Every Day Is A Country Song: 2014

Happy Christmas Eve Eve!

"O Holy Night" - David Archuleta

I think I've used this song two other times in past Christmas posts.

It's my favorite. It makes me (yep, you know it) cry. It makes me want to put on ballet shoes and dance and leap around the living room (which I may sometimes do - minus the shoes).

And it makes me feel very peaceful.

Steve's going to be in soon from a late-night movie with friends, and I want to get a few more gifts wrapped. Okay, okay, and I really want to watch this Christmas LMN movie I started recording hours ago. It was getting really juicy (kidding not kidding)...the wife just found out her husband of 21 years was cheating on her with a 25 year old exercise instructor. I don't know where the Christmas part comes in at yet, but I bet it will be another spectacular Lifetime Movie Network Production.

That movie may not scream "Christmas," but this little Santa Pippy...

she gets the job done.

We had a nice Christmas Eve Eve today.

We got to spend time with GiGi. She, so thoughtfully, surprised Piper with swimming lessons for Christmas, so we got all signed up to start next month. Piper will be in Pool Dreamland in a few weeks!

I dressed Pips up in a Santa dress Deeds found for her a few months ago, and we surprised Steve at work. I handed Piper a Santa bag of chocolates to pass out to his co-workers, but not much got passed out. She was too busy unwrapping the Reeses PB Cups and trying to shovel them all in her mouth before anyone else could get their hands on them

Steve, Piper, and I went to lunch and "cheersed" to him having the next week off, and us beginning a week of what I'm sure with be a mix of many sweet and bittersweet moments.

Tonight, Piper stayed up a little later and had an extra long bath and bedtime story session.

I held her close, all warm in her fleece pajamas and kissed her head 839 times. I told her "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve!" She replied with "Ho Ho"

and I smiled and said "Yes, Santa will be here in two days!"

"Oneeee...Twooo," she replied.

And I smiled and hugged her closer.

She may not get it all yet, but she's starting to.

And it's magical and all so amazing to me. These incredible little humans, who absorb so much,

so quickly.

Our Christmas Eve Eve

#pippyvid

Grilled cheese dance

Twinkie relaxing and Twinkie relaxing when all of the sudden he sees a crazy Pippy headed his way.

Monday

Ho Ho was hanging out with Piper's bath toys. We finally found the keys to Piper's new veterinarian play set from Aunt Jen, Jackson, and Sean, after hours of searching the night before. Nellie and KiKi came over for a lunch/play date. Deeds surprised Pips with a "POP," and then Pips went table climbing and Dee Dee purse swipin'.

Sunday, Aunt Jen, Sean, and Jackson came over for brunch.

We stuffed ourselves, watched our babes play and gobble up rounds of eggs, potatoes, muffins, fruit and "nonuts!" You can never go wrong with friends and food.

The pictures I get when I ask Steve to take a "nice picture" of us.

That's better!

#pippyvids

I love the way she says "Sean" and the way she imitates a heartbeat.

Daddy was so desperate to find her keys, he even looked in the tree stand. Piper kept him company. LOL

#pippyvids

She's in love with Sesame Street and watching their music videos. When we put on her favorite, "Mando" (or "Manoo," as she calls him) she put on quite the show.

I think I've watched these videos 302 times.

A sweet Saturday

Steve, Dee Dee, Piper, and I went downtown and Piper met "Santa 1" and Mickey and Minnie.

We got to see Aunt Kelly, Kurt and the babes.

Pips got a rad snowman tattoo on her hand, got to taste lemonade and popcorn for the first time.

And, she got to fart on Steve's lap in the theater and scream "Elmo" when "Mickey's Christmas Carol" came on the screen. She said "Let's bust outta this place, unless of course, they wanna switch it to "Elmo's Christmas Carol!"

And later that night, a date at the mall, to do some shopping, meet "Santa 2," who kinda looked a little loopy, and "PLAYPLAYPLAY" as Pips would say.

Late-night Mexican dinner. Piper also tried lime for the first time. ;)

The next day, we got our tree.

It's a favorite December day of mine, each year.

We go to the tree farm we went to growing up, and it's so special to be able to take Piper there, and share it with Dee Dee, too.

I love these pictures. Pips was being such a wild Moonchie - ripping her gloves off, wanting to play hide 'n seek in the maze of trees...

I remember fetching her for the pictures and her throwing her gloves on the ground 353 times. We were all laughing so hard. She was too - because she knows when she's being a buster, and she thinks she's all that.

One of my favorite pictures of Piper and Deeds, below

#pippyvid
Dee Dee thinks she's so funny. ;)

Pips gave the hot chocolate (mixed with cold water) two chubby thumbs up and a "More pwease!"

She hung her ornament from Dee Dee when we got home.

She kept calling it a "brush."

Meetin' DaDa for lunch

Mega Cheese

#pippyvid
Dee Dee came to visit and was playing with Muffin (and some leftover tree twine). Piper got a major case of the giggles while watching them. #icanttakeit #heartexploding

We always wait a few days to put the ornaments on the tree. (More tree talk in next post.) I love putting the lights on and just leaving the tree simple for the first couple days.

It shines bright. And so does Pippy.

We had a little photo sesh.

Strinke a pose!

Fabulous!

Is she flippin' the bird?

#canttakeit

Hugs by the tree

2 Saturdays ago, Ho Ho surprised Pips with a mini tree for her room, and a bunch of animal ornaments. Piper is constantly pointing to it and asking me to take it down, so she can play with it and rearrange the ornaments.

#pippyvid

Her favorite is the "pana!"

After a nice nap, it was time to bundle up, and time for Sesame Place.

"I gots my Elmo gloves and hat! Let's go, peeps!"

I spy a Pippy giving Dee Dee directions.

Seeing Piper surrounded by some of her favorite "pals," all the lights, and well, her family...

made me one happy lady.

I was way too into the Christmas parade and so wanted to cross the line and start dancing with Elmo and Big Bird. (Mad props to Steve for waiting early to get us front row *and to Piper who had a near blowout minutes before the parade started*

Lotsa memories...

"Mama, can I please have the $17 piece-of-crap duckie?"

There's Elmo

Bye-Bye, Sesame Place! Thanks for the memories!

Handfuls of Instagram pics from last week

Some of her favorite loves - Elsa ornament, Mr. Snowman, and her "I <3 YOU" Sesame Street cup from Deeds...

Last Wednesday - A day at Longwood Gardens with GiGi

As I titled one of my (these) IG pics last week - "And to think I used to hate this place."

It's the truth - I did.

But not now...Oh, not one bit. (Thank you, Piper *and Geeg*)

Piper wore a dress that GiGi had found for her months ago. I adore it, and it reminds me of some of the dresses I wore when I was a little girl. "Little girl" - that, she is.

Watching my little girl run wild through the gardens (while I break a sweat chasing her, as I snap away), splash in the "pool," rip a few petals off the flowers (Hey, you heard nothing) is so magical.

We left the bathrooms and let her loose, and well...

I don't think I need words.

Piper's headband is from the lovely Logs n' Lace

#heartexploding

Don't fall in!

She's so beautiful. LOL

Never, did I ever, picture myself having a blue-eyed babe. <3

More of last week...

Throwback Thursday, to 7 Decembers ago, on our Bahamas cruise, when we thought it was cool to take kissy pictures in the ocean (and in front of hideous Christmas scenes), and when I almost twisted Steve's nipples off in fear, while wave running over a family of sting rays.

Just a light snack before bed. #onlyafewbitesipromise #HEYitschristmas

Nose-pickin' snoot

Always a hoot at Dee Dee's!

#flashbackfriday

"Look Mama! I dress!"

We broke out the nativity set that Dee Dee gave Piper last Christmas. She loves playing with it and singing to "Away In A Manger," and she loves adding other friends in, like Princess Anna.

#pippyvid

Sing it!

"These crowds!"

She learned the word "snuggle" Saturday night.

I took these photos on Thanksgiving. There was still a thin coat of snow in our neighborhood, and I wanted to take advantage, and get some pictures for our Christmas card.

I found this dress last winter at the giant consignment sale we always go to. I had to have it (and then Geeg stole it from me and ran in line with it).

8 minutes in the "co-co-cold" was worth it. (High-five, Pippy!)

(Thank you for the pretty, pretty coat and hat, Geeg! I may just try and squeeze into it!)

"Oh heck naw, Suzie did not just give my hat the side-eye! Right back at ya, sister!"

#crylaughing

Steve came home a bit ago, and has been commenting on the pictures he sees pop up on the screen as I scroll and type. I think I've shushed him 6 times now. "Shhhh, I'm writing! You come in here, stink up the place, blast Cartman's version of "O Holy Night," and plop it on the couch!

He retorts back - "Ok, David Archuleta, "O Holy Night," for the 357th time!"

And we bust out laughing.

That, my friends, is Christmas.

I wish you all a beautiful Christmas.