Merry Christmas!

Anna (7), Gracie (4.5), Maddie (2)

Anna is 7!

Wow!  Anna turned 7!

I can not believe that this past Monday, Anna turned 7 years old.  It is crazy that seven years has passed.  Just as everyone says, including me (my grandmother used to get cross with me when I related time to a roll of toilet paper), time goes by so quickly.  

40 Signs You're A Binge Thinker

This is me in a nutshell....

40 Signs You Are A Binge Thinker

Ok, Joe says that this is too long to read and not all of it is me.  I disagree, it is not too long to read unless, like Joe, you are trying to watch Fast and Furious 6.  I do agree, not EVERY statement describes me, but some are pretty spot on.  I think it is pretty funny.

Big Weekend!

Last weekend was a big weekend!  Our friend Brent Allen came into town with his girlfriend, Caroline.  We had never met her before, but we liked her a lot and hopefully they enjoyed their visit.  We went out to some good dinners and walked around downtown, which we hadn't done in a while so it was a lot of fun.  Here is a picture of Brent, I meant to get a picture of Brent and Caroline (sorry Caroline) while they were down, but I have been a little slack about pictures lately.

Brent, Puppy, and his beloved BMW.  

 Also, this past weekend Gracie was in the Nutcracker!  She was a party girl of course!  She has been practicing every weekend with the company Mt. Pleasant Performing Arts that is out of the studio she takes ballet lessons at.  Friday night was a dress rehearsal and Saturday and Sunday they had performances.  All the dancers did a great job, and it was impressive.  Gracie and her little buddies did a really good job dancing (they had two little dances) during the party scene and were all very cute.

Party girl Gracie!

Also, Anna turned 7 this past Monday!  I can't believe it.  Pictures on Joe's phone, will upload later.  She is funny, her dinner of choice was hot dogs, popcorn, and Joe's brussel sprouts.

Festival of Lights

Whew, this month is going by so fast that I can't keep the blog updated fast enough, well the whole fall has been like that.

When my Aunt Joan was in town over Thanksgiving we went to the James Island Holiday Festival of Lights.  It is really cool, there are so many light displays and a village with santa!  Here are some pictures.

On the train that takes you around the park to see the light displays

Oh, Daddy made the picture!

We (not Joe) love a merry-go-round!

Anna in front of the picture that her school did.  They didn't win the contest, but should have.  Before I even knew it was her school, I walk over and said I really liked it.  The contest is probably rigged.

Christmas Tree Tradition

Every year we go on the day after Thanksgiving we go pick out a Christmas tree.  It is so much fun, we go to a Christmas tree farm, bring our own axe, ride on a horse and buggy to the tree lot, pick out the perfect tree, and then drink hot chocolate.  Yeah right!  We go to the Christmas tree farm (Lowes) and pick out a tree.  We are actually pretty quick and good at picking out a tree (although apparently we underestimated our ceiling height and our tree could have been a foot higher.  But it does look good and I didn't have to pay for a taller tree, cha-ching!  Everyone is happy).  We chop down our tree, (grab from the stand, who is anyone kidding there is no way we could bring an axe and kids anywhere together someone would definitely lose a body part) and the tree does some twirling, which the girls looove, since they feel twirling should be incorporated into everything and then we put it into the carriage (Joe's arms).  We get some hot chocolate (gatorade) some other things we need for the house (the list never ceases) and go home.  It may not be a Norman Rockwell painting, but it is fun and usually quick (which minimizes the chance of breakdowns), so we will be sticking with it!

Does this tree look good?  I don't know about the tree, but that lady and her angels look pretty darn cute!

People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Overachieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies

Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love Christmas.  Yes, I am actually disappointed when the Christmas music doesn't start the day after Halloween (I have been known to listen to Christmas music in the summer).  I secretly get excited when the decorations for Christmas start being stocked on the shelves in September.  How can you not love Christmas?  It is such a happy, happy, season.  Family, cheer, joy, laughter, cookie exchanges, Joe's Yorkshire pudding, bubbly, really the Christmas season has it all.

It also has that damn Elf.  If you have kids, you know what I am talking about.  This stinking Elf tradition is NOT about Christmas, but about another way the "Martha Stewart" mothers can show the rest of us up.  (Yes, I totally buy into because I don't want my kids to be excluded and it does keep them in check, a little bit.)  But it is a huge PAIN-IN-THE-ASS.  Our slacker Elf never comes out at Thanksgiving (maybe he is still drunk) and we always have a lot of explaining to do on why he is still in the same spot as yesterday or has only moved an inch (again, could be a hangover).  Right now the explanation that he is just "really tricky" seems to be cutting it, but it won't for long.

So here is my favorite post of all time for this season (I think I am going to take her up on her last suggestion):

People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Overachieving Elf on the Shelf Mommies:

New Ride

Anna, Gracie, and Joe on a scenic lake tour

Joe bought himself a canoe.  I know, another boat, I am beginning to think Joe might be a hoarder, boats, cats.....Just kidding.  To his defense we actually use all of them quite often, how could we not we live on the water/coast!  It would basically be a crime to not have a fleet of boats for all the different bodies of water around here.

The canoe is for the lake in our backyard.  It is a pretty big lake that definitely is a 15 minute tour.  The girls love the canoe rides, well, Maddie hasn't been out yet, this seems to be an adventure that happens during her nap, but she will love it.

The canoe is a big hit and will provide many, many, hours of family fun!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  With Anna, Uncle Ted, Gracie, Aunt Joan, Joe, Grammy, Popi, and Maddie.

Maddie dancing to the footfall game half-time show.  She was copying the singers moves! It was impressive how she copied the singer, even with her feet, and hilarious!

More Maddie footage. 

Community Sailing Oyster Roast

Also, on Maddie's birthday weekend Anna volunteered at the Charleston Community Sailing Annual Oyster Roast.  Charleston Community Sailing holds the oyster roast to raise money to maintain their fleet and also to provide scholarships for underprivileged kids to be able to sail in their program.  Anna chose this opportunity to volunteer because she loves to sail at Community Sailing, and she loves the director Jessica Koenig.

Anna helped set up and sell raffle tickets at the check in table, I heard she was a pretty hard sell and you better buy one.  Also, she called the numbers when they held the raffle.  It took her a couple of tries with the microphone, but she did pretty well!

Hopefully it was a successful event for Community Sailing and they got a portion of the monies needed for new Club 420's and for their scholarships.

Here is Anna rockin' the mic.  Nana, Grampa, and Popi were there to support her too, she did a good job!

Maddie's Turned 2!

Maddie is 2 years old!

Make a wish!

I can't believe that Maddie has turned 2!

She is doing great!  She is starting to talk, her favorite word though is still "poop".  However, she can say many more now including "mama" and "daddy".

She is also super self sufficient.  She is pretty much the only one in the family (at least one of the kids) who actually throws things away when they become trash, takes off her and other peoples shoes and puts them away, gets her own cups/plate/utensils when she needs them.  It is quite amazing and helpful!  Apparently this might stop in a couple of years, let's hope not!

She is growing like a weed.  She is going to catch up with Gracie in a couple of years I think, they are now only about four inches apart.  She was 34.5" the other day at her doctor's appointment.  Almost 3 feet tall, go Maddie!

Happy Birthday Maddie!

Anne Bowen/Dabney and her admirers at Maddie's party