Merry Christmas!

Hey, Santa!

 

We're ready and waiting!

Wordless Wednesday: Park Fun Edition

   

  

 

a pretty nice little Saturday

A while back, I gave Sara the choice between having a birthday party with friends or having a special day with just the family.  She chose a special day with the family, and decided she wanted to go to the science museum.  I was thrilled for two main reasons: 1) I didn't have to plan and host a birthday party, and 2) we hadn't yet visited the new Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and here was the perfect opportunity.

Yesterday morning we headed first to the girls' school for their Winter Festival, which involved a short show, games, cookie decorating, and visits with Santa.  Unfortunately, on the way out the door, I had a major mishap.  Everyone was in the car and I ran back in the house to get drinks for the girls.  I grabbed cups from the cabinet, and didn't shut it, but rather let it shut behind me.  As I was at the fridge filling a cup with water, I heard a crash.  A decorative platter that was on top of the cabinets fell ... right onto our glass stove cook top.  Both were in about a million pieces.  I cried.  A lot.  We need to replace the cook top sooner than later, but two of the burners still work, and I've used both today.  What a pain.

Anyway, we had lots of fun at the Winter Festival.  

Decorating cookies ...

 

  And visiting with Santa (Sara visited, Emma just wanted out) ...

 And then we headed downtown.  The Perot Museum was so awesome.  Both girls loved the kids' area, and Sara also enjoyed racing a cheetah, learning about the planets and stars, and seeing the dinosaurs.  

 

 

 

Afterwards, we walked across the street to eat at El Fenix ... delish.  Then we headed home with two very tired girls.  And, upon walking into the house, I was reminded of my shattered stove.  But we had a great family day, which ended with a viewing of "White Christmas" by the fire.  With the exception of our kitchen debacle, it was a pretty nice little Saturday.

She's FIVE

"Slipping through my fingers all the time ...

 ... I try to capture every minute, the feeling in it ...

 ... Slipping through my fingers all the time ...

 ... Do I really see what's in her mind ...

 ... Each time I think I'm close to knowing ...

... She keeps on growing ...

  

...Slipping through my fingers all the time."

ABBA 

Happy Birthday to my beautiful, smart, funny, challenging, artistic, thoughtful, five-year-old, Sara Noel.  You are everything I never knew I needed.  You make my life complete.

Ice Day(s), cont.

Well, our ice day turned into a 4-day ice weekend, and we continued to make the most of our time at home together.  I know it doesn't look like it, but Emma really enjoyed her time outside in the wagon.  In fact, right before we went outside this particular time, when Emma saw Sara putting on her coat, she grabbed her own and brought it to me to put on her.  She wanted to play, too!

 Emma only slipped on the ice a couple of times and was, of course, well-padded.

 Silly faces ...

 

 And sad face ... this is what happened when, with runny noses and rosy cheeks, we had to take a break and come inside ...

We were all ready to head out and about today when the roads were better.  Sara got a haircut, we made a Target run, and stopped for some much-needed Mexican food.  Later in the day, when I remembered that Sara needed new ballet shoes (class is tomorrow), she and I made a quick trip to pick some up, and then I surprised her by driving to the movie theatre to see "Frozen".  I had heard good things about it and had been wanting to take her; she was THRILLED!  It was a wonderful movie, and a fun way to spend some special time with my big girl.  There were so many good messages in the movie, including the fact that an act of true love isn't always a kiss from a prince - so important for my princess-obsessed girl.  There was also strong emphasis on the power of sisterly love, which of course strikes a chord.  And it just felt fitting to see "Frozen" while, for the first time in twenty-something years in Dallas, are frozen in December!

We'll be headed back to work and school tomorrow, and we're really looking forward to the next few days.  It's Birthday Week in our house, and Sara just can't wait to be five!

Ice Day

Despite learning that all of our weekend events - breakfast with Santa, dance recital, and marathon - would be cancelled, we really enjoyed our ice day yesterday.  We we watched movies in a nest by the fire, made gingerbread cookies, danced along with the musical ornaments on the tree, did projects, drank hot chocolate, and played outside.

We had to go out first thing this morning, still in jammies, to see what the white was all about ...

 Sara said, "I wish this ice was snow."  It sure would have been more fun, but she loved looking at the ice-enclosed leaves and blades of grass.  And of course we had to taste some icicles.

 Later in the day we went out again, and because we don't own sleds, we improvised.  The laundry basket worked perfectly, and unlike sledding in thick snow where you can sometimes get stuck in a groove, the ice was the perfectly slick surface for a fast ride!

 We had to "skate" down the street to the park to check out the ice on the playground. 

 When we say "ice day" rather than "snow day", it's no joke.  Every surface is covered; the park was like a big rink.

 It's white like snow, but don't be deceived, Northern friends.  I was this close to getting my skates out of the attic.  Steve actually used the hammer on the driveway in an attempt to break up some of the ice.  It reminded me of living in KC, where we literally had to chisel our way into our cars on icy mornings.

 During our inside time today, Sara worked on decorating her room ...

 ... and the coat closet.

Obviously we didn't push Emma down the icy hill in a laundry basket, but she did enjoy hanging out in it inside.  It's the little things.

 And as an aside, do you remember in a recent post when I said that Emma started throwing a fit over having to wear pants?  Well, her big accomplishment today was learning to take them off by herself.  How guilty does she look in this picture (taken immediately after I glanced over and noticed she was sans-britches)?

The rest of our weekend will be a lot more low-key than originally planned due to all the cancellations around the metroplex.  We're stocked up on groceries and beverages, and - as you saw - equipped with a "sled", so we should be good to go until the roads are car-friendly again (or until we leave for work Monday morning, whichever comes first).  Stay warm, my friends.