips of paper what activities to do for that day. It was pretty tough coming up with age appropriate things and finding things to do on gym and dance nights (where we wont have a lot of time between dinner and bedtime.) We'll see how it all works out. I got some ideas from my cousin Lisa and some ideas off of pinterest. I tried to come up with back up stuff too. Sooo we'll see how things go tomorrow! The girls are anxious to open those doors and get that chocolate out!

I'm all EARS....

About three weeks ago we noticed Millie had been coughing for a few days so we took her to the doctor.  She was acting normal but we found out that she not only had a sinus infection but she also had ANOTHER ear infection. We had tubes put in her ears, like two years ago? The tubes had made their way out and the ear doctor said she was good to go... so what's happening now!? What is the point of having ear tubes put in if your ear is just gonna push them out and grow back the way it was originally!? Why does the body do that? Anyways... the pediatrician gave her some meds and a follow up appointment for three weeks. Yesterday was the follow up appointment and guess what!? Yup. Her ears STILL look bad! The doctor gave her different meds and also said I should book another follow up appointment in three weeks with her ear doctor. She said: "I just don't know if she's hearing very well." Great. Thanks. I do not want to do the ear tubes again. I hated that. Seeing her in her little hospital gown. The nurses taking her away from me so they can put her to sleep alone. And then Millie waking up from her drug induced sleep crying and inconsolable. AND to top it off we can't leave the facility until she pees. It doesn't sound hard, but when she hasn't eaten all day and they give her a juice box which she has no interest in drinking AFTER the operation... it's not fun. In fact we fibbed a little the last time because we just wanted to get her out of there. I really hope these new meds work.

Thanksgiving!

Wow! What a week! We had the Arizona cousins over for Tday and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! (Stacey and Ben came too.) ;)

Millie and Lauren eating goldfish after their photo session on Saturday.

It was a full crazy house and I loved it! I only wish it could have been my house! (In my dreams I have this crazy big house and my cousins can come visit me whenever and STAY there!) We had so much food too! I got to help out a bit more this year and I made mashed potatoes for 21 people! We ate non-stop, caught up with each other, watched the kids - well sort of. My kids were outside the whole time with their cousins so I hardly saw them at all. I got to go 'black Friday' shopping with my cousin Lisa - she really made out! I got a few things... I can't wait for our next BIG get together... whenever that is... sigh. It's always sad to go back to reality..

This was Thursday afternoon right after the cousins came!

Sneak Peek!

This weekend I had the girl's "Alice" pictures taken. They wanted an Alice in Wonderland birthday party so I thought it would be cute to have them dress up as Alice and have pictures taken so I can not only use the images to commemorate the event but I could also use the images for the invitations! These are the two shots I got from my phone. (I have to admit it looked just as cool in real life as it did in my head.) I know the professional photos will be AMAZING!! I can't wait to see them!