For the love of Rudolph!

In fact, Sydney would love to be him...I bought her these cute antlers and the first thing she does is go paint her face...she did this all by herself.

This is sad Rudolph when the others were making fun of him.

My daughter is seldom bored thanks to her fabulous imagination. She and Robin's kids were playing Polar Express all through the house the other day. Sydney loves her computer games and movies but what she loves the most is to play and pretend and that makes Christmas magical for me.

I hope everyone is finished shopping and enjoying the week.  I know for some, it isn't Christmas if they aren't scurrying around at the last minute...I'm not one of them.

Cookie Party, Chili Dinner

Yesterday was such a fun day! Sydney and I started out with lunch at Taco Bueno...our favorite.  Then on to my friend Robin's house for cookie decorating and a chili dinner.  Her 3 kids and Sydney all play together so well when we get together so we get to have quality mommy time with each other.  When you homeschool your mommy friends become especially important and so dear.

We started off with a present exchange with Brooke, Preston, Shelby and Sydney...we need teach them to slow down and enjoy the moment a little better but at this age, it's just too hard to slow down and savor the moment.

A flurry of ripping open gifts!

Oh! I wanted these so bad! Says Shelby about her Dora bubble bath...so sweet.

And Preston loved his Spiderman bubbles too! Check out the dimples.

Cookie decorating is serious business...

...and so is eathing them!

more dimples...

Sweet Shelby and yes, the whole family has dimples

The finished products!  Yummy!

We finished off the evening with a chili dinner prepared by Robin's husband Kevin.  By the way, they both have dimples just like their kiddos!  We were joined by my hubby Rick and our friends Jacob, Rhonda and their sweet little Kaylene.  We had way too much fun.  Sydney and I arrived at their house around 1:00 and left about 9:00 and not one meltdown...not even the 3 year olds!  We were in heaven!  To top it off, Sydney spent the night with Brooke and they went to Mrs. Baird's bakery to see Santa today!  Sydney had a blast but I think by nightime she will be worn completely out...I sure am.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

It sure is the busiest. We have been baking and partying and having a great time the past couple of weeks.  We have had 2 Christmas field trips and a party with our homeschool group, a dance recital and party and 2 choir programs and parties and a visit to the hospital to visit a sick friend.   I have done very little shopping and wrapping.    Here are some pictures of the fun we have had lately...church, family, friends equals one happy little social butterfly!  This little homeschooler is 100% socialized.

Playdate with Taryn our favorite goof-ball!

Baking with me...she's dying to turn the mixer on high! PLEASE!!!

The best M&M cookies in the world!

Love these colors

My choir angel

Cindy and Angel watching my choir angel

She's so brave...I could never do this!

I hope you are taking time this season to be with those who mean the most to you.  I know I am!

Dancing and Big Sis

Sydney and I had us some weekend fun!  First there was her Christmas dance recital that was held at a local church.  Then Saturday night we stayed with her big sister Courtnay who just had foot surgery.  It was fun to stay at Courtnay's house because it reminded me of all the weekends she and her sister spent with Rick and I when they were little.  We were broke back then so there was always Mr. Jim's Pizza and movies from Take it Home video store up the street.  We always manged to have a good time and now we have some awesome memories.

Sydney strikes a pre-show pose

Jazzy

Playing Wii at Courtnay's

We made cinnamon rolls for breakfast (from a can)

Courtnay's dog Diablo

Look at these guys!

I have two cats...Buddy and Noel and they are indoor/outdoor kitties.  When the weather turns cold they become total house cats!  Noel loves to snuggle with any of us but Buddy doesn't like people so much but occaisionally I catch him being oh so sweet.  Buddy lived in a kennel for a year until we rescued him and I think that accounts for his anti-social antics.

Noel came to us as a kitten from Sydney's kindergarten teacher Angie Smith.  The kittens were found in the wall of their house one cold night and her dad had to cut a hole in the wall to get them out.  No one really knows how the momma cat got them there or how she got to them.  He is called Noel because we got him the day after Christmas.

Sydney and Noel sneaking some snuggles!

Today is a recovery and re-loading day!

It seems that the past few days have been a bit crazy and busy.  Two full days of field trips, play dates and dr. appointments has left me really tired and my house really messy.  Today we are going to focus on our real life which is school, laundry and tonight is dance for Sydney but not until 7:00.  So we have a couple of days to get caught up on life before Saturday which is Sydney's Christmas dance performance and party.

Isn't this picture awsome?  After the play yesterday our lunch at Central Market turned out to be only Sydney and I doesn't this look yummy? Seriously she did eat real food first but look at the soda and icing...probably too much red dye.

Here is a picture while we were lining up to go into the play.  Sophia, Sydney and Angel...it's hard to get a good picture of all of them at the same time. Love Angel's hat!

We did have a great couple of days and now it's back to reality and laundry piles and math facts.

All Aboard the North Pole Express!

Our home school group had our first holiday field trip of the season. We took a ride on the North Pole Express. The Grapevine Vintage Railroad has a one our trip through Cowtown and we took 86 home school kids yesterday. The weather was cold and rainy but we had a great time. Hubby joined us and took pictures. Here are a few...

The train ready to board.

Singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town...

A visit from the jolly old fat man himself!

All warm and snug in the their jammies...

This picture cracks me up...they look like they are plotting and planning don't they?

Right now it is snowing in Cowtown and I am debating whether I should wake up my daughter.  It is snowing heavily but not sticking to anything but the grass...pretty though!  I better wake her up because a discussion of why the snow falling but not sticking would surely count as science right?

Today we are off on another field trip to Casa Manana to see Santa Claus is Coming to Town, lunch at Central Market and church this evening...will be a full day!