ad-vent:: a coming into place, view, or being; arrival: the advent of the holiday season.

Every year we celebrate Christmas with an Advent calender, usually its the chocolate TJ's box (it is only $.99), small ornaments wrapped to put on a little tree, or last year I had put little trinkets and candy in our felt garland pockets. These are all fun things but it still felt like there was something missing, the girls became obsessive over the chocolate (first thing in the morning), they got bored with the small ornaments, and trinkets...who needs more stuff? So after a conversation with KC (my go to for parenting advice) about how the kids hadn't stopped talking about what they want for Christmas for two weeks (and it wasn't even Thanksgiving), she gave me the greatest idea to start an activity advent calender, so the kids can take there focus off "I want" and get excited over time spent together, the crafts (hopefully lots of sewing), and starting new traditions. I don't know whose more excited me or them? Here is our list:

-Christmas Countdown Chain
-Root Beer Floats
-Read "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"
-Snow Downtown
-Decorate Outside
-Watch Holiday Movie w/ Hot Cocoa (I need suggestions...anyone?)
-Write Santa a Letter
-Family Art Night (got the idea from here)
-Make Paper Snowflakes and Hang In Windows
-Ice Cream Sundaes
-Make Xmas Photo Album (all years past, I cant wait to pull out the baby picts)
-Make Teacher Gifts
-Watch Holiday Movie w/ Hot Cocoa
-Search Santa Clause.net (you find out what Santa is doing to prepare for Christmas
-After Dinner Drive To Search For The Best Christmas Lights
-Winter Concert
-Read Christmas Book (haven't decided...suggestions?)
-Write/Illustrate Your Own Christmas Book
-Make Fabric Ornaments (love these)
-Make Gifts For Each Other
-Read Winter Solstice w/ Activity
-Make Gingerbread House
-Bake Cookies and Take Them To Neighbors/Friends
-Leave Santa Note w/ Reindeer Snack (Thanks Kate)

Backseat Organizer

Have you ever looked at your car and thought you were driving around in a big garbage can? That's what it looked like a week ago, until I did the tedious job of cleaning it out, and it was amazing what I found in there, a missing shoe, a lunch bag, and half a sandwich (thank god it was just peanut butter). Then Maddy came up with the brilliant idea to get a backseat organizer. That's when the light bulb went off...I could sew something, so I turned to my happy little blog world and I found this.

Turkey Hands

Super fun project with the girls. These fabric turkey hands are so much better then the paper ones, something will have forever and there small little hands are priceless. I got the idea from here. Have fun!

Black Apple Dolls

A couple of months ago, Maddy asked if we could make a doll. So of course I was excited to jump on the internet and research all the ways to sew a doll. Of course we started w/ Martha Stewart and found the cutest tutorial here to make these "Black Apple Dolls". Can't wait to make more!

8 Years Old!

I just turned 8. I got a lot of stuff. I got a lip balm kit, a belt kit, some clothes, a sweater, a hat, some gloves, a notebook, some paints, some paint brushes, canvases. I had a great day. I got my ears pierced too! -Mads words

5 Years Old!

My baby is 5! She is no longer a baby, a toddler, a preschooler. She is officially a big kid! She is a "whole hand", when you ask her how old she is. She is a super smart kindergartner (her teachers said that too), who loves school, her friends, and is loving her 5 year old independence (I love that).

Celebrating a New Life

There is nothing better then getting together with girlfriends...and especially when your celebrating a new life and motherhood. I am so blessed to have my dear friend Cayce Ellison in my life and was so honored to be able to throw her a baby shower or as she would like to call it a "girls get together". The day was perfect...a great group of girls, perfect weather, and delicious food (thank you Rebecca for planning the menu and all your hard work on providing the food). It's so fun to have an event to plan and especially when its at your own house, it actually inspires you to get to that to do list of house chores (I'm not sure if Ponch felt as inspired as me with his 3 hours of yard work ....thank you Ponch, I do appreciate it). My goal for the day was to create a memory for Cayce and baby to be Charles Cooper, a day she will look back at and remember how much her friends adore her and celebrate her as a mother! Cayce you are awesome and like I said in the card you inspire me in so many ways, as a mother and a friend, and even down to the big blue pom poms.

I want my curls back!!!

Today the girls got there haircuts, something that doesn't happen as often as it probably should. They both went in for a trim with our favorite Aunt Lupe who cuts all the kids hair in the family. Maddy got a cute little layered cut, she looks adorable and loves it. Haley, was insistent on having bangs, all day she talked about cutting the curls on the front of her head, they drove her crazy at times but they were a part of her. So when it was her turn she got what she wanted, even though I was a little reluctant, (only because cutting curly hair short can sometimes turn a little crazy). She walked out of the salon so excited that she didn't look like Shirley Temple anymore (which is so untrue, its not that she unlikes ST, she just hates when all the little old ladies in stores always come up to her and tell her she looks like ST and want to touch her) and that she had no more curls hanging in her face. So tonight when were laying in bed together and I think she is just about asleep the flood of tears come out and shes crying "I want my curls back!!!!" Don't get me wrong she looks adorable but I kinda miss the big bird nest of curls on top of her hair.