Lots of Love

We started our Valentines celebrations early this year.  Hayley & Ellie spent the night for us to work on their class Valentines & we snuck in a few other Valentine's activities.

Heart Strawberries

Valentines Color By Number

A Color Hunt (okay maybe this wasn't really Valentines)

We peeled, chopped, & melted tons of crayons to make new heart shaped ones 

Ellie is assembling her valentines...sticking the crayons on the notes

Nora's love bug valentines

The day before Valentine's Day we had a play group party.  We had way too many sweets, valentines, activities, & tons of fun!  I'm so glad Nora has some little friends to have fun with. Thanks to other moms we have proof of the fun.  I couldn't take any pictures because I was leading most of the activities.  I think it's how I get my teaching fix. =)

Decorating Valentine boxes

Pretty sure that wasn't Nora's first cupcake...

Next activity was coloring heart shaped coffee filters & dropping water on them to watch the colors move.

Playing 'Don't Eat Pete'

And finally passing out Valentines before it was time to leave.

On Valentine's Day we went out to our little sweetheart's favorite restaurant...Chick-fil-a.  She loved it!

Our perfect Valentine!

Mommy's Birthday {And Nora's 1st Haircut}

This year I celebrated my annual 21st birthday.  We decided it was as good of a day as any for some haircuts.  I cut mine off and then took Nora to get her first haircut.  To say she loved it is an understatement.  She still asks about once a week to go get another haircut.  She is a girly girl!

I kept with tradition and spread my birthday celebrations longer than a week between dinners with different family members, to a cake with my Primary counselors, and a girl's night out.


I'm not sure if this video will work, but it was my 'good morning' from Nora as she sang "Happy Birthday" to me.  She loves birthdays and was excited for it to finally be Mommy's birthday.

This girl is getting so big!  She can reach the magazines at the salon.

Tutu went with us to get our haircuts.  Nora did amazingly well.  I thought she may wiggle too much or not want to sit in the chair to get her hair cut so we went to a children's salon.  She could not have proven me more wrong.  She was so excited & happy to get her hair cut.  She turned down to 4 Wheeler chair & the Lightening McQueen chair for the regular chair.  Then, she chose to watch a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD but barely watched it.  I couldn't believe how still she was.  It was like she was scared to move!

One happy girl with her new haircut!

She even got a glittered heart on her face for being so great!

Our new haircuts!

The School Bus

Nora recently watched several videos of Millie going to & from school.  (You can read about Millie's new school here.)  She has watched all of them numerous times but one in particular is her favorite.  It's the one where Millie gets off of the school bus on her first day at school.  Millie tells the bus "bye, bye, school bus".

That's where Nora's newest request was born.  She wants to ride the bus.  She wants to go to school too, but mostly wants to ride the school bus.  She hasn't been asking me daily anymore but an opportunity to ask does not go to waste each time she spots a 'bus'.  This was my favorite 'bus' she asked me to ride. 

It was a visitor of our neighbors.  To think I've been racking my brain to find her a way on a real school bus but actually I just need to let her go in someone's old van.  Haha.  Love her!

Pull Ups House Party

In January, we won another House Party.  This one was a Pull-Ups sponsored one.  They had activities all planned out so did it as a play date at our house.


The kids colored potty celebration pictures.

They decorated party hats & had tons of fun with all the party blowers.

They cut paper to make their own confetti to celebrate being diaper free.

Pin the flusher on the potty was a fun game.

When they 'tossed' the diapers they won pull ups.

Lastly, they played find the potties.  They were potty clip art pictures hidden around the house.

The party go-ers!

It was fun & I know the moms all appreciated the booklets of free coupons and free Shutterfly book codes.  Although, I think our favorite part was going to eat pizza afterwards!

Hasbro Game Night House Party

I was picked to host a New Year's Eve Hasbro Game Night.  They sent the games Draw Something, Yahtzee, Twister, and Scrabble Edition Catch Phrase.  They also sent party supplies like hats, cups, winner's trophy & crown, and of course coupons.  We already planned on hanging at our friends, the Harshbargers, so we did the party over there.  We had plenty to eat & drink along with all of our fun!

Isn't her hair so cute when she pulls out her piggies?

The kids played Twister for about 45 seconds.

April taught us how to play Yahtzee.

April & I played Draw Something against each other in real life.  I think we are much better at it on the ipad!  I like the game a lot more electronically.

 

Of course there were fireworks and sparklers for the kids.  Nora loved it!

Party Animals!

Before we knew it the ball was dropping & it was 2013!  Nora took a few photos to show us ringing in the new year.

We had a great night bringing in 2013.  A huge thanks to those that came to party with us!