Our completely imperfect perfect little Christmas

December 22, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Here it is… a mere 4 days until Santa arrives and the full-on frenzy is underway.

Maybe it’s the fact that we have 2 kiddos this year, or maybe it’s the fact that life in general has been demanding, but this is the absolute least ready I have ever been for Christmas.   The house is semi-decorated at best, the cards are partly sent, the gifts are unwrapped and the cookies are a complete & total write-off.  Life is a blur of coffee, wrapping paper and holly jolly panic.  Who’s with me?

But here’s what we’re getting right…

Visitors, hot cocoa, late nights (aka 9 pm) cuddling with our favorite little elves watching Elf, a trip on the Polar Express, completed letters to Santa, a night of gingerbread house decorating & Jingle Bell dance parties.

It turns out that the exact reason I’m behind on anything & everything (hint, hint: Little M & Littlest M) are the exact reasons I need to loosen the reins on my type-A sleigh and just enjoy the ride.  These two little people who bring us so much joy & chaos & happiness are the reasons we need to accept imperfection and embrace the fun.

So for this holiday I’m doing my best to be like Elsa and Let is Go.  I’m giving up on the 12 days of Pinterest, the fancy wreaths and the festive cookies.  I’m accepting that half-way decorated in the eyes of a Mom can mean beautiful in the eyes of a little one.  And I’m focusing on spending time with people versus spending money on things (excluding all things Amazon Prime, obviously).

This Christmas we’re busy teaching these kiddos the real reasons for the season.  So please excuse the card you may or may not receive from us (just know we’re thinking of you!).  Forgive the messy half-lit house and don’t stay up all night waiting for me to deliver cookies.   But please take a moment to stop over and join in the dance party.  You’ll be glad you did!

It’s pretty fun when you stop to enjoy the completely imperfect perfect little Christmas.

From our house to yours,

Erin

::  A Few Holiday Highlights  ::

Girls night out holiday fun!

 

Polar Express – So much Excitement!

Meeting the Big Man!

The coolest Dad out there!

Getting it just right.

 

And my favorite holiday photo… this perfectly sums up our life right now.   Perfectly imperfect!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: , , ,

I get it. I get the Disney magic!

November 21, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

For the first time in forever… we get it.

I’m not exactly sure how it happened but somewhere between our first positive pregnancy test and our first seven-passenger car…  Somewhere between Makenzie’s first steps and the kid’s first steps into the Happiest Place on Earth… somewhere between “Honey, let’s take a small vacation this fall,” and “Honey, we’re going to Disney” (I’m still not sure how that even happened), we get it.

Denny and I are just back (well, about 4 weeks ago but that’s how long it has taken me to finish this post) from Disney and we understand why people love it soooo much.

We get why people go year after year.

We get the magic.

We get it all.

i believe in the magic

We had an awesome, short & sweet trip to the Happiest Place on Earth and we were blown away by how fun it is.  It was no doubt stressful at times to travel with 2 kiddos, but both Makenzie and Mitchell did great!   We’ll give the trip two thumbs up and we will be back soon.

……………………….

::  McGees Go To Disney!  ::

Mamaw and Makenzie’s 1st plane ride

 

We’re here! This is when I was first hit with a wave of amazement and the tears started.

……………………….

::  Chef Mickey’s  ::

Meeting this Big Man on campus.

Smitten. Makenzie had no words.

A Minnie kiss for Makenzie. Mitchell Man was reaching out to see if she was really real.

More amazement. More happy tears from me.  Denny’s tears came when we got the Chef Mickey’s bill.

……………………….

::  Art of Animation  ::

We really loved the Art of Animation Resort.  Good food, great suite set-up and ahhh-mazing pools (plural).  Two thumbs up!

The Big Blue Pool. And each day there was a Disney Jr. pool party perfect for Kenz with games & songs!

Get in there, little buddy!

 

Hanging out with some of the Cars characters. We walked down Route 66 each day to get to our room.

IMG_4206

Crawling through Radiator Springs.

IMG_3850

A bonus visit with Aunt Margie & Uncle Mike!

……………………….

::  Magic Kingdom Day  ::

Whoa, bring on the tears.  I had no idea how this place would impact me as a Mom.

7am and on our way!! Kenz thought it was awesome that she did not need a car seat. It’s the little things. 🙂

We hit up the carousel, Flying Dumbos, Little Mermaid ride, Teacups, and then it was time to meet the princesses.   Makenzie told me she was nervous and wasn’t sure what she would say to them.  Mitchell Man wasn’t as impressed but he did get a big kiss from Rapunzel, which made him very happy.

She was so sweet and Kenz didn’t want to let go of her.

And then came Cinderella. Wow! It was undoubtedly the best part of our entire trip. I’ve never seen Makenzie look so happy.

 

Ariel was super sweet too. She read Makenzie part of her book.

We took a long mid-day nap, and then when we came back we walked directly towards the Dream Along With Mickey show taking place at the castle. Such a cute show!

“Daddy, looooook!!!!!”

Minnie, Snow White & Cinderella dancing & singing… talk about the happiest three-year-old on the planet!

 

Going strong late into the night with Mamaw at MK!

Carousel ride as we waited for the Electrical Parade to start.

Hey, there’s that handsome husband of mine! Remember when we used to fill up the digital camera with pictures of just the two of us during pre-kid trips?! This is as good as it gets now, but we’ll take it. 🙂

 

And just when we thought it couldn’t get better, a last minute FastPass opened to sneak in and meet the Frozen gals.

Eeeeeek!!!!!

 

Seriously magical!

::  We’ll Miss you Disney!  ::

Like all good things, our trip had to come to an end.  We had such an awesome visit & we’ll be back.

All smiles watching for our plane to pull up.

 

See ya!

 

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: , , , , ,

Let them be Little… tales about my growing Littles!

November 15, 2015 by · 1 Comment

let them be little cause theyre only that way

Let them be little, they say…

but how is that possible, I ask… when they keep growing, growing, growing!

……………………………

I’m behind with the updates (again), but my babes keep growing.

In October, my girl turned three!

IMG_2802

Makenzie Ruth – I could squeeze her all day!

::  In just one year she became a dancer, a non-stop talker and a big sister.  Here are some little things about her I hope I never forget  ::

Favorite color: Purple

Favorite food: Pasta, pizza & candy

Favorite book:  Pigs in Hiding (which was mine when I was a kid) and Carl’s Birthday (she pretends she is the little girl in it)

Favorite Things to do:  Color, play hide & seek, visit the neighbors & play with her dress-up clothes.

Famous Quotes:  “Mommy, I wanna hold your hand… forever!”  Talk about melt your heart moments.

    “Ohh yeah, that’s a great idea!” when you suggest pretty much anything fun to her  🙂

    Nana: “I love you to pieces, Makenzie.”  Kenz: “But Nana, I’m not a puzzle!”

Favorite toys: Hungry Hungry hippo, puzzles and Tubes (aka Youtube when she is allowed to play with our phones)

Favorite movies:  Mary Poppins & Annie

When she grows up:   She said she wants to be a doctor, just like Doc McStuffins

Best friends:  Mitchell!  And Kenz definitely thinks that she is one of the big girls and her other best friends are the Signal Drive girls.  They are just so sweet to her!

Kenz and ‘Liva’! I love these two.

Party time:  We had a fun little party for her at her dance studio (DanSations Rocks!).  It was a great time and a perfect reason to give tutus to all!

 

IMG_3080

Make a Wish Makenzie Ruth!

 

IMG_3078

Me on my 3rd Birthday in the mid 80’s! (Thanks to my mom for bringing this to the celebration)

 

IMG_2965

She thought it was funny to see me this young.

 

IMG_3058

Family photo fun

 

IMG_3012

Group hug!

IMG_2901

Listening to the awesome Miss Liza

IMG_4592.JPG

Love my tiny tapper. 🙂

What this year will bring:  On the night Kenz turned three we asked her what she wanted to do this year.  You’re never too young to make a strategic plan!  She was very thoughtful and her list included… eat popcorn at night, ride a train, fly in a plane, help Mitchell to walk & teach him tricks (aka somersaults), meet Ariel & turn into a mermaid, poop on the potty (let’s hope this happens before she’s 30), and count to 100, just to name a few.

IMG_3157

“This one Mommy!”

IMG_3177

We’re a month in and we’ve already achieved some of these, score!

Makenzie is definitely a first born.  She is confident, independent and she loves to be silly & have fun.  She is incredibly maternal to Mitchell and she is so full of love.  She is a rule follower, a thoughtful little soul & the sweetest little girl we could have ever imagined.

We can’t wait to see what this year brings!

……………………………

And our Littlest M is now 9 Months and getting very close to 10 Months!

He is a busy & adorable little boy.

Favorite things to do:  Crawling, climbing, clapping (his newest trick!), saying Dada, and playing with Kenz.

Medical update:  We finally have clarity.  We know the involuntary breath holding will continue for potentially 7 more years, but we also know the stomach challenges are related to reflux.  Our pediatrician has been incredible and we will (hopefully) not have to go through any more tests.

Foods:  He finally enjoys eating.  His favorite foods are oatmeal and puffs.

 

Drummer boy.

9-month photo shoot

A blur! This boy is soooo busy! This sums up his activity level.

 

Mr. Giggles. 🙂

And more activity & giggles.

 

……………………………………………….

M&M sure make our lives complete.  They make life crazy, exhausting & more fun that we could ever imagine.

My home is filled with toys, has fingerprints on everything and is never quiet. My hair is usually a mess and I'm always tired, but there is always love and laughter. In 20 years my children won't remember the house or my hair, but they will remember the time we spent together and the love they felt. ♥ We've got so many more fantastic parenthood quotes on Joy of Mom - drop by and visit us! ♥ www.facebook.com/... #parenthood #quote #kids #children #love #joyofmom:

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: , , , ,

The (really) Great Pumpkin Farm

September 22, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

It turns out that life with 2 kids is definitely not a fairy tale…

Denny and I are incredibly grateful for 2 healthy kids, but I would be lying if I said that it isn’t hard work every single day.  Some days we just lack the energy and motivation to pack the bags, make the picnic lunches, find the matching shoes, wrestle the kids into the car seats… the list goes on and on.  And on those days we just scrap the plans, toss the kids some Tim Bits, and settle in at home.

………………………………………………

But Saturday was different.  I’m not sure why, but Saturday we hit our stride.  Saturday we got it together and we headed to the awesome Great Pumpkin Farm in Clarence, NY.  (No fairy godmother assistance required)  And I’m so glad that we did!

The cutest little pumpkins in the patch!

The cutest little pumpkins in the patch!

It was one of those rare meltdown-free days.  Makenzie loved all of it… the singing chickens, the magic show, the rides, the jumping pillows, and of course, all of the pumpkins.  She had endless energy, and she even had a pumpkin themed shirt.  Score, two bonus points for this mom!

Mitchell loved it all too.  He was mellow while we watched the entertainers.  He was sleeping when we explored the kiddie coaster and swings.  And he was perfectly adorable when we finally ventured over to the pumpkins.  Way to go, little buddy!

………………………………………………

By midnight the spell was over.   The mellow, happy, Normall Rockwell-esque kids returned to our crazy muchkins who fight naps and wake up at all hours of the night.  My clean mom attire turned back into spit-up covered sweats.  And our carriage was really just a family-sized SUV all along.  But we were left with lots of great memories and of course, a pumpkin or two.

………………………………………………

I don’t have a glass slipper to prove any of this, but I do have a few pictures…

 

 

Baby’s 1st autumn!  Checking out these big orange things

 

Cheese!

 

I actually made it in a picture.

 

She’s such a big girl on the swings!

 

Pumpkin farm express

 

Testing out the new pumpkin farm jumping pillows. Two thumbs up from this girl!

 

All tired out.

 

Petting the bunny, Abby Cadabara! This little furry guy was her favorite part of the magic show.

 

<3 these two.

………………………………………………

And they lived (mostly) happily ever after…

thanks to bribes, wine & a good sense of humor.

………………………………………………

xoxo

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: , , , ,

Just because

June 24, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

In the midst of the two-kids, two-careers, too-little-sleep chaos I do not want to forget the little goodness that happens every single day.   John Lennon said it best, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”

…………………………………………….

Here are a few little snippets of life…

::  Blue eyes  ::

So handsome.

 

::  “Freezies” with the awesome neighbor kids.  ::

Have I mentioned how cool our neighbor kids are… many of them are in high school yet they still take time to hang out with our kiddos.  They make Kenzie feel like she is the bees knees.

Kenz in all her glory with Will, Rachel & Emma!

::  Bumble bee rides at the playground with friends  ::

These two are such buddies. 🙂

::  Sunnies during bubba time  ::

Because you would too if you were this cool.

His future’s so bright he needs shades.

::  And last but not least, Friday Story time!  ::

Check out this cute duo!

…………………………………………….

On that note, sweet dreams!

Xoxo

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: , , , ,

Life Lately

March 29, 2015 by · Leave a Comment

Life has been good lately.  Much like every other family in the world we’ve been dealing with some challenges, but our kids keep life really happy for us.  So tonight I’ll focus on them… their smiles, their carefree outlook on life and their endless love.  They make this world a fun place.

 

Kenz selfie

Kenz is one funny little girl!  Just this week she learned to lock herself in the bathroom… apparently it’s way more fun that sitting on the potty.  She also realized that Denny’s real name is Denny and she started to call him that instead of Daddy.  Yikes, she might make me gray before I’m 35.  But she’s also so sweet!  She loves giving hugs and constantly says, “Love you mommy,” “Miss you Daddy.”   It’s pure melt-your-heart material!

This smile!

Speaking of melt your heart, Mitchell is such a little blue-eyed sweetie.  He is more alert everyday and loves to watch his big sister.  He is full of big grins and giggles!  We can’t get enough of him.

 

Sibling love aka we bribed Kenzie with an ice cream sandwich to hug her brother.

 

Mak & Mitch are quite the team.  They don’t even have the slightest clue yet how important they will be to each other in life.  It is going to be fun to watch them learn the awesomeness of a sibling!

This is the final full week of my maternity leave so here’s to a fun, relaxing 7 days with my favorite little loves.

Xoxo

Erin

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged With: , ,
« Previous Page