Proud Mom

I just have to take a quick minute to brag about my little girl!  Charlotte's teacher sent me and email and called me this weekend to tell me that they are going to start pulling Charlotte out of her Kindergarten class to go to an accelerated reading teacher.  She said that Charlotte is reading at much higher than the Kindergarten level.  So proud of her!!!  Kevin and I are thrilled that her school is working with her to challenge her when needed!  It makes us feel like we made the right Kindergarten decision for her :)  

Ice Skating

Charlotte has been begging me for years to take ice skating.  So, I finally gave in and signed her up for this session.  The first class went well...up until she fell on her face and got a MINOR bloody lip.  Today, was the second class...she was extremely tentative and didn't want to let go of the teacher or the wall.  Ugh.  She wants to quit....but I won't let her until the session is over.  Nancy Kerrigan, she is not.

Holidays via iPhone

Sometimes you just don't carry around the big DSLR..here is a snapshot of our holidays via my iPhone pics!

Charlotte and Nathan getting some "morning snuggles" on Christmas Eve morning

Nathan on Christmas morning sporting his new Bears helmet

Helping make sausage bread at Grandma Mary's.  It's a tradition!  

Yum!!!

Princess Sophia

Charlotte sporting some curls for NYE!

NYE at Brookfield Zoo Lights with our cousins!  Another tradition!  It was SOOOOOO Cold...but BEAUTIFUL!  We were layered up in long underwear with thermoses of hot chocolate and spiked apple cider (for the adults)

Char and Nate at Zoo Lights

After Zoo Lights, warming up at our cousin's house waiting for the New Year...Sparkling Grape Juice! 

Charlotte hanging out in her long underwear, toasting the New Year!  (The New York New Year!)

Happy New Year!!!

New Years Beauty!  

New Year's Day with Annabelle!  

Some of the crazy snow we've been getting!!!  

Charlotte got about 4 inches of her hair chopped off today.  Love her!!  

We Love the Snow!!!!

We love the snow..and we have a LOT of it!  And, more on the way!  We were able to get out and enjoy the snow (in small spurts) this week.  There are some pictures of the kids playing in the front yard while I was clearing the driveway....and some of us sledding at out favorite local hill!  Enjoy!  We won't be going out much in the next few days since it will be horribly cold!  I'm hoping they cancel school Monday because we are scheduled to have a HIGH of -8.  Not safe for my babies!!!!   

Christmas 2013

We had a great Christmas this year!!!  Both kids are at an age where they are really excited about Christmas!  They were excited about every aspect of it and it made it really fun for Kevin and I.   Check out our pictures from another great Christmas

Charlotte and Nate putting out their reindeer food

 Glittery oats...Rudolph will be sure to see our house!  

 Sprinkle Sprinkle!

 Charlotte putting out the cookies.. Please don't mind our hideous iCarly blanket that we keep on that chair (when no one is coming over) so that the dogs don't sit directly on the chair!) I bought Charlotte that blanket when she was obsessed with iCarly...she hated it from the get go!  

 When you have hungry puppies...the cookies go on the mantle!

 Yummy!!!

 Nate and his gorilla!!  Oh, the gorilla....  Nate started asking for a gorilla like 4 days before Christmas and it was ALL he was asking for.  He even asked Santa for one when santa came to his school.  I went to every store around...no gorillas.  The only thing we could think of was that Brookfield Zoo might have a gorilla...  Luckily, we know an "elf" who lives 10 minutes from the zoo.  He went there Christmas Eve morning in -5 degree weather to get said gorilla.  Then, the elf delivered it to our garage when we were away on Christmas Eve.  It's a Christmas miracle!  

 Char got a bike!  Another Christmas miracle.  Someone bought a bike a month ago for Charlotte..when the elves went to put it together 2 nights before Christmas, we realized it was WAY too small.  Luckily, Toys R Us was open for 48 hours prior to Christmas...because the purchaser (okay..me) had to run to TRU at 11:30 pm to get a new bike.  But...this beauty was already assembled.  Score!  

 Nate decided that if the fat man wasn't going to finish his cookies, he was gonna do it for him!

 Nate got a huge (Costco sized) dragon

 Charlotte got a Lambie from Doc McStuffins

 Nate and his bears set! (Helmet and Jersey)

 Lalaloopsy for Char!

 Char and her special fish.  Nate picked out that fish for her at his school's "Holiday House."  He was so excited that he picked out a special gift for her!  Charlotte also got Nate a gift at her school's "Kris Kringle" it was a little Green Lantern figure.

 Another Mo Willems book to add to our collection.  He's our favorite author!

 Rock 'em Sock 'em robots!  Nate was thrilled!!!!

Nathan's Visit with Santa

Santa came to Nathan's school!  He was a little unsure, but he waited it out...watched his friends go up first and then happily went up and told Santa he wanted a gorilla.