Holiday Memories

I am realizing how fast time is going. After having a few drinks with two of Jeremy's aunts (thanks for the fun Laurie & Joan) whose children are grown up, I realize that I need to really enjoy the holidays as much as I can while our girls are young.

This is the time of year that when ANYTHING that is remotely cool is advertised on TV we hear shouts of "I want that" followed by, "NO, I want that!" Soon enough they will want money for Christmas to buy their own clothes and gifts rather than toys.

So that I can relive this year for many years to come I am going to TRY to blog about every day of December this year. (TRY being the key word!)

So, we'll start with the night of November 30th. We got home from our Thanksgiving trip to Des Moines (happy birthday, Dad!). And we started our annual tradition of reading a Christmas book every night before bed. I've been buying the girls each a Christmas book every year since Sydney was born. So, do the math.. that's 8 books so far for Sydney, plus 5 for Hayley, and 2 for Addy. So we have 15 between the 3 of them. (Well, somehow we always end up with WAY more. Darn Scholastic pulls me in every time.)

So tonight we started with "T'was the Night Before Christmas" illustrated by Mary Engelbreit. I just love her illustrations! We all curled up on our new Cozy Sack (an early Christmas gift from Daddy) in our cozy jammies and pointed out all of the cool things in the illustrations.

Ok, so really it was just me and Addy. Hayley was pouting because SHE didn't get to pick the book. Sydney was reading a chapter book because these "baby" books aren't cool. See it's already happening! But Addy and I (read mostly I) really enjoyed it!

Trick or Treat

These girls are too funny. Before we went Trick or Treating I was able to get them to take a couple of pictures.

Hayley had to try SO hard not to pose in this picture.
She couldn't hold it back any longer. Do you see Addy getting an idea?

Addy just had to pose too. Sydney is just SO embarrassed.

Then they all strike a pose.

My baby is growing up!

My baby is growing up! We took down her crib today. Took the crib down for the LAST TIME in our house. I'm feeling a little emotional about it. I mean, she's my baby.

But she won't stay IN the crib, so it makes sense to take it down. She's been sleeping in her bed (well at least a few hours each night) for 2 or 3 weeks now.

But she is my baby!

But she's talking SO much. Such great sentences like, "Oh darn it! I spill my water!" (You should hear her "OH darn it!" It is so cute!)

And she is using the potty. Quite a bit at daycare and almost every time for #2 at home.

BUT she is my baby. Have I mentioned that?

BUT she will be TWO in just a few weeks. TWO! I remember Sydney turning two like it was yesterday, but that was SIX years ago. (We announced we were pregnant with Hayley at Sydney's 2nd birthday parties). And Hayley at two- she had the cutest piggy tails. (Well, Addy lacks that!)

But today, when we were out shopping, and she fell asleep in the car. She stayed asleep and I sat on a comfy couch with her asleep on my chest while Jeremy & the older 2 looked for bunk beds. I had flash backs to when she was just tiny. But instead I just took a LONG sniff of that warm baby head smell. Can I bottle that??? Then the sales guy talked about his son turning 15 today. And how he really misses these younger years.

And just look at her last year at this time over on the top right hand side of the page. She had JUST started walking, but both Sydney & Hayley had to hold on to her so tight so she wouldn't just tumble over. And look how tall she's gotten in just a year!

So, we took the crib down for the last time. But, she'll always be my baby, right???

Two new products to try

I've joined a General Mills Product testing group. Right now they are focusing on 2 new products. If you would like a coupon to try one of these products, please leave a comment below and I'll have one e-mailed to you.

*WARNING* Stupid Wal-mart does not take internet coupons. Serioulsy, how stupid are they? DO NOT SHOP AT WAL-MART!!!! But if you want to use the coupons you have to use them anywhere else. Which is great because Wal-mart is HORRIBLE!!!

We went to the Pumpkin Patch this weekend on a beautiful day. And a bunch of the girls' friends were there too. (I love living in a small town- even when you drive 30 miles away to the nearest pumpkin patch- your friends are there too!)

Some of the cutest kids anywhere!!!

That goofy grin!

Pumpkin Muffins

Image by Effie of allrecipes.com

So I read this great blog www.thepioneerwoman.com. She was talking recently about making your own pumpkin puree. I saw some nice small sugar pumpkins at the grocery store and picked up a couple.

I knocked the stem off, cut them in half, scooped the seeds out (which I will roast tomorrow) then cut into quarters and baked at 305 degrees for 45 minutes. Then I pureed them in my food processor. (NO REALLY. I did this! Crazy huh?!?!)

So then I was dying to try them baked in something and found a recipe for Pumpkin Muffins on allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 cups pureed pumpkin (doesn't have to be home done pumpkin- canned will work fine)

3 cups all purpose flour (I subbed 2 c. whole wheat flour and 1 c. oatmeal(

2 cups white sugar

2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. baking powder

2 t. ground cloves

2 t. ground cinnamon

2 t. ground nutmeg

1 t. ground allspice

1 t. salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil (I subbed 2/3 c. applesauce)

3 eggs (I think I might have only used 2 on accident)

Directions

• In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. In a separate bowl mix together pumpkin, vegetable oil and eggs. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups 
• Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out of the center of a muffin comes out clean.

This made 24 normal sized muffins plus 9 mini muffins.

YUMMY!!!!! And the smell- Double YUMMY!

Sorry I haven't posted

We got some internet filtering software at work, so I can't log onto our blog to post pictures. And my internet connection at home is a royal pain (I need to find about 3 hours to sit on the phone with customer support. Does anyone know where I can find 3 hours of quiet to be on the phone??? Anyone?? Buhler???)

So in the mean time you may just have to settle for some stories. 

Sydney is loving school still. She finished up the soccer season which she really enjoyed again. She is reading wonderfully. She is learning "times" which I have to remind her is also called multiplication. 

Hayley is learning some sight words and this week is working on the letters A and S. 

Addy has hit the terrible two's a little early. She is climbing out of her crib, so we need to take it down. She won't stay in her crib. It's been a rough couple of weeks. She just does not give up. As I'm typing this she's sitting next to me, "Mom- my candy. Mom, my candy! Mom- COOKIE! Mom!!!!"

We had a great time at the D-days parade last weekend. I wish I could share some pictures with you. Maybe I'll figure it out soon.

So, there is a quick update.

Congrats to Jason & Kristi with the arrival of Izabella Rose.