Partying like a PRINCESS

Well, today was the day--the day we celebrated my 5 and almost 3-year-old! This is a picture of their beautiful, decadent, dairy and egg free princess cake! [One of my preschool co-worker friends has an amazing cake business that has exploded. If you are in the Middle Tennessee area, you should totally look in to 'Tis So Sweet Cakes.]

They gasped when they saw it! I was overjoyed that Ansley could eat her own cake! She was too--so much so that she had two pieces! ;)

They had fun running around Tinkerbell Playground at Pinkerton Park with their friends and eating cake. It was a beautiful day!

We went to dinner afterwards, and they had so much fun that they looked like this on the way home:

 But they totally got a second wind after bath time. They insisted on wearing their Sofia dresses to open presents from their friends.

These are all of the pictures that I have from my phone, but I didn't want to let the day go by without documenting this special celebration! These girls are blessed with many people in their lives who love them.

Well, today was the day--the day we celebrated my 5 and almost 3-year-old! This is a picture of their beautiful, decadent, dairy and egg free princess cake! [One of my preschool co-worker friends has an amazing cake business that has exploded. If you are in the Middle Tennessee area, you should totally look in to 'Tis So Sweet Cakes.]

They gasped when they saw it! I was overjoyed that Ansley could eat her own cake! She was too--so much so that she had two pieces! ;)

They had fun running around Tinkerbell Playground at Pinkerton Park with their friends and eating cake. It was a beautiful day!

We went to dinner afterwards, and they had so much fun that they looked like this on the way home:

 But they totally got a second wind after bath time. They insisted on wearing their Sofia dresses to open presents from their friends.

These are all of the pictures that I have from my phone, but I didn't want to let the day go by without documenting this special celebration! These girls are blessed with many people in their lives who love them.

A Very Merry Unbirthday Party

 With our trip to Disney this year, I said a big NO to a big Birthday party.

That was hard for me to do.

Even though our little family celebrated Addison and will celebrate Ansley on her upcoming day... even though extended family has and will celebrate them... even though Disney was the best imaginable celebration... It was hard for me...

So hard for me that I bent...just a little...and am having a few friends to the park after school to play and eat cake right smack in the middle of my September and October babies' birthdays. That's all. 1 gathering. The park. Cake. Candles.

But, I am a sucker for anything that warrants making a cute invitation and writing in pretty fonts on envelopes--even if it is just for a few of them. ;) And we had just returned from a magical adventure that had the princess love exploding, so how could I withhold my girls a princess party at the pinnacle of their obsessions, right!?!

So, tada.

It is documented, and the girls don't even know it is small scale. Love them for that.

I love Birthdays. What can I say? So celebrate we will!

 With our trip to Disney this year, I said a big NO to a big Birthday party.

That was hard for me to do.

Even though our little family celebrated Addison and will celebrate Ansley on her upcoming day... even though extended family has and will celebrate them... even though Disney was the best imaginable celebration... It was hard for me...

So hard for me that I bent...just a little...and am having a few friends to the park after school to play and eat cake right smack in the middle of my September and October babies' birthdays. That's all. 1 gathering. The park. Cake. Candles.

But, I am a sucker for anything that warrants making a cute invitation and writing in pretty fonts on envelopes--even if it is just for a few of them. ;) And we had just returned from a magical adventure that had the princess love exploding, so how could I withhold my girls a princess party at the pinnacle of their obsessions, right!?!

So, tada.

It is documented, and the girls don't even know it is small scale. Love them for that.

I love Birthdays. What can I say? So celebrate we will!

Let the Good Times Roll

On Wednesday, I took the girls to one of my old stomping grounds: The Brentwood Skate Center. As I walked in, I was flooded with some of my favorite childhood memories. From the picture below, it looks like Addison was having the time of her life... and she was at this point... but it did not start out that way.  After a couple of wobbly steps and a few minor falls, Addison was begging for her shoes, saying, "I don't care about this one bit. I will NEVER skate. I will NEVER like this. I can't believe you like this." After talking her into going around one time with my mom and one time with me, she still wasn't so sure. We took a break, and then she took off.  I couldn't believe it. She didn't ask for help or want help. Out of sheer determination and a decision that she made, this was her face the rest of the time. When it was time to eat, she scarfed her pizza down faster than anything I've ever seen and raced back out there. When it was time for cookie cake, she simply said, "No, thank you," turned around and raced back out there. We had to drag her off the rink when the party was over. I loved it. Every bit of it. And Mom, Linds, and I totally got our skate on too. :)

We were there to celebrate her cousins' Murphy and Mann turning 6.

She and Savannah stayed with each other and encouraged each other. Addison would stop and help people who fell. She would periodically find me and give me thumbs up. It was hilarious and sweet.

These little girls are just growing up too fast...

These younger two were funny as well. Sawyer loved the music and danced and ran around the whole time. Ansley wasn't sure what to think about it all at first, but by the end, she was doing the same.

Their party favors were these cute roller skating cookies. So appropriate!

As we left the rink, Addison said, "Mom, I think a roller skating party is in my future." We can't wait!

On Wednesday, I took the girls to one of my old stomping grounds: The Brentwood Skate Center. As I walked in, I was flooded with some of my favorite childhood memories. From the picture below, it looks like Addison was having the time of her life... and she was at this point... but it did not start out that way.  After a couple of wobbly steps and a few minor falls, Addison was begging for her shoes, saying, "I don't care about this one bit. I will NEVER skate. I will NEVER like this. I can't believe you like this." After talking her into going around one time with my mom and one time with me, she still wasn't so sure. We took a break, and then she took off.  I couldn't believe it. She didn't ask for help or want help. Out of sheer determination and a decision that she made, this was her face the rest of the time. When it was time to eat, she scarfed her pizza down faster than anything I've ever seen and raced back out there. When it was time for cookie cake, she simply said, "No, thank you," turned around and raced back out there. We had to drag her off the rink when the party was over. I loved it. Every bit of it. And Mom, Linds, and I totally got our skate on too. :)

We were there to celebrate her cousins' Murphy and Mann turning 6.

She and Savannah stayed with each other and encouraged each other. Addison would stop and help people who fell. She would periodically find me and give me thumbs up. It was hilarious and sweet.

These little girls are just growing up too fast...

These younger two were funny as well. Sawyer loved the music and danced and ran around the whole time. Ansley wasn't sure what to think about it all at first, but by the end, she was doing the same.

Their party favors were these cute roller skating cookies. So appropriate!

As we left the rink, Addison said, "Mom, I think a roller skating party is in my future." We can't wait!

These are a few of my favorite things...

I love my friends.

Last night we had an Oprah/Pinterest-inspired "Favorite Things" party. This was a sequel to our "Pinterest" party that we had back in the early fall/late summer. There were six of us, so we each bought 5 items of something that we consider a favorite and brought them with us, and our price limit was $5. Becky made heavy hor'devours, Heather made a delicious dairy/soy free chocolate cake, and we exchanged our loot.

This cake was decadent. So yummy, HDP.

This is what I was going to bring, but I couldn't get myself together to make five of them. Brain fog from too much holiday food??? I did make Karen's though and so she just got it for a belated birthday treat. Instead, I brought my favorite winter nail polish for everyone. "Grey Area."

Here is an up close picture of the goodies: Personalized ornaments, washi tape, emi-jays, MODA lip balm, Starbucks mixes, and nail polish.

Here is an "arial" shot. And that's me in the gray boots behind the table too. :)

I am so thankful for such good girlfriends and love making these memories with them. Thanks for a great night, ladies!

I love my friends.

Last night we had an Oprah/Pinterest-inspired "Favorite Things" party. This was a sequel to our "Pinterest" party that we had back in the early fall/late summer. There were six of us, so we each bought 5 items of something that we consider a favorite and brought them with us, and our price limit was $5. Becky made heavy hor'devours, Heather made a delicious dairy/soy free chocolate cake, and we exchanged our loot.

This cake was decadent. So yummy, HDP.

This is what I was going to bring, but I couldn't get myself together to make five of them. Brain fog from too much holiday food??? I did make Karen's though and so she just got it for a belated birthday treat. Instead, I brought my favorite winter nail polish for everyone. "Grey Area."

Here is an up close picture of the goodies: Personalized ornaments, washi tape, emi-jays, MODA lip balm, Starbucks mixes, and nail polish.

Here is an "arial" shot. And that's me in the gray boots behind the table too. :)

I am so thankful for such good girlfriends and love making these memories with them. Thanks for a great night, ladies!

Sunshine School Christmas

I have told my family and friends, and I will say it officially on here: preschool Christmas is CRAZY. I thought that I was stressed last year when I was grading 150+ essays and writing and grading exams, but this year, I inherited a project (that, as a parent, I will LOVE receiving) that required me to paint 144 hands. Not just any hands, but Santa hands, turkey hands, snowflake hands, umbrella hands, etc... I was waking up in the middle of night deliriously jabbering about missing some leprechaun hands and needing to redo some flower hands... Crazy, I tell you! I loved every minute of it though. So so thankful to be a part of Sunshine School.

Below is the picture of the handmade part of my girls' teachers' gifts. My friend Reid had a Christmas crafty Pinterest party, and I got this idea from her. I take NO credit for it. I bought 8x10 canvases, painted them tan, wrapped them in burlap and attached them first with hot glue then with a staple gun, and used sharpies to draw snowmen family. Then I used acrylic paint to fill them in and paint over my sharpie marks. I really liked them (even made one for myself since I am one of Addison's teachers--ahem), and my friends who are their sweet and nurturing teachers loved them too. Yay!

Linds and I took advantage of our friend Darby's Christmas sale, and we ordered our kids matching Christmas shirts at Honeybee Tees. We ordered up, so hopefully they can enjoy them for the next year or two. I think they are some pretty cute cousins, if I do say so myself.

Preschool party day begins with a practice for the program. My class is just adorable.

Look at those cute bellies. LOVE it!

I got to go to Ansley's class party too. They had pizza, and this is Ansley's version of Pizza-ish food. (It also gets folded and becomes quesadilla-ish food when the need arises. :))

Her class activity was decorating treat bags and delivering treats to her classmates. She brought her friends play-doh and candy canes.

These were the place settings for my class' party. My party mom rocks. She even upped her already amazing game for this one.

The kids enjoying their special lunch.

Me with my girls--one who was ready for her nap.

Here is Addison doing her party activity reindeer craft...

and here, playing Bingo.

I love this after school shot that I took in Lili's Pre-K room.

Below is a picture of the gifts that Mrs. Jennifer and I gave our kiddos. The wrapped one is a coloring book--"Lala Loopsy" for the girls and "Cars" for the boys. The unwrapped one is a book we ordered each of them from Scholastic. It is such a sweet story about finding our identity and our worth from our maker. I highly recommend it. They were unwrapped because they were delivered ON party day. How's that for cutting it close? I was so happy to have them to give my sweet kiddos.

We returned to school that evening for our Christmas Program night: here is my class sitting on our row wearing our cute Christmas pjs. You can see my mom and dad, Patrick, Ansley, and Daniel in the background too.

My class sang "Reindeer Tapping on the Rooftop" and "Reindeer Pokey."

All of the kiddos joined together at the end to sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

Then we got to visit with Santa and eat Christmas cookies and cake.  Addison loved him.

Ansley did not. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. I will always love and treasure having this memory.

It was a special day and night and made me so thankful for the loving environment that my girls--and I--get to be a part of. Merry Christmas, Sunshine School!

I have been posting like crazy today, so keep reading if you want to see what we've been up to lately. :)

I have told my family and friends, and I will say it officially on here: preschool Christmas is CRAZY. I thought that I was stressed last year when I was grading 150+ essays and writing and grading exams, but this year, I inherited a project (that, as a parent, I will LOVE receiving) that required me to paint 144 hands. Not just any hands, but Santa hands, turkey hands, snowflake hands, umbrella hands, etc... I was waking up in the middle of night deliriously jabbering about missing some leprechaun hands and needing to redo some flower hands... Crazy, I tell you! I loved every minute of it though. So so thankful to be a part of Sunshine School.

Below is the picture of the handmade part of my girls' teachers' gifts. My friend Reid had a Christmas crafty Pinterest party, and I got this idea from her. I take NO credit for it. I bought 8x10 canvases, painted them tan, wrapped them in burlap and attached them first with hot glue then with a staple gun, and used sharpies to draw snowmen family. Then I used acrylic paint to fill them in and paint over my sharpie marks. I really liked them (even made one for myself since I am one of Addison's teachers--ahem), and my friends who are their sweet and nurturing teachers loved them too. Yay!

Linds and I took advantage of our friend Darby's Christmas sale, and we ordered our kids matching Christmas shirts at Honeybee Tees. We ordered up, so hopefully they can enjoy them for the next year or two. I think they are some pretty cute cousins, if I do say so myself.

Preschool party day begins with a practice for the program. My class is just adorable.

Look at those cute bellies. LOVE it!

I got to go to Ansley's class party too. They had pizza, and this is Ansley's version of Pizza-ish food. (It also gets folded and becomes quesadilla-ish food when the need arises. :))

Her class activity was decorating treat bags and delivering treats to her classmates. She brought her friends play-doh and candy canes.

These were the place settings for my class' party. My party mom rocks. She even upped her already amazing game for this one.

The kids enjoying their special lunch.

Me with my girls--one who was ready for her nap.

Here is Addison doing her party activity reindeer craft...

and here, playing Bingo.

I love this after school shot that I took in Lili's Pre-K room.

Below is a picture of the gifts that Mrs. Jennifer and I gave our kiddos. The wrapped one is a coloring book--"Lala Loopsy" for the girls and "Cars" for the boys. The unwrapped one is a book we ordered each of them from Scholastic. It is such a sweet story about finding our identity and our worth from our maker. I highly recommend it. They were unwrapped because they were delivered ON party day. How's that for cutting it close? I was so happy to have them to give my sweet kiddos.

We returned to school that evening for our Christmas Program night: here is my class sitting on our row wearing our cute Christmas pjs. You can see my mom and dad, Patrick, Ansley, and Daniel in the background too.

My class sang "Reindeer Tapping on the Rooftop" and "Reindeer Pokey."

All of the kiddos joined together at the end to sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

Then we got to visit with Santa and eat Christmas cookies and cake.  Addison loved him.

Ansley did not. Oh well, you win some and you lose some. I will always love and treasure having this memory.

It was a special day and night and made me so thankful for the loving environment that my girls--and I--get to be a part of. Merry Christmas, Sunshine School!

I have been posting like crazy today, so keep reading if you want to see what we've been up to lately. :)

Halloween Fun

Halloween gets more fun each year! This year we had a Minnie Mouse and a Strawberry Shortcake in our house. They were some cuties!

This Minnie Mouse started posing this way at our Halloween Party with friends, and I think it perfectly captures her little 2-year-old personality.

Minnie and Snow White bonded at the party, and Ansley kept asking if she could go trick-or-treating with sweet Rowan. I love little friends.

This is *most* of my cute class after our costume parade. That cute little Yoda makes me want boy babies. Not happening, but just sayin.'

I love preschool parties. I have the cutest, funnest moms in my class, and they did a great job making the party so special for their kiddos.

Addison's dress rehearsal...

We carved pumpkins on Ansley's Birthday. We thought it would be cool do do Elmo since we had an Elmo cake and balloons and napkins... Addison, however, wanted a jack-o-lantern... So we did a traditional one for her.

I loved getting to go to Ansley's fall party too. They made spiders and passed out treats to their friends and ate spider cookies that I made for them.

Another one from our friend fall party. Addison and Micah are kindred spirits I tell you, and look at that little Minnie poser again. (PS, don't know why my iphone app jumbles my pictures out of order.

It is kind of tricky on party days when you are the teacher but also a mom of a kid in your class, but I so enjoyed getting to be such a big part of this experience.

One of the games was to wrap a partner as a mummy. These are the Addisons, and they are quite the pair, let me tell you! I also got wrapped with all the leftover toilet paper. Fun times... 

More party pics...

About to go trick or treating. About halfway through, Addison yelled, "This is the BEST Halloween EVER!" and Ansley followed with, "Yes ma'am!" Loved it.

And we're back to the school party... crazy app...

Our cutest trick or treater made Patrick especially giddy and nostalgic with his costume.

My spider cookies... loved finding a treat that Ansley could enjoy every bit of!

Halloween gets more fun each year! This year we had a Minnie Mouse and a Strawberry Shortcake in our house. They were some cuties!

This Minnie Mouse started posing this way at our Halloween Party with friends, and I think it perfectly captures her little 2-year-old personality.

Minnie and Snow White bonded at the party, and Ansley kept asking if she could go trick-or-treating with sweet Rowan. I love little friends.

This is *most* of my cute class after our costume parade. That cute little Yoda makes me want boy babies. Not happening, but just sayin.'

I love preschool parties. I have the cutest, funnest moms in my class, and they did a great job making the party so special for their kiddos.

Addison's dress rehearsal...

We carved pumpkins on Ansley's Birthday. We thought it would be cool do do Elmo since we had an Elmo cake and balloons and napkins... Addison, however, wanted a jack-o-lantern... So we did a traditional one for her.

I loved getting to go to Ansley's fall party too. They made spiders and passed out treats to their friends and ate spider cookies that I made for them.

Another one from our friend fall party. Addison and Micah are kindred spirits I tell you, and look at that little Minnie poser again. (PS, don't know why my iphone app jumbles my pictures out of order.

It is kind of tricky on party days when you are the teacher but also a mom of a kid in your class, but I so enjoyed getting to be such a big part of this experience.

One of the games was to wrap a partner as a mummy. These are the Addisons, and they are quite the pair, let me tell you! I also got wrapped with all the leftover toilet paper. Fun times... 

More party pics...

About to go trick or treating. About halfway through, Addison yelled, "This is the BEST Halloween EVER!" and Ansley followed with, "Yes ma'am!" Loved it.

And we're back to the school party... crazy app...

Our cutest trick or treater made Patrick especially giddy and nostalgic with his costume.

My spider cookies... loved finding a treat that Ansley could enjoy every bit of!