Princess Jasmine

Shortly before Christmas, Annabelle wrote a letter to Santa while visiting Bass Pro Shop at Discover Mills with hubby. Out of the blue, she requested "a green and blue dress" from Santa. Hubby even wrote it down for her in her letter to Santa.

So the hunt began. And fortunately, just days before Christmas I found a green and blue (and black) dress at Costco for $18 plus tax. I also visited Goodwill in hopes of finding another one so I could take the more pricey dress back, but it was with no luck.

Today Annabelle wanted to wear her new dress from Santa. She instantly put it on and she instantly transformed into "Princess Jasmine." She was "Princess Jasmine," and she had four children. And Princess Jasmine told me that she also had a Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora dress. She wore her beautiful dress until I made her take it off for dinner because we were having taco soup.

She definitely makes a beautiful princess, don't you think?

Christmas 2010 Highlights

1. Annabelle's favorite book was "Sheila Rae's Peppermint Stick" by Kevin Henkes. It was a hand-me-down from "the little girls" next door, Chloe and Camille. She could recite many of the pages from memory. She was so good at it that hubby thought she was actually reading it one night.

2. Annabelle referred to angels as fairies.

3. At Oak Grove UMC's Family Fun Night/Birthday Party for Jesus, Annabelle decorated a white gift bag with nativity stickers. She set up the nativity scene at the bottom of the gift bag with Baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, a cow, a donkey and a palm tree. She even found a random piece that wasn't an actual sticker, but held the stickers together, and placed it on top of Jesus' head. She said it was Baby Jesus' party hat. It was shaped somewhat like a triangle. She placed stars in the sky and colored the sky blue with a blue marker. She placed an angel above Baby Jesus, and outlined the angel sticker with a pink marker. Then, above the angel (as if off in the distance), she placed her three wise men. She gave each wise man a camel to ride on as they were each standing on their respective camel. Somehow the shepherd became a wise man, but she realized later she had done that without anyone else pointing it out. It is amazing how children this young picture the Christmas Story. The visual image in her mind is more accurate than the nativity scene that we all set out every Christmas.

Cabin Fever

While the rest of Atlanta is suffering from cabin fever, I am simply loving this snowed in lifestyle. That is, of course, until we run out of food!

Hubby has stayed home from work all week, and after hearing the news reports this evening, for that I am very thankful! It turns out that main drags right outside of our neighborhood were apparently impassable. The high today was 28 degrees according to the news report. Fortunately, the sun and wind did make their appearance, but it wasn't enough to melt the ice in our neighborhood.

Of course, there are always those crazy northerners who now live in Atlanta and think they know how to drive in this. (Nana Janet and Papa Bill: If you are reading this, we love you guys and you are exempt from the "crazy northerner" phrase as you aren't living here and crazy enough to drive in the non-deiced roads). I suspect they are the ones we are all watching on the news sliding around on the ice. The natives know to stay home! People fail to realize that we don't have the equipment here in Atlanta to maintain these conditions nor is it feasible to invest the money in the equipment for the winter storm that comes once every decade or more. I was actually quite surprised that our New York friend and neighbor brought up the point himself that it doesn't make sense for the Department of Transportation to invest in this type of equipment that will only be used once every decade. I was surprised only because he is a northerner. I think I like that guy!

So I really am loving this. We've ventured outside for a few hours every day to enjoy the ice and snow. It is becoming a bit more dangerous day after day, but hubby managed to squeeze in one more day of sledding by tramping down snow in our front yard. That was until the sled we were using was taken back to its rightful owner. Have I mentioned that the sled we were originally using was a gift from Nonnie? Do you want to know what happened to that one? Long story! That is for another post! Confiscated! That is all I need to say.

While being snowed in (since Sunday evening), we have enjoyed ham and carrot souffle, ham and potato soup with our awesome neighbors, baked and decorated Christmas tree and present shaped cupcakes (discounted at 75% off on New Year's Eve), built block towers, realized that our neighborhood is being redistricted into a not so great elementary school from a pretty reputable school (there goes the property value), commented that we really need to take our Christmas tree down every evening (and it has yet to happen), read books, played Monopoly after the kiddos were asleep, enjoyed homemade pretzels baked by our awesome neighbors and are realizing quickly that our food supplies are quickly diminishing. Thank goodness for eggs, peanut butter and crackers!

Okay, so maybe it hasn't all been good based on the above, but I just had to throw in everything that has made this week memorable.

But, honestly, I am truly loving this! Despite our daily routines being off kilter by hubby's existence at home (I love you hubby, but you really mess up our routines), we have truly had an awesome few days! It has been wonderful to truly realize that we can enjoy life without venturing out and without meals cooked by someone else. And if you know me, you know I'm always happy when we save money! And if you cannot leave your house, you cannot spend money!

But this time I will remember to not turn the heat on full force in our 4 Runner to thaw the ice and snow on the windshield. Thanks to the lady on Clark Howard who used to live in Alaska for the tip (a week too late)! Of course, she didn't mention the impact of running the heat full force in the car for 2 HOURS STRAIGHT! Yes, I am a moron with a newly cracked windshield! How much is that going to cost us out of pocket? And I don't even have hubby to blame this time.

Perhaps now I'll go top the evening off with a homemade cup of hot chocolate! Thank you Mollie! Annabelle and I have really been enjoying your homemade hot chocolate! I refuse to share with hubby!

Snow Day!

Today was absolutely awesome! I normally cringe at the thought of spending all day in the snow because it is oh so very cold, and Annabelle cannot seem to get enough until she sets foot in the door. And, then, "Waaahhhh! My toes! My toes hurt Mommy! Waaahhh! Noooooo! Don't touch them! That makes them hurt more!" And just minutes before I would ask her, "Are you ready to go inside?" "No," she would reply. "I think we need to go inside and warm up for a little while," I replied. "Okay," she would finally agree.

But with 4.5 - 5 inches of snow and ice, let the games begin! We actually measured 4.5 inches when we measured around 4:30 p.m. We apparently set a record with the most amount of snow in metro Atlanta since 1953! How about that? Our first white Christmas since the 1800's and a record amount of snow since the 1950's. We all have celebrated firsts together as a family.

It was so much fun to be a kid again! We sled down the big hill at the top of our street numerous times because the roads were also covered in snow and ice! How much fun is that? And Annabelle tromped her own little self all the way to the top and rode down with us. She wasn't scared at all! I couldn't believe it as there were a few times I thought we were going to knock down a mailbox or two or run head on into a parked car. It is an absolute perfect hill for sledding!

We only saw one vehicle leave our neighborhood today, so the streets were completely empty, so we had no fear of running into a moving vehicle.

Hubby said, "Do you want to move to Minneapolis?" Ummm. Let me think about that for a minute. Nope! He thinks he's all big and bad now since he pretty much lived in Minneapolis back in the fall of 2008. I think he actually believes he knows how to drive in this stuff now.

And we ended the day enjoying homemade snow ice cream with our neighbors at our house followed by homemade chili and homemade pizza at their house. It takes a snow day to finally follow through with that "we need to have you guys over for dinner" when they moved in almost 6 years ago. Too bad they treated first, and we're the ones who made the original offer. We are serving up ham and potato soup at our house tomorrow night for everyone. So much fun!

Sophia napped most of the snow day. But she got her fill when I plopped her down on top of the ice which was on top of the snow. Before that though, she got to watch her sissy, Mommy and Daddy all sled down the big hill.

Mug Shot

Joy

This little girl brings so much joy to my life! She makes me not want to spread my kiddos 3.5 years apart again because life raising more than one child isn't so bad! Too bad the timing of a 3rd child (if I have anything to say about it this time) depends solely and completely on our living quarters. She makes me wish I had decided to bear children much earlier in life.

Sophia is definitely my easy going, very loving child, but with quite a temper. I suspect she will probably be more trouble than her sister as I suspect her easy going personality will wipe most of her fears away.

Hubby took this picture this evening as Sophia was patty caking. On Saturday, Nonnie sang "Patty Cake" to her. Nonnie wasn't even clapping as she sang it. Sophia smiled that tongue smile above and started clapping. It is so funny how things just suddenly click. She used to just smile at me when I played "Patty Cake" with her. That was until Saturday. But now, she claps every time. In fact, she loves clapping now, even when we aren't playing patty cake.

This is by far my favorite age! Of course, I really love the first 2.5 years. You know, before they start talking with the ability to actually voice their opinion with words. LOL!

Dear Sophia,

I love you sweet girl! You are growing up so fast, and as much as I'd love to keep you little, I have to remember how much I'd miss out on if you stayed 8 months forever!

I love you always and forever!

Mommy

My Little Susie Homemaker

I just had to post this picture because I am in love with it! I managed to snag the adult size apron as our white elephant gift at our Sunday School's Christmas party this year. It was a hot item, and I strategized to keep it. I don't think my strategy really worked, but I got it!

I got it alright, along with an awful massive mug of an old man that has apparently been one of the gag gifts since the Sunday School's first Christmas party 10 years or so ago. I actually had opened the plate that matches the mug, but hubby and I tried to strategize with another guy to get a more optimal gift. It backfired for all involved!

The matching plate was created from the match to the mug which was actually another mug that had been broken after the initial Christmas party but then glued back together to form the plate. It is UGLY! I guess that means we have to attend the Sunday School Christmas party again next year to rid ourselves of that awful mug!