Just some fun

We've had a very happy, un-busy weekend since Turkey Day came and went.  Friday Natalie and Mommy did a wee bit of shopping (just two hours worth at 9:30AM, no midnight marathons for us!), while Daddy and Jilly put up our outside Christmas decorations.  They look beautiful!

There's our happy girl.  

She's getting those two-year-old molars in and smiles have been fleeting...

An epidemic broke out Saturday night.  Everyone in the family came down with mystery illnesses that required the expert services of our in house medical team, Dr. J. Miller and Dr. N. Miller.

Jill's Thanksgiving Creativity

Jillian was reading her Highlights Kids magazine and saw a little how-to for making Thanksgiving napkin rings and asked to make them.  So we got a wrapping paper roll and Daddy cut it up.  Jill covered them with foil and then decorated them with names and little pictures of turkeys.  They were just adorable.

She drew this turkey a little too big so it became a sort of centerpiece.  

We hung in on the dining room light in the middle of table for all to see.

And it wasn't just the visual arts Jillian was delighting us with...

Thanksgiving

As we usually do, we hosted Thanksgiving yesterday for our families.  Luckily, Mommy and Daddy had lots of help in the kitchen this year! We were very thankful to spend lots of time with our family on this special day!

Jillian helped trim the green beans.

Natalie helped with making bread cubes for the stuffing.  

(Yes, the little bread monster did manage to keep a couple out of her mouth!)

The cousins.  Minus the newest one.  He was visiting other family and we certainly missed him.

The very full table.  

Six adults, three children, turkey, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, baked corn, cranberry sauce (from a can OF COURSE!), green beans and applesauce. 

Silly Daddy hogging the pumpkin pie!

Natalie licking the icing off the big cookie!

Final Birthday Party

Today was Daddy and Jilly's birthdays.  Yay!  To mark the occasion, Mommy and Daddy took off work to spend the day with our favorite FIVE year old.  

We took Munchkins in to day care to share with her friends.

Then we went to the movies to see High School Musical 3.  She LOVED it! 

(Mommy and Daddy did too, but shhhh! don't tell!)  

It was her first full movie in a theater after an aborted attempt to see Rataouille.  

(The opening chase sequence of that was a bit too much for her with the huge screen and loud sound system!)

That's Mommy's old iPod she using to "talk".  Amazingly, it has become a phone, camera and music player all in one.  We think she's wishing it was like Daddy's iPhone!

Here's the birthday kids at lunch.  

Her special request was Isaac's.  And we had to go to the one we always go to in Greenfield!

Next we went to mall to get ears pierced.  

Mommy went first to show Jilly how it didn't hurt much at all.

Here's Mommy's cartilage piercing.  A small diamond stud in her left ear.

Unfortunately, that was the only piercing that was done.

By then it was past naptime so we went home to rest and get ready for dinner.  

Daddy cooked his favorite meal, Raspberry Balsamic Chicken.  Yumm-y!

Natalie, however, enjoyed the noodles a little bit more.

Oh, Nonna and TOF joined us for dinner!

And of course, there was cake!  A cookie cake as preferred by the birthday boy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JILLY AND DADDY!

And so ends the November birthday spectacular in the Miller house!

Sunday fun

Just a couple of notes from the rest of the weekend.  

Jillian gave Mommy a makeover with her new makeup kit.  (It was a birthday gift.)

Makeover included: 

hair updo, sparkle gel on face and arms, lipstick and gloss, sparkly stampers on hands 

Photo by the artist herself.

Then we have our favorite 2 year old... Hokey Pokey Natalie!

A Perfectly Pink Princess Party

Today, we had a girly princess birthday party for Jillian and five (err... six, long story) girlfriends from day care.  We asked everyone to come dressed as a princess, fairy, etc.  We decorated cupcakes, made bracelets and had lunch.  It was lots and lots of fun!  Only sad note was that Daddy couldn't be there.  But Nonna stepped in to help and we send a big THANK YOU her way.  Thanks also to Pappy for taking care of Natalie this morning so she didn't get in big sister's hair during the party!

Our happy little birthday girl was so excited as her first guests arrived.

The cupcake decorating.  

Surprisingly this was not too much of a mess!

Beading bracelets.

Nonna brought pretty flowers for a centerpiece.

Silly Jilly opening her presents.

Happy birthday to Jillian!

Princess Jillian and her princess friends...

Annalise, Zoe, Xiomara, Callahan and Halie.

(yeah, we are still not quite sure what the surprise add-on sibling's name was.  grrr...)

Daddy wins an award

We're all so proud of Daddy!  He was honored by his alma mater as an Emerging Leader.  We know how great of a guy he is, but we are so happy that others recognize all the time and effort he invests in his students and the Technology Student Association.  Yay for Daddy!

Snow and sew

How excited were the kids this morning to see a blanket of snow? Ridiculously so! Jill made us sing 'Jingle Bells' on the ride to day care and Natalie walked in telling everyone that it was "no-ing". Jill also decreed that Christmas can come now, since apparently snow is a pre-requisite for the holiday season to begin!

In non-weather related news, here's Mommy's latest projects...

eye masks and appliqued inital tshirts for Jill's princess birthday party.

Speaking of the party, Jill's really excited for tomorrow. Last night she picked out her dressup outfit and Mommy messed around figuring out how to put the tiara in her hair. She will be a beautiful birthday girl, that's for sure!

Update

Just a quick "State of the Family" update:

Sometimes they are cooperative, sharing toys and happily playing together.

Then, quick as a wink, things change.

How cute is this after tubby pic?

This picture needs to be prefaced by understanding that Jill is terrified of dogs. When going to visit somewhere, she'll ask if they have a dog... before we leave our driveway... even if it is to say, her grandparents house!
But on Saturday this stuffed dog *had* to accompany us on our errands. His name was "Little Bay". He was dressed for the weather, had a leash, was to buckled into Natalie's vacant car seat AND he got in trouble a few times for biting. Oh, and the night before he had to be taken to the 'emergency room' for an ouchie.

Other Jillian notes: She knows all her letter sounds and can name a word that starts with each letter. She has started playing school with her stuffed animals and, when cooperative, her sister. And when Natalie isn't so willing to do as Jill desires, we get this statement: "I wish we didn't have a baby." She can count at least to thirty. Oh, and when she wore all black the other day Mommy taught her "Back in Black" and the beginning to "Paint it Black". She's just a sponge!

Natalie notes: She's singing the ABCs and can count to ten. She's become a big fan of Dr. Seuss books, especially "Green Eggs & Ham". Washing her hands is a big favorite too, however, putting on shoes??? not so much! And we just got word she'll be starting to visit the next room at day care this week. She's also a bit of a mimic, Mommy made the mistake of saying "crap" the other day and little Natalie wandered back the hallway testing it out. (At least it wasn't a worse expletive!)

More birthday party fun

Natalie relaxing after the party.

Zach drumming.

Jill is teaching Will yoga. 

And now for the crafty Mommy segment...  The cake and tshirts.

The Blue Birthday

We celebrated Jill and Natalie's birthdays with a blue party at our house on Saturday.  Why blue?  Well, it was part of a expertly negotiated compromise between the Blue's Clues and Princess fans of the house.  The latter birthday girl graciously agreed to have Cinderella be Blue's co-star for the day and viola! a blue party was born.

There were balloons and streamers and friends and family.  We had pork barbeque and chicken nuggets and of course, cake!  It was a fun time!