Christmas has hit our house!

Well after weeks of Will begging us to put up the tree, we finally did! It took two nights. The first night we actually put it up and the second night we decorated it. This is the first year that we let the kids help with everything...so putting it up took a little bit longer than normal. They really got into it, and it ended up being really fun. The second night when we decorated, I got a little bit stressed because had Daddy not intervened, it would've become a free for all with the ornaments! Here is the finished product, now our challenge is keeping Caroline away from the ornaments.

The next morning, they came down and their stockings were hung, and Olivia wanted to know if Santa had been here and brought their stockings.


I really love this time of year, and love what it signifies to our family. Today at my MOPS group we made this cool craft. It's an advent candle to count down the days of Christmas. Each day there is a verse to read as well. If you want to make one, you need a pillar candle: use red, green & yellow paint to make dots to signify the days. (If you use the head of a pin, it is really easy to paint the dots on.) Make 12 green dots, and 12 red dots with the last dot being the yellow one. Each day, light it and burn it down to the next dot. I put it on our kitchen table, and we burned it during dinner. The kids loved it!

We're such good parents...

So what do you do with three kids (okay two, number 3 was contained in the stroller) who are going nuts at the mall?

Of course, we stop by a kiosk offering free samples!




I like that Olivia's turned out looking more like lipstick than chocolate. Such a glamour girl!



Just to clarify...Caroline kind of hijacked her treat from Daddy. We figured that was not a battle we wanted to fight!





Happy Thanksgiving!

My sweetie

My sweet Caroline is 15 months old! She is such a joy in our house. She has always been so good, and just rolls with the punches. I'm not sure if that's because she's number 3, or if it's just her personality. She is really easy, and just super sweet. Up until now, she's been pretty quiet, but she is starting to become really chatty, and even talks with her hands! She can say Mama (the only one who said that first!), Dada, Olivia (O-wa-wa), Will (Wa), baby, puppy (puppa, and she thinks every animal is a puppa), and hi (she says it with a southern accent which adds to her cuteness!). Olivia likes to tell her secrets, and Caroline just laughs and laughs. It's like she really understands what Olivia is saying.



Will & Olivia can make her laugh like no one else. She loves to dance when any music comes on, and likes to sing in the tub. She's really smart, it only takes a couple of times for us to show her things before she starts doing it. She tries to be sneaky, but then comes right to me, and shows me what she's doing. She tries to make us laugh by making silly faces. She's usually pretty mild mannered, but she's quick to let us know when she doesn't like something or something (someone is more like it!) is bothering her. In true girl fashion, she tries to put things in her hair, and her big sister has shown her how to carry a purse, and she likes to "talk" on the phone. The time seems to be going by so much more quickly with Caroline than it did with the other two. I'm blessed that she's in my life! I'm thankful for her smiles, giggles, and cuddles.

Revolving Door

I hate being sick, but I hate my kids being sick even more. This cold season has not been a good one. My kids are generally healthy, so I think it's catching us all off guard a little. They are good eaters, they love fruits and vegetables, and take vitamins. Fortunately I'm not one of those moms that has to hide the vegetables in their food in order for them to eat them. They don't drink soda, and we are big advocates of hand washing. (my hands are so dry right now from constant hand washing!) We try to teach them to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze, and they go to bed early. I feel like lately my house has a revolving door...when one illness goes out, the next one is right behind it coming in. Fortunately they have been quick runs, and have been treated quickly. We try to protect our kids from being sick, but short of keeping them trapped inside the house (which let's face it, would not be good for anyone involved!) for the entire winter, I'm at a loss. As much as we try to teach our kids how not to get sick, how do you protect them from other kids? You know which ones. The kid that sneezes in their face, or the kid who's parent sent them to preschool with pink eye. (thank you very much to that parent by the way...Olivia & Will both got pink eye!) I'm sure that we've all been guilty of sending our kids to school with snotty noses or coughs, but really? Pink eye? I was actually the parent volunteer that day. I about croaked when I saw this little girl with dark pink eyes sitting (& coughing!) right next to my healthy, unsuspecting kid. Nice. So if you know of a way to keep my kiddos healthy, please share!

Trick or Treat!

We took the kids trick or treating this year. This is the first year we did strictly trick or treating. In years past, we've gone to the mall, or a fall festival. But this year, we wanted them to experience trick or treating like we did when we were kids. They had a blast! We went to Grandma & Papa's house first, and started on their street. Caroline lasted about 6 houses, so we came home, and the big kids & Daddy went out. They came back with loads of candy. (which has been thoroughly enjoyed by mom & dad!)






Will as Mr. Incredible



Olivia as what else? A princess of course!



Caroline as my sweet Kitty




the crew

Pumpkin Patch Fun

We went to two different pumpkin patches this year. We went to one with a good friend and her kids, and then a family trip. All three kids had a great time. Caroline was obsessed with the hay, and Will and Olivia had a great time running around!
*sorry, I couldn't get my pictures to line up!*

I've got my hands full....

Yes, I have three kids. That's three kids people, not thirty! For some reason, it drives me insane when I go out with my kids, and random people look at me with wide eyes and say "Wow, you've got your hands full!" Um, thanks for noticing. And let me clarify, it's never "wow, you've got your hands full, let me help you!" It's usually just a statement, as if they're making a great observation that I was not aware of. If it was the first statement, I don't think that would annoy me. I usually just kind of smile, and say "yeah, I do!" Now, I know three kids is more than one, but seriously it's not as if I have an obscene amount of kids! In fact, I would say that a majority of my friends have 3 kids. I'm not going to pretend that my kids are perfect, or that I am supermom, because frankly we are all far from that. But generally my kids are pretty well behaved. They like going to the grocery store, and going out in general.(this is not to say that I reserve my errands for when I have all three!) I'm not sure what it is about three kids that pushes people over the edge. Maybe it's because I'm outnumbered, or because I look young. (What do you say when people tell you you look too young to have three kids? Because I've gotten that one too! Ummm...thanks?) Although it doesn't happen as often, my husband and I get it when we're together too. Maybe our kids really are wacko, and we don't notice it since we're used to the chaos. Who knows! Hopefully when I get older, I will remember how much that annoyed me and instead say, "You have some beautiful kids!"