The Dojo

The Dojo is moving!

2013-06-20T14:40:00.000-04:00

I've decided to switch everyone's favorite blog (what?) to wordpress. You can still count on the same quality, if not timeliness, of blog posts you've come to know. Just think it will be a bit easier for me to manage over there.

Here's the new blog address. Come on over!

http://starsinthedojo.wordpress.com/

New Years!

2013-05-31T21:24:00.000-04:00

Guys. I'm finally blogging about 2013 and we're about halfway through it. Better late than never? Side note: way easier to blog about something when it happened as opposed to 6 months after it happened. Who knew?

We have a tradition of celebrating New Year's with our dear friends, The Albrights, and this year was no exception. Well, there was an exception in 2009, which I like to blame on Brenda, but was really due to my slight insanity after the girls were born. Another New Years tradition? Jingle Juice. Delicious and oh so festive. We had a great time!

Jo is SO EXCITED to be celebrating with us!

We, on the other hand, appear to be undecided about 2013.

I call this "Jingle Juice with a twist of Brenda"

Christmas - Part 2

2013-05-31T21:09:00.002-04:00

Then it was off to Mimi & Grandbob's house for more Christmas fun! We took the girls to their first Christmas Eve service and they did such a great job. Kate sat in Grandbob's lap most of the time and Elle sat next to me and colored - both were as sweet and quiet as can be! It was a sweet memory for me being with my family and my girls on Christmas in the church I grew up in. Santa came to visit, we opened more presents, ate our Christmas breakfast (delicious as always!) and had a wonderful visit with everyone! It's the bees knees being a parent at Christmas. 3 year old faces lit up with excitement and squealing with joy. Nothing quite like it.

Being silly on the couch with Gabby

The Christmas Lily

Christmas lights

Playing with the aforementioned flashlights before church!

More presents!

Puzzle-mania

Uncle P!

Enjoying their new "iPads"

Bubbles on Christmas morning

Shooting some hoops on their new goal

Playing "store" with Daddy & their new cash register

Santa Kate

Hanging out with Mimi & Mickey

Post-Christmas morning relaxing

The one pic I managed to capture of our visit with the Porters! Kiddos in motion. Anna showed the girls the bouncy house ropes. :)

Packed to the gills and asleep!

Christmas - Part 1

2013-05-31T21:09:00.000-04:00

As usual, we had a wonderful Christmas with our families this year! All this talk of Christmas in May is making me want to break out my Christmas music. HA!

We spent the first part of our "Christmas Break" with all the Burns and enjoyed every minute of it! We played guitar, poker, opened presents, ate tasty food, played, watched Christmas Vacation and played some more! We also had fun celebrating Grandma's birthday and playing "Dirty Santa".

Practicing their chords with Coco

Cousin Kade about to school everyone in poker

Clowning around with PeyPey

Presents!

Favorite present?

A flashlight!

They seriously loved them. Still do!

Cousins! Hello flash!

Kate trying to gallop away on Kade's horse

Time to make the Cookies!

2013-05-18T13:57:00.000-04:00

Back to Christmas - I know. It's totally ridiculous that it's May and I'm still on Christmas. Hopefully I can get back on track soon!

So, it's totally fun creating traditions - you can't tell I think that yet, can you? I loved them growing up and I want my girlies to have that too. Or maybe I'll just listen to them say "Again, Mom??!! Why do we have to make cookies AGAIN?!" :)

We had a great time making them together this year. They both did an excellent job rolling out the dough and cutting them out. Then they waited oh-so-patiently for them to bake. They actually did, which was a pleasant surprise! They did, however, want to eat them immediately, but managed to hold off until we could decorate them with our friends.

Kate is a minimalist with the frosting and was way more interested in eating them with the hot chocolate we had made in the crock pot. Elle was the opposite and was a decorating machine! Very heavy-handed with the frosting. :) We listened to Christmas music, decorated and then had cookies & hot chocolate. They had a great time with their friends and throughout the whole process!

Rolling out the dough

Elle's turn

Patiently waiting for the cookies to bake

Not as patiently waiting for their friends to arrive!

Cookie Decorating Central

Love the cheeks in this picture!

Caroline hard at work!

Ella getting some ideas from across the table

Getting the wiggles out after decorating

May I help you? I'm busy having hot chocolate.

Drained it!

Like I said - Elle was a machine! A 2 plate effort

Kate's simple yet festive creations

We also made cornflake Christmas wreaths during Christmas. I remember loving them when my Gabby made them, so these were sweet, nostalgic treats for me. And the girls thought they were fun and delicious!

I couldn't find Kate, so Gloria the dog helped out.

Fun adding the "berries" aka red hots

Saying Goodbye

2013-05-06T07:41:00.000-04:00

It's been a long time, I know. It's been a hard time. I lost a precious friend in February - 2 days after I last posted actually - and have just not felt like writing. Oh, I've journaled about it quite a bit, because writing is a good release and cathartic and easier than talking sometimes - but there's something different about writing about it on a blog, you know? But I felt like I wanted and needed to write something. So I will just say, I miss my friend. She was precious to me and to my family and we miss her so much. Tracy was one of the best people I knew - one I looked to for advice, encouragement and who was always willing to provide both. She had a tender heart, a generous spirit, an outlook on life that not many people do. She touched my life and her legacy will be carried on in her amazing daughter and by all of the many people who loved her. A woman of great faith in her Savior, I know she is at peace, but it is so hard for those of us left behind. A quote that our minister uses every Sunday comes to my mind - "Love in your heart isn't put there to stay. Love isn't love until you give it away." She gave it away every day. And I was so blessed to be one of the recipients of it. Goodbye, my friend. I love you.

Christmas Lights

2013-02-02T12:02:00.000-05:00

Like last year, we headed to our nearby Market Village in Smyrna and checked out the Christmas lights with our friends Ella & Ms. Tracy. The girls had lots of fun running around! They had endless amounts of fun looking at these lights and also looking for other Christmas lights any time we were out and about around Christmas. Never gets old hearing "Mommy, look at THOSE Christmas lights!" Everything is always new and always exciting with these two. Love it.

Elle & Kate: Christmas Songs Vol. 1

2013-01-23T16:35:00.002-05:00

Here they are - in all their off-key, Santa hat-wearing, jingle bell-shaking glory. Too cute. Somehow shorty-short Kate got stuck in the back, so you can't see her as well, but trust me, she was precious!

Preschool Partay

2013-01-22T17:53:00.000-05:00

OMG. Preschool Christmas parties? They are so cute. Or maybe it's just the kids are so cute and not the actual party. Probably a little bit of both. They sang songs for us, we got to help them decorate "trees" and have snacks together. It was just sweet. And really fun to see how they interact with their school friends and how well they listen to their teachers. They DO listen! They really DO!

We also got to take home all the Christmas crafts they'd made - A LOT. The girls had been busy bees in the craft department. I'm telling you, I don't know what to do with them all!

They seemed so excited to have us there and were so proud to show us their seats and their room and their favorite toys. This school has been so great for them and they love it. And I love them.

By the way, Tyler was actually there - promise. He had my phone, which we were using as the camera, the whole time, so there are no pics of him! The girls were SUPER excited he was there though. Oh, and don't worry, there will be video coming of their big performance. :)

Their cute little classroom

The sweetest little angel ornaments

Totally teared up.

Helping Santa Elle with her tree

Helping Santa Kate

Hanging with friends

Ready to dig in to her festive snack!

Reindeer and Hot Dogs

2013-01-22T15:48:00.000-05:00

Since the girls had enjoyed the previous puppet show so much and because I love Rudolph (ha), we took a family/friend outing to see the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his friends at the Center for Puppetry Arts. It was amazing! The show looked just like the cartoon I grew up watching and still love. I was a little nervous about the girls' reaction to the Abominable Snowman, but they took it like champs. Due in part to me making them watch it several times before we went. Both for my entertainment and to teach them that he is, at the end, a nice snowman (with no teeth) who puts the star on the top of the tree. See? It's all about education, people. Education and figuring out ways to make them watch really old Christmas cartoons because I love them.

They did great throughout the show - it was an hour long, so they started getting a little antsy, i.e., "Mommy?? Is it OVER yet?" - but held it together nicely with the promise of water and snacks at the end. And boy did they get more than that. Their first trip to The Varsity! It was a big day, folks. Rudolph and Varsity hats. Good times. They thoroughly enjoyed their hot dogs - Elle even ate 1/2 of my chili cheese dog. The girl was a machine. Nothing says Christmas like reindeer and hot dogs!

RUDOLPH!

If you don't hear from me for a while, it's because Tyler killed me for posting this picture of him.

Cambie!

Kater

Three little heads watching Santa & his reindeer. Cuteness.

Ketchup for hot dog? Check.

Friends to dine with? Check.

Contemplating the ever important question - "What'll ya have? What'll ya have?"

Bellies full and now onto Daddy's lap

Gingerbread House Making

2013-01-21T15:28:00.000-05:00

Continuing with the Christmas festivities - we made Gingerbread houses with our friends Jessica & Campbell again this year!

Clearly, neither me or Jessica are engineers as you might notice quite a large architectural flaw in our houses. Ah well. To me, it looks more like a stable. So it's more authentic, right? RIGHT?!

The girls had great fun decorating with and eating all the tasty candy. They even got to add a little snow at the end. And by a little, I mean a LOT. An avalanche landed on our roof, effectively covering the lovely "E" & "K" we had added to the top. Snow is way fun though - in whatever form we can get it!

And the finishing touch? Icing trees they decorated at their preschool Christmas party. More on that later. :)

Getting started

Elle taking a snack break

Kate taking her snack break

Checking out Campbell's handiwork

Pre-avalanche

Pointers from Miss Jessica

A Charlie Brown Christmas (Tree)

2013-01-17T14:59:00.001-05:00

We went on our annual pilgrimage to Home Depot this year to find the perfect tree. Yes, going to Home Depot is definitely a pilgrimage

Elle was not so interested in picking a tree as she was in running up and down the aisle of trees. Kate, however, was pretty into it this year. So, we let her choose the tree. And, fittingly, we ended up with a very spunky tree - much like our Kate! We weren't quite aware of how spunky it actually was until we got it home. Ah well - I liken it to Charlie Brown's Christmas tree - we just had to give it a little love & affection. It was the perfect tree for us.

Here are a few pics of the decorating process. Amazingly, no big light issues or fights that always seem to revolve around this annual tradition - hooray! And, apparently, decorating the Christmas tree with no pants on is the way to go. Take note, everyone. Elle is on the cutting edge.

This picture of Tyler makes me laugh. Not sure what's going on.

Please excuse the placement of Elle's hand. We are working on that.

The finished product.

Almost there....

2013-01-11T14:59:00.001-05:00

I'm almost to Christmas, y'all! And it's only January 11th!

But before Christmas, there are a few random snapshots that I wanted to make sure made it on the blog. These girls are quite hilarious, sweet and crazy so I must record all of that for posterity.

When left to her own devices with makeup...

Painting Daddy's fingernails

Playing in leaves is SO. MUCH. FUN.

Fun at the park

This is how we picnic, yo.

"Look mom, I'm a punkin head! Take my picture!"

Crazy family portrait

They like to give each other "rides" on their trikes.

Big pile of leaves + Daddy = Awesome

Hanging at the Aquarium

Princess Party!

2013-01-11T14:36:00.000-05:00

The girls were all about birthday parties this fall (still are!) - they get SO excited when they get an invitation in the mail and promptly begin asking "Is it time for *insert friends name HERE* party yet?" "I REALLY want to go!"

So, needless to say, they were super excited for their friend Campbell's Princess Party! They had so much fun decorating tiaras, painting their nails, practicing proper princess etiquette and of course, having a princess fashion show/dance party! When asked what to do with their napkins, the fact that both of my girls knew they were supposed to put them in their lap was both unexpected and delightful. Yes, um, I TOTALLY taught them that.

Campbell is one of our BFF's & we are so glad we were able to celebrate with her and her royal parents. :)

Pics below!

Toddler princesses

Daddy helping with tiara decorating

Princess Elle

Getting her nails did.

Ariel having a little trouble with the bubbles.

Practicing their manners.

Very excited about the pink lemonade in REAL teacups

Singing Happy Birthday!

Cutie

The 2 Ariels. AKA Caroline & Kate.

Not to be left out, Tyler also got a mani.

Group shot!

With a Gobble Gobble Gobble

2013-01-10T15:23:00.000-05:00

And a wobble, wobble, wobble... *excerpt from one of the girls favorite Thanksgiving songs this year. Ask them to sing it - they are not shy. :)

We had a great Thanksgiving with our families this year. In the spirit of the holiday, we are so thankful that both sides of our family are close enough that we can visit everyone! We started out in Huntsville with a turkey dinner at Aunt Wissa & Uncle Scott's house. Everything was delish (beautiful turkey, Wissa!) and we had fun laughing & hanging out with everyone. The only hiccup was when Tyler locked the keys in the van. On Thanksgiving Day. Oops. Thankfully, Papa had a friend who was a locksmith who graciously came over and helped us out! It also gave the girls some time to run around outside, shoot some hoops & play with a cool light-up football. :)

Ready for turkey!

Burning off the after dinner calories. :)

Big fans of these glasses. They made the football glow!

Take me to your leader

Then it was off to Franklin for more fun! We had a great time visiting with Mimi, Grandbob, Gabby, Uncle P & Mallory. There was lots of reading, being thrown up in the air (the girls, not us!), laughing and all around good times. Then, we all got to go see Shrek - carved entirely out of ice. It was pretty cool (pun totally intended). There was even an ice slide - and I don't know who enjoyed it most - the grown-ups or the kids! We made it over to Opryland Hotel to look at the lights for a few minutes before the girls decided they were hungry & commenced meltdown - so we hit the road and enjoyed a delightful Mexican dinner. Ole!

My kids have mad Where's Waldo skills. Just like Uncle P.

Storytime with Gabby

Wheeee

That'll do donkey.

Family Picture attempt. FAIL.

Daddy & Elle

Ready for the ice slide!

Mimi & Grandbob. Modeling the always fashionable giant parkas provided.

Ice Ice Baby. (couldn't resist)

Tyler's good side. ZING! :)

Beautiful ice Nativity Scene at the end.

And we are happy & pooped!

A wonderful Thanksgiving with lots of great memories!

Here Comes the Bride...

2013-01-08T17:59:00.002-05:00

A sweet friend from Auburn - a fellow squirrel and all around beautiful lady - got married in November. Tyler & I were able to head down to lovely Eufaula, AL to celebrate her big day and spend some time with other friends we don't get to see nearly enough. It was a beautiful wedding and I cried, like I always do, because I am a big sap. Love my girls and am so thankful we were able to go. My other girls had an excellent time at home with Mimi & Grandbob. :)

Makes my heart happy

Good times catching up!

Music Party!

2013-01-03T15:23:00.003-05:00

One of the girls BFF's celebrated her birthday with a fun music party and the girls had a lovely time. This sweet friend is moving away soon and we are so sad (and by "we", I mean "me", as I have not told the girls) and will miss her & her parents tons! I'm serious, guys. Her mama is awesome and a great friend and neighbor and I may start sucking MY thumb and rocking in a corner once they've moved away. To another COUNTRY. Thumbs down. But total thumbs up for it being a great opportunity for their family. I suppose the thumbs down is really just for me being selfish and wanting them to stay. :)

But, as usual, I digress...

Elle & Kate got to make their own noisemakers and tambourines and then participate in a music class where they sang songs, danced, and clapped and engaged in all manners of music-making. Kate? Not so much into it. She just kinda wanted to hang out with me quietly and watch everyone. Which, if you know Kate, seems a smidge out of character. The child is hilarious and loves to be silly and dance. I always happy for snuggles from my girl though. :) Elle jumped right in and joined the fun!

PS - Christmas posts coming soon. Promise!

I'm supposed to clap? And sing? Um, no.

Crafting it up - making their own musical instruments.

Starting to feel the music. :)


Sweet pic of Elle & the bday girl!

Brusha Brusha Brusha

2012-12-17T21:59:00.000-05:00

The girls first trip to the dentist was infinitely less dramatic and scarring than I thought it would be. Hooray! Both did an excellent job and did just what Karla, the friendly neighborhood hygienist, asked. And even got BACK in the chair when Dr. Berger (who they call Dr. Hamburger - of course) came in to give them the final once-over. Holler!

Tyler and I have prayed that our children would get my teeth and his eyes, therefore avoiding braces & glasses in adolescence. That's not too much to ask, right? I'm not sure our thumb-sucker will escape the braces, as she has already been referred to an orthodontist, but I'm saying my prayers that if we nip this in the bud while she's young, maybe we can avoid it! Shockingly, Dr. B did not take me up on my offer to come to my house and get my 3 year old to stop sucking her thumb. Hmph. However, BOTH kiddos were told they had very little plaque and tartar build-up. Score.

Here are a few pics I took to commemorate the occasion. Also, they got prizes at the end. When prizes are involved, it's a good day.

Kate actually volunteered to go first!

No big whoop, Mom.

Nervous giggling

Dr. B checking out the bite

I'm sorry, what? I have to stop sucking my thumb? I don't understand.

Death by...

2012-12-17T21:35:00.000-05:00

CUTENESS. The track suits. The pigtails. I can't take it. And it needed to be recorded on the blog for all eternity. That is all.

Spiders and Kitty Cats in Pumpkins..Oh my!

2012-11-15T17:57:00.000-05:00

Happy (wayyy belated) Halloween! We had an action-packed, fun-filled one here. This may be the only time in their lives that I am able to convince the girls that because they can fit into them, they should wear the same costumes they did last year. I took full advantage and voila! A spider and a Kitty Cat in a Pumpkin. You will recall last year that Kate wanted nothing to do with the pumpkin part of her costume. She started out that way again this year, but after cajoling and promises of eyeliner-drawn whiskers, she consented. So it was like, a TOTALLY different costume for her.

Leading up to the big night o' Trick or Treating, the girls were able to celebrate in style at our local library during story time, and at a church Trunk or Treat. We went Trick or Treating with our dear friends and neighbors on Halloween night and they racked up even more candy and had a great time, despite accidental beer spillage on the Kitty Cat. For the rest of the night, she was a Stray Cat who reeked of booze. HA!

Story time at the library with their friends, the Flamingo & the Ladybug

More candy?

Getting candy from Ms. Laura at the library - she's famous at our house.

Sweet friends!

Approximately 1 house into Trick-Or-Treating, we are already checking our stash

Kate even sat down for the occasion

They were PROS at this by the end of the night!

One house had a wheel of candy - fancy!

We also got to go to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens to see the scarecrows on one of our Field Trip Fridays.

Ready for the scarecrows!

There were tons of them! Here's a troop leader and her scouts.

Posing in the gardens

And they celebrated BIG time at school! I've never seen so many Halloween crafts. Who needs Halloween decorations when you've got kiddos in preschool?? They got to wear these cool spider hats they made below and parade around school.

Now that Halloween is over, they are still requesting candy after every meal and for snacks. Needless to say, Mommy is NOT their favorite person during those times. :) All in all - Halloween was big fun. They were super excited about everything and really got into it! Makes me even more excited for Christmas.

Fall Getaway

2012-10-27T22:11:00.003-04:00

The girls and I were able to take a quick trip to visit Mimi & Grandbob at their timeshare in TN earlier this month. We had so much fun and are so glad they invited us. We missed Tyler, of course, but he did an excellent job holding down the fort while we were away. And then he got to go play golf. :)

The leaves were starting to turn, so we were treated to some beautiful fall foliage on the drive up there and while we were there. The girls kept saying "Look at all the pretty colors!". They are loving them some fall leaves, for sure.

Here are just a few of the highlights of our trip:

Eating out at restaurants. The girls love to eat out at "westauwants."
Swimming in the indoor pool with Grandbob
Reading stories with Mimi - The Berenstain Bears is a favorite right now.
Swinging on the playground
Staying at the condo. Elle & Kate have been talking about the condo since we went last year. And this year? There was a spiderweb on the stairs. They were mesmerized.

When I asked them what their favorite part of the trip was, Kate said "Watching TV!" (HA. Again, she is her mother's daughter) and Elle said "When Mimi drew a picture of my family!". We brought magnadoodles with us and they had a great time telling Mimi what to draw - one of those things being their family.

A few pics below. Thanks, Mimi & Grandbob!

Reading with Mimi

Swinging!

Yes. I'm a weirdo. But I thought this was a cool picture.

Grandbob doing the swing countdown - fun stuff.

First taste of coffee. Psych. They thought they were so big drinking water out of these cups though!

Fun at the Fair

2012-10-27T17:28:00.000-04:00

We went to the Cumming Fair with some dear friends of ours several weeks ago and had a great time. Elle & Kate LOVED riding the rides - the Nemo ride was Kate's favorite and the Motorcycle ride was Elle's. There was a also a (smelly) petting zoo and the world's largest snake, which Tyler would not let us come near. :) The girls had a blast in the petting zoo, especially loving the "tiny little pigs" and the miniature horses.

There was even a stage in a big arena where what I assume was a local dance school was performing their dances. Boy, did that take me back. I leaned over to Tyler and said "That used to be me." Performing at different county events, competitions, etc. He laughed and said "So, it will be the girls one day too?" Um, God-willing! I hope they find/have something as fun as dance was for me. But I promise not to be one of those crazy dance/sports/whathaveyou moms. But I do not promise not to cry when they do a performance of any type. I will TOTALLY be that mom and embarrass the crap out of them. And myself.

After the fair, a pizza dinner with our friends capped off a lovely day. Thanks, Albrights!

The best pic I got of all 3 girls. Doh!

Loving the Nemo ride

Kate's face is awesome.

Bad to the bone.

A is for...

2012-10-03T16:33:00.002-04:00

We took the girls up to Mercier Orchards last weekend for a little apple pickin'! They had been talking about apples in school the whole week before, so it was kinda perfect timing. And holy crow, were the apples good! They also had pumpkins, and the girls each got to pick a little one to bring home.

We all had an excellent time picking - though Mommy & Daddy had to pick most of them as the lower branches were pretty clear of apples. Sidenote: it is hard to make 3 year olds understand that they aren't allowed to pick up the apples off the ground. We told them they'd go to jail because it was against the law. What? It kind of is. The Department of Agriculture don't play, y'all. :) Anywho - they did manage to find a few on their level to pick and then eat. Though we were a little scared of the yellow jackets who tended to hover around the apples. We escaped unscathed though, with bellies full of Golden Delicious and Suncrisp.

Then we went to the store. Oh, the store. Good. Grief. That place was crowded - both with people and with every kind of apple product you could ever imagine. It was both glorious and overwhelming. We also randomly ran into some friends while we were there - fun! We came home with apple cider donuts, fried apple pies, apple butter and the girls both sucked down like 16 ounces of frozen apple cider each. Good stuff, guys. Oh, not to mention the 10 lbs of apples we picked. Apple recipes, anyone?

It was a hit and we had a great time.

Sour, yet, delicious.

Finally found one low enough to pick!

2 cute pickers

Tyler actually tried to climb to where he's looking. :)

Found one!

My homegirls

Can't get enough!

Big stuff. And also tired of walking.

Self-portrait

In a nutshell. Or an apple peel. You choose.

Her Mother's Daughter

2012-10-03T14:37:00.003-04:00

Finger in her nose. Chocolate ice cream everywhere. Sounds about right.

Future Firefighters

2012-10-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

Our new fire station just opened up down the road from us and we went on a family outing to the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Tyler's firm designed the station, so he was our official tour guide. The girls had a great time climbing in the fire trucks, meeting the Chick-Fil-A Fire Chief, and seeing where all the firefighters sleep. Tyler and I totally thought it was cool to sit in the fire truck too. :) The only disappointing thing for me? No fire pole! What the heck? I thought that was a requirement for every fire station!

Kate LOVED the cow.

And Elle actually held his hand - progress!

Explaining the intricacies of the fire truck.

Relaxing in the firemen's sweet leather chairs.

Getting a lesson from Daddy.

No really. You should stay 200 feet back from these 2 AT ALL TIMES. :)