are you seeing a pattern here? sarah's dance class 12.17

p.s. uncle andy got to experience the thrill that is 3 and 4 year old dance class for the first time too!

a bittersweet christmas party...12.17

(something really fishy was going on with my camera in this last picture...i think a special little helper, i.e. drew, left a few fingerprints on the lens!!!)

i have really really enjoyed working at collierville health and rehab for the past year and a half. they have been so flexible and let me work primarily when the kids were at preschool. i mean, how many employers would let you work from 9:30-2:00 on tuesdays and thursdays only!?! well, the state of tennessee has shut our facility down. and with it, obviously, went our jobs. fortunately, most of my co-workers who work full-time or part-time have found new jobs. we had one last HURRAH on monday. we had a gift exchange and a potluck. it was so good to have most of the gang together one last time. we are hoping that a new company will take over (and remodel hopefully) and get our group together again in a few months. i will miss you guys!

guess who came home for christmas?!? 12.16

UNCLE ANDY!!!

he got home on saturday night and was reunited with his favorite niece and nephew on sunday morning!!! we love you uncle andy!!!

WOW!!! another night out on the town...12.15

tim's company, software earnings, held their annual christmas party at the madison hotel in downtown memphis on saturday night. tim and i had planned a while back to have nana and pop pop watch the kiddos, so we could get away and stay downtown for the night. when we arrived at the hotel, tim surprised me with roses, chocolate covered strawberries, and champagne! he said he was helping me get a jump start on my birthday celebration! we had a fantastic time visiting with tim's co-workers and sleeping in on sunday morning! a perfect evening!!!

the woodard family christmas gathering...12.15

the whole gang...sid woodard and family, lorraine cooper and family, betty houston and family

aunt betty and elizabeth claire

aunt betty and drew

aunt betty, sarah, and elizabeth claire

aunt betty, sarah, elizabeth claire, and drew

nicholas and sarah

the kids' table

watching the "happy birthday Jesus" cake

drew dances...again!

drew dances...then stops dancing when the snowman does...then says, "feet" and tries to touch the snowman's feet...gets his fingers smashed...cries for .01 seconds...then reaches down to try to unplug the snowman from the outlet...the boy never stays still for a second :)

overheard in the bathroom this afternoon...

(insert any of the many bickerings that sarah and drew get into each day...i think drew was actually messing with the toilet paper while sarah was pottying)

sarah: stop that drew! you say you are sorry!

drew: i saw-we!

sarah: now give me a hug and a kiss.

(apparently hugging and kissing took place because there was a pause)

sarah: don't you ever do that again. i promise!

THE END

i love it (and hate it) that the kids listen so closely to me! and i love it that sarah is learning so much about language right now. she tries so hard to talk like me with with pronouns, etc. i love it that she says "i promise" when she should have said, "you promise?". too fun!!!

a christmas party at the brooks museum...12.9

we DO occasionally do non-kid related stuff...

on saturday night, december 8th, tim and i went to the annual ornament exchange at the dumlao's home. it was lots of fun with lots of friends that we don't see as often now that our lives DO revolve around our kids.

memphis christmas experience at germantown baptist church...12.7

my little reindeer children...12.6

sarah kept saying, "mommy, do you wanna see my moves?" while i was trying to capture a normal pic of my kids standing in front of their tree. i have to make sure we have a picture of all these christmas clothes to help justify the cost :) at least that's what i keep telling myself!!!