Baking Cookies

I felt a little more under control this holiday season and wanted to take the time to bake cookies with Addison. It must have been a combination of being done with school, and not working quite as many Saturdays as the years before! 

She was totally into it. She loved helping to dump and stir. She really struggles to look up and smile for me when she's doing something she enjoys - ha! That's why she looks silly in some of them. 

We made Grandpa Ron's cookies - chocolate with peanut butter chips. I'm not sure if these are still his favorite, but growing up we just called these "Dad's cookies". Addison figured out what peanut butter chips are and how absolutely delicious they are :) 

Proud girl and her cookies! She was pretty excited to eat one too. Some of my best memories with my mom growing up are baking cookies and going shopping. I plan to do both with Addison a lot :) ha! 

I wear my sunglasses at night....

We went to Bass Pro to see Santa and we took some pictures with Grandpa Ron & Grandma Rita for their Christmas card. Addison was pretty tired and cranky so it was a lot of work for mom and dad to half way decent photos. 

These are Brayden's old sunglasses and Addison found them in a drawer. She insisted on wearing them one night when she was eating her snack, so we kept sing the song "I wear my sunglasses at night so I can so I can see" to her. She told us to stop singing. 

Had to send this one to her aunts and uncles to make sure they knew they were missing out on Casey's at Grandma & Grandpa's house. I could go for some Casey's right now, looks delicious! 

Addison wanted to wear Grandma Rita's coat. Grandma and Grandpa weren't home at the time and that was really throwing her for a loop!  I thought she looked a little like E.T. - ha! 

The funny things you say

So I know I'm about 3 months behind on posting, but I wanted to take a minute to tell you Addison some of the funny things you say/do right now. I'm worried I will forget if I don't do it now!

1. "Be patient Mom" - When we ask you to do something and you don't really want to do it.... you say "Be patient Mom". So when we have asked you for the tenth time to get undressed to take a bath, you tell us to be patient. Ha! When we are trying to get out the door for work/daycare and you aren't done playing, you tell us to be patient. You have learned to use that phrase against us! Oh and sometimes you say "just a second mom!" It's pretty funny.

2. "Hear me Dad!" When we are having a conversation with someone other than you, and you want to talk, you yell "Hear me Dad (or mom)!" So if Mom and Dad are talking and we aren't paying attention to you right away, you yell "Hear Me Mom!". And if we are holding you, you take both hands and put them on our face to turn our face to look at you. And you have a real serious look on your face. It's quite funny. So now, when you ignore us (especially when you play the iPad), we yell at you "Hear me Addison!!" We think we are pretty funny. You try not to laugh.

3. You are obsessed with the movie Trolls right now. We started watching it about a month ago when you were sick. You know the movie so well, you can recite some lines now. Dad and I actually like that movie as well, we enjoy watching it together. Every single time, you yell "oh no Poppy!!" when she falls through the trees..... as if you have never seen it before - ha!

4. You think everyone goes to work. If we ask you if you played with Emmy at daycare, sometimes you say "no Emmy at work". Speaking of daycare, every night when I get home and walk in the door, you always yell "MOM!! Go See Shannon!!" Every. Single. Day. Ha!

5. "No can't watch" - so this one started with us trying to get you to eat your food. Sometimes it's a struggle to get you to eat at meal time. And you don't like to try new things. So we started telling you "don't eat that green pepper" or "dad won't believe it if you eat that green pepper" and then "I can't watch, don't eat it okay?" And when we told you we can't watch and cover our eyes, you think it's hilarious. Then of course we have quite the reaction when you do eat the item. You laugh so hard!  So now for fun, if we ask you to eat something, you will cover your eyes, shake your head, and say "No can't watch" which means you want us to play the game.

I will write down more as I think of them (or you say them). You are pretty entertaining right now!

Happy Birthday Mom

Addison was pretty excited about my birthday cookie. And if you think the cookie is a funny design, well that's what was available when Ryan went to Wal-Mart that day - ha! He may not have thought to order one ahead of time, but he did think of me when choosing it because I don't like a lot of frosting. Addison was happy to take some of the frosting!

Birthday Lunch at Hickory Park before the K-State football game. 

She was a little frightened of all the people singing. 

But she was excited to blow out the candle.... 

And eat the peanut butter chocolate malt! She loved that, but who wouldn't?!? 

Ryan and Addison bought me some electric heated socks to wear to the football games. I was sooo miserable and my feet hurt soooo bad at the Baylor game, I was about in tears. So they bought me some electric socks, they worked really well! 

Pretty good day, ended with a Cyclone win! 

New shoes & Baby Santa

Addison was wearing her new silver boots and she was so excited she couldn't stand still. ha! Yes the boots are cute, but we were getting ready to go see Santa and her pants were super short. I thought the boots might make the pants look a little longer - ha! 

She wasn't cooperating real well for photos, this was the best I could get. 

She really wanted Ryan to take a picture with baby Santa. We convinced her to get in the photo too. 

Go See Santa!

Well we bought Addison that Santa Cabbage Patch Kid, we talked about Santa, we watched Santa on Elf, THEN we decided to go see Santa. Bass Pro has a Santa Wonderland. The staff there are pretty amazing and Santa is awesome. We like to go early (as in November) to make sure we make a good impression on Santa and he remembers Addison on the nice list. :)

BUT Addison was a little nervous, so we had to make a few trips to Bass Pro to walk around and look at Santa first. We waved at him (by "we" I mean me, while Addison hid). Then finally, we decided it was time to go sit on his lap. Here's how that went:

HA! We knew going into it that most likely Addison would not sit on his lap. We called it a win as she didn't cry. She was definitely not happy, but she wasn't screaming....... 

Yet almost every time we got in the car after that, she said "Go see Santa??" :) So we did go back to play and look at the fish a few more times but we didn't attempt to sit on his lap again. 

Julius Thanksgiving

Apparently we didn't take any photos, but Kelly, Tracey, Makena, Conner, and I ran a Turkey Trot in 22 degree weather. Conner beat us all. We got cinnamon rolls at the end, which for the record, I brought home and shared with Ryan :) 

Addison wanted to play horsey. Then she told Conner it was his turn - ha! It was pretty entertaining.

My two favorite girls! 

Just missing Brayden, the KC Julius' were in Hawaii for the ISU Basketball Tournament. At one point that day, the boys were playing Xbox and Addison wanted to play. Instead of telling her no, they set her up with an extra controller and a headseat. She thought she was playing and she thought it was so fun!

Go See Reagan!

We had Thanksgiving in Minneapolis and we weren't busy the day before, so we called the Eggers. They were free too (which never happens for us) so we made the plans to visit! Addison had not met Reagan yet and I hadn't see her since she was a few weeks old. 

They live about an hour west of the cities so made the 4 hour drive with a toddler. She was so excited to see Reagan she was really good. She did have to go potty when we were about 45 minutes away, but that's okay. We FaceTime with Erin and Reagan so she "knew" who we were going to see. She was pumped. 

The trip did not disappoint - ha! Two peas in a pod. Addison was soooo in love with Reagan. She loved talking to her and watching her every move. 

Erin was tickling Reagan and making her laugh so Addison wanted to try. It looks like she's doing chest compressions, but I assure you that's her tickling. Ha! It's been a few months but this are some of Addison's favorite pictures to look at on my phone. So glad I took so many!

I'm so so happy we got to spend a few short hours together! It was a great visit. For a long time after this trip, we would get in the car and Addison would ask to "go see Reagan" and we would say we can't, she would reply "go see Erin" - smart kid, but you didn't trick us. Ha! 

Cousins & kids! I wish our kiddos could grow up together but we live so far apart. Good thing there is FaceTime :) 

Reagan's first birthday is coming up and we made her a card yesterday. Addison carried it around all day long yesterday and today. She is going to be heartbroken when she goes to look for it and realizes I put it in the envelope and sent it to the farm.......

Thanksgiving Daycare Party

Shannon had a Thanksgiving party for the kiddos. Addy & Emmy are best friends and even dress alike :) 

Weston & Drake are on the left, and then Addy, Crozby, and Emmy are on the right. Silly little turkeys! Shannon even got all the older kids to "gobble gobble"

Addison loves playing with these kids, she talks non-stop about them when she gets home every day. I love that picture of Addy & Emmy, too cute!