Soren's Day

Soren chose the "Nazeum" (amazeum) for our date this week. We played in the shipping department and the mini grocery store for over an hour, then picked out some tiny animals from the gift shop bins for his sibling Christmas gift.

Soren was terrified of the TRex and wouldn't even walk around the dinosaur exhibit with me. "Get away from that guy mom. He's fake but I don't like him. Come on, let's get out of here. I think Swoney is scared." 

I love dates with my buddy and I think he loves them, too. 

Sister Caroling at the Bradford House

This month's Relief Society activity was a service event. The sisters in our ward have been making fleece blankets for several months. We joined forces with other auxiliaries for a night of caroling. The YM and YW  and leaders took a caroling hayride through a bentonville neighborhood, the cub scouts and mothers visited an assisted living home in bentonville, and the Activity Days Girls and Relief Society visited another. We were split in many places, but united in spirit and sisterhood. This was my first visit to the Bradford House and the residents sure enjoyed the company. We donated the blankets, and sang a few carols, then sat and visited with the residents. I had an opportunity to use some (very rusty, pathetic) sign language and teach Reese and Quincy a few phrases like, "nice to meet you" and "have a Merry Christmas!" as we visited with Michael. Quincy told Imogene that her name is famous because she just finished a book called, "The Best Christnas Pageant Ever" about a girl named Imogene Herdman, who smokes cigars. Reese took inventory of all the great names of ladies we met, and had a story for each. "I have a great great aunt named June. She has bright red hair." And "my mom loves a restaurant named Erma's. (Max & Erma's) Have you been there?" 

 I found no shortage of selfies on my phone that Reese and Quincy had taken while I visited with Nancy. Way to keep em young, girls. 

I picked up cider, milk, and donuts and we gathered at Mardee's after caroling to visit. My girls loved being out late at a friend's house on a school night. 

Oh Christmas Tree

We embarked on a new adventure this Christmas season, and cut down our own tree for the first time. Wonderland tree farm opened in Pea Ridge after waiting (and growing) for 4 years and we jumped at the opportunity to create some new Christmas memories with the children. 

We took the little hayride and walked through dozens of rows of yummy smiling pine trees. After nearly an hour of searching, Reese found "the one", and daddy chopped it down. We kept a cookie slice of the trunk as a keepsake. As soon as the tree was cut, we noticed the stump. 

That's a sign of real Christmas tree love. It was meant to be. 

The rest of the house is getting dressed in red and green as well. Aaron calls my bird tree the "smithsonian tree" and claims I'm no fun any more. That stung because it's true. I've been way too serious and reserved for a year, but fun Meg is slowly coming back to life as each month passes. And the fact that he just skipped off to work in an ugly red flannel is amazing proof of just how much my fun has worn off on him. There's no way that would've happened 5 years ago. Point: wife. 

The Old Navy carolers are back up at Miss Nita's, and this year, she made a set  for Miss JJ's porch right next door! 

I think they are eerily fantastic. We'll all be sleeping with one eye open, and I love it. There's no such thing as too much Christmas cheer. These are on the money and fit right in with the Primrose Lane charm. They're so fantastic it's horrible, I can't handle it! 

Also, Santa is back. I guess I'm not as fun as I think I am, because I abhor inflatables of any kind. But my kids (read: Aaron) are soooo happy. And that makes blow up Santa tolerable. Until I receive the electric bill. Then I will go planning his demise. ;) 

Sloane Winifred is 11 Months Old

My littlest sweet is 11 months old! This baby is small but scrappy. There is a lot of personality in this tiny package. She knows what she wants and gets after it. She is a driven and determined little fairy who is cruising and crawling all over the place. One would think that after a decade of babies this phase would get old, but it totally doesn't. It's so much fun to watch her crawl around and discover new things. I love feeding her new foods because her reaction is always extreme. 100% yes or 100% no way. She is so snugly and lovey. Her favorite things are her blanket, Cheerios, butternut squash (thankfully, we have tons!), music, her siblings, daddy and mama (always mama. We'd both be happy if I could just carry her every where for the rest of our lives. I'm honestly surprised she knows she has legs.) her toy basket, phones, biting people, nursing, and tiny things she finds on the floor. She follows me around and walks with me in the kitchen, standing between my feet, crutched by my legs.  I love her. I love her. I love her.

Sloane had an appointment yesterday for her 2nd dose of flu shot, and weighed in at 14lbs 8oz.  Sloane Wini is such a mini!

She only cried for 20 seconds after her shot, but it was quite the wail. Sweet Quincy couldn't handle the sight of her baby in pain and sobbed a hysterical ugly cry that took me and two nurses to calm her down. What a tender hearted sissy Sloane is lucky to have to watch out for her. 

Sloane says, dada, mama, no, more, ya-da, all done, and cheese.

Sloane has 6 very sharp teeth and bites anything and anyone! If you have bare feet and you're sitting on the sofa with them propped, watch out! She'll chomp your toes faster than you can get away!  I have many bruises and teeny tiny cuts where her sharp teeth have broken the skin. And she laughs and laughs at the reaction.  I can already tell that Sloane will be a social girl. She loves that Soren is always there. He calls her Sloanie (Swoh-ney) and kisses her face all day. Happy 11 months, sweet happy baby! We are so pleased to be your family. 

Reese is 11 years old!

My first born turned 11, yesterday. Eleven! This sweet girl is an angel on earth. She totally gets it. At age 11, she gets what life is about. And she lights it up for the world in a shining example of goodness. She is compassionate, dedicated, hard working, faithful, reliable, humble, obedient, selfless, and never gives up. She loves everyone. 

There were several fb posts and news headlines yesterday about how awful today's world is. I look at my daughter and all of that sadness, despair, and fear for the future goes away. She is radiant. A beautiful, valiant, daughter of God. She is just. So. Good. 

She is hope for humanity.  

I love you, daughter, for all that you have within you, and I am thankful for and blessed daily by all that you choose to be. 

Reese requested scrambled eggs for her birthday breakfast. It was my pleasure to wake up a little earlier and serve her a hot breakfast. She beamed. Quincy jumped in and helped me prepare toast. 

Soren, Sloane, and I took her favorite, subway, to have lunch with her at school. She had carefully kept her birthday a secret between her two best friends and avoided any embarrassing calls of attention or birthday songs. She tried to get me to check her out of school early, and failed, but did convince me to come back after school so she could be a car rider. :) 

At home, we had a dinner of her choice, mini farfalle pasta with sweet Italian sausage marinara sauce, green beans, grapes, and pumpkin bread. 

This was the first "instead of cake and candles, I want ____" year.  We had banana splits with 3 kinds of ice cream: cookies n cream, sea salt caramel, and birthday cake vanilla. She opened presents and we played a guessing game on the origin of the ice cream sundae.

For her birthday, Reese received items from her Christmas wish list: black boots, some clothes, and a little gumball machine with Reese's Pieces in it. 

Happy Birthday Dolly! 

Young Learner Christmas

Math: red and green ornament pattern making 

Fine motor: mitten match clothesline 

Sensory: "icicles" - I filled 3 bins with white Quartz landscaping/fish tank rocks. Huge hit! The kids played with the roudolph figurines and little people nativity in awesome ice/snowscapes

Art/sensory/fine motor: snowman and Christmas light window clings. 

Winter theme floor puzzles

Art: sanding blocks for our Christmas countdown gifts 

Literature/Dramatic play: we read and retold Jan Brett's The Mitten with animal

Masks (available at Jann Brett dot com. Truly amazing illustrations.) 

One Mitten: read and act out with..one mitten on! ;) 

Pre Literacy: mitten match game with alphabet upper and lower case 

Happy Arkie-versary!

How's out a little 10 year old tbt: Willardson family, circa 2005

We've officially been in Arkansas for 10 years! 

We have: 

Purchased 2 homes, worked for 2 companies ("gimme a squiggly!"), grown from a family of 3 to a family of 7, purchased 2 vehicles, raised 13 chickens, killed 1,539,834 spiders, taught dozens of preschoolers, and made many wonderful friends.  

Thanks, Arkansas. You have definitely  won our hearts.