The End of a Great Weekend

So I'm sitting here on the couch after a wonderful, long, holiday weekend wishing I still had a few more days off so I could spend more time with the husband and the little girl (even though 2 1/2 year olds have a tendency toward having multiple personalities). We had a great time together these last few days. Thanksgiving was the usual whirlwind as we traveled from family to family. Saturday brought a day of hard work for my husband in the basement (I love the sound of nails being shot into basement walls with a nail gun and .22 loads - how Brenna could nap through that and how my husband and dad can hear at this point is still beyond me).

Today was another great and relaxing day. Laundry and some dishes were my only chores. Brenna and I made a Santa Claus fill-the-beard countdown calendar and a red and green paper chain to count down the days until Christmas. Can you tell that I am a Christmas maniac? I love it...all the excitement and the family time and the snow and the songs...I love it all.

Munchkin napped, daddy watched football, and I got to scrap! Finally! I haven't scrapped any layouts since I started teaching my 5th graders, usually I'm too busy doing school work. I did four pages (2 - 2 page spreads) for Brenna's NICU album. I have to figure out how I can post them...I haven't figured out whether I can somehow scan 12x12 pages or if I am just going to take pictures and hope they come out well.

Luckily, Christmas break will be here soon and my scrappy friends and I are planning a crop - I can't wait to have several hours to devote to good times with friends and my scrappy self.

Oooo...we made snowflakes today too (well Sean & I did with Brenna coloring and hanging out with us at the kitchen table), and B had her first mug of hot cocoa. I don't think I have to tell you how much she loved it, it is chocolate after all.

Overall a great holiday weekend.

Here are a couple of pics of the little girl - it's her first official nightgown...

and an exact replica of a face I use to make when I was her age. Thanks Dad!

Oh yes...lest I forget...we have moved into the "WHY?" stage of life.

B: What doing grandma?

G: Sewing, Brenna (grandma is working on another quilt - currently piecing a few squares)

B: Why?

G: Because I like to make quilts.

B: Why?

This continued for a little longer until grandma turned it around on B, asking her why - this utterly confused the little girl.

I can only hope that these little memories will be saved here in cyberspace forever as I know that while I stop to commit them to my memory, it can only hold so much. Brenna, my little sweet potato, I hope you know that daddy and I cherish every moment with you!

A Wonderful Evening

I was able to spend some quality time playing outside with the little girl tonight. She discovered the pure childhood bliss of playing in the leaves...a great big pile of leaves. An unsure start turned into a wonderful round of jumping, rolling, throwing, and playing Ring-Around-the-Rosie in our neighbors' leaf pile with some of the little ones in our neighborhood. She really had a great time and had the dirt smudge on her little face to prove it. I'm not sure the cell phone really did it justice but I'm pleased with the quality of photos from my Curve (thanks for spoiling me again, honey!).

A Historic Election

Did you vote? I hope so. While you will not normally find me discussing politics or my own personal political views in my blog, on this night I feel like I need to say something. As Americans, I believe it is tremendously important that we practice our most basic of rights whenever we have that opportunity. No matter who you chose to vote for or against, this will be a historic evening. As we watch and learn who we have chosen to take on the most challenging of roles, we have changed the way we will forever look at the leaders of our Nation. America will either have its first woman Vice-President or its first African-American President. As a teacher, I find it exciting, regardless of my own personal political views. It's not often that this type of historic occasion happens in one's life but here we are America...you've made the history books tonight.

Happy Halloween

All did not start well as we had a very cranky little girl after day care. But with this question the whole night changed. "Do you want to put on your bumblebee costume?" "oh, yes!" Here she is...the cutest bumblebee!
She managed to make it to 13 houses (thanks to daddy carrying her most of the way), and then spent quite a while taking the candy out of the pumpkin and putting it back into the pumpkin. Such fun!