Nana and Grandpa come to visit - December 2017

We were all excited to have Nana and Grandpa come visit for a few days.  We always wish they would stay longer and really enjoy their visits.

Giving Nana a massage

We have been to the Dallas Arboretum with Nana before but have never taken Grandpa.  I knew it would be a place he would like.  It's clearly not as beautiful in the winter but it's still great and they have their 12 Days of Christmas Displays up.  It was COLD we were all bundled up as well as we could be considering we aren't super equipped to be outside in cold weather since we only have a few days of it all year. (My poor dad who only wears shorts...I tried to get him to put on pants but he wouldn't budge.)

Emmalyn couldn't get enough of her grandparents.  She was so focused on them.

Trying to get a cute picture of the two of them...

...still trying

10 shots later, this was the best I got.  Ugh

Maxwell enjoyed finding each of the signs for the 12 Days and listening to the song.

I was amazed there were still roses in the rose garden.   They must have to cover so many plants at night!

Afterward, we went to Torchy's Tacos for some yummy food and to try and warm up.  

Pajama time with the hats Nana brought them.

We got Dad and Marriann to play some card games with us and loosen up a little

Loose tooth alert!!!

All snuggled together on the couch

Maxwell's First Elementary School Party - Winter Party 2016

The room mom's at Maxwell's school are responsible for putting on the 3 class parties each year (winter, valentine's day, and end of year).  The entire grade does the exact same thing in each classroom so you end up having a bunch of room moms to help put the party together.  The other co-room mom in Maxwell's class also has another daughter at the school so she asked if I would be okay if after about 20 minutes she left and went to the other classroom.  I figured that the teacher would also be in there so it would be fine.  EXCEPT something happened (I never heard what) and Maxwell's teacher wasn't in the classroom at all the whole party until the very end.  So it was just me.  There were other parents in there but they just stood around and watched (so annoying).  

So, I did my best to pretty much run this party on my own and wrangle these 20 kindergartners.  It was a little hectic at times but at the end of the day, I think all the kids had fun and that's all that matters.

The party had to be winter themed.  NOTHING could be tied to Christmas due to school rules.

Snowball relay

Fishing for candy canes

For the craft they decorated a paper hat and then put snowballs on it

Class picture with Mrs. Garza

Maxwell and his girlfriend, Brooklyn.  These two LOVE each other.  They crack me up (she's so tall!)  He calls her Brookie and she calls him Maxie.  He tells me that at recess they just run around giving each other hugs.  This relationship has definitely been spurred on by Brooklyn.  GIRLS!!!!

Oh look - Christmas presents are arriving.  I love being able to shop online from your couch!

A picture from our neighborhood ladies' ornament exchange party

Maxwell's Kindermusik class

Playing his Glockenspiel

Second week of December 2016

The holiday season is rolling on....still busy!

Dad gets the best giggles :)

Still out walking at night!  It's cold and we have to bundle up but Katherine and I aren't letting that deter us.

Another Christmas outfit

I went to get my oil changed/tires rotated and took advantage of the time to get all my Christmas cards addressed and ready to mail.  Whew - - it's a chore!

It is finally cold enough that my tomato plant isn't doing anything more.  I picked off all the green tomatoes in hope that some of them will eventually turn red on my counter.

grrr.... this keeps happening.  What is eating my beautiful tomatoes?!

I taught Maxwell how to clean his toilet. :)

At work we did a team potlock.  It was so much food, we were all stuffed and had a good time.

My team in the office

Emmalyn had a PJ playdate with her buddy Michael

I have wanted a set of Christmas stockings that actually matched for years but just could never find anything I really liked.  This year I finally found some!  I am excited to have our new stockings up.

We were having a neighborhood girls ornament exchange in PJs so I got this Christmas onesie.  Not so flattering but it was comfy.

My trap door rear.  Ugh.  Next year with all the weight I'm losing, it will be different!

Kindermusik fun with Ms. Carolyn.  She made the cutest book using pictures of the kids.  They LOVED it. 

Enjoying some hot chocolate

We did a snowman/marshmallow craft with my cousin Lindsey and her son Jackson

Our neighborhood is so much fun.  We went to the annual Christmas gift exchange/beer&wine tasting party at our friend's Melissa and Clint's.  My gift included this hand drawn picture of Ryan Gosling.  Too funny.

Haircut time!

With the cold temps, the flowers finally gave up so it was time to clean out the garden beds and trim the bushes.  This is the before...

...after... (I need to still put down mulch but it looks so nice and tidy!)

Other side of the sidewalk before/after

Maxwell got invited to a Christmas party by his friend in his class.  It was the first time I dropped him off by himself for a little bit at at party.  (I walked away feeling like a bad parent because I had no idea who these people were... so I didn't stay away too long.)  It was a cute party.  There are such interesting cultural dynamics in our neighborhood and school because we have a lot of Indian neighbors who do things differently that we do.  I was a little surprised that one of them was having a Christmas party and that it was exactly what you would expect from a traditional Christmas party.

Playing at the park!  (Another holiday outfit)

Silly faces with Aunt Brittany

Sweet girl sleeping in her crib, of course turtle is right next to her head

Other sweet sleeping kiddo

Another Kindermusik class - she loves it!

I had taken a day off from work and so I went to school and had lunch with Maxwell.  We had Avery and Aubrey, two girls in our neighborhood also in Kindergarten join us as well.  It was special because I let Maxwell get school lunch for the first time.  He was very excited!

Big kid serving himself some veggies

My lunch crew

Still doing tennis lessons!