November 2015

So much changes every day it's tough to keep up with it all and still be present while things are happening!  I'm so very proud of the fact that Em learned to tie her shoes this month--and it was Mick that helped her seal the deal.  The two of them focused on it until she got it, and it didn't take long!

I think we were making pumpkin cream cheese cookies in this picture--Em and her friends love to help in the kitchen!  Her doll Rose even had her own apron to wear.  She does love her stuffed animals and dolls, and typically has at least a couple in tow.  They all have names and personalities--she even has a group of imaginary animal friends (Tiny the mouse is the most frequently talked about, but there's also Batty Bat, Nutcraker and Fly Squirrel).  Since she's a self-proclaimed animal expert, she is still completely decided on a career as a veterinarian when she grows up, but says she wants to work at Indian Land Animal Hospital so she can still live at home with us.  Ha!  I'm sure that will change all too quickly.

This month, we hosted a low country boil and dip making contest for the HR team from MetLife. We had about 20 people here and plenty of kids.  It was cold outside, so some of them ended up snuggling on the couch and watching a movie.

It was a great turnout and a fun night--here are a few of my terrific coworkers and friends!

Em's school had book character day this month--we talked about a lot of different options, but she decided she wanted to be Little Red Riding Hood again.  It's easy to pull off and she looks super cute, so I didn't argue!

They also had "wear your favorite team" day, and Em wanted a Georgia Bulldogs shirt.  I couldn't find one in time, so I found this black shirt at Target and made the G out of red and white felt--it turned out a little better than I expected and even held up in the wash!

The week of Thanksgiving, Grandma came to stay with us for a few days, and Em was super excited that she got to ride to school with us a few mornings.  She always gets to unbuckle and get out of her car seat when we get in the car rider line at school in the mornings, so it gives us a good 10-15 minutes to hang out in the front seat and put her in a great mood before drop off.  I just love that time with her.

Em's class put on a Thanksgiving production for the parents that week, so Grandma even got to see that--Em played the part of a gobbling turkey!

The day before Thanksgiving, Em had her 6 month dental checkup.  The cleaning was just as bad an experience as ever--I had to get in the chair and hold Em in my lap for them to check her, but when it came time for her first x-rays, she was all smiles!  We continue to hope this is something she'll eventually grow out of, but it can't happen soon enough.

Games are always a favorite pastime, and especially when we have people visiting.

On Thanksgiving day, Papa came for our early dinner and we all spent the day together, which was nice.

Em can be a very strong hugger, which is why neither of them look like they can breathe here!

Another big event this month was Em's first date!  We went to the movies to see "The Good Dinosaur" with her friend Jack from our neighborhood (also in kindergarten with her) and whose mom is a good friend of mine.

They had a great time together, and the weather was nice on our way home, so Em and I stopped to snap a few pictures under these beautiful fall trees.

The Ballantyne area always puts huge Christmas trees up under these arches (there are four of them at the main intersection) and it looks so pretty when they're lit up.

Em is growing into such a big girl, I can hardly keep up with her.

But I try my best...so proud to be her mommy :)!

Halloween 2015

I'm always curious about what Em will choose for her Halloween costume, particularly since I started making them for her.  She thought about Annie this year, and then after spending a week at Grandma Jackson's house this summer and seeing the Disney Channel movie "Descendants," she decided on Mal, the daughter of Maleficent.  It's a pretty unique costume, and by the time she decided on it, the costume was sold out everywhere.  I decided I was up for the challenge and I'd try to make it.

We had a kids' Halloween party the weekend before Halloween, and I regrettably took NO pictures! It was a great turnout and gave the kids a chance to wear their costumes more than just one night. This picture was taken by a friend of mine--Em enjoying one of the purple cupcakes.

Here are the jack-o-lanterns we carved this month.

And a couple of spooky crafts we made.

Decorations from our Halloween party--this was our attempt at keeping people from going upstairs, since that's where Gracie and Bella were hanging out.

And here's our sassy little Mal!  She looked great, and really loved the costume.  I was excited about how it turned out.

September and Early October

My parents and grandma were passing through near Charlotte visiting relatives and swung by our house one Sunday afternoon.  It was a very short visit, but better than none!  We took a few pictures since we don't often have the chance.

Four generations!

It rained so much this fall that we didn't take advantage of many fall festivals like we normally do. We had a beautiful weekend in September and decided to visit the pumpkin patch.  Everywhere was muddy, so Mick and I were wishing we had galoshes like Em!

This is the place we go every year, and they keep adding more stuff for kids! Em enjoyed climbing on a fire truck and dressing like a firefighter.

She took her time picking out a few perfect pumpkins.

These are a few fun shots of Em's personality.  I was doing a little work one weekend and Em was fascinated with my laptop.  She wanted to have a turn at typing, so she went to town!  By the way, the crow in the cage beside her is Squawky, the black crow we found at Target and needed to add to our Halloween decor!

She was invited to a friend's birthday party at a place called Sky Zone, which is essentially a big trampoline park.  There was also an arcade, so she talked Daddy into a few video games.  Look at that little smile!

I love that Em takes an interest in almost anything I do, whether it's cooking, crafting, reading, or even cleaning.  It can make it a bit more challenging to get things accomplished, but it makes it more fun for sure.

I pulled out my sewing machine to start on Em's Halloween costume, and she was fascinated in all of the different stitches she could do.  I have plenty of scrap fabric for her to use for practice.

Much earlier this year, we saw that Beauty and the Beast (the Disney version) live was coming to Charlotte, so we bought tickets and Em and I had a girls' Sunday!  We took the train to uptown and had lunch before walking to the theater. It was a great show; Em continues to love every live production we go to!

Also in October, Em's class had a special project they had to complete.  They went on a field trip to the pumpkin patch and everyone took home a small pumpkin that they had to keep for a week, take pictures of it doing things, and make a journal.  The Friday night she brought "Pumpkin Patch" home, she was working!  Bath in the kitchen sink, pillow and blanket on the couch to snuggle,

and undeniably the sweetest and most responsible babysitters!

We really like the class that shes in, and both of her teachers seem terrific.  We had our first parent-teacher conference with Mrs. Cole and heard a lot of good things about Em.  Her beginning of year assessments were great--all of her test scores were above average and we have a goal of increasing them throughout this year.

The room mom in Em's class does a good job of trying to keep everyone coordinated, and she created a sign up for parents to volunteer for a "duty free lunch," where two parents go to lunch with the class and the teachers have a little while to themselves.

The first time I went in, I saw this outside of her classroom door.  Em had told us she was the Math All Star, but then asked "how can I be good at something I don't even like?"  Funny girl!

Silly girl at the lunch table with a couple of her friends.

In mid-October, we took a quick trip to Hunting Island, SC to meet up with Angela Shea, the photographer who has done photos of us since Em was 4 months old.  It was a quick trip, but a nice little break from our day to day.

Boosterthon Fun Run

Em's school had a Boosterthon Fun Run in early September--the kids all raised money for the laps they were planning to run.  It was a really humid morning when we got out there, but the kids didn't seem bothered at all.  Here are a few pictures of the run.

 Em is in the gray shorts on the far right of this picture.

 They were encouraged to stop and take a water break every five laps or so.

Em ran the maximum number of laps (35)!  Based on the marks on her shirt, I think it was more like 40, but they stop counting after 35.

 Super proud of this big girl!

I walked her back to her class, and then left to get to work shortly after that.  Next year, I'll probably take the day off after the run so Em can just come home with me--she was really exhausted that night, and I don't blame her at all.

Labor Day in Wilmington

We decided to spend Labor Day weekend in Wilmington with Jason and Jenn--Julie flew into Charlotte and rode with us on Friday afternoon.  The timing worked out well since her flight was landing about the same time that Em got out of school.  It was getting late by the time we made it there that night, but the kids were so excited to see each other they took advantage of a little play time.

The next morning, they got started early and played all day.

They really had a great time together, and it gave us time to relax and hang out too.

It's nice when they play so hard they're ready for baths, movies, popcorn and bedtime pretty early.

Jason and Mick bought some seafood, and we boiled it out in the garage for dinner.

It was nice to have the time together, especially after the kids were in bed!

On Sunday, we decided to spend some time at the beach, even though it was really cloudy.

We took the ferry across to Oak Island, which was almost as great as the beach for these three!

It stayed overcast all day, but it was still warm enough to get in the water and build sandcastles.

On the ferry ride back, the kids were super excited to feed the seagulls with some bread Jenn brought from home.

A rare family pic!

These three got along great the whole weekend, and really made us wish we lived closer.

Here are a couple of my favorites from the beach!

After dinner and baths when we got home that night, they snuggled up in Jason and Jenn's bed and watched a movie together.

It's nice to be with family when you don't feel obligated to constantly be doing something or going somewhere.  We had a nice mix of both over the weekend, and we wished we'd had more time!