Twas the month BEFORE Christmas

I decided to go back and blog about some of the pre-Christmas activities I got to do with the kids. Today is a dreary, cold January day and I am missing the sparkle of Christmas. I may have even lit a pine scented candle and played a bit of Christmas music. Maybe. Here's to hoping that looking at my photos will cheer up me and any other mama that is now back in the routine.

 We were invited over to one of Eva's friends house to make cookies and we also got to paint aprons. Such a cute idea!

Eva's handprint Santa apron. With her own artistic touches :)

 Thankful for mom friends!

 We took the kids to see the trains at Northpark for the first time. So many cool little details to look at and Jensen did great even though he couldn't touch very much.

Christmas tree waffles. I did not plan special activities for each day, but I did have a few ideas in my pocket.

Growing Givers at church. Loved showing my children the joy of giving to those in need as they learned about God's greatest gift.

 Reindeer cuteness.

My mom and I went a holiday date of brunch and a Christmas show musical.

First dance recital! She got to do a ballet and tap number. It was precious. She decided to do gymnastics this semester instead of dance, and it broke my heart a tiny bit. 

 Baking 6 dozen cookies to deliver to neighbors!

 Pajama day at preschool.

Our traditional cookie day with Mamy. We usually make and bake...this year we just decorated because, you know....toddlers.

Sprinkles and icing all the way down to his diaper and legs!

 Including the final cookie pic just in case Southern Living wants to feature it :)

Pretend snow in the kitchen. We mixed it up using baking soda and conditioner.

 It was messy but worth it.

Playing with the felt tree I made for Eva when she was a toddler. I like having special Christmas toys that only appear during the holidays.

Enjoying our precious memories.

Pumpkin Patch

We took a family day to the Flower Mound pumpkin patch in October. I'm always glad when we pick a day with perfect fall weather. We got lots of cute photos of our kids with beautiful pumpkins so I wanted to share.

One of my favorites of my and my little man.

 This year's newest cut out was Zootopia, of which we are big fans.

 Pretty much his classic photo face.

 Jailed up for too much cuteness.

 On the haydie.

 I'm really trying to be in more photos with the kids, it's just so easy to be the one taking pictures.

 JOY JOY JOY!

 Peek-a-boo!

"Jensen! Smile! Smile, buddy! Oh...okay...keep making your super serious face."

Matching the jackolanterns this Halloween. I love her toothless grin.

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

At the beginning of the summer, I'll admit I was a bit apprehensive of having 3 whole  months of unscheduled time. I was loving the rhythm of the school year and our planned activities. We are now about to head back into the rhythm (HOORAY!!!), so I wanted to reflect back on what we did this summer. We may not have accomplished all of my dreams like making a trip to the mountains or the beach, but maybe those things will happen in our next season of life. Turns out life with a toddler and a preschooler can get a bit crazy! Here are some things we did do....
1. We swam. Jensen went from splashing around to actually enjoying floating in the puddle jumper, and Eva became a professional mermaid. She can now swim all the way across our neighborhood pool all by herself. I am a bit over the whole apply sunscreen and load up all of the pool stuff process. But it was fun for a season.

 Jumping off with a friend! This girl even taught herself to do front and back flips off into the water.

 2. We played in the back yard. Usually either in the morning before it got too hot or after dinner time. Ryan and I were big fans of letting the kids play in the hose and run around while we did the dinner dishes. Peace and quiet for the win!

3. We played in the playroom. My kids are at a perfect age to play together, and for the most part do so quite well. 

Little buddy learned to color and Eva spent tons of time doing art. Our glitter infested table is proof of a very creative summer.

4. We celebrated birthdays for friends! Emily had a Frozen party....

Amanda and Nana had a celebration at Cheesecake Factory....

Dede had a pizza party at our house....

and Kim got to celebrate the big 5-0 with a surprise party!

4. Eva went to Bara's Summer Rec for 2 weeks worth of sunshine and games.

6. Then she did the Cave Quest VBS that was hosted by the church where she attends preschool. They celebrated the last day with a visit from the ice cream truck!

 7. Ryan went to Young Life camp in Colorado and conquered the mountain again.

 8. We celebrated 8 years of marriage. Who else could I get through this wacky life with?

9. We had lots of play dates with friends. Moms' group friends, neighborhood friends, church friends, preschool friends. These play dates were a sanity saver! So grateful for all of the friendships we continued over the summer. 

10. This girl learned to READ. I started going through the Hooked on Phonics series with her, along with some BOB books that coordinate with her lessons. It is AMAZING to see your child really begin to read. She is loving it and I am so proud of her.

11. Jensen slept in a big boy bed! For a week. Or rather, we took down the crib rail for a week after he climbed out. It didn't work well, and after nights of very little sleep, we put the rail back up and lowered the mattress to the floor. You win some, you lose some.

12. We took a few zoo trips, including one to see the Fort Worth Zoo's new baby gorilla, Gus. He is the cutest little gorilla ever. 

13. We partied it up with Young Life students. My littles do enjoy a good teenage gathering where they can soak up the attention.

Now we are ready to head back to school. Eva's back pack is all packed and ready! We have Meet the Teacher on Sunday afternoon, then she starts Pre-K on Tuesday. She is so excited because she gets to go to school 2 FULL DAYS a week. Hallelujah! Summer was good, but this Mama is ready.