Treasured

This is long overdue but simply must be shared. Here is Caroline in the Kindergarten dress that Great Aunt Claudia smocked for her. Isn't she a doll? Aunt Claudia let Caroline pick the smocking design, colors of the crayons, and the fabric color of the dress...and then she went to work on it. The final result is precious and will be treasured by Caroline always. It's classic style embodies the essence of girlhood, I think.

Here is a close-up of the smocking. Can't you just see how much love went into it? I know I can!

Kid-Proof

Brian and I re-covered our kitchen chairs with a laminated cotton this weekend. I by no means think the fabric is the end-all be-all of prints, but the pickings are slim when it comes to laminates. I was happy just to be able to find something remotely the same shade of green that's in our home. The good news is that the kids can spill, smash, and squish as much as they want, and the chairs need only to be wiped down. :o)

File this one under "Biggest Week Ever"

Caroline decided to knock this week out of the ballpark and lose her first tooth! She is so very proud :o)

Happiness!!

Teeny tiny tooth

Daddy did the honors of pulling the tooth, a moment they will remember together always. I was just as proud of Brian as I was of Caroline...he pulled the first one without Caroline shedding any tears and made the first one a wonderful memory.

8 months old!

Walking with Rainbows

Nana,
My Vans are so pretty with the rainbow laces you sent. These happy feet are off to a second day of Kindergarten.

Hugs and kisses,
Caroline

And so it begins!

Lord, may she learn much, laugh a lot, feel safe, know she is loved, and have more fun than she can imagine. And please, please, please let there be sweet girls in her class. Amen.

Look out, Kindergarten, here she comes!

Nothing says lovin' like somethin' from the oven...

... so I hope these oreo cookies remind Caroline of just how much I love her when she sees them in her lunchbox tomorrow on her very first day of Kindergarten.

A box of Hannas!

I love Hanna Andersson. I don't buy it unless it's on sale, but I love it. And it just so happens that sale time came just in time for kindergarten, which I happily took advantage of and ordered up a surprise delivery for Caroline. The box arrived yesterday! And, of course, Caroline put on a fashion show...

She looks pretty pleased to me, don't you think?

This photo doesn't do this outfit justice. It's not as shlumpy as it looks here, and the tights are actually the same shades of purples in the dress. But, this shows one of the biggest reasons why I love HA...each season she picks a color palette and offers up solid tees, leggings, tights, etc that coordinate with all of her dresses and patterned pieces. I was able to buy Caroline dresses that she can wear while it's hot, as well as, the coordinating layering pieces for the cooler temperatures that I'm desperately hoping find their way to Texas before next spring.

She had spied this dress in a catalog and made sure I knew she wanted it, so she was thrilled to unwrap it. She'll wear it with a pair of shorts hidden underneath until it cools down (as the below photo shows)

This outfit was her immediate favorite. I didn't know if she'd go for the knee high socks, but she triple-heart loved them. :o) And check out the pink blazer below...it's made of the softest knit fleece ever and will coordinate with so many things she already has. *happy sigh*

Love Shack

Grandmama had planned to make a gingerbread house with Caroline and Jackson this past Christmas, but with all the wonderful business of Liam being born, they ran out of time. Last weekend, she very kindly gave us her supplies. We decided to buy red, white, and pink candy and make a Valentine-themed house. I think the kids did a great job decorating it, and, yes, I do affectionately refer to it as the Love Shack.

Snow and Sleep

We got almost 4 inches of snow in McKinney yesterday, which meant the return of our snowgal, Crystal Icicle! Brian and the kids had a blast playing in the powdery flakes, while Mommy kept Liam toasty and snug inside the house and whipped up hot chocolate to warm fingers, noses, and toesies when they came back inside.

Caroline: "Mommy, is this a blizzard?"

Me: "Well, for Texas, yes."

Two sections done... time for a hot chocolate break

Crystal Icicle is here once again! Time for some more hot chocolate...

And because Liam deserves to be seen in this post, here are a few photos of him doing something he loves: sleeping!

All snuggled up on Aunt Becca's quilt!



I love that he's worked his arm out of his swaddle...so cute


Look at those lips!

Liam is here!!

Our favorite gift this year arrived on Christmas Eve! William Dale Peacock was born on 12/24/2010 at 5:57 p.m. He weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces and was 20 inches long. He is a beautiful baby, and Caroline and Jackson adore him! Brian and I feel greatly blessed.

Here's Liam getting the once-over by Dr. Ely.

He's such a handsome boy!

Liam has one proud Daddy

There are just no words to describe holding your new baby in your arms...

Here's Liam in the arms of the world's best big sister ever!

And here's Jackson not quite sure what it's all about (that changed as soon as we made it home...he now thinks that Liam is the funniest thing he's ever seen)

Getting cozy with Granddad...

Showing Grandmama just how big he can yawn.

Liam evened the gender score of PaPa's great grandchildren...the count is now 2 girls and 2 boys