Sunday, November 28, 2010

So Thankful

...to have survived this week! And not only survived, but enjoyed! We seriously had a jam-packed week, but we really enjoyed it all.

We celebrated my 9th Boyd Thanksgiving Christmas on Thursday with a majority of the Boyd family (we missed you Walsh family!) and tons of yummy food! I think we really have this event down to a science because everything came together so easily!

The kids were ready to eat a little bit before the food was ready...


The food was great, as always! And everyone contributed their specialities, which made it that much better.

We also enjoyed opening our first Christmas presents for the season. JD got a Thomas Train set, that all the kids enjoyed playing that evening. JD calls it his "Mister Island" set.

Meg played with her new laptop a bunch too (as did all of the other kids). She is into everything that lights up and plays songs right now.


Jackson and JD are two peas in a pod right now and are totally in love with Toy Story. Jackson got a "Woody" guitar and had so much fun (when JD wasn't playing with it)!

We went home pretty tired that evening, but I couldn't sleep because Heather and I hit Black Friday sales, starting at 2:30 am!! I had 2 toys that I REALLY wanted to get for my kids at Target and their sale started at 4 am. I haven't ever done the Black Friday thing, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

As a warm up, my sister Dara and I went to the 10 pm sale on Thanksgiving evening at Toys R Us and the line was wrapped all the way around the building and behind the strip mall! It was RIDICULOUS and the epitome of why I don't do sales like that! So we turned around and left!

But that made me more determined to get a good spot for the sale I really wanted at Target! I got an okay spot at 2:30 and Heather hit Toys R Us for both of us, while I waited in the freezing cold. At the stroke of 4, they opened the doors and I ran (yes, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that) to get the 2 toys that I wanted - 7 Toy Story action figures and a music table. Nobody even cared about those things. They were going crazy over $298 40 inch flat screen tvs right behind my 2 toys.

Oh well. I still got my savings and both of my kids are going to be over the moon when they get their presents. Heather and I strolled (yes, strolled) around and picked up several good deals and took our time checking out. I saved about $100 on my purchases and got things that I really wanted (no impulse shopping). It was actually a VERY positive experience and I think I might do it again...next year!

The Target we went to in Allen got national attention and this photo and others from the store were published by Dallas Morning News and other publications all over the world! Scary! I'm glad Heather and I weren't caught by the cameras wearing our 10 layers of clothing, no makeup and tired faces!


No time for a nap for me - my little boy was ready for action at 6 am when I got home, so we got busy making fruit salad and getting ready for my family's Thanksgiving at 11:30. We had a great time and really great food. My uncle and his family were in from Indiana, so our normal numbers were up by a few. But we couldn't linger too long because it was off to Jon's brother David's 40th birthday party! By then, Black Friday excitement was wearing off and exhaustion was setting in.




I got the kids home by 8:45 and then started to bake cupcakes and finish final preparations for Meg's First Birthday party. Yes, you heard me right! We had Meg's first birthday party the next day, but that is another post.

We truly had a great week and have so much to be thankful for this year. One of the things I am most thankful for is family to spend time with and enjoy over so many days and events!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Working Hard or Hardly Working?

This week is jam-packed with family fun. From Thanksgiving(s) to visits with the families, we are just doing it up family style!

We are planning Meg's first birthday party for this weekend as part of the family festivities, since it is one of the few times that we will have most of the Boyds in town. I am so excited about all of the planning for the party. I have been working on it for a few months now and am thrilled with how it is all coming together! As a sneak peak, here is her invitation...




Now how many of you are really surprised about the theme???

I have to say that it has been so much fun planning and putting everything together, that it hardly seems like work! It is more like a labor of love! And yes, I know that she won't remember it, but I will!

Friday, November 12, 2010

Five Question Friday

Loved the questions this week!

1. What is the most physically painful thing that has ever happened to you?
Since I have a VERY low threshold for pain, there are a bunch of things right on up there! Having a c-section is definitely not the most pleasant thing ever. And I remember when I was single and got the flu for 11 days, after a car accident, that was pretty miserable. I remember how much it hurt to even stand up in the shower or crawling down the stairs to get some food that my mom left on my doorstep. That was pretty lousy.

2. How much sleep do you get at night?
My baby girl has been sleeping through the night since 4 months, so she is definitely not the issue with sleep. My three year old son, on the other hand, gets up between 5 and 6:15 am EVERY single morning (bedtimes and naptimes have NO effect on this) and has for the past 8 months...just about the time my baby girl started sleeping through the night! So if I get to bed at a decent hour (before 10 pm), I can get an okay night of sleep (6-7 hours).

3. How long did you believe in Santa Claus? How did you find out that he does not exist?
He doesn't exist??? What??? Really, I found out when I was about 8 and we got our first frigid, freezing Christmas Eve after we got a pool. This was before pool heaters, so my poor dad and uncle stayed up all night chopping up ice in the pool to keep it from cracking. My mom was understandably preoccupied and didn't fill up our stockings, so when I came barreling out at the break of dawn and saw empty stockings and no new presents under the tree, I was crushed! I asked my mom if Santa came and she said, "Your dad has been busy saving the pool all night and hasn't had a chance to fill the stockings yet."

4. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
Toy Story 3. We don't get out that much, especially without our kids.

5. What do you wear to bed?
Mostly very old, giant t-shirts from my sorority days. I can't believe we wore our t-shirts so big! In the winter, I throw on flannel pants with them. And I have some really cute pajamas that I wear when they are clean! I think of that as "dressing up" though.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Fun Photo Friday

There isn't really a story for these pictures. Just fun recent pics of the kids!

JD BEGGED me to let him wear his Halloween costume again on Monday. Not 5 minutes after he had it on, he passed out on the couch.



Meg's a regular walker now. It is the preferred mode of transporation and she is pretty good at it now.


My sweet girl!


Yes, this is her Wiggles face. She is absolutely captivated by them. She will drop whatever she is doing to watch them. And she will dance to the songs! It is so cute!


I know I'm not wearing any makeup, but if I waited for a day when I was wearing some, I would never get any pictures with my kids!

My big handsome boy. He is quite the comedian now and loves to try and make us laugh.
Happy Friday!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Success: Sippy Cup

Meg was a tough customer when it came to the sippy cup. We tried several different brands...

We started with this one, since it is supposed to be the transition cup from the bottle. She wouldn't even pick it up.


She pretty much just chewed the tops off of these.



She kept flipping this one over and chewing on the bottom.

These were probably the most successful, but not great to travel with since they leak like crazy.

And then we had success...



Look Ma! No hands!!

I can even walk with it!

It's very portable! If I am crawling, I can just hold it my teeth!


Whew! I'm so glad we found one that works!