Princess Party

On Saturday, Sammie went to a friends birthday party and she was in heaven! 

We arrived to a room filled with every dress up dress you could imagine. Sammie selected her dress in an instant! (I just knew she was going to want to switch but not the case) A beautiful Auroa dress. From there she selected jewelry while waiting for Princess Belle to help her with her hair. 

People! The wall of hair was Sammies favorite. She went with a big, thick, brown braided ponytail. Then belle helped to place her tiara.

She then played with jewelry for quite sometime until it was time for the big make up session! 

She loves make-up! Loves it!! First she received glittered nail polish. 

Then it was the solid 1985 choice of hot pink shimmer lips with electric blue eye shadow! 

So incredibly proud of her choices! 

The girls all huddled up with Belle to learn about walking in their fashion show.

The girls came out one by one on the red carpet and twirled. Sammie LOVED having a captive audience. I haven't any idea where she gets that! 

Then it was off to a tea party. Rocking her blue eyes, pink lips & brunette ponytail she sipped her pink lemonade with pride. 

Such a fun party! Thank you Madison for a great afternoon! 

Papa is here!

Enjoying the 70 degree weather in December we played outside all weekend!! It was fabulous. 

Painting with her new easel and paints!

Dee plus plaint= bad news. 

Taking full advantage of our amazing weather we wore shorts, sleeveless tops and ate froyo outside!

On Sunday we were having too much fun for Mommy to take photos. 

We took Papa to the Marbles Children's Museum and had a ball. The kids were super active. I cannot imagine how they will be up early... but they will be! 

Dee leading Papa to the fun! 

What a fun weekend! Looking forward to many more trips from Papa now that we live on the same coast! -Whitney 

Christmas Part 1

Papa is in NC to celebrate part one of Christmas with us!!! 

Sammie & Dee helped create the wrapping paper. 

Sammie was more excited to unwrap give Papa his gift than you could possibly imagine. So we had to exchange gifts almost immediately upon his arrival! She even told him some outlandish story about going to the store, looking and shoes and thinking "these would be the perfect shoes for Papa!" What?!! She's a mess. 

Dee gets to forward face now!! 

I couldn't get Dee on video and photo just doesn't capture how excited he was opening his gift!! He jumped, did the Paps "ooooooo" like a true Crites and was smiling ear to ear. 

Dee learning to unwrap his gift.

Sammie was super cute opening gifts. She is still in the let's unwrap everything phase and not too into understanding what's inside but we will get there...

She may be an artist like her Daddy.

Cutting Food!!! 

Happy Happy Girl.

Dee was instantly obsessed with his Thomas the Train set. He knows the sound it makes if anyone is touching it... and that is a NO NO! 

Mesmerized by Thomas the Train. 

Not sure who had the most fun. Papa and Daddy sure seemed to enjoy the new play food for the kitchen!

Boys...

Sammie got to open one of her gifts from Tutu and Paps the next morning because it went along with a gift from Papa. She got this easel and I am pretty sure she will spend days on end here. 

Master Piece! 

What a fun first day with Papa. Cannot wait to see him again soon in NJ! 

-Whitney 

Tiny Dancer

Well Miss Ballerina Brown has officially been in ballet for a semester now and she loves it. Who knows how long this love affair with dance will last for her but so far... I am in heaven! 

Tuesday was Parent Observation Day... 

Working on first position. 

If you've ever had a class with "Tutu" you know this is killing her! Sammie... Don't burn your buns!!! 

Turned in but straight knees!!! I'll take it!

Working on that plié! Now we are burning our shoulders but... And least we are listening! 

I love it when babes do this. Bellies out is just so comfy! 

One stretch all littles do in ballet is the "butterfly" and teachers always ask them where they're going to fly. When going around the circle, each kiddo said something like "Disney", "bouncey house" and other fun adventures. They get to Sammie and she says "I'm going to smell a sunflower". I guess she takes that being a butterfly pretty literally. 

The dance teacher in me was so sad that I couldn't get a good pic of her feet when doing "good toes, naughty toes". The girl has some FEET!!! 

Stretching their backs. Supposed to touch toes to head... No one came close but they sure did giggle and smile trying.

This girl cracks me up! She loves an audience. Cannot wait to see her Holiday Show at school next week! 

-whitney 

One Day HH

So one of my friends from high school had this fabulous blog, The Hollywood Housewife, and one of the things she has done in recent years is ask readers to participate in her One Day HH on Instagram. It's a normal day when you blow up Instgram with the normal and mundane tasks throughout your day. I thought I would share my pics on the blog this year for our grandparents to see what we are up to daily! 

Up at 5:30ish with Dee. We try to stay in bed until 6:00am but some days he's just ready to go! 

We cuddle and watch a movie while Mommy has a cup of coffee to become semi-human. 

Daddy leaves for work about 7am and I start making breakfast and if it's a school day, lunch! 

I wear make-up on days we will "see" people. Otherwise I'm pretty much a yoga pant, no make up, hair in headband all day momma.

Sammie gets to sit up front with me while we wait in the school drop off line. She's so big! She has jumped out and rushed straight in since day 1! 

Dee and I head to his music class after Sammie is safely in her school. He loves making noise!!

It's slightly impossible to do the grocery shopping with 2 kiddos in tow. Lucky for us, 2 stores in the area have an order ahead and pick up option! 

I would say 80% of our meals come from the crock pot. It's so nice to have 1 pot to clean and no hassle making dinner after a long day.

After school, we head straight to Sammies ballet class. It also happens to be during Dees nap. Dee and I sit (nap) in car while we wait on the ballerina.

The never ending cycles of dishes and laundry. Laundry doesn't bother me but man I dislike dishes. 

Sammie is really big into tea parties these days. 

Oh the nightly shenanigans from these two! Partners in crime I tell ya!!! 

Every night daddy vacuums to keep us sane. We alternate bedtimes with the babes. On nights I have sweet easy Dee, I go to the gym after.

A very large "1 glass" at the end of the day. 

Sleeping babies. I could stare at them all night long. I love it. 

One Day HH was a fun one this year.-whitney 

Photo Dump for the Grandparents

I take a bazillion pictures! Every so often I will just post a random group of photos for the grandparents that live all over the USA to see. 

Anna dress! 

Hanging out in the patrol car that visited school. 

So hungry he is eating applesauce from his shirt. 

Grammy sent me a BIKE!!! Woooooooo

Learning to use their new toys!

Sammie forcing Dee to have a Tea Party

Naked is his favorite outfit. He also spiked his hair with applesauce in this pic.

We've entered the almost 2s with tantrums in public. SHOOT ME NOW.

Playing at Marbles with Letters!

His favorite new face! 

Goodness Dee is getting ornery! BOYS!!! And shocking... Sammie is getting pretty sweet. 

But they're both pretty freaking awesome!