Merry Christmas Eve! I have sugar cookie dough in the refrigerator ready to make into a cookie tree, my dad’s going to make a delicious dinner, and we’re going to drive around and look at lights tonight. Looking forward to tomorrow!
Our annual work party lights:
The Gardens on Spring Creek:
A new tradition, the Nutcracker:
Snow and “family” pictures:
and Santa!
Here we are a year ago: “Holiday lights.”
And when Elena was around Colin’s age! “WW: Lights.”
Two years ago we went on a walk around the neighborhood and I was delighted to find some fall leaves to capture in a shot with Elena.
Now we have our very own backyard full of leaves! I just love having all of these beautiful big trees around, perhaps because of my Oregon upbringing. The kids had such a blast diving, throwing and jumping.
Now to figure out how one disposes of all of these leaves…
In honor of Colin’s upcoming birthday, here are Colin’s first 12 months:
Pinterest keeps reminding me of our lovely wall of kid books in Elena’s old play room (slash my old office).
Quite a few people online have re-purposed Ikea spice racks; putting them on the wall in order to display and store kids books (I’ve also seen rain gutters). The one I saw painted them white, put quite a few together since they’re small, and touted their inexpensiveness. It’s such a great idea; so cute, colorful, and practical. And Elena can easily take books down and put them back up.
I showed E the picture and said I can paint them, you can put them up! But his reaction was very meh; he thought they looked cheap and rickety. For about 5 minutes I was annoyed and frustrated, I want vertical flat books! But while I was stewing he found a happier solution online. Apparently shelves made to display books, etc. is already a thing, and an inexpensive and attractive thing at that. Here’s a link: Picture Ledge.
P.S. The old play room/office and Elena’s new room
So grown-up, such a darling little terror. Four is looking like it will be a fun age; she’s super imaginative, creative and sweet. She loves fairies, coloring all day long (very precisely), books, and her family.
Look how little she used to be!
And here she is now:
We had her birthday party this weekend. She IS Tinkerbell, I was instructed to wear purple since I am apparently Vidia, there was wand decorating, pizza eating, coloring, and lots of fun (by the way, Colin’s fairy name is The King).
For Elena’s 1st birthday party I designed, printed, and mailed invitations in a book theme since that was her favorite thing:
For her second I designed and e-mailed invitations:
and for the 3rd I used punchbowl:
For her upcoming 4th birthday party I wrote to a few friends over facebook messaging and have barely planned anything. Poor Colin.
While massively pregnant I sidewalk chalked train tracks all over the sidewalk for Elena’s 3rd birthday party. I have no idea what I was thinking, nesting maybe? I also drew Thomas and made signs.
There was a “coloring station” and a “loading area” for favors:
A “dining car” complete with an engine pulling a coal car (grape jelly beans), jobi logs (pretzels), a gravel car (m&ms) and an zoo car (animal crackers). The drinks included water for steamies and apple juice as diesel fuel.
E built the train table that goes over the coffee table (and I painted it). I hope Colin likes trains too!
Elena’s 4th birthday is rapidly approaching and I’ve been reminiscing about last year as I research all things fairy for her party. Little kid birthdays are so bittersweet; so exciting yet too fast. Looking at these pictures makes me a bit sad; I miss all of our wonderful Denver friends! I still get to see some of them every once in a while but it’s not the same as being in the same city. And Elena’s hair was so long and we had beautiful walnut floors!
There was coloring,
presents,
and cake!
Such good memories!
And here’s Elena’s 2nd birthday party: Winnie the Pooh Party!
Since moving to Fort Collins one of our favorite ways to explore has been eating out. This town has such great food! So many local, delicious and affordable places; makes me happy. The kids have gone back and forth quite a bit about whether this is a great or horrible thing. When we first moved here Elena acted like eating out was pure torture. It took months but once we were finally in a groove of favorites she broke us out of it by getting super into going to new restaurants. Sometimes Colin cries and tries to escape the whole time (like after stupid daylight savings) and sometimes he’ll just sit and eat (like raw onions at Smashburger the other day).
They both love the coffee shop/restaurant that’s also a play area (Cool Beans Playhouse):
And there’s always that other play area, complete with climbing wall… (ahem, McD’s)
Even the stools are fun.
Tokyo Joe’s has seats that work for babies!
Paninos has delicious paninos but they really won our hearts by letting Elena “make” her own pizza. So much fun!
Tortilla Marissa’s put Elena’s drawing up on the wall:
And La Creperie serenaded us with Thank Heaven for Little Girls:
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