The Elf On The Shelf

So my friend Christy (I owe you girl!!) introduced me to the Elf on a Shelf Christmas tradition and let me tell you....if you have kids and you haven't got this yet GO GET IT!!!! Works like a charm! It's this little Elf that you adopt and his purpose is to watch your kids all day long and he reports everything back to Santa every night so he knows if you been "naughty" or "nice". So, the Elf "flies" to the North Pole every night, reports all the good/bad things to Santa, then comes back to watch over them the next day. The best part about this is (and this is Gabby's FAVORITE part) the Elf shows up at a different spot in the house every morning so EVERY morning the FIRST thing Gabby wants to do is find her Elf!! It's PRICELESS!!! She named him "Frenchy" (Fancy Nancy's dogs name...of course) and she talks to him all the time!! It is sooooooooooo cute!! (VIDEO OF THIS WILL BE COMING....STAY TUNED!!) She insists that he moves too....his foot, his hand, his head. She is obsessed thinking about where he will be the next day and she asks a MILLION questions about him. So where is his mommy?? Can I touch him??? Does he have a puppy?? Is he going to the North Pole during my nap?? Hilarious!!! The whole story of how she found the Elf was hysterical too but that is something I'll have to tell everyone in person.

It seriously brings me to tears to see the JOY and EXCITEMENT Christmas time and Santa brings to Gabby now. Dante is a little too young to understand the concept yet but I'm having the time of my life filling Gabby's heart with hope, love, eagerness and imagination. Being a mom is the BEST thing in the world. I'm truly blessed.

Here are some pics of Frenchy. He was on the TV speaker today. Now I have to go figure out where to put him tomorrow...:)

Hugs and kisses to all!!

Disney on Ice

This Saturday we went to Disney on Ice with our great friends Angela, Dan and Ellie McDonald and Jodi, Steve, Jossi and Saywer Williams. What a wonderful time we all had and Gabby still tells me (and everyone!) how much fun she had and that she wants to go see another one. I'll have to take her up on that!!

Me and my girl

Bob and his baby boy

Group photo (minus Angela b/c she is taking the picture!)

Gabby and her good friend Ellie (whose face is priceless in this pic!)

Seattle Children's Museum

Last weekend we took the kiddo's to the Children's museum in Seattle. They had a BLAST!! Needless to say when we left they both were asleep in about a minute....:)

Here are the loves of my life playing in the museum....

On our way in!!

Dante just being Dante...:)

Practicing good habits

Gabs carefully picking out her groceries

Look at that fish!!!

Checking out!!!

Dante practicing his tool skills

Now everyone is in on it!!!

Taco time!!!

Dante helping everyone pay for there food

Gabby playing in the water

Cheeeeeeeze Dante!!!

Love this pic....Gab's with her "pet" raccoon. She's my animal lover!!!

Halloween Day 2009

Gabriella and Dante had a wonderful Halloween this year. It was the first year where Gabriella and Dante both actually understood the concept and got to go out trick-or-treating together!! We carved our pumpkins in the morning then put them down for an early nap. In the afternoon we met up with our friends Angela, Ava, Adam and Austin Craig who invited us up to a Halloween Harvest festival at Ava's preschool. It was so much fun!! There was all kinds of things to do for the kids......games, CANDY, a bouncy house...even horse and buggy rides (which we tried to do but they were booked already!!) The kids had a blast!! After the party we went to dinner and then raced home to go trick-or-treating. It was the cutest thing EVER to watch Dante and Gabby. I actually got choked up watching them. They just enjoy each other so much now. At one point in the evening I watched Dante reach over and hold Gabby's hand like they were the best of freinds. It was awesome.

Dante and I came home early to pass out candy and I swear Dante had more fun passing out the candy than anything else he did that night!! He loved putting the candy in all the kids bags then afterward he would wave goodbye. When Gabs got home she had just as much fun helping out too!!

What a great day it was!!!

Waiting patiently for the pumpkins!!

Carving away!! No hands though...ha ha!!

Finished product!!

A picture before the party!!

Playing games!! Gabs at the Frisbee toss station!!

Dante golfing!!

Gabriella and Ava

Group pic!!

Ready to trick-or-treat!!

All done!! Now on with the candy.....:)

Whew what a day!!! Time to relax on the couch with all the goodies!!

Gabriella's Pumpkin Day at Preschool

Gabriella's class had "pumpkin day" last Weds. Since they were not going to a real pumpkin patch the school provided there own "pumpkin patch" for them. They all wore orange shirts and didn't know the difference at all....they were just as excited to be getting there own pumpkin!! It was so cute and, most importantly, they all had a lot of fun!!

I didn't get a picture of Gabby with the pumpkin she picked out because she refused to hold it because it was wet. She is such a girlie girl...:)

Gabby's necklace name badge!

Dante always participates in the festivities!!

Gabby showing the class her "sharing" for the day. She brought in her Hello Kitty watch.

Class activities!!

Dante was the first one outside to check out the pumpkins!!

Love that smile...:)

The pumpkins!!

There they go!!!

Gabby carefully picking out her pumpkin

Gabreilla with her good friend Rylee