Thanksgiving 2014

Thanksgiving 2014 was one of those rare years where we stayed home! Normally we go to Bristol for Thanksgiving but because Jamie and I had exhausted our annual leave for the birth of Sloane we stayed home this year. I planned and executed quite a feat! I made pretzel Parker house rolls, hasselback potatoes, frog eyed salad, roasted sweet potato and pomegranate salad, roasted asparagus and for dessert I made mini monogrammed apple galettes and a sweet potato pie. All the food was delicious but it was also stressful getting everything made and doing it ALL by myself. I like it better when Mike does all the work! Anything done on this kind of scale is a lot of work but doing it with a baby is even more challenging. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful meal. Did the kids like it? NO. Maeve cried when I put frog eyed salad on her plate and they did NOT like the pretzel rolls. It was a major bust for them but a major success for Jamie and myself. I tried nearly all new recipes and they were all wonderful.

I thought the table looked gorgeous and I had fun gathering leaves to spray paint them gold for the place settings. Almost as much as I love good food I love a pretty environment for eating--it helps me express my thanksgiving for a good life and for beautiful people that make my life so wonderful. I'm so grateful that Sloane has joined our family! I love that little nugget.

 

Silly Sisters

 

Maeve wants to hold Sloane ALL the time and it's usually super awkward and Sloane hates it. I just can't resist seeing them together! Especially in matching camo leggings.

Maeve talks all the time about how we are silly sisters and Sloane is her silly sister. I have no idea what it means but I LOVE that she has a sister! Silly or not!

Turkey Run in November

I really wanted to get the kids outside so the weekend before Thanksgiving we went to Turkey Run, just off the GW parkway. I had always wanted to go and it was the perfect trail! My kids are super into indoor things like watching show, playing minecraft, reading, drawing and the occasional playing with a toy. When I suggest we get outside to walk or play they grumble but once outside I CAN'T get them back inside. I need to remember this and be the force that gets their lazy bunners outside. 

The kids took to the trail with eagerness and we slowly made our way down to the river. The rock steps leading down were covered in leaves so they were a little slick and I was carrying Sloane so we went slowly. The kids found sticks and used them to attack every bit of ice they found on the river. I was just happy to be outside and in a place that seemed completely ours! Sloane fell asleep for most of it and I enjoyed having her so close to me.  She's not a snuggly baby (WHY can't I make one of those???) so any chance to have her sleep on me is hugely rewarding.

Sweet Sloane

I tried to recreate with Sloane some photos I took with Maeve when she was a baby babe. I have this series of topless photos of Maeve against my red pillows that are just so cute. Her big blue eyes really radiated against the red. Sloane was not into it and was more focused on her fingers or the later the clothes when I put some on her. I'm grateful for every photo that captures the daily life of a growing baby. They grow up too quickly. Look at Maeve! Asher! Soren! Stop!

Winter's Cardboard Cabin

In mid-November I got new chairs, which meant the kids had boxes to decorate! Asher knew immediately that he wanted to make a winter's cabin complete with snow, icicles and a Christmas wreath. That kid never lacks for ideas! Oh to be as creative! They were also super insistent that I get photos of them in the cabin.

Maeve's Hello Kitty 4th Birthday Party

Our deck happened to be installed on the day of Maeve's party so there were a few super awkward moments where I was on the floor taping streamers and the installation guy was right out the window nailing our deck--we just smiled and waved.

My weak attempt to draw Hello Kitty faces for a coloring activity.

Pardon the blur but the Hello Kitty gifts that each girl received were so cute! Socks, notebook, necklace, stickers and a mini camera!

I chose a mint green and bright pink color palette for the party and it looked really bright and festive. I tied little Japanese treat sticks as a favor for each plate.

Vanilla cupcakes with pink colored vanilla buttercream frosting. My homemade vanilla cake was a bit dry but I just refuse to use a box mix!

I believe strongly in the function of having a craft at the beginning of a party. It gives everyone something to do while the guests arrive and it's also fun to see what everyone creates. I wasn't sure what the girls would think about coloring on the floor since I had no table space left and they didn't even care--they just colored!

Such a creative bunch of kitties.

I love the variety of color and patterns and cuteness!

I tried to come up with loads of activities and games because there is nothing scarier than a bunch of bored kids. This was the game where I had one kid hide a little mouse and the rest of the girls had to try and find it. The closer they got to the mouse the LOUDER the hider was supposed to meow and the further away the quieter the meows. We did this for several rounds and their was a lot of gratuitious meowing. Girls love them some cats!

Another classic party game. I really do love games for little kids! They are so into it and so happy about everything. Pin the Bow on Hello Kitty!

Dinner was simple but consisted of Maeve's favorite food--quesadillas with a few nutella and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Opening presents is always a highlight!

Maeve had been asking for a Hello Kitty party for oh, about ONE year. I think as soon as she finished eating her birthday cake on her 3rd birthday she asked for a Hello Kitty cake and party. I was so happy to throw something together for her since I love her so much and think she's the best. What a sweet, happy and generous child is Maeve and I'm so lucky to be her mama. I really wanted this to be a fun party so I did my best throwing together some decorations and party games and I think it was pretty fun.

Maeve's group of friends is just the cutest. Such sweet girls and so happy and fun. They were enthusiastic about everything and made the whole party really easy and fun. Jamie handled Sloane most of the night so it was me and a bunch of little ladies playing games.

Maeve is a dream daughter and I'm so happy she's mine. As a four-year-old she's really into tv shows (obsessed) but she's also a champ on her scooter and when she can ignore the screen long enough she's wildly creative and will sing songs and play with her toys and make up all sorts of cute scenarios. She's drawing more and more and is into the stick figure big eyes phase, which I love.

Happy Birthday my beautiful Maeve!!!