Summer shenanigans

The summer kicked off with a move to a new house!

Girls love the yard, and mom loves the quiet streets

Charlotte exploring the flower gardens

The girls running laps around the living room

And they get their own bathroom! 

Fund around town includes all the usual favorites...

Lucy and her bff Gwen at Lee Rec Center

Shenanigans at East Potomac

Lucy around Old Town

XOXO

December in Alexandria VA

Lots of fun around Alexandria, VA, this weekend as we celebrate the holidays. Here are a few of my favorites. 

Scottish Christmas Parade

Parade watching at our spot - St. Asaph & Wolff

Charlotte in her tartan best

Lucy's friend Avant gave her a min-mixer for her birthday. We put it to use making gingerbread for our cutouts and house. Avant also gave her the chef's hat.

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Perhaps the highlight of the weekend (for Lucy) was meeting Elsa at 529 Kids Consign. Such a nice thing to do for the community. Lucy was star struck and couldn't speak. The store owner - Megan - has three boys, two of which are the same age as our girls, and I consign and buy from this little treasure of a shop. 

Her favorite things - Lollipops and Elsa

Lucy is 3!

Celebrating with the Westermans

Lucy turned 3 (!!!) and meanwhile I have been busy getting settled into my new job so this post is a belated birthday recap. The Westerman's came to visit and celebrate the weekend before Lucy's birthday. They drove from WI and had a car full of goodies for the girls. (Rummage sale finds are always welcome here!)

Opening presents a few days early...

Grandma Nora - keeping Lucy busy 

The night before Lucy's birthday we made cupcakes for her to take to her classmates the next day. With an October birthday Lucy decided on a "creepy crawly" theme to the cupcakes - dirt (chocolate icing) and worms (gummies) on top. I let her decorate a few. We did not send those ones to school! Lucy got to wear a birthday crown throughout the day and they sang happy birthday to her. A built in friend birthday party - love it!

Yum!

Birthday morning! October 5, 2016

Birthday night

The weekend after her birthday the Hollands came to celebrate. We made pork BBQ, squash from WI and Lucy's Olaf layered cake.

Madison (5.5) and Lucy

Olaf cake

Pin the carrot on Olaf's nose

Elsa and the birthday girl

Olaf!

O Christmas Tree

This year I felt an urge to set up our tree earlier to accommodate our holiday travel schedule. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving we sought out to Lowe's for a tree and found the perfect one. We let it sit outside for a night to settle, and then brought it in the house to decorate on Sunday morning while watching White Christmas.

Lucy approved

Charlotte  

It's unbelievable what a difference a year makes. This year Lucy helped take out all the ornaments, and hung them all on the tree. She liked to place them on the bottom right side so afterwards I spread them out a bit. But she did a fantastic job and did her work with pride and patience. I sat back and watched it unfold. It was a very special moment.

Santa's helper

After tree decorating we did yard work. Lucy had to do the leaf pile jump!

This weekend we also went to the Old Town Christmas Tree lighting on Friday night. It was a beautiful night and we had fun on King Street getting apps and beers at Vola's and take out pizza at Bugsy's while listening to the music at the tree lighting. We're in the holiday spirit now! 

It's the holiday season!

I love the holiday season and all the traditions that go with it. Thanksgiving was so much fun.

Windmill Hill park on Thanksgiving morning

The Hollands

At Peter & Amy's house for Thanksgiving

Lucy and Nathan in the fields of Hyde, MD. 3 going on 12.

Sweet C

She loved turkey!

Gram and Charlotte

Lucy and Nathan were having so much fun bouncing off the furniture... 

Meanwhile, Madison and Charlotte talked about growing up - Madison showed Charlotte her baby book!

Halloween, Take 3

Lucy had three occasions to dress up for Halloween. Scratch that, actually four when you include her school party. So we did three different outfits using costumes and things we had around the house.

The first party was their school's fall festival. We go every year, and it's a lot of fun to see their friends and chat with the other parents. There are multiple bounce houses, horse riding, and lots of candy.

Bumble Bees

She loved the horse ride

Lucy's second party was hosted by her school friend Melanie. It was a spooky dance party on October 30. Melanie's mother is very crafty and their house was well decorated with lots of fun things for the kids. Lucy wanted to go as a witch.

Make up on

Credit to daddy for picking up a broom

Lucy insisted that I matched her - it was fun.

Lastly, the real occasion. It's fun to trick-or-treat on the actual evening in Old Town. Charlotte is all smiles in the picture below, but this was the start of a sick month ahead for her. On the mend now!

Charlotte's Web

Lucy went as Elsa, and applied her own lipstick. Everyone asked her about the lipstick. The girl knows how to complete an outfit!

On Halloween - ready to venture to Lee Street

Trick-or-Treating in Old Town is the best

When Lucy's pumpkin was filled to the brim we decided to head in for the night. She gets one piece a candy after dinner each evening. It's a ritual. Each night she dumps out the pumpkin and picks one. She still has a lot left...it seems. And it's good stuff - they give out the best candy in Old Town.

Note the lipstick!

School party!