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Saturday, December 25, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Christmas Cuteness
It's the night before Christmas Eve! We've had two family Christmases so far, and we still have one more to go! There are a million things to do tonight, but I couldn't resist sharing a picture of our adorable little one all dressed up for church!
We are having such a great time celebrating Christmas with family and friends and hope you are doing the same!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Perfecting her beauty queen wave!
This morning I got Landrie all dressed up in her cute Christmas outfit to go to a Christmas parade with her daddy!
...but at the end of the parade, things settled down a bit and Landrie got to check Santa out. How sweet is that look of utter adoration on her face?? I have a feeling Santa will be bringing her everything on her list this year! Who could resist her sweet face? :)
I've been doing a bit of sewing, and I loved making a Christmas outfit for her!!
Landrie and I went to watch the parade that Mark was helping with. While we were driving there, he called and asked if we would like to be IN the parade and ride on the grand finale- THE SANTA FLOAT!! Of course!!!
We hung out at the start of the parade and watched it there, so we could hop on the Santa one as it went by. It was FREEZING and a nice police officer friend of Mark's insisted that we watch the parade from inside his heated truck. Take a good, long look at Landrie's FIRST and LAST time to be in a police vehicle!
Landrie (and her snack trap) did great on the parade float with Santa! She even managed to wave at some people in between her animal crackers. Between all of the delicious snacks and parents screaming at their kids to look at Santa, Landrie didn't really pay much attention to Santa....
Thursday, December 2, 2010
SO Thankful!!
What a great week of celebration!! We are thankful for SO many blessings in our lives, and this week we enjoyed great time with our families.
We started off with a trip to Mark's grandma's house.
The week didn't end there! In fact, it was just beginning... We celebrated Nonny's 90th birthday! We had almost 50 family members come into town and celebrate!! That's another post for another day. :)
We started off with a trip to Mark's grandma's house.
Landrie LOVES Christmas trees. She blows kisses and waves at the little one in her room. (Yes, it's seriously, ridiculously cute!!) This one moved and had music, so you can imagine how much she loved it! Aunt Judy, Uncle Steve and Great Aunt Kay joined us at Granny's to see Landrie.
Granny got Landrie a little tea set. She's learned how to pretend eat and drink and even makes the little smacking noises!
She used her grandpa's spoon!! Does it look familiar, PonPon?
Drinking tea with Granny. :)
After our huge, delicious breakfast. Granny's a great cook!
*****************
Then, we headed on to Nonny's house. My parents were already there with 3 of our nieces. Kevin and Christy spent Thanksgiving in Hawaii, so we spent it with the girls!
We took several trips to Cole Park. Adelynn and Anna loved it! If you ever go to Corpus, you have to check out this playground that's right on the beach. It's HUGE and the girls would have easily stayed there all day long.
Landrie's feet hardly touched the ground the whole week. Between two grandmas and 3 eager-to-help cousins, she was constantly entertained!
My mom and I were dying laughing as I tried to get a shot of all 3 girls in the air! We counted to 3 over and over, and each time, each girl would jump at a different time.
Sweet sisters!
Nonny was reading to Landrie, and like she does to everything, she started kissing her book.
You know this Aggie had to watch the A&M t.u. game Thursday night. Whoop!! Landrie looked so cute in her Aggie gear with her GranJan!
As soon as Thanksgiving was over, we started decorating for Christmas!
WOW! Nonny has knitted a stocking for all 15 of her grandkids. As each of us got married, she also knitted one for our spouses. Of course, Nonny knitted them for her 13 great- grandkids too! Last year she scrambled to make one for Landrie! They have long since outgrown the mantle, so we hung them in a double row up her staircase.
The week didn't end there! In fact, it was just beginning... We celebrated Nonny's 90th birthday! We had almost 50 family members come into town and celebrate!! That's another post for another day. :)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
12 Days of Christmas- Teacher Edition!
Welcome to the 12 days of Christmas- Teacher Edition! We can all use a ton of teacher gift ideas, right? This is my first Christmas to NOT be an elementary school teacher! After 9 years in the classroom, I've enjoyed lots of sweet kids and fun teacher gifts! We love teachers, but often don't know their personal taste. We need a gift that says "I APPRECIATE YOU!" but doesn't cost a fortune. I hope you find one you can use!
So, let's get started! (Feel free to sing along) :)
Homemade gifts are straight from the heart. Here are some easy ones!
-Every teacher needs a cute sign for her room! If you are crafty, paint one of those thin boards from Hobby Lobby and use cute ribbon or wire to hang it. This Etsy shop has a bunch of cute ones if you want to buy one instead! Here's one:
I have never ever met a teacher who would turn down a gift card! They are easy (you can find every kind at one of those kiosks at Walgreens or the grocery store) and teachers LOVE them!
Lots of the ideas from days 1-4 are $5 and under, but here are some more ideas!
3. Take a group shot of her class on a field trip or just pop in and take it one day. Frame it!
You can even get one of these craft frames and decorate it if you're crafty! One mom used a silver paint pen and wrote "Mrs. Long's Class 2010-2011" on a black frame. Easy and cute!
I hope you found an idea or two! Now it's your turn! Leave a comment with an idea of your own! Happy shopping! (Teacher friends, feel free to link this blog in your weekly newsletter. :) )
If your kids are too little for school, then you HAVE to check out Melissa's Christmas lesson plans for her kids! SO CUTE!! She's a former teacher too, and she did the hours of work and planning for you! I think I'm going to print it out and do them all next year with Landrie! :)
So, let's get started! (Feel free to sing along) :)
On the 1st day of Christmas, my students gave to me:
a homemade gift I loved so much!
Homemade gifts are straight from the heart. Here are some easy ones!
-Every teacher needs a cute sign for her room! If you are crafty, paint one of those thin boards from Hobby Lobby and use cute ribbon or wire to hang it. This Etsy shop has a bunch of cute ones if you want to buy one instead! Here's one:
On the 2nd day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
2 personalized items!
2 personalized items!
1. Teachers go through pencils like CRAZY. She needs these!
You can order 24 "Mrs. Homan's class ROCKS!" pencils for her for just $5.99 at Oriental Trading.
2. Teachers are forever writing notes. Personalized paper makes it more fun!
This one is $18.95 here.
These goodies range from $8-16 here. CUTE!
On the 3rd day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
some delicious food when I was hungry!
some delicious food when I was hungry!
1. It doesn't have to be homemade! Find out her favorite candy and get the Christmas version. Put it in a cute container and you're done!
2. Make her some Christmas candy!
Look at these Oreo Balls. The student who gave me these so got an "A." HEAVEN! Here's the recipe.
These patriotic chocolate covered pretzel sticks would be so cute with Christmas sprinkles! The recipe is here.
On the 4th day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
4 gift cards!
4 gift cards!
I have never ever met a teacher who would turn down a gift card! They are easy (you can find every kind at one of those kiosks at Walgreens or the grocery store) and teachers LOVE them!
Is she a coffee drinker? Starbucks cards are a hit, whether they are $5 or $50 ones!
Not a coffee girl? There's something for everyone at Sonic!
If you want to spend a bit more...
These are the BEST restaurant cards because you can use them at 4 different restaurants!!
On the 5th day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
a FIIIIIIIVE DOL-LAR GIFT!
Lots of the ideas from days 1-4 are $5 and under, but here are some more ideas!
1. A cute Christmas ornament for her tree is always a winner. There are adorable ones out there for a great price.
2. Anything small (cheap!) turns into a cute gift if you attach a cute saying.
-A bag of mixed nuts: "Mrs. Keyes, the Long family is NUTS about you!"
I found a bunch of cute sayings on this website. Just promise me you won't do the one that involves the Milk Duds or Whoppers. Ewwwww!
3. Take a group shot of her class on a field trip or just pop in and take it one day. Frame it!
On the 6th day of Christmas my student gave to me:
a great gift for under 10 bucks!
Do you have just a little bit more to spend? It's hard to buy for her home, since you've probably never been there. Instead, buy for her home away from home and help make her classroom cuter!
1. A real, potted poinsettia is always festive! Give it early, and she can enjoy it at school, then take it home over break!
2. Personal is always fun! It seems like there are a lot of teachers who are really devoted to their alma mater. I always needed magnets to hang things on the chalk/dry erase board. Look how cute these are!
This website had these cute little $10 glass magnet sets for almost every Texas college! They have other fun sets too, all in cute little tins!
These are fabric covered push pins for $8. Aren't they cute?! I found them in this shop. She also sells paperclips with these on them, bookmarks and even hair clips! (Not that your teacher needs a ponytail holder, but I bet you can think of a cute little girl in your life!) Everything is under $10.
On the 7th day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
a gift that used her special skills!
1. One family had season tickets to the Rangers. They gave us the choice of several games and we LOVED our night out!
2. Do you work for a hotel? Own or manage a restaurant? She and her husband would probably love a night away or dinner out! (These are also GREAT to donate to your school's silent auction!)
3. Oh, I almost forgot. If you have a private jet, she might like a to borrow it for the weekend. :)
On the 8th day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
a gift to celebrate my special day!
If she's having a baby or getting married, the gift is a piece of cake! Check her registry!
When I was engaged, I LOVED when my students called me "The future Mrs. Long." I had a director's chair in my room, and I got new covers for them with my NEW NAME! I was in heaven!
On the 9th day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
a gift that thought of everything!
Here are some easy logistics to make gift giving easy!
- Don't be afraid to give the gift on the Monday of the last week of school. Everyone likes an early gift! Plus, she'll have less to carry home on that crazy "Winter Party" Friday. :)
-Don't forget the special area teachers! Pick something from the "Under $5" or "Free" category and give! Does your child attend Speech, ESL or GT classes? All kids have a music and PE teacher, and hopefully they have an art teacher too! You don't have to give everyone something, but if your daughter loves the counselor, she would love a little something!
On the 10th day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
a free gift I totally adored!
Just like the $5 gifts, if you put thought or time into it, a FREE gift is appreciated because it's from your heart!
1. Have your child make a Christmas card for her. You get bonus points if you put a sweet note inside. :)
2. Offer to cover her class so she can leave early or take an extended lunch. (Check with the principal or PTA first.) She will love you FOREVER!!
On the 11th day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
a big gift from the whole group!
1. I was so jealous when Tiffani's room mom contacted all of the parents in her room and asked them to give $5 instead of a gift. The room mom asked her teacher friends (so sneaky!) what her favorite store was. She got a $100 gift card to do some major shopping, and 20 sets of parents didn't have to think one bit. :)
2. I had moms go in together and get a gift card for a pedicure. So fun! If the gift you want to give is out of your price range, ask a friend to go in with you!
On the 12th day of Christmas, my student gave to me:
a creative gift for me!
1. I mentioned this one in my "Make your teacher love you" post, but really, it's a good one! Organize volunteers to cover all the teacher's classes on the grade level so they can go out to lunch in a REAL restaurant with their friends! Of course, clear it with the principal first!
If your kids are too little for school, then you HAVE to check out Melissa's Christmas lesson plans for her kids! SO CUTE!! She's a former teacher too, and she did the hours of work and planning for you! I think I'm going to print it out and do them all next year with Landrie! :)
Monday, November 22, 2010
Pictures in the Park
This morning Landrie and I played together in a little park around the corner from our house. It's SO much easier for her to play outside now that she can walk!
PS- I am excited about my "12 Days of Christmas- Teacher Edition" post that's coming up soon! The "Top 10 ways to make your teacher love you" post was such a success, I thought I'd put my teacher skills to use again. :) Hopefully you'll find an idea for the perfect teacher gift!
I love this girl!!
She's getting so much more independent now! I am so shocked at what a difference it made in her little life when she learned to walk. She is one happy girl!
PS- I am excited about my "12 Days of Christmas- Teacher Edition" post that's coming up soon! The "Top 10 ways to make your teacher love you" post was such a success, I thought I'd put my teacher skills to use again. :) Hopefully you'll find an idea for the perfect teacher gift!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Look Who's Walking!
Landrie's been taking a few steps here and there for weeks now, but last Tuesday, just before she turned 14 months, she took off! Now she toddles all around the house in her adorable Frankenstein fashion. :)
My mom made Landrie this adorable girlie sweater!
Look at me!
When Landrie was just a few months old, Mark tried to call her a toddler. (He's learned a LOT about babies since then!) I was not about to let him call our tiny baby girl that! Well, I think the day has finally come when he can rightly call our sweet little one a toddler!
She's SO happy with her new found independence!
Monday, November 8, 2010
Inheritance Party!
Every year, our fabulous adoption agency throws a party for the adoptive families in the DFW area. It gives the ladies from the agency a chance to see the families that they helped bring together and lets us get to know other adoptive families!
Of course, Landrie has discovered that she can easily pull her headbands out of her hair, so yes, her flower is just stuck on top of her head! :)
Rock climbing!
The whole crew!
(Click on the picture to see all the beautiful families!)
She looked so big eating her cookies and drinking her Capri Sun with the big kids!
I loved seeing the families from last year and meeting new families too! Last year Landrie was only 5 or 6 weeks old when we took her. The stories behind each family were such great reminders of God's creativity. In my little mind, everyone's story is pretty much like ours. I met people with adoption stories as varied as the menu at Cheesecake factory! :) There was a little of everything, and every story was amazing! Noelle and Andi are two other Inheritance moms with fun blogs you can check out too!
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