Caitlin, Jingle, and Grandma

Caitlin was given a copy of Jingle All the Way for her birthday. She typically only reads board books, so I wasn't so sure how this was going to work. My fears were unfounded. The Irishman and I have loved reading out the key phrases and seeing how Jingle answers. (And yes, Jingle can understand an Irish brogue!) Caitlin carries him around all over the house.



We stopped at Hallmark on Friday and I saw a sign advertising a free iPhone/iPad app to match the book.

I added it to my classroom iPad and let Caitlin and Grandma try it out.

It was a hit. That is one content little girl!



No this is not a sponsored post...I just felt the need to explain the photos. I do however think this is the best free app I've tried in a long time! I even went out and bought a "Jingle" for my classroom. Today during reading groups my kids get to record the story on the iPad to work on their fluency. They can't wait to try it!

An Ocean of Thankfulness

We ourselves feel that

what we are doing

is just a drop in the ocean.

But the ocean would be less

because of that missing drop.

-Mother Teresa

~~~~~~~~~

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

Ready For My Close Up

Christmas Cards are Coming

Christmas cards are coming,



Caitlin's Grandma is in town,

so we're off to the beach



to track the perfect picture down!



My favorite after-Thanksgiving purchase was my long-awaited birthday camera. I still haven't figured out any most of the features, but we tested it out at the beach today in our first attempt to take the perfect Christmas card photo. So far the only final product is a new blog header, but we have some ideas for the cards in the works. Until then we are making the most of my mom's visit and wishing the Thanksgiving break could last longer!

Thanksgiving Training

We are big after-Thanksgiving shoppers. I guess some of our habits have rubbed off on Caitlin. She went straight for the ads this morning.

I am pretty sure she is rubbing in the fact that she got to the Target ad before I did today.



"Please can I come, too?"

"What do you mean I have to nap first?"

Daddy and Elmo...it doesn't get better than this!

It has been a lovely lazy morning, but we have to start showering and baking the side dishes we are bringing to my grandparents house. Yummy!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Irish PJs

The weather has been SO warm it is hard to even look at these pictures.



They are several weeks old by this point, but we are having too much fun shopping for Christmas  decorations,

cooking a turkey dinner (yes, a day early),


 setting up Caitlin's new sand and water table,


 
 
and making plans for Friday.
 
Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Johnny's Birthday Party

Johnny is a year and three days older than Caitlin. Saturday before last we headed over to his house for his party. He and his daddy share a birthday, so it was quite a celebration!




Lyla had a cough and couldn't come, so Caitlin was the only little girl...again. It is a good thing we have some play dates lined up with our girlfriends soon! Caitlin has no problem playing with trains, cars, tools, and the like. I am fairly sure though that in this picture she is saying, "If only it was a pony..."

It wouldn't be a birthday party without the cake. You can just ask Jack- he kept asking for it. The kid is a birthday party pro!

Caitlin's favorite party guest had four legs. This pooch was SO well-behaved. (Although I suppose you wouldn't bring a dog to a two-year-old's birthday party if she wasn't!) Caitlin kept squealing with delight anytime the dog came anywhere near her.



We missed the party last year because we were just on our way home from the hospital, but we were happy to get to enjoy the fun this year.

Happy Birthday, Johnny and John!

Past Park Fun

This weekend I somehow managed to take very few pictures. My mom is in town for Thanksgiving and arrived late Friday night very early Saturday morning. I almost got the best picture of Caitlin and her grandma, but the camera wouldn't work. Fail. Caitlin started running a fever yesterday afternoon so it looks like Grandma gets to play nurse to her granddaughter while the Irishman and I head off to work this morning.
So, I have for you today pictures from past park fun. (They are only one week and one haircut old...not too bad!) Now that Caitlin is walking we have been trying out all the different local parks for their toddler-friendliness.

Criteria #1:
Baby swings



There was something on my camera lens (I think it may have been frosting from the birthday fun) so ignore the blur. It took me a little while to figure out that it wasn't just the lighting.


(This one is a video for the family...again ignore the icing blur)

Criteria #2:
Fun places to sit and climb
(Bonus points for shade to protect you from the hot Florida sun)

Extra Bonus:

A Carousel

This one is a winner!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hosted by Krystyn at Really, Are You Serious?

In Her Sunday Best

Caitlin has the best baby clothes from both the US and Ireland.



I love this little dress. So sweet!



I have so many goofy pictures like this one. She is actually happy and laughing, but I catch her in the middle with her eyes closed so you wouldn't know it by looking.

This is a pretty random and pointless post, but I loved these pictures anyway.

Hope your weekend is going well!

Birthday Buttons

Caitlin was spoiled with many birthday packages. She loved opening each one and discovering the goodies inside.



This little girl got several packages of white chocolate buttons. I was a bit stubborn about allowing her any sweets before her birthday, but the Irishman had decided that her birthday was all about the buttons.



Do you think she knows what to do with them?

Yum, yum, yum!



All gone!

Our Christmas Tree

We typically wait to put up our Christmas tree until at least Thanksgiving, but this year we made an exception. It is a smaller tree...about 30 inches tall.

The star wouldn't stay on top, but we're working on that!

As trees do, it fell over a few times. There were a number of toys gathered at its base to distract Caitlin the, er, 'tree.'



I guess it IS a little early for the Christmas tree,



but it came in the mail yesterday and we couldn't help ourselves!

~~~~~~~~~~

Hosted by Cecily and Lolli

It's Pajama Time!

These pictures are a couple of weeks old by now. We had our first cold front of the year and I was thrilled to bring out the long PJs. In two days she wore all three pairs of long PJs (thanks to a diaper incident) and I'd taken about 50 pictures. She got a couple more winter PJ sets for her birthday...now we just need the weather to cool off again!



Up first we have a pair of hand-me-downs from the twins down the street.



The twin that wore the 'I heart Mom' shirt was the smaller of the two, so the 'I heart Dad' PJs are still a couple of months away.

Not that I minded that too much!
(Sorry Morg!)

 

I love this girl!