I had a little valentines day photoshoot with riley cate recently, I found a perfect idea on pinterest for valentines for her friends (and ryans too, if he will allow it!)...
I will wait to show the actual valentines, but here are some other pictures from our fun red photoshoot!
I love, love, love, this sweet girl!
we had family photos taken back in november, but I didn't post them at the time because they were classified top secret for my christmas card! now that my card is out, here are some that didn't make the card, but were still favorites (and some that were a little bit goofy)!
and one last, "real life moment":
who can resist? we had a few extra minutes before school and riley cate AND little riley cate love my camera!
little riley cate caught a ride in ryan's booster seat to preschool to drop riley off...
and as riley was getting out of the car, she kissed little riley cate on the forehead and said, "now little riley cate, you be good for grandma." she then looked at me and said, "you know, you are my mommy, so you are her grandmother."
nice riley, nice! she definitely has learned about the family tree. ha!
our lives are so hectic sometimes. work, school, classes, homework, readers, sight words, cooking (oh, you guys want to eat?!?), laundry, dishes, packing up those pesky holiday decorations, more work, more school, and repeat. in 2012, I am trying to get back to the simple things in life. spend more time with my family doing FUN things. or at least doing the things we MUST do, together.
and today I did just that. I woke up early, and spent the early morning with this sweet girl, "getting ready for the day". we dried hair, put on lipgloss, and ate dry cereal in my bathroom, things I usually do not allow time for. I love her so much, and it made my day better, just starting it with her.
and then, a work meeting was cancelled, and I decided to have lunch with my favorite kindergartener. I brought the happy meals and he brought the smiles (probably because I bought us both a happy meal and there were two toys, but that's beside the point...)
he told me about his day, explained his theory on why the cafeteria should stop selling (or maybe the COWS should stop MAKING) buttermilk, because what if he accidentally grabbed it. ewww!
he said I love you first, unprompted, while he was munching on his fries. that is not a common occurence with a 6-year old boy (unless at bedtime, drop off, etc). it was special.
he also educated me on optimus prime, and other transformers his friends are teaching him about at school. he was proud for his friends to see his mommy had come for lunch. and I am going to make sure I go more often. it was just what I needed.
well, 2012 has been a busy year already:
the rest of january and february are shaping up to be busy months! now, if only we could trade our current april/may-ish weather for some january cold!
little riley cate bledsoe!
riley got an american girl doll for christmas,
and out of all the names in the world,
she chose...
little riley cate bledsoe.
you always have to say the little, that way she knows who you are talking to.
we love this girl SO much.
pawpaw celebrated a "milestone" birthday this year, and several of our family and friends gathered to surprise him, eat some seafood and chocolate cake, and wish him a happy birthday!
my favorite photo of the night?
we had a great time celebrating our fabulous pawpaw!
happy birthday pawpaw!
good news! the kids made the "nice list" and santa came as expected on christmas eve night!
we tracked the big red guy online and then called the "santa hotline" (www.noradsanta.org) and got to speak to a real live santa's helper who let us know that around 7pmCST, santa was making his way through london, england, and would be headed to texas in approximately 4.5 hours. the kids were SO excited to call and talk to someone about santa's progress through the world, I am sure we will do it again next year!
he came, he delivered, and like a flash, he was off to his next stop!
riley cate was gifted a beautiful white vanity and stool, and a pink hello kitty, and ryan was gifted a nintendo DS game system and a LEGO cube with new LEGOs.
mimi and pawpaw spent the day with us, and we had a day full of food, family, too many presents, and lots of box-opening and toy assembly. it was just right.
our biggest present this christmas was not wrapped in paper under the tree, it was the people around us. merry christmas!
we have had a busy day cooking, cleaning, and getting ready for Christmas!
we spent the evening at Mimi and PawPaws, and then came home and got ready for Santa!
I hope dasher and his friends like celery because we were fresh out of carrots! oh, and the snack pack jello? that's for frosty, our elf.
our "baby" tree is very special to us this year. we decided to not buy a (giant) tree like we have done for the last 11 years for several reasons. we had a "baby" tree (what the kids call it) in our garage that had been meems tree, just waiting to be used. it felt perfect to use this tree this year.
the kids colored pictures for santa... (or as ryan spells it, SOTU. after I tried to correct his spelling, he informed me that in kindergarten, you spell it how it SOUNDS, and to HIM it sounds like SOTU. okay then.)
our santa countdown finally dropped into the chimney tonight!
and, at 10:20pm, I still have one very awake little boy, tossing and turning awaiting santa's arrival, and too excited to sleep!
so...merry christmas to all and to all a good night (for us, hopefully soon!)
and the day has finally come, where it is Christmas Eve, and frosty the elf will return to the north pole tonight with santa and his reindeer! frosty has been up to some funny things this week:
he has eaten a gumdrop off of ryan's gingerbread house, played BINGO with a few of ryan's other "friends", made a toothpaste mess on the counter, made a snow angel in our kitchen, and last night (his last night to be here), he made and left for us a dozen tiny donuts with sprinkles on top, with a letter:
Dear Ryan and Riley,
My time here with you this year has come to an end. I am flying back to the North Pole tonight on Christmas Eve with Santa Claus and all the reindeer!
I have enjoyed making you smile and watching you search for me. I have also sent special messages back to Santa for you. I know you guys love donuts and I just could not resist making these donuts for you. Hope you like sprinkles!
I will miss you both and I will be back from the North Pole next year. I love you guys.
Santa said he would lift my power so you could both touch me one time, but only one time each and then put me back.
I can't wait for your hug!
Love, Frosty
our whole family has had so much fun with frosty this year, and we are glad santa sent him to us!
Merry Christmas Eve!
the kids "wrote" 2 letters to santa each this year, and sent one from mimi's and one from home.. the one from mimi's was more like a drawing for santa of things they would like to have.. a pictogram if you will. they put them in mimi's mailbox, and GOT A RESPONSE!
it said:
To Ryan (Riley also got one with the same text)
I have been looking at my list of all the good little girls and boys and I see that you're are the top of the nice list this year. Great Job! I am very proud of you for being so good. Rudolph and I are really looking forward to visiting you on Christmas Eve. The elves have been very busy making toys for children all around the world, and I know that you would really like for me to bring you something special. I will certainly try my best to bring you something you will like. My favorite part of Christmas is being able to make so many kids happy and share the gifts the elves make each year, because sharing is what makes Christmas so special. Lumberton is one of my first stops this year, so be sure to go to bed early because my magic only works when everyone is asleep. I am sure I will love the cookies and milk and don't forget to leave some carrots for the reindeer. We work up quite an appetite delivering so many toys all around the world.
Have a very Merry Christmas!!
SANTA
We are super thankful Mimi and PawPaw's postman knew where to deliver this letter! Ryan was over the moon excited, and is planning to skip dinner on Christmas Eve and go to bed VERY EARLY since Lumberton is one of the first stops!
I also helped the kids write letters, and thought it would be fun to share them:
a few things to note:
riley's:
always caring about others, wanted to immediately ask about dasher.. and signed her own name!
ryan's:
how are you (then upside down exclamation point!)
gets right to the point: new red car, toy jet (kind of looks like toilet to the untrained eye!)
I have been a good boy.
SLED - not sure where he thinks he will use a SLED?
mario
the picture in red at the top is SANTA, and a tree down below.
love, love making these memories with them, and I am sure I will love seeing these pictures even more in 10 years!
continuing on with the christmas countdown... riley's preschool party! more snowmen!
riley and sweet sarah...
with cousin alicia, who was there with katy, to see brandon, it was almost like an "allen girls" reunion! riley thinks she and alicia look alike, because they both have blonde hair!
icing and decorating waffle cone trees (thanks pinterest!), and more icing was going in her mouth than on her "tree".
the finished product!
and, how do you eat a waffle cone tree? well, like this of course! :)
at allen family christmas, the kids made gingerbread houses again, and they turned out precious (again!).. so much fun. we are leaving ours out on display for santa to see!
(riley is really into katy right now! she wants to sit by her, eat by her, decorate gingerbread houses with her, and she is currently asking to have a sleepover with her. she calls her "my katy", so sweet!)
last week, riley's preschool hosted family and friends one evening for their christmas program. and let me start by saying, it was fabulous! I heard from a "little elf" that the practices leading up to the program were a bit shaky, but the final program was wonderful, and the 3's and 4's (and littler ones too!) did such a great job with their songs!
riley made her debut as the cow who came to see baby Jesus, and she was perfect. her best buddy grant was the chicken. on to the pictures!
ryan came to see his sister's bovine debut..
riley had a large cheering section: 7 there just for her, and other allen family who came to see brandon perform the shepherd role! here are a few of them!
here she comes!
cousin brandon as a shepherd..
a cow and a chicken (grant)..
look close, can you see the halo? :)
now, a few "real-life" outtakes from the program (that added to the charm):
it was the best christmas program I have ever attended, and I am so proud of my little bovine!
I was hosting Christmas parties for both riley and ryan at school this year, and I chose a snowman theme.. Lots of the fun ideas came from pinterest, and my sweet cousin katy helped me (one night until 1:15am) make 50+ dipped oreo snowman on sticks, 3 bags of powdered sugar snowman donuts and several dozen decorated snowman cookies. it was super fun, and the kids loved it!
on to ryan's party! first up, my sweet elf, in his handmade elf hat...
the elf and his mimi!
the elf and his sweet friend reindeer marley!
and the elf and his wonderful teacher, mrs. milstead!
riley's party and program coming soon!
