gobble gobble!

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving! Our week was jam packed, but was lots of fun! 

We started our Thanksgiving festivities by celebrating Aunt Sarah's birthday on Tuesday! Caroline joined all the adults for dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed herself. She was WAY better behaved then I could've imagined. Seeing how 6 o'clock is usually a rough time for us (read major meltdowns), I wasn't quite sure how it would go. She was great, and I'm pretty sure everyone enjoyed her company, especially Aunt Sarah! We also enjoyed seeing Aunt Claudia (Aunt Char as Caroline calls her), who came into town for the birthday dinner as well!

On Thursday, we headed over to Nana and Pop's house for Thanksgiving. Caroline didn't eat much Turkey, in fact, I think she ate a fish stick. She also had mac and cheese, a crescent roll, and of course desserts galore. What are you gonna do? If I can get her to sit down and eat anything with us, I'm happy; two year olds are SO picky! She really enjoyed playing outside with Uncle Eric and Cassie though. I believe they were looking for deer and bunnies! :)

We headed over to Cappy's on Friday and had our last official Thanksgiving meal, although I was still having leftovers on Sunday! The girls played and played while Daniel and I continued to stuff our faces! 

Saturday was spent at Bobby Dodd Stadium, watching Georgia beat up on Georgia Tech! I always love going to the Ga/GT game in Atlanta. One, it's close to home and two, I think it's so neat to watch a college football game and see the Atlanta skyline all at once. It's a great atmosphere too...winning does help though! 

As always, I wish I had gotten a few more pictures, I just forget. The ones I got though turned out cute! 

Hope ya'll had a great holiday weekend! I have Santa pictures to share on another post I'm getting ready! 

All the different faces of Caroline Parker...all I wanted was one with both of them smiling. Is that too much to ask? ;)

 Shhhh....looking for deer!

A view from our seats, Tech likes to put the visitors waaaay up in the stands, but I like the view!

familiy photo sneak-peak!

We took Molly's 6 (really 7) month/family/Christmas card pictures a couple weeks ago. With the holidays swiftly approaching, I was a little worried I wouldn't get the pictures in time to get the card I wanted done. Luckily, I received an email from our photographer before she went out of town for the holidays, containing our slideshow! I can't stop looking at them! The colors of the girls' dresses are amazing with all the fall colors in our yard!

Here are just a few of the MANY that I'm in love with! Heather did a great job, I am so impressed. I think she captured the girls' personalities perfectly! Can't wait to get these printed and hung around our house!

turkey or sides?

Are you a turkey or a sides person?

I'm a sides girl all the way! As I heard Star Jones say on the Today Show {because don't you get all your news from her too}, "You can eat Turkey anytime of the year, you only have the sides once." Excellent point!

I'm in charge of sides at my Mom's house this year. I know I'm probably making too much, but that's half the fun isn't it?

Here's what I'll be cooking up in my kitchen come nap time today!

What's Thanksgiving without Green Bean Casserole?

Source: campbellkitchen.com via Callie on Pinterest

I'm making Paula Deen's Squash Casserole with Zucchini ala Poppy. This is my Dad's made up recipe and it's full of Cheesy Yumminess!

Source: pauladeen.com via Callie on Pinterest

I had these Mac and Cheese Cupcakes at my friends Sarah and Hank's T'Giving Potluck, and I'm hoping they are every bit as good!

Source: framed-mylifeonepictureatatime.blogspot.com via Callie on Pinterest

I made this cake for the Potluck and did an excellent job if I don't say so myself! I sometimes add a Chocolate Glaze to the top as well.

Source: lovefromtexas.com via Callie on Pinterest

And top it off with Chocolate Chip Cookies, because you can't ever have too many chocolate chip desserts and my brothers are suckers for my cookies!

Source: kelseysappleaday.blogspot.com via Callie on Pinterest

There you have it, I've got my work cut out for me today! But I secretly can't wait!

So are you a turkey or a sides person and are you bringing anything with you to your feast tomorrow? Please share your recipes, or just Pin them! I'm sure I'll find them!

mini picasso

I had a project that needed to be tended to the other day, so I decided Caroline and I would both set up shop outside and get some painting done! She had her corner of the yard, and because I was spray painting, I had my own corner too! 

Caroline got this Melissa and Doug easel for her birthday, and while the chalkboard side has been used over and over again, I had never been brave enough to venture onto the paint side. Funny how things change when you've got something that HAS to be done! She's also been doing a lot of painting at school, so I knew she knew what to do. While my pinecones were drying, I got some good shots of my little Picasso! 

She broke the cardinal rule...we do not mix paint! :) 

Stepping back to admire her work of art! 

Ta-Da!!

If you'd like a masterpiece of your own, she'll be happy to paint you one! :)

And in case you were wondering, because I know you were, I was painting pinecones for the teacher luncheon at Caroline's school. And yes, I had to prime them first. The paint just ran off of them before I got smart! ;)

My friend Nina, sent me this picture from pinterest. 

Source: ashleyannphotography.com via Callie on Pinterest

I am hoping mine turn out as cute, but regardless, Caroline and I have had fun collecting pinecones from our yard...and watching the Daddy Hawk who lives in the trees in our backyard.

Baby Cheese

We bought Caroline the Fisher Price Nativity Set, which I personally think is a perfect gift for little ones! It plays Silent Night and Away in a Manger, the Angel sits on top of the Inn, and all the "main" characters are included! We've got Mary and Joseph, The Three Wise Men, animals galore, the Angel, and of course Baby Cheese (isn't that what everyone calls Baby Jesus?)!

Caroline has been playing with this since we opened it a few days ago, and it has been a great "baby sitter" because both girls have been sick this week. Molly has croup and Caroline is getting over a gross cold. So despite being homebound yesterday, it has kept her quite occupied! She will carry it from room to room, she loves it that much. 

So anyway, this morning she was playing with it when I hear her all distressed, "Where's Baby Cheese? Where's Baby Cheese?" Ummmm, I got nothing. I had no idea what she was asking for, so I felt bad not being able to help her. I should've figured it out considering what she was playing with, but with Molly fussing and me trying to get them ready to take Caroline to school, my brain wasn't working. Well I guess she eventually found Him because she came running into the kitchen, "See Mommy, Baby Cheese! Baby Cheese!" as she was holding Baby Jesus. Oooooh, right! Ha! 

This is one saying I hope she holds onto for a while, because it's just so darn cute! 

 

If you're in need of a Nativity set for your little one, I highly recommend this one! We also ready the Nativity story from our Jesus Storybook Bible, which I also recommend for kids. It tells popular stories from the Bible in kid-speak with great pictures! Both of my girls have them, and while I don't know that Molly enjoys them quite yet, Caroline sure does!

Via Amazon.com

molly is 7 months old!!

Molly is:

*Weighing around 21 pounds or so. 

*Wearing size 3 diapers during the day and 4 or 5 overnights at night. We have just a few more 3s and then it's onto 4s. Both girls can wear 4s and 5s at night so this will save some $. Yes, you read that right, they wear the same size diapers. C only wears them at nap time.

*Wearing sizes 6-9m, 6-12m, 9 month clothes, and a few 12 months, though those are still a little big. She wears 6-12 or 12 fleece at night.

*She got another tooth this month! She now has 7 to match her age. 3 on the bottom, 4 up top.

*Sleeping on her belly for 12 hours at night with 2 naps during the day (a shorter am and longer pm), sometimes, but rarely, a catnap of 30 minutes between 5-6pm.

*Takeing anywhere from 32-36oz of formula including cereal.

*Eating oatmeal with fruit in the morning before her nap, a veggie/fruit combo before her afternoon nap, and eating cereal with veggies for supper.

*We love Happy Baby from Happy Baby Food. It comes is squeezable packages and have great veggie/fruit mixes that M devours. 

*She's just started eating Yogurt Melts and Puffs, also from Happy Baby Food.

What Molly's loving these days!:

*Rolling from back to belly and back again. She only does the second roll in bed, and its hysterical to watch because she isn't always sure of what's happened.

*Sitting up like a big girl. If I have to leave her side, I put the boppy around her so she doesn't topple over, but this very rarely happens. She is sitting up so well.

*Beginning to scoot. If she does get out of the boppy, its to go after a toy! I'll find her in a completely different spot then I put her down in. 

*Eating in her highchair or bumbo!

*Still loving her Exercauser.

*Puffs! The girl can put these away! I'm working on her picking them up herself (the pincher grasp), but she hasn't gotten that yet.

What I'm loving about Molly these days {besides everything!}:

*Her belly laughs

*She reaches for us when we go to pick her up. Melts.My.Heart. Love this!!

*She is so smiley! When I go in to get her from her nap or in the morning, she gives me the biggest grin, love it!

*That she LOVES her big sister, and her big sister LOVES her!

*Her rolls. It's no secret, the girl likes her food, and I am loving the little chunk that she has become.

Here's our schedule:

Wake up and have bottle (8oz): 730-8am

Breakfast: 830am -- 2oz of formula with 2tbsp of oatmeal and fruit

Nap: 9am-11am. She usually stir at 10 or so, but I just leave her and she'll go back to sleep till 1030-11.

Bottle (6oz): 1130ish

Lunch: 1215 (I fix Caroline's lunch at 1230 when I'm done feeding M)

Naptime with small bottle (4oz): 1-115 until 330 or 4.

Supper Bottle (8oz): 4ish

Dinner: 5pm -- 2oz of formula with 2tbsp of cereal and veggie 

Quiet time/Cat nap: 530-615 or so if needed.

Bathtime: 630
Bottle and Bed (6-8oz): 715ish

The girls both at 7 months {I promise, the outfits were a complete coincidence!}

I can't believe I just let poor Caroline drool all over her shirt like that, bad mommy! As you can see, the girls look quite different. :) 

pinnable me: pinterest recipe challenge

*I'm linking up with Stephanie at Paw Prints and Pastry Bags for Pinnable Me Fridays!


I'm jumping on Jackie's bandwagon and going to "attempt" to make one thing a week that I see on Pinterest. We keep having the same things over and over again, and I'm just tired of our meal plan these days.

I've already got two recipes planned for next week out of my Cook's Country magazine. Do y'all take this magazine? It's a must! The recipes are all easy, and make fantastic home-cooked meals! I saw a few recipes that Darby made last year, and immediately started my sub with Cook's. All the recipes even come on handy recipe cards that you can just throw in your recipe box. Love it!

So anyway, here are two things I found on that I may try. I'll definitely try one, just haven't made up my mind yet. I'll probably choose one for this week and one for next.

20 Minute Terriaki Chicken -- all about quick meals these days

Source: whilehewasnapping.blogspot.com via Callie on Pinterest

Perfect for Mexican Fiesta (aka every Friday night)

Source: marthastewart.com via Callie on Pinterest

LOVE a good crock pot recipe, especially when it's a comfort food recipe!

Source: crepesofwrath.net via Callie on Pinterest

And because every good dinner deserves to end with a delicious dessert!

Source: tendercrumb.blogspot.com via Callie on Pinterest

Wanna join me on this recipe challenge? What good recipes have you "pinned"? Please share!

halloween parade

This was our second year attending our neighborhood's Halloween Party and Parade, and Caroline definitely seemed to enjoy herself more this year then last. 

She rode the ponies probably 10 times if not more, not kidding. She played a few of the games, played on the playground and marched in the parade all by herself (I even have a video that is hysterical!)! She LOVED it. She loves playing with older kids, so to her this was a blast! 

I tried to get pictures of all of our friends, but they seemed to run from my camera!

fall party and a surprise!

Last Thursday was not only my 30th, it was also Caroline's fall party at school. All the parents were invited, so my Mom and I went with Molly in tow.

Caroline was so excited to show me where she sits for snack and small group crafts, her friends who sit around her, and as you can see, the Halloween Treat bag she made! She was so proud of herself!

I'm in charge of the Christmas party so you can be darn sure I'm scouring Pinterest everyday for new ideas! Can't wait to show them to you!

Remember the ADORABLE shirts that I blogged about Here (and that C and M have on in the pictures above), well Blair has SO graciously offered a discount to all of you!

All you have to do is go too LuluMcgee.com and when you're checking out enter the discount code:

THEPARKERFAM11

You'll receive 10% off anything on the site (Blair has the lowest prices around already) and is good from now until November 30th! I've gotten a sneak peak at her Christmas line, and it is TDF -- so cute for boys and girls!