Hello...Market edition

Hello and happy New Year's Eve!  2012 is winding down and we're getting ready to say hello to 2013.  These pics were snapped at our wonderful downtown market on Christmas Eve...enjoy!

Hello to stall after stall of yummy goodness.

Hello to eating colorfully--so much more fun!

 

Hello to playful cupcakes--LEGOs and Sesame Street.

Hello to a reminder of what "real" food looks like.  This was what freaked the Noodle out!

Hello to cheese--oh how I love you!

Hello to pastries galore.  No calories here, eh?!

Hello to the Market celebrating a birthday and 100 years of history...here's to 100 more!

 Linking up with Lisa and her Hello Monday post.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

As I type this, the wind is howling, the snow is swirling and we're hunkered down, ready to brave the blizzard that is in full force. Sounds somewhat similar to the end of October when Superstorm Sandy hit--hopefully we don't lose power for 6 days like we did a few months ago!  Seems like the perfect time to post about our Christmas festivities, so get comfy--there are a bunch of photos :)

I really do believe that it is the most wonderful time of the year!  I love everything about the Christmas season--the sights, the sounds, the smells and, of course, the yummy tastes!  Another thing that I love about Christmas is all of the traditions.  The tried and true ones and the newly established ones.  From year to year, our Christmas remains pretty similar, but that's how I like it.

Christmas Eve we always go downtown to this wonderful foodie market that is celebrating 100 years of operation.  You can pretty much buy anything here--goat, pheasant, a whole pig, Middle Eastern pastries, crepes, Irish pasties, purple potatoes, kumquats, and pomegranates just to name a few.  Our city has a large immigrant population that has changed as the years have gone by...this market is a definite reflection of all the different cultures, customs, languages and foods.  When we go, we don't usually buy a whole lot, but we do do a lot of gazing and salivating.  Ha!  This year, the sight of the whole pig left the Noodle a bit squeamish and freaked out--not that I blame her!

Our church has a children's service that begins at 4:30.  This year, the Noodle sang in the choir (a first!).  She was front and center and sang her little heart out.  So cute!

After that, we came home and had Christmas tea with Lollie and Papa.  Again, another tradition that harkens back to when I was a child and we lived in England.

Christmas morning, the Noodle actually slept in a bit (I believe it was 6:45 this time) and then we took our time opening gifts.  When she walked down and saw the tree, she couldn't believe it.   She just kept gazing at it and saying "Wow!"  Santa definitely found his way to our house ;)

 

Christmas morning wouldn't be complete without an opportunity to play with some of the new gifts.  Both J and the Noodle were excited to rip into the new LEGO horse stable set and to get building.  It was definitely the year of the horse.

Then we headed out to celebrate with Grandma and Grandpa, J's brother and his wife and all the "peeps". It was a whirlwind of activity and excitment but so much fun. By the time we were ready to leave, all 3 of us were exhuasted. We had an uneventful trip home, got our jammies on cuddled on the couch--the perfect end to a wonderful Christmas!

Happy Christmas to All!

Joy to the world, the Lord has come!!  Wishing you all very Merry Christmas blessings!

**In case you're wondering, the sign says "Waiting for Mei-Mei" :)  Hee hee!!

Pony Party

Well, the world didn't burst into flames on the 21st like the Mayans predicted, but the Noodle did turn 6.  This year, she had a party.  With friends.  Stepping into the big leagues!  The theme?  Horses and ponies--of course!

We decided to keep it pretty low-key and just have it at home.  On a couple of the RSVPs the question was asked whether or not a real pony was going to be present...alas no...not in our yard.  In December.  It seemed like all the youngsters still had fun though, live pony or not.

While all the guests arrived, they girls busied themselves by coloring some horse pictures and playing with the toy horses.  Once everyone got here we played a couple rounds of Pony BINGO and then pin-the-tail-on-the pony.  I read a pony picture book while J got the cake ready and the table set.  Then it was on to ice cream and birthday cake.  We rounded out the afternoon with the opening of presents.  Quite a few sequeals of joy and oooohs and aahhhs by both young and old:)

There was a little time at the end, so the girls decided to break out the Noodle's new gifts and try their hands at playing with them.  When the 2 hours were up, the parents starting arriving and each little girl left with her very own thank-you long sleeve pony t-shirt.

There were a couple of parents who stayed for the party.  They commented at how calm the girls were and how smoothly everything had gone.  Everyone seemed to have a good time and have fun, so I'd say that the first "friend party" was a success!!

Fa la la la la!

The Noodle is becoming much more particular in her thoughts regarding clothes, hair accessories (or lack there of), etc.  Ha!  I knew it was just a matter of time ;).  Thankfully this year she has to wear a

uniform, so mornings are pretty smooth...next year just might be a different story!

 

Last night was her school choir concert.  The plan was that she was going to wear her Christmas outfit (turtleneck and sweater with the skirt).  10 minutes before we're suppose to leave, she informs me that her music teacher said they were not suppose to wear turtlenecks because it would be too hot up on stage.  When I tried to let her know that it would be o.k., she became very indignent and said that I was not to make her break the rules and that her teacher said so!  Now, as an aside, there was a lengthy letter that came home regarding what the kiddos were and were not suppose to wear, and there wasn't any mention about turtlenecks....anywhoooo, she ran upstairs and pulled out this shirt I just finished for her and declared that it would be o.k. to wear this.  Thank goodness it matched!  BTW, the only reason she agreed to a bow was because her babysitter very sweetly asked her to so that she would be spotted up on stage--thanks J!

 

I used this t-shirt via Pinterest (unfortuantely the link isn't working...sorry to whoever originally created this cutie!) as the inspiration but re-worked the color combo.

Interested in making one for yourself?  Great...here's how I did it!

 Supplies:
1 long sleve t-shirt (thank you Tar-Jay)
2 different colors of ric-rac
1 coordinating ribbon
matching thread

1.  I started at the base of the tree and cut my ric-rac approx. 8 in. long.  Pin it in place to keep it straight and then sew it on.

2.  I continued alternating ric-rac and ribbon, getting smaller by the inch (7", 6", 5", etc.) and sewing them into place.

 

 3.  Finish with a bow on top (I tacked it on) and a "trunk" (not shown).

 

The concert was as cute as you can imagine.  The only drawback?  Since 3 classess of Kindergarten students, 3 classes of first graders and 3 classes of second graders were all singing at once on the stage, it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.  Literally, especially since the Kinders were standing on the floor rather than the risers.  The only way we got a glimpse of the Noodle was when we stood up (for like 30 seconds) to try and find her.  Oh well.....

By the time we got home it was 8:30 and someone had fallen asleep in the car.  J brought her in and put her down so he could take off his coat.  I tell ya, when she's out, she's out!

Visit with Santa

Today was a first for us--a visit with Santa.  In years past, the Noodle was always pretty apprehensive about hangin' with the Man in the Red Suit.  She had, in fact, no desire to go see him, talk to him or really even be relatively close to him.  I almost didn't even bring up about 'breakfast with Santa' this year, but at the last minute, threw it out there.  She was interested.

Her school had it well organized (because really, it's crazy enough during the holidays and who wants to deal with chaos associated with an unorganized Santa visit?!) so we ate a yummy breakfast and then went in to do a craft or two before it was her turn to go up. 

After they reviewed her top-3 wish items (My Little Ponies, a horse in a carrying case and a talking Spiderman) she was popped up onto his lap, smiled and then hopped down.  No fear.  I'd say it was a success!

Hello Monday--wedding style

Hello there!  J and I had a nice, little get-away this past weekend and celebrated a soroity sister's wedding.  There was love in the air--December weddings are beautiful, aren't they?  It also doubled as a birthday mini-break for me.  Woo-Hoo :)

Hello to marrying your best friend.

Hello to dear, sweet friends.  My cheeks and tummy hurt from laughing so much!

Hello to "throwing diamonds" with soroity sisters...and some International officers!

Hello to December--Christmas is just right around the corner and I'm thrilled to start decking the halls!

Hello to turning another year old and (perhaps) a little wiser?!  Linking up with Lisa and her hellos.