Southern Belle Sunday

My New Year's resolution is to take more pictures of my kiddos this year.  Especially poor Franny.  There are so many days I want to be sure to get a picture of her adorable new outfit and don't.  Everyone says the second child has less pictures than the first and boy is that true.  And at the rate I am going baby #3 won't ever have his/her picture taken.

Miss Priss was scooting around on her brother's plasma car Santa brought him.  He hasn't ridden it much since there are so many other toys competing for his attention.  So far the kitchen set Mary Frances got from Santa, the train set Jackson got from Uncle Buster, and a set of cardboard books Mary Frances got from Aunt Teresa have been the hits!  The table and chairs from Gaga, Big R, Gran, and Paw have been as well, but I can't really say you 'play' with a table and chairs.  You can fall off of them though.

This little girl is one tough Southern Belle, but I would not expect any different.  Jackson is not always the sweetest big brother, these new chairs are difficult to maneuver, and the stockings were JUST the right height for her to get her hands on them and pull down the holder onto her head.  I was standing right beside her when she toppled out of the chair and still couldn't help AND saw her pulling on the stockings, but couldn't get to her in time.  That's where she got the little mark you see on the left side of her forehead in her hairline.   

None of it has slowed her down though and she is into EVERYTHING.  She still doesn't walk on her own, but will stand up in the middle of the floor by herself.  As soon as she decides she needs to go somewhere though, it's right back to her knees to crawl.  It's almost like she is scared to do it, but not scared of anything else.  Go figure.

Climbing onto the table is her other favorite past time.  I keep telling her no and that it is against Phi Mu rules for her to be elevated, but she doesn't listen.  Not a good sign for the future.  I also told her the rule about having to sit down while she smoked.  But if I ever caught her smoking she wouldn't have to worry about that rule because she wouldn't be a Phi Mu and live at home and attend the closest 4 year school even if it was Jackson State.  In my case it was the W and having to move home and go there was my worst nightmare.

So our little Southern Belle has been learning life lessons early and getting hit in the head here and there, but all in all she is still the most rotten little girl ever and I wouldn't have it any other way.  I mean how could you ever tell this face no?

Happy Sunday everyone!

Happy Birthday Jesus

To say the kids got too many presents for Christmas would be an understatement.  But I have come to the realization that there is nothing I can do to stop it and we will just have to donate old ones to make room for the new ones and thank God for Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles.  

Mary Frances got a playhouse tent and kitchen set and Jackson got a tackle dummy, Ole Miss football uniform, and a plasma car from Santa.  Actually Gaga had to help Santa out with the football uniform.  He got worried it looked like Mary Frances had more so he stole her present from under the tree, unwrapped it, and sat it out.  I know I am not the only mama that has had the 'unequal toy count' concern before.  Am I?

After everything was said and done I am thinking that Santa should have brought the kitchen set to Jackson AND Mary Frances.  Especially considering Jackson ran to it first.

It doesn't get cuter than this!

Jackson was showing us his muscles in his football uniform  It was a hit to say the least.  The best part was when he wanted to put on his "cowboy boots" to complete the look.

Mary Frances loved Jackson's playhouse garage so Santa just knew she would like one of her own.  Gaga got her all fixed up with her tea cart and baby stoller in it and she will play in there for minutes, which is an eternity for a 1 year old.

GranDan and Sheshe got Mary Frances and Jackson a galloping horse he named "Freeze" after Coach Hugh Freeze.  As Jackson stands up and sits down the horse rolls along the floor.  He loves it and it is the coolest thing out there.  He will say "Giddy up Freeze!"  The small size they got him holds up to 80 pounds.  It's pretty cool.

They got so many other toys, but of course I didn't get pictures.  We are so blessed and now I am MORE than ready to move into our new house.  If we weren't out of room before we are NOW!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve!  As with the rest of Mary Frances' and Jesus' birthday week as I referred to it as, was planned out to a tea.  We had a lot of people here and a lot to get done!  Of course I emailed out an agenda to everyone so they would know what to pack and when to plan on eating.  Since everything revolves around eating.

That morning it was off to Primo's for everyone's favorite breakfast.  But before we could leave Jackson and Mary Frances had to race on their cars.  We were also waiting on Uncle Buster to get ready!  Not me for once!

That afternoon we went to the Christmas Eve service at church.  I am so glad we stopped long enough to try and get a picture.  I was actually pretty proud of myself for the amount of pictures we took. Granted there are many more with the grandparents and great grandparents we didn't take, but baby steps here people.  I mean, I didn't take any at Thanksgiving.  However, I did spend most of my time in the bathroom throwing up.

I think the picture above is the winner.  I take what I can get.  I need to check into that software they advertise where you can switch heads around.  I'd be in business!

After the service it was back home for one of Matt's fried turkeys and to open some presents.  We thought it would be a good idea to space the kids' present opening out over 2 days.  And can we please note that Matt and I don't wrap anything from us to the kids!  Santa brings it all.  The wrapped presents come from family.  I can't see spending any more money on gifts nor can I come up with more gifts to give them.  After Santa, I am tapped out, both financially and mentally.  And of course they had a blast opening gifts and playing with all the new toys.  But just wait, Christmas morning was a comin!

Tea Party

I made Mary Frances a promise on the day she was born that I would never over look her birthday even though it was so close to Christmas.  It actually worked out well this year, we had her party on the day before Christmas Eve.  That way everyone was here and did not have to travel an extra weekend in December.

I tried to make our house and pink and girly as possible in spite of all the Christmas decorations.  I even toyed with taking some of them down for the party, but then realized I was out of storage space.  So there were still green and red balls on our mantel, but that was just fine.

It was still a fabulous tea party with Gran's vintage china, Gaga's linens and tea silver tea service, and enough Etsy cut outs to fill up a landfill.  I am keeping the graphic artist on Etsy in business.  They will be looking for me 3 times a year.  And a thank you to GranDan and Sheshe for taking the kids to Hamilton for a few days so I could cut everything out.  I don't know what we would do without our parents and grandparents.  Not have any silver tea services or cut out decorations for sure!

The smash cake was a hit and we ultimately had to take it away from her because we were afraid she was going to go into sugar shock.  She just kept eating and eating.

We tried for several pictures and got one that is frameable, I think.  It even has Elle and Knox in it cleaning up the cake.  I also put Jackson's new 'Big Brother' shirt on him just for old time sake.  I didn't put Franny's on since she stayed relatively clean. 

This picture is my favorite since it is typical of our crazy little family.  Jackson getting into something and Mary Frances eating.  That pretty much sums it up.  Man, I can't wait to throw a 3rd one in the mix!!  Bring it on!

 All in all I think Mary Frances had a fabulous birthday and can't wait to throw many more!  Happy 1st Birthday Baby Sister!