when will i learn?

i was trying to be sweet...trying to include beckett in something fun that he couldn't really screw up too bad. ellis and i were baking cookies for santa. we did the hard part during his nap...the measuring, mixing, rolling, shape cutting, etc. the sugar cookies even came out of the oven looking pretty good i must say :) we then let them cool. on the tail end of that step, i heard the monster wake up from his siesta. this is where the nice part comes into play...i decide that instead of parking him in his high chair with something to occupy his time, i would actually let him "help"...involve him in the fun decorating process. HUGE MISTAKE. in the time it took me to frost one cookie, he had reached for the sprinkles, opened them, and dumped the ENTIRE bottle onto the counter/floor...with a smile on his face. i actually watched in horror as he dumped them...it was no accident. i just couldn't get there in time. he (and ellis) thought it was fabulous. she is in awe of the things he will do...i think even a little jealous...because she would never even think of doing something bad. what you will see in the following pictures does not do the mess i had to clean justice. the sprinkles that were bouncing all over my kitchen did not photograph well on the wood floors. you will get the idea though :) can you see the monster's hand trying to get as many scooped up and into his mouth as possible?

his sister liked the idea of that as well...

actually sis, try this...

score...

it was an accident...i swear!

nah...you know me better than to believe that!

smarty pants

ellis wanted to do "arts and crafts" while beckett napped the other day. she includes coloring as an art and craft so i gave her the new washable pony book that santa brought her. a few minutes later she calls me into the kitchen to see how "i writed my name".  i thought, how cute...she thinks she can write her name...can't wait to see what this looks like!!   :) here it was:

i almost died!!! granted, her name is not the hardest to write...and the "s" is in an unusual spot...but this is LITERALLY her first attempt at writing her name EVER. and it wasn't written in front of her anywhere to copy.  how horrible that i have never worked on it with her...but i am not much of a homeschooler :)  i am 99% sure they have never done this @ school either...they are just now learning all of the letters.   i think she got my brain :)

most of you have already seen these...

but i had to put them on here for anyone who didn't get a christmas card from us...make sure you take a peek @ the last picture :)







and finally...can you tell this was towards the end? they were so OVER it. i love it!!!

Lights in the Heights

now that christmas is over, i will post about all of the fun things we did in december :) better late that never, right? the kids loved lights in the heights...they were pulled around in a warm wagon...marshmallows and milk in hand...while enjoying a ton of christmas lights. and blowups...beckett is crazy for the blowups.

there were 6 kids (and three on the way)...ellis being the oldest...here are the 3 boys. they go right for the electronics...

i think they are waving @ santa here. beckett and daddy both have their "to go" drinks :) they are sporting their "B" and "E" sweaters that are sooo last year...i still love them!

how cute is this picture?? one of them got tired of the wagon and got on brandon's shoulders. well...no surprise but the other one wanted on shoulders too (the one who wants to do EVERYTHING his sister does). jeff stepped up to the plate :) he is SO sweet w/ our kiddos...

ellis and her friend ellie...they both have cute curls :)beckett sitting down. this is not normal behavior...

margaret had cupcakes for the kids after the long walk...nothing like a 9 p.m. sugar high!! this is his latest smile he does for the camera...

he drinks 17 cups of whole milk a day and i can still count all of his ribs!

they were such troopers...we didn't get home till 10:30...they partied hard :) thanks again margaret and jeff!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

a tree of their own...

since ellis isn't allowed to hang her tiny pink princess ornaments on the tree in the living room, they each have a tree to call their own...

here is his...still very pretty i think :)

and hers...you can't tell from the picture, but there is so much shit hanging from this tree...although she is VERY particular about what goes on it...

her bed w/ her christmas pillow...i love it...my mom got it for her @ the nutcracker market. beckett has one too...w/ choo choo trains...no bed yet for him though!

here is a close up...while visions of sugar plums danced in her head :) not only is it perfect because she is a "ballerina"...but it matches her bedding PERFECTLY!

while we are in here, i will show you a couple of changes i made to her room :) i moved her kitchen to here...put her hand/foot art over it...these are the cheapest things you could ever make to fill wall space!

i am a little obsessive about what can go in her kitchen...it has to be pink or green :)

her new vanity area...mirror, mirror on the wall...who is the fairiest one of all? yes. i meant to write fairiest...it is from fancy nancy :)

and finally, the piece of furniture i moved out of the nursery and into her room. this will house the flat screen tv that bebe and bo got her for christmas!! before you freak out over a 3 yr old having a tv in their room...it will only be for DVD's...at special times :)

i still need to move and rehang things in her room as you can see. i will get to it...someday!

christmas came early :)

we were awoken early saturday morning by the rainbow people knocking on our door...there to set up ellis and beckett's new play system...a christmas gift from susu and nish (brandon's parents). later that afternoon, brandon's parents came out to reveal the gift :) ellis and beckett had no idea anything was happening in the backyard. they of course LOVE it and have been spending as much time as possible out there. ellis would eat every meal on the picnic table under the fort if i let her :)

thanks again susu and nish :)

someone is now bff w/ santa...

beckett just stared...

my friend jill just got a BADASS camera (early christmas present) and snapped a few pictures of the kiddos @ the santa brunch. now i just need to convince her to start a business :) how cute is this one?

ellis and her bff :) adorable!!!

and this has got to be the best picture i have EVER seen. beckett thinks it is more like ellis, ainsley & beckett who are best friends...kinda like the 3 muskateers. there they were posing for the above picture...he spots them and RUNS over to get in it with them...as seen below :) jill cropped him out of the other picture...i love it!!! please also note, he is shoeless.

i have so much to post on...WILL catch up before christmas!

the winter recital

she really did do great...and here is the proof! if you have time, watch it twice. ellis is the 3rd from the left...and the fourth from the left is her bff, ainsley. on the far left is a girl named sailor...she is hilarious. you have to watch her :) their costumes are hands down the most heinous things i have ever laid my eyes on. and yes, they are also wearing very unfortunate looking chokers.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Sswj5rOmRg



enjoy!

ellis has made her list :)

ellis hadn't made a christmas list yet because i told her santa wouldn't be bringing toys to little girls that don't stay in their beds at night.  recently, she had been getting up and coming into our room...claiming, "i don't know how to sleep".  nice try. 

the funny thing is that she didn't care @ all!!  she would either say, "that's ok, i know bebe will bring me gifts" or "i am sure there will be some toys he brings beckett that i will like".  she isn't easily tricked.  we hadn't really talked about it in the last couple weeks...but guess who is back to sleeping again :)  she is very proud of herself for "learning how to sleep again"...whatever :)  

So, in conclusion, ellis developed a christmas list tonight.  it goes a little something like this (in her EXACT words...in no particular order):

1)  a sleepover with ainsley

2) a tv for her room (because it isn't fair that i have one in my room)

3) a pinkie pie baby doll 

4) arts & crafts (not sure where she picked up this little phrase)

5) a real pony with a pony castle

6) cookies she can make by herself (i guess she thinks i am too bossy?)

7) a pinkie pie rocking horse (this doesn't exist)

8) for her birthday to be tomorrow

9) emery's crib to be in her room so they can sleep together

10) and finally...drumroll please...a hotel

i am pretty sure i can only make 3 of those things happen.  this may turn out to be a sad christmas for little miss :)

my baby won't be the baby for much longer :(

since i am having a girl, there isn't a whole lot for me to do to get ready for her (emery...that is her name as of now) arrival. i left ellis' nursery EXACTLY as it was and moved her into a big girl room long ago. the nursery is the smallest of the 3 extra rooms and i didn't want to keep her in there...or really couldn't keep her in there...95 ponies take up some serious room! anyways...so for the last year and a half, her nursery has sat there...empty, untouched...waiting for a second little girl. all that i really need to do is change the name on the wall!!!

which brings me to my baby...beckett. i am starting the process of changing his room to a "medium" boy room. because...let's not get crazy- he isn't coming out of that crib for at LEAST another year. so it isn't a big boy room yet...it is a medium boy room :) here are some pics of the changes...i needed a project since my nursery is basically complete :)

this little corner was where the rocker was (which is now back in the nursery)

another view...he was seriously so excited to find this table and chairs in his room!!! the chair and tables are from ikea (like $45 for the set) and the little orange poof is from serena & lily...he actually has 2 of them but only one is pictured :)

his bla bla dolls...which used to chill in the rocker are now up on the dresser in place of his changing pad...he is to wild to be changed up there anymore...

the top of his bookshelf :) i took most of the "baby" things off (cup, spoon, etc) and replaced them with trucks, books, etc.

a final pic...i chose an unfinished set because it matches the workbench santa is bringing for christmas :)

the workbench :) he will grow into it!

and i ordered these chalkboard decals for the wall...cute huh?

i have also made some changes in pinkie pie's room. i will post those soon. she had her recital on saturday...she was perfection. ok...that is maybe a stretch but she was sooo wonderful. i will post that too!!!