Playdates of the week

Oh, we almost had too much fun with our friends this week. Our first stop was on Tuesday morning at Andrea & Colton's for a Pajamas & Pancakes playdate. Everyone was still dressed in our pj's and we feasted on YUMMY puffy pancakes, fruit and oh my, does this mama LOVE bacon! Andrea's storytime with Eric Carle's Pancakes! Pancakes! was awesome with all the kids totally absorbed in the book. Thanks, Andrea and Colton!

On Thursday, we hopped over to Gayle and Che's for a To the Tree! A Dog Party! based on P.D. Eastman's Go, Dog, Go! Ok. I must confess that I'd never read this book, so Mia and I were totally captivated as Gayle read the book and Che yelled out the proper responses...too cute! Then we all made our party hats with construction paper, pom pom balls, stickers, gems, pipe cleaners and feathers! It was the best time being all creative and silly. Then came the party cake! A yummy chocolate cake...the kids all had a piece while the mamas snuck and extra piece or two in the kitchen. All the kids played so well together which really makes a nice relaxing time. This was the playdate where my niece, Gwen, was super affectionate (that's the way the sweetie always is) and very into my camera and took a beautiful shot of her cousin, Mia.









this sweet shot of Mia and I in our super groovy hats was taken by Stephanie

We finished the playdate week off with Melanie and Damon's Let it Snow. We made snow globes! Take an empty glass jar. Hot glue some cute holiday things on the inside of the lid. Add about 1/3 of the jar full of light corn syrup. Fill almost to the rim with water. Add glitter and other shiny fun floaty stuff (Mia added mylar-ish trees and reindeer). Fill the rest of the way with water. Put hot glue around the inside rim of the lid and close up tight. Shake and watch! Tahhdahhh! A DIY snow globe!!!!

Tree Trimming & Cookie Baking

This year, Mia is a BIG help. She wants to be right in the middle of everything. She's enjoyed laying under the tree while I was putting all the lights up. Daryl topped it very nicely with our star...it's only fallen on me once. Mia was soooo cute trying to hang ornaments on the tree. Her first one, a red apple, she hung on the tippy tip of a light bulb. Then she moved on to attaching ornaments to the wires of the lights instead of the tree branches. Oh, and ALL the snowmen and to be together...like a centimeter apart! Mia's totally into my snow globe collection. She'll sit on the floor with one for a loooong time just turning it over and watching the snow slowing fall...the ones with a music box in the base are her favorites. She's only broken one...now they are up on the counter and will be moved down per her request...one at at time while supervised :)

Then we baked many many many sugar cookies in the shapes of snowflakes, candy canes and christmas trees. I'm waiting for a peaceful block of time this week to sit down with her and decorate away. She had her own little rolling pin, but I LOVED when she used mine that my mom gave to me....it's what she used while I was growing up...very sentimental.

p.s. anytime we do anything christmassy, Mia wants to wear her elf helper hat. I sometimes don my santa hat, but it's a little itchy