Buggy Archives - Page 2 of 6 - Palmettos and Pigtails

Happy 3rd Birthday Jayna!

February 9, 2012 posted by Shara

Dear Jayna,

It is hard to believe that you are three years old today! I remember when you were born…you were such an easy baby! You smiled as soon as you were born, and Oh! Your hair! What beautiful hair you have always had!

You were so good to us newbie parents, sleeping through the night and eating well! I had people stop me all the time out in public to compliment you. You were the friendliest, most beautiful baby they had ever seen! (See? It wasn’t just me who thought so!)

And you have always been such a little ham! You remind me of Loo Loo when she was little. You love making faces, being silly and looking at yourself in the mirror!

Jayna, you already have such a kind soul. You make friends very easily, and have always been good at sharing your toys. You can be very sensitive though….you sometime will get upset just because someone else is crying! We still have to monitor what you see on TV very closely, because if a character is upset-you start crying too! And what a little tattle-tale you can be! You come home from school with stories of the “bad boys.” I know exactly who sat in time out, who didn’t share, and who had accidents in school each day!

I am so proud of your short little life already! You never cease to amaze me with your smart-alec comments that most would only think could come out of a 12 year old’s mouth! You are so smart, and are so independent….insisting on doing everything yourself. I can’t believe that not only do you know all of your letters, sounds and numbers…you can also copy almost all of the letters of the alphabet and write your name! And aren’t you a child of the times…you can work my smartphone better than I can!! And although we certainly have our “toddler” moments, you are truly a joy to be around (most of the time!).

I love how kind you are to your little sister….you always have her needs in mind and are quick to babysit her or help feed her. You are so gentle (most of the time) and so affectionate with her! I hope you two are always best friends and continue to help and love each other unconditionally.

Jayna, your love for God makes my soul so glad….although you may not know what it means completely, your heart is so pure! I love and admire how you crave knowledge about God and how appreciative you are already for all He has given you! I’m always so touched when I catch you praying with Elly, or when I see you helping a friend or showing your gratitude.

Long story short, I can’t believe you are already three years old….and I can’t believe you are only three years old! It has been such fun watching you grow so far, and I can’t wait to continue watching you turn into a kind, smart, beautiful little girl! Happy Birthday Buggy! I love you!

Love, Mommy

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Filed Under: Faith, Life

Snowbunnies

February 2, 2012 posted by Shara

Surprise! Bet you didn’t know we went on vacation! We got an AWESOME opportunity to join our friends Will and Diana and their kids up in the mountains of VA this week. Their family has a time share at Massenutten and had an open condo that we were able to use for the week. Luckily, Dave is blessed to have a really flexible job and was able to get the week off, so we packed up a rental car and booked it to the mountains for the week!

We love Massenutten….my family has a timeshare there as well, so Loo Loo and I spent many a weeks there growing up. So it was a little blast from the past!

Diana and Will’s son W, is about a year older than Jayna, and their daughter R, is three days older than Amelia! So it was one big weeklong playdate! The first day, the kids enjoyed the indoor waterpark on the mountain. They went down tube slides and swam in the lagoons. My personal favorite is the lazy river…but for some reason, the kids were not as excited to just sit back and relax….so we only did it once! Unfortunately, I didn’t bring my camera swimming, so here are a couple of pictures of the waterpark, courtesy of the internet (see below each picture for credits).

blueridgeparkway.org

virginia.org

We also took advantage of the little bit of snow there was on the mountain and went skiing. We had shown Jayna a couple YouTube videos of little kids skiing, so she was really excited! Too bad Dave and I are not quite the champion skiers we may have led Jayna to believe…

But luckily, Will and his dad ARE! So they took the little kids up to the top of the Green Circle slope (that’s right….my little girl doesn’t need no bunny slopes!), and skiied down with them! Will’s dad sat next to Jayna on the chairlift and held her under one arm as he got off the ski lift. Then she stood between his legs and he held on to her coat as they went down the mountain! I was so proud!

Even when she fell, she just laughted and got right back up! Maybe we DO have a champion skier in the family!!

She mostly just loved the novelty of playing in the snow!

What a bunch of snowbunnies!

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Filed Under: Life

Pizza FAIL

January 11, 2012 posted by Shara

I was in the mood for pizza, but didn’t feel like shelling out $15 and ride all the way into town to get a “fast food” one. So I decided to be healthy mama and make our own. I mean, I have done this before….how hard could it be?

We cut up and separated some onions and green peppers.

We pre-baked the crust for 5 minutes.

I didn’t have any marinara sauce, so we decided to use up some leftover Vodka Sauce instead (yummy, by the way!).

We sprinkled handfuls of cheese on top.

And in between bites of raw onion (yes, my child is weird), topped it with the veggies.

And we baked it for 15 minutes on 400.

Not done. Back in for another 5 minutes. Still not cooked in the middle. Back in for another 5. The outer crust is getting too crispy. It will have to do.

The center was “technically” cooked….but way to soft to hold all of our toppings. I won’t lie to you….it wasn’t pretty.

But after sliding the slices on the plates….and piling the toppings back on afterward (they slid off in the midst of transfer), it was actually pretty tasty.

So, note for next time….make sure the middle dough is a little crispier during that initial 5 minute cook, before attempting to put loads of veggies and sauce on!

P.S. I’m linking up this week!

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Filed Under: Life, Recipes

Milestones

January 5, 2012 posted by Shara

I don’t have a ton to say today. Jayna has worn me out….she asks “Why” after everything I say. And comes up with her own questions when I don’t say anything!

“Mom, what would happen if we drove in the grass instead of the road?” “Mom, why do kitty cats have whiskers?” “Mom, what happens on Tuesday.” “Mom, what do caterpillars eat?” “Mom, why did Rudolph have a red nose? Why can’t he have a white nose?” and so on…..

Whew! It’s exhausting!

But, we have reached several milestones this week. First of all, Amelia is 4 months old…and I managed to remember to take her photos on time (sorta).

Amelia also rode in the stroller for the first time (sitting up, not in her carrier). She loved it!

Jayna has finally mastered her tricycle. She probably would have done this a long time ago, but I have been a little slack on working with her on it during the day.

Loo Loo is still working on her tricycle skills.

Have a great weekend!

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Filed Under: Life

Christmas Wrap Up

December 30, 2011 posted by Shara

Merry Christmas! I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday weekend. Our celebrations continue this weekend as we ring in the new year at not one, not two, but three New Year’s Eve Parties!

But first, I wanted to check in with you and tell you a little about our Christmas. The weekend began on Thursday afternoon, when Mom Mom and GP arrived from up north. After Amelia’s 4 month check-up, we met them in town and had a quick lunch before heading back to the house for naps. On Friday, Dave and GP did a little fishing on our pond, while us girls started on the baking. First up, Christmas cookies!

Obviously, Jayna did the majority of spoon licking and decorating. Eat at your own risk, Santa!! Next up was a gingerbread house. But not only do we not like gingerbread, we also shutter at the thought of conformity! =) We opted to try a rice krispy treat house instead. Adorned with mint M&M’s, sixlets and Mike & Ike’s stuck on the roof with melted chocolate, we discovered that rice krispies work just as well! The only disappointment was that our graham cracker roof just wouldn’t stay pitched…..so we opted for The Flintstone’s model instead!

After the girls went to bed that night, Loo Loo, Mom Mom and I stayed up late tidying up and finishing last-minute Christmas decor.

That’s right…you see more recycled pumpkins, and the two Christmas trees were handmade by yours truly, but I got the ideas here and here. Like I’ve said before, I’m not a very creative person, but I’m an excellent copycat!!

Saturday morning, 9am. Our doorbell rings with our first of many guests for our first annual Christmas Eve Brunch. Growing up, my family went to a friend’s annual brunch to gather with friends, do crafts, and put in last-minute requests with Santa. It’s one of my favorite Christmas memories, so we decided to duplicate it and start it as our own tradition this year. We invited friends and family from our Sunday School class, as well as our neighborhood. Although we anticipated mixed results being that it was Christmas Eve, we ended up with about 30 people coming for breakfast! The kids decorated foam gingerbread children and decorated our felt Christmas tree, while the adults mingled around coffee and breakfast casseroles. Around 10, the doorbell rang yet again, and Santa made a quick appearance for the children. After he head back to the North Pole, families headed out to spend the days together and participate in their own Christmas traditions.

Later that night, Sue Sue and Papaw joined us to fry a turkey for dinner and then we went to the early, kid-friendly church service. Our tradition on Christmas Eve is that the girls get to open one gift (from Ralph, our elf), a new pair of pajamas.

This year, Loo Loo must have thought the adults were going to feel left out, because she found us some new pajamas as well!

I won’t mention any names, but some of us were more comfortable in our footie pajamas than others!

Then, we all knocked off early…After all, everyone knows Santa can’t come until everyone is in bed! The next morning, Jayna was up at the crack of dawn (to be expected), but was more interested in watching Little Einsteins than checking out what Santa had brought. So we all took our time getting dressed and finally made it downstairs. Jayna’s first reaction to the bean bag chair she had wanted soooo badly? “It’s not purple!!” We’ll be talking about being grateful next week!! Nevertheless, the unwanted green color didn’t faze her…

And after opening an elephant shaped pillow and blanket (that matched Loo Loo’s), she was all set…no other presents necessary!

Jayna didn’t quite get the “open all of the presents” expectations. She would open one, take it to her playroom, and we wouldn’t see her for a good ten minutes…..its like she wanted to enjoy just that gift for a little while before opening the next! We had to beg her to finish opening so we could clean up and get started on fixing supper!

Even the panda slippers she received from Santa got a good ten minutes from Jayna (but she had to take off her footie pajamas in order to fully enjoy the pandas!).

It was a wonderful, laid back day…and the guys made Lowcountry Boil while the ladies drank coffee and nibbled on the ginormous fruit and cheese spread we had put out…not to mention the Overnight Coffee Crumble Cake I made (this recipe is a KEEPER!!!) Yum! Hope you enjoyed my quick synopsis of our weekend festivities….and thank you to our family afar for all of the lovely gifts! Here’s a little sneak peek of something you will be getting in the next week or so! Happy New Year!

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Filed Under: Faith, Life

NOT my handiwork!

December 27, 2011 posted by Shara

I just want to say, that yes, I am feeling pretty good about cutting Dave’s hair. I, however have NOT yet attempted to cut Amelia’s hair. Seems as though she has been taking care of that herself!

But alas, she really has taken after her sister….rat-tail and all! Jayna had the same issue and I let it slide until she was about 9 months old. Then I snipped that tail off myself, before subjecting her to her first real haircut with Ms. Kelly when she was a year. Family-do you remember these pics of Jayna?

Terrible, isn’t it? My New Year’s Resolution this year just may be to get my kid’s hair cut!

Letters to Santa

December 19, 2011 posted by Shara

You know the Christmas Season is officially here when Santa makes appearances all over town. He has been spotted downtown, riding around neighborhoods on a fire truck, and at various school and church breakfasts each week. Last weekend, he spent the morning at our church, eating with Jayna’s friends and schoolmates. It was a lovely little potluck spread, complete with little foam, sticker and coloring activities for the kids, balloon figures, and of course, Mr. Claus himself.

“Dear Santa, I have been a very good girl this year. Please bring me a bean bag chair! Thank you! Love, Jayna”

When it was finally their turn to talk to Santa, they could not contain their excitement! Amelia was a bit overwhelmed with the crowds, and Jayna could not stand still to save her life!

But overall, we ended up getting some great quality time with Santa. Jayna sat and talked with him for a few minutes, and then Amelia joined her on his lap and we managed to get a pretty good picture!

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Filed Under: Life

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

December 14, 2011 posted by Shara

We had a million things to do. Christmas shop. Clean up the house. Get dinner ready for some guests. Go pick up the girls from Sue Sue’s. Cut David’s hair.

Wait…..back up!!! I don’t do haircuts. Dave goes down into town to old Mr. Simmons to do that. He pays his $15 for a nice shave and a little off the top. And then he stocks up on supplies. You know. Hair stuff. Stuff I tease him about all the time since he uses way more than I ever did!

However, I recently splurged on a haircut and some highlights…which I may or may not have gotten to hide a stray gray or two (which I’ll never admit to, of course). But in order to keep up my lovely cut and sunkissed streaks, we decided to make a few cuts. Literally.

Dave was overdue for a trim. In fact….he reminded me of Lloyd, Jim Carrey’s character in Dumb and Dumber.

So we stripped him down and sat him outside. I had bought a Wahl hair trimming kit from TJ Maxx, thanks to a recommendation from my stylist.

I was super nervous at first….I’ve never cut anyone’s hair before. Not even really trimming bangs. Let alone buzz cutting Dave’s hair. Right before Christmas. But I strapped on a number 7 blade cover and started doing the sides. Dave wanted a mohawk….here was my best attempt without putting any stuff in it!

Maybe I should shave his back next?!?! =)

When I finished, it was short. Way shorter than before. But he likes it as it reminds him of his Navy days, and I like it because that’s $15 every three weeks that I can put toward my streaks! I’m sure in a couple of days when it grows out a little, it will look even better!

Jayna thinks it’s her turn next….but I think I will leave what’s left of her precious curls to the ladies down at Karnival Kuts!

Anyone need a cut? I charge $15. =)

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Filed Under: Life

Winter Pictures!

December 7, 2011 posted by Shara

Once again, Rachel Weber Photography has captured my little girls perfectly….and just in time for Christmas pictures! I don’t have a whole lot of time today to type (I’m gonna try to bang out a couple of winter projects and gifts while I have BOTH girls asleep!), so please bear with my picture post! Thanks to Rachel for more awesome pictures!!

By the way…I DO know that is taboo to wear sandals after Labor Day (or Thanksgiving down here!!). I had totally picked out some adorable cowgirl boots to go with Jayna’s outfit. Just precious. But, what can I say? She is two, and it was either let her wear the sandals, or risk a catastrophic meltdown three minutes before Rachel arrived!

Hope you enjoyed!

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Filed Under: Life

Turkey Tee-Shirt Tutorial

November 24, 2011 posted by Shara

Thanks to The Cottage Home’s Tutorial, I made a little Turkey-Tee for both of my little turkeys! Thanksgiving is obviously always a big deal, but this year, it’s extra-special because it falls on the Thursday after Amelia’s baptism, so we have LOTS of family and friends staying in town for the holiday weekend. Also, with it being our first of many Thanksgivings in our new house, I’ve been thinking of traditions to start…got any ideas? What does your family do on Thanksgiving Day? In our house, the men always fry a turkey (or, two, this year!) and watch football, while the ladies cook up some yummy side dishes and catch-up. And the Macy’s Day parade is almost always on in the background!

Back to the tutorial…..unfortunately, I wasn’t able to open Cottage Mama’s template, so I did mine from scratch, based on hers. So bear with me! Included on my template is also the leaf templates from this tutorial.

For the tee-shirts, you will need:

6 different patterns of scrap fabric…ideally in the same color scheme

1 shirt in the size of your little turkey (I actually went a size up so Buggy can wear hers next year too!)

Iron-On Adhesive (that’s the kind that sticks on both sides!)
Sewing Machine

Iron

A couple of hours while your kids nap

Directions:

1. Iron on the adhesive to the fabric squares, leaving the paper backing on.

2. Print out the turkey template, cut out the pieces and trace them onto the paper side of the adhesive. You will need two feathers from each pattern (except for the middle feather…you just need one of those).

3. Cut out all of your pieces, which will have fabric on one side, and the adhesive backing on the other (with the paper still on).

4. Iron on each feather, starting with the middle one.

5. Carefully stitch around each feather and the body, leaving a little edge for natural fraying whenever you wash your shirt.

6. Using embroidery floss, sew a “V” on your bird’s face, for a beak, and one long stitch and three short stitches for the feet. Make sure all of knots are on the inside of the shirt.

These are my knots on the inside of the shirt for his legs.

7. Cut about a half an inch of red rick-rack for the turkey’s gobbler/hully gully/whatever you want to call it. I singed the ends off with a lighter to prevent fraying. Then I used red thread and my sewing machine to carefully sew it down.

8. Finally, I turned them inside out and ran them through the washing machine. Then I attempted to get all three girls to pose in them….but have you ever tried to get three toddlers awake, in a good mood, and dressed….all at the same time? Impossible. So, next best thing….