Valentine's Week

In spite of the 18 inches of snow outside our front door, it is a lovely day today. However, Jilly and I had some catch-up work to do in preparation for Valentine's Day. We started early this morning finalizing Valentine cards to get in the mail and made a couple of other crafts. I knew that I was on the right track when JillyBean looked up at me, smiled and said, "mommy, I have so much fun with you." It made my heart melt.
First things first, we had to complete the Valentine's cards that we started a couple of weeks ago. I got the idea from the February issue of Martha Stewart's Living. These cards were made by rolling up pieces of corrugated cardboard and turning them into stamps. Martha's idea was that they would look like roses (you can also cut a piece of cork to make the stem), but I thought that they turned out looking like hearts, which was perfect.

Jilly dabbed the stamps in red ink and went to town. Each person who receives one of her cards this year gets an original and no two are alike. As I mentioned, we did these a couple of weeks ago. I don't know if it was the paper that we used or if she overdid it on the ink, but they needed some time to dry before flipping them over to complete.
On the other side, we wrote a personalized Happy Valentine's Day note to each recipient, attached a photo and stuck on a couple of festive stickers. I think that they're cute and unique and will be cherished by each family member and friend who receives one. Plus, other than the writing, the cards were completely decorated and designed by Jilly. I didn't give any suggestions to her about the amount of ink she used or the placement or amount of stamping she did. She was very proud of the final product as well.

In addition, Jilly and I completed our Valentine chandelier that I mentioned last week. It turned out just as lovely as I had hoped and spices up the dining room quite nicely. We decided to hang it in there to surprise Daddy when he gets home tonight. Hopefully he'll notice. Jilly helped glue the hearts together with her trusty glue stick. She is such a pro!

Spending a morning doing crafts with Jilly is one of my favorite things to do. It gives us time to work together and talk about not only what we are doing at that moment but other things going on around us. I treasure mornings like this.

Yes, We are Still Here

So my big plan to document the Christmas season fell by the wayside thanks to everyday life. Then, like in the past, I got to a point where I hadn't posted in so long that it got harder and harder to make myself get back in here.

This post is simply a photo recap of Christmas, which took place exactly a month ago today.

Jilly and I saw the Rockettes at the John Paul Jones Arena. It is a show that I have been wanting to see since I was a teenager. I have always loved the Rockettes and their Christmas show did not disappoint me. Jilly enjoyed it, as well. She sat in her seat and was excited by all of the spectacular dancing, music, costumes and decor. It was an event that I hope we can continue as a holiday tradition.

One of the holiday craft projects JillyBean and I did this year was to make these cute Christmas trees using styrofoam cones and candy. This one was made of gumdrops and we did another using mini candy canes and one with round peppermint candy. We placed the trees throughout the house.
And, of course, we had our regular Christmas tree, times three. The tree we placed in our living room (the "official" tree) ended up being filled with some older ornaments that mom gave me last year. These were glass ornaments that we used on our trees as a kid. I tied silver, red, green and gold bows on them to spice them up a bit. Also on the tree were the brass ornaments that BeanieDad received each year as a child. It was fun looking at the years that were engraved on each one. Then we included all of the special ornaments that Jilly has received. This year her Auntie Pam in New Mexico started a 12 Days of Christmas ornament collection for her. It will be wonderful to add a new one to the tree the next 11 years. By the time these "family" ornaments had been added, I was left was a crate full of ornaments that needed a home. Most were Santas. Not being able to stand the thought of an unused ornament, I decided to get another tree and place it in the dining room. I am happy with my decision. And finally, I bought a pre-lit, 2-foot tall pink tree to put on Jilly's night stand. We decorated it with silver glittery bulbs and tied sparkly green ribbon to them. It was super cute. I actually haven't taken it down. Right now it's covered with Valentine hearts and next we'll put Easter eggs and bunnies on it for spring.
We traveled to Tennessee the week before Christmas and got to see Nana, Auntie April, Ma, Granddad, PawPaw, Sweetie and a lot of other family. While we were gone, a major snow storm hit home. While we missed the loveliness of watching the snow fall, there was plenty left for Jilly to enjoy.
Jilly tromped through the massive piles of snow, made snow angels and a snow man. It was fun and perfect for our first Christmas at home.
Grandma and Uncle Jimmy came for Christmas. On Christmas Eve Jimmy dressed up like Ol' Saint Nick and he and Jilly delivered cookies to our neighbors. The kids were a bit surprised to see Santa so early.
Christmas morning was a whirlwind. Santa brought Jilly a baby stroller, a baby high chair and a horse barn with horses. In addition, she got an Olivia doll, Olivia DVD, and lip gloss since she is no longer wearing diapers and doing a great job going potty by herself.
One of Jilly's favorite gifts was an Elmo plane given to her by Uncle Sean and Aunt Casie. She actually got three toy planes. Maybe she'll take after her grandpa and be a pilot some day.
Naturally, no major event would be complete in the Beanie household without Jilly's bestest bud and his family who came over for Christmas dinner. We set up a kids' table in the kitchen while the adults enjoyed ham, butternut squash, corn pudding, broccoli, and a bunch more good stuff in the dining room.

It was great being able wake up in our own home on Christmas morning and have Jilly walk down the stairs to see all of her gifts. And now we're just trying to get back to normal but have a third birthday to look forward to soon. Yes, planning has already begun...

Yes, Virginia

I enjoy the classic Christmas shows that are sprinkled among the network stations this time of year. I can't decide on a favorite, but it may have to be How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I am always amazed each year that A Charlie Brown Christmas is still on, expecting any time now that it be forced of the airwaves since it quotes scripture. There are very few of the newer shows that I enjoy. I don't see the Shrek Christmas show being a classic nor the one with the Madagascar characters. However, a new show that aired on CBS last week has won a special place in my heart, and I've only watched it once.

Yes, Virginia is based on the true story of a little girl who wrote a letter to the New York Sun asking the editor if there really is a Santa Claus. The editor wrote a reply that was printed on the paper's front page. The TV show is simply adorable, sweet, uplifting and everything that is good about Christmas. It is very fitting for me right now because I am reading about and coming in contact with more and more people who don't want their children to believe in Santa because they consider it lying to them. First off, if these parents get through their entire relationship with their children without lying, well, more power to them. Bravo! Some people may simply choose not to celebrate the Santa side of the season because of religious reasons. I can respect that as long as they don't do anything else secular during this time of year. But to exclude Santa thinking that it's lying or because their child will be devastated when they learn the "truth" is sad to me. I challenge them to think back on their childhood and point to the tragedy they experienced by believing in Santa. I have a hard time believing there are many. Any child devastated when they learn about Santa probably has bigger problems in their lives.

The whole Santa experience is among my most cherished childhood memories. Even in the years when doubt began to fill my head, it was still exciting to believe that just maybe he was real. There is no way I want to deny my child, or any child, that feeling.

I don't recall being traumatized when I learned the truth. In fact, I don't think I ever really learned about Santa, it just sort of faded away. It returned, though, as I got older and realized that Santa needs helpers to make sure that his love and generosity are shared with others, especially children who come from families who have a hard time providing a magical Christmas. That is why we participate in programs like the Angel Tree mission, Toys for Tots and why we find a family to adopt this time of the year. The thought of a child waking up without a gift from Santa breaks my heart. And I know there are thousands of children like that due financial woes and not because their parents don't want to "mess" with explaining Santa to them.

And, of course, now with a child of my own, Santa is more real than ever. It is so much fun to view this holiday season through her eyes. Things that I found irritating about Christmas, like those dogs who bark Jingle Bells, are now fun when I hear JillyBean laughing at singing dogs. In my opinion, belief in Santa is the simplest form of building faith. And as the conductor says in The Polar Express, "Sometimes seeing is believing and sometimes the most real things are those we cannot see."

So for anyone who does not want to believe in Santa or who doesn't want their child to experience his magic, following is a reprint of the 1897 reply to Virginia's question of whether or not Santa exists:

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. You may tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

The Untold Christmas Story

Grandma sent Jilly a Fisher Price Little People Nativity Set as an early Christmas gift. She has played with it nonstop since it arrived on Thursday. For one, it gives her another outlet for her already massive imagination, and second, it allows her to play out the birth of Christ as she sees it.

So, here are a few things that I never knew about the First Christmas:

• The three wise men brought Baby Jesus toys and diapers because, as Jilly puts it: "babies need a lot of diapers."
• Mama Mary likes to sing Baby Jesus to sleep with "Rocky Top"
• Snoopy followed the angel to the manger along with the shepherds
• the camel is the daddy to the donkey
• everyone ate spaghetti and had cake for Baby Jesus' birthday
  

Jingles

Last Christmas we started a little tradition with Elf on the Shelf. It's a cute little character and book that serves as a gentle reminder to stay extra nice during the Christmas season. Jillian named him Jingles and each morning he shows up somewhere in the house. Today he was sitting atop a bowl of ornaments on our kitchen table. His job is to keep an eye on Jilly during the day then reports to Santa each night on her behavior. Most days Jingles has a good report, but he had a fairly naughty report last week. A note from Jingles in Jilly's advent calendar seemed to help adjust her attitude the next day. He simply reminded her that she is a very good and sweet girl, but acted up a bit too much the previous day.

I really love having Jingles around and think that maybe we should keep him year round.

The Reason

Although Thanksgiving is over, our little lesson for Jilly that we need to be thankful for what we have continues. It is especially important now that the hoopla that surrounds Christmas is here. Make no mistake, I want her to anticipate the gifts she will receive from family and Santa, but finding the right balance between giving and receiving, and understanding why we celebrate Christmas is key.

Today we joined some ladies from our MOPS group at the Hope Community Center to sort through donated items that will go to families in need. On Saturday, area families will get the chance to "shop" for clothes, toys and household items. Jilly spent most of the time playing with some other children who were there, but I kept telling here that we were getting things together for families who need a little help.

Afterward we came home to finish decorating. One of the items that I saved specifically for JillyBean to help with was setting out our manger set. It was a good time to talk again about Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, and, of course, baby Jesus. She clearly knows that Christmas is Jesus' birthday and that one way we celebrate is by giving gifts to others.

Thankful

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and Jilly seems to be realizing that there is something between Halloween and Christmas. Our little ritual of writing down something each morning that she is thankful for is beginning to sink into her teeny little head.

We will be spending the afternoon with close friends. I have been asked to bring nothing, but that goes against the whole point of Thanksgiving. We did contribute the turkey, although we're not cooking it - just used our grocery store points for a free one. However, I am making my "famous" pecan pie. I am making it because no one in our house likes pecan pie and if I want to eat it, I have to make it for someone else.

I will turn on the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in the morning and hope that Jilly takes a minute to watch, but if not, that's OK. I always enjoyed watching it with my dad when I was a kid.

We wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you take a few minutes to realize the many blessings in your life and not dwell on the challenges.

today Jilly is thankful for the candy Christmas trees we made together last night

Season of Peace

I am so excited to host Christmas at our house this year. It is something I have been wanting to do for a very long time and now, with a child, it's easier to accomplish. We get to stay put every three years and that makes me happy. Of course all of our family is welcome to come and celebrate with us. I would love nothing more than to have a house full of people to open gifts, enjoy company and celebrate our Lord's birth. Only my mom and uncle will be here. My brother and his wife had planned to come, but sister-in-law started a new job and can't take off any time to justify the criminal airfare to get here for a short time. Beanie Daddy's family has decided to stay put in Tennessee. But that's OK. We have good friends who will join us for Christmas dinner and it is going to a joyous occasion.

Looking ahead I am amazed at how our calendar is already slammed. My plan is to make this a peaceful month and a time where we can really enjoy the build up to Christmas. We are going to be busy, but we aren't going to be rushed. I want this to be a time where we can teach Jilly the anticipation of Santa, the fulfillment of giving to others, and the joy of God's gift to us. Since she is older and is building memories, I want to begin establishing traditions - little things that she will treasure and hopefully pass along when she has a family of her own.

I have enjoyed reading Simple Mom's 12 Weeks to a Peaceful Christmas. It has given tips on how to make this an enjoyable time and not one where we're so busy worrying about making the house look.just.right.

Some of the highlights for the upcoming Christmas season include:

• Lighting of the Lawn - an annual event that began in 2001 in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The event was intended to gather the community together as a way to appreciate all they had.
• Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes - I wanted to be a Rockette when I was a kid. I am so excited that this show is coming to the John Paul Jones Arena and JillyBean and I are attending. I hope to make this the first of an annual holiday "date" she and I have together.
• Hope Community Chest - This is a event coordinated by the Hope Community Center that allows families in need to receive clothes and toys. Jilly and I are volunteering with our MOPS group to receive and sort donations as well as assist on the day that families "shop."
• Toy Lift - a local event that collects toys for children in need

Mixed in with these festivities is a slate of activities planned for home. We have a home to decorate, cookies to bake, crafts to make, and holiday movies to watch. In order to make this as enjoyable and memorable as possible we are going to simply take on the Christmas season one day at a time.

Jilly is thankful for:
gifts she receives in the mail
friends
Smoky and Snoopy (her imaginary friends)
Thomas the Train

Give Thanks

I am so thankful that the potty training is going pretty smoothly so far. Today was Day 3 and Jilly had no accidents. We made a quick outing and she came home dry and she used the potty on cue every 45 minutes. She even woke up from her nap dry and just called out to us from bed, upset that she had wet her Pull Up.

Since we were home almost all day, JillyBean and I dove into a little craft project for Thanksgiving. Like most kids, Jilly found Halloween exciting and is already anticipating Christmas. I want to make sure that Thanksgiving doesn't get overlooked.

Thanks to my wonderful MOPS group, I came across a project for a Thanksgiving advent-style calendar. We made ours with 15 pockets, since I couldn't get more than five on a row, and we are counting down. We included the scripture from 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "give thanks in all circumstances..." at the top.

Jilly placed all of the pumpkins and leaves on the calendar pockets. It was a fun little project and it gave me a chance to talk to JillyBean about how blessed she is and how important it is for us to thank people and to thank God (through our prayers) for all of those blessings. She doesn't quite get "thankful" so I explained it as things that make us happy.

After the calendar was complete, Jilly had to tell me five things that make her happy (we had to do five to make up the days we have missed). So far Jilly is thankful for:

1. Granddad
2. Santa Claus
3. Mommy
4. Daddy
5. Nanny (Nana)

We will place a note in each pocket leading up to Thanksgiving then we will read them all that day as a reminder of all the blessings we have in our lives.

This is an important exercise this time of year and one that I want to make a tradition for our family, especially leading to Christmas. Too often we are busy trying to fulfill Christmas gift lists that we forget to say thank you for the amazing things that we encounter every day.

Discovery Toys

A lot of blogs that I read have sponsors who give deals to readers of the blog. Well, I have no sponsor but I am involved in something that can benefit any readers out there.

I recently became an Educational Consultant for Discovery Toys. Discovery Toys is a great line of fun and educational toys. The toys are of very high quality and priced very competitively, if not less than what you find in the retail stores.

Since Christmas is around the corner and most people are beginning to make their gift-giving list, I am willing to give either 10 percent off your purchase or free shipping for an order of more than $50.

JillyBean has loved all of the toys she has played with from Discovery Toys. Here are her favorites:
Motor Works: This allows children to take three vehicles apart and put them back together. It comes with a battery-operated drill and a manual screwdriver. Jilly played with this at her friend's house and neither child could get enough of it. It is geared toward older children to operate on their own, but younger children still have fun with grown-up guidance.

Zingo: This is a twist on traditional Bingo. Each player gets a card with 12 pictures on it and must match all the tiles to get Zingo. The game is advertised for children ages 4 and older, but at two-and-a-half years old, JillyBean is already a pro. We play this quite a bit as a family and she has now requested taking it with us to the local coffee shop to play. I am considering getting a second game to keep in the car so that we will have it on hand when we go out to eat and need a little distraction to keep everyone happy while waiting for food to arrive.

Busy Bugs: This game uses different colored bugs to teach matching, sequencing, and early math. The first time I gave this to Jilly, she played with it for nearly an hour. In addition to playing it as a game, the bugs are fun to play with alone. If you're squeamish of bugs, Discovery Toys is offering this game with farm animals that is similar but focuses on letters instead of numbers.
Once Upon A Time: This cute little book allows the reader the opportunity to change up the story each time they read it allowing them to build their imagination. The book also comes in a version suitable for boys called Ahoy, Pirate Pete.

In addition to purchasing individual toys, Discovery Toys has created bundled toys for the holidays for $99. These bundles are great if you want to save money on several toys or if you have several children on your list. They're also great if you know that you are going to attend a few baby showers in the near future or if your child is in preschool and will be attending a lot of birthday parties. The Family Games bundle is great for older kids or to add to your family game night collection. I cannot offer a price break on these packages since they are already discounted, but will be happy to give you free shipping.

Please leave a message here to take advantage of my promotion.

Scary Good Cause

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays and I will have more about our plans later, but for now I want to spread some news.

Local photographer Dominique Attaway is going to be at Trailside Coffee (in Old Trail) taking photos of kids in their Halloween costumes from noon until 2 p.m. on Halloween. Each person will get a 4x6 picture of their child in exchange for a donation to HEAL Africa. Dominique says that whatever donation you feel comfortable with giving will be accepted; 100 percent of what she receives goes directly to the organization.

Dominique is an incredible photographer (she did some beautiful portraits of Jillian a year ago) and a very busy mom of three active boys, so the opportunity to tap into this amazing talent and help a worthy cause is the best Halloween treat you will get this year.

Top 5

JillyBean and I drove to Richmond yesterday to finalize our Christmas shopping. That meant the drive up and back allowed us to listen to nearly four hours of Christmas music thanks to the three holiday music stations on XM radio. Needless to say I had some time to think of my favorite Christmas songs and here are my Top 5.

5. Merry Christmas From the Family by Robert Earl Keen

4. All I Want For Christmas is You by Mariah Carey

3. Little Drummer Boy sung by Josh Groban

2. Hallelujah Chorus sung by Mormon Tabernacle

1. O Come All Ye Faithful/Oh Holy Night sung by Sandi Patty (no one, and I mean NO ONE does this better)

Feel free to share your favorite Christmas tunes.

Ten Things

This blog post was inspired by Amanda Soule and is a great way for me to recap the month.

Ten things I'm loving these days:
1. The last bit of princess cake leftover from my birthday. Even though it's terribly stale and has only a hint of the sweetness I tasted in my first bite, it makes me happy and brings back the memory of a wonderful family celebration.

2. The Advent devotional that my mother-in-law sent. It has reminded me how important it is to be still, especially during this hectic time of the year.

3. The excitement that JillyBean displays each morning she comes downstairs to see that the Christmas tree is still there.

4. That my mother is still filled with the Christmas spirit in spite of the bah humbug-ness displayed by some of our family members this year.

5. Josh Groban's rendition of Little Drummer Boy and how JillyBean sings along with the ba rum ba bum bum portion, using her legs for a drum.

6. Josh Groban's rendition of I'll Be Home For Christmas even though it makes me cry every time I hear the voices of the service men and women who won't be home for Christmas. On the same note, it makes me happy thinking of a good friend whose husband is coming home for Christmas.

7. Baking Christmas treats and the wonderful memories that flood my mind of doing the same with my Grandmother.

8. The nightly ritual of finding a new place to put the Elf.

9. Allowing JillyBean to believe in Santa Claus as an easy-to-grasp lesson in goodness and having faith in something that you can't always see.

10. A husband who I want to find something special for, but who I know will be happy with new boxers and a book.

A Little Cheer

Auntie April was here after Thanksgiving to take JillyBean's Christmas pictures. They turned out fabulous. We had some shot near Monticello and a few at the Rotunda at UVA. These are my favorites from each location:

She really needs her hair cut because she looks like a little sheepdog with those bangs hanging in her eyes. We're going tomorrow to make her a bit more presentable for Christmas. I really love the way little Suri Cruise has her hair cut so I'm trying to get Jilly's to go in that direction.

Still, I think that she looks adorable. Auntie likes photos where she's smiling a bit more but I told her that supermodels don't smile and Jilly is getting an early start on a lucrative career.

We used three photos from the shoot in our Christmas cards this year and I think that they're really great.

On that note, I have to say that I'm so disappointed in the lack of cards that we have received this year. I'm hoping everyone got a late start and that I'll get a mailbox full of them in the next couple of days. I LOVE getting Christmas cards and find it hard to throw them away each year. I keep all of the photo cards in a hat box and love looking back to see how the kids have grown over the years.

'Tis the Season to be Popping

Beanie Dad and I put together our little gifts to his directors tonight: Party Popcorn.

I had planned to make this for his staff just to give them a break from all of the cookies and candy you typically get during the holidays. I did a trial run for our mom's club cookie exchange last week since the cookies I planned to make were a bust (the recipe said it would make 52 and I only got 32 and I had to make 6 dozen).

I found the cute popcorn containers in Target's dollar section, which I think makes a super cute presentation.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup of popcorn
2 tablespoons of oil for popping
1/2 stick of butter
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
4 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons kosher salt

Pop your popcorn on the stove top.
Melt butter and spices
Pour butter mixture over popcorn
Place popcorn in a brown paper bag and shake
Enjoy!

Whew!

So today we mailed out 65 Christmas cards, wrapped nearly every gift that we've purchased, and prepared gifts to be mailed tomorrow to Okie City and New Mexico.

I feel very accomplished.

Pardon the Interruption

I know that it's been a couple of weeks since my last post and it's not that there's been nothing exciting to share. Things have been busy thanks to the Christmas rush and my taking on a writing assignment. However, I have been keeping notes (aka: traditional written journal) and will return later this week to put it all here (probably Thursday since Beanie Dad will be working).

In the meantime, I would like to share the newest addition to my holiday cookie collection. I made these this afternoon and they are absolutely fabulous. I got it from my coveted December issue of Real Simple magazine: Ginger Chocolate-Chip Bars. They are simply divine, super easy to make and the ginger puts a fun twist on traditional chocolate chip bars. I tried four new recipes this year and this is the only one that will make it through to next year and beyond.

Ho Ho Ho!

JillyBean got to meet Santa this weekend. She wasn't too sure what to think of him, but she wasn't scared. I expected her to cry and not want to sit on his lap but she was OK with it. She didn't tell him what she wants for Christmas, but I think that he knows...

Halloweeve

Tomorrow is Halloween and we're super excited around here. JillyBean has been practicing her "trick or treat" the past several days to ensure that Beanie Mom and Beanie Dad get a great stash of sweets this year. After all, it will be the last time we get the candy since I'm sure that she'll figure it out next year.

Jilly's costume is sort of a mish-mash of stuff. She really isn't anything, though a friend said it seems like she could be a bug. So we decided that she's a JillyBug. Beanie Grandma found a super cute black cape last year at Cracker Barrel that has eyes that light up. We've paired with a purple and black polka dot dress from Hanna Andersson along with some purple and black striped tights, also from HA, and a headband with bug antennas on it from Gymboree that she won't wear.

We plan to start the festivities with trick-or-treating at The Lawn, part of UVA's historic Academical Village . It's a tradition with the students who live there to hand out candy to kids. We went last year, when Bean was only 6 months old, and it was a blast. It will be even more fun this year since she'll be able to walk around herself. After that, we plan to go to do a bit more trick-or-treating with one of Bean's Buddies in his neighborhood. Bean is the only kid in our neighborhood so it wouldn't be too much fun for her here.

I is for Irrational Fear

Today was cookie painting day with a group from the mom's club. And remember my freak out the other day? Totally unwarranted. Everyone had so much fun and the kids actually painted the cookies. Imagine that. I had thought that the kids would run around while the moms decorated the cookies. But wow, once again they proved me, and probably the rest of the moms, wrong.

One of the best things that I did was bring up JillyBean's table and chairs up from the playroom/office. We had some kids at the kitchen table and others at the little table. The kids at the little table had a blast painting, mixing the frosting and even sampling a bit of the sweets.

We did change up the plans a bit. Instead of painting cookies then baking them, Beanie Dad and I baked the cookies last night and I made a frosting that the kids used to paint. It was the best thing because we would have lost them the other way. So, today was such a success that I think that we'll do it again for Christmas.