Princesses Can Do It All

They can have a pet cat...

that might turn into a horse with a magic spell!

Princesses can do a pretty pose!

Or the can be a pirate :)

In Ivy's imaginary land of dress up... She is a Princess and she can do "anyfing"!!

Wordless Christmas Post

Smorstad Christmas

This post is a little overdue... but we have been busy enjoying my Christmas break! We have been loving mornings in our jammas, visiting with family, and getting ready for Santa's arrival. However, our first Christmas was actually a little over a week ago. We celebrated with Greg's parents early since they were going to be out of town for a couple of weeks. It was so much fun to see the difference between Ivy last year and this year. Last year she would fixate on the first present she opened and be very uninterested in everything else.... this year she was unwrapping presents so fast just to see what was going to be next! Meemaw and Papaw spoiled her (and us!!) as usual. Ivy was excited about her ladybug tent and digital camera, she has been enjoying ALL the Barney DVD's over and over and over, and it never fails that she thinks she needs her purse and her "brella" everytime with leave the house. She had a fabulous Christmas with her Meemaw and Papaw and we are excited about more Christmases over the next few days!!

Christmas Party!

Last weekend, Greg and I attended our first Clotfelter-Samokar Christmas party. I was excited to get dressed up and go out with my husband, but a little nervous to meet everyone. However we had a great time!! It was held at the Malone's party room and it was nice. It was good food and good times. While we were partying.... Ivy was having a fabulous time with Nana and Pops. We are so grateful that we are afforded an evening out with FREE all night childcare where our baby (or I guess toddler) is in good hands!

We had fun dressing up! And Ivy was so funny proclaiming this past Friday that she needed to wear boots and leggings to her Christmas Party at the babysitter's house! haha

Feeding Pops a yummy new snack~

Tucking all her babies into bed...

Taking a "boat" ride! (Great imagination!!)

Listening to Pops with a stethoscope.... maybe she will be a nurse like her Nana!

Overall, Ivy had a super time and so did we!!

Dear Ivy

Dear Ivy,
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You have been such a trooper and I am so proud of you! You have loved your paci since you were born. It has comforted you and at times it has comforted Mommy and Daddy. You are such a big girl now! Big girls wear panties and just like you told us.... they don't have paci's. You surprised Mommy and Daddy with your sweet heart when you decided the baby reindeer needed your paci. I think that will make their long trip house to house a much better one. We were so proud of you when you gave Elf Rob your paci's on Wednesday night and Santa Claus is proud too. You are such a good girl and because of you there are some happy reindeer.


Now it hasn't been easy. Wednesday night was one of my saddest evenings since being a Mommy. We held you as you cried and mourned over the loss of your friend. It was a different weep than I have ever heard- you weren't angry or sick... but just sad. You were so sad and were unsure of how to find comfort throughout the night. But last night you did so much better and went to bed with just a few tears and I am confident that tonight will be just like old times. We have hated to see you sad and hated knowing that you are really growing up, but loved knowing that this was your decision and that you usually are right on- doing things when you are ready! We love you and can't wait to see even more facets of your kind heart as you grow up.
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Love, Mommy and Daddy

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.....

I really love Christmas time! I love getting out on my decorations, shopping for gifts, looking at Christmas lights, listening to Chrismtas music, and I especially love the magic of Christmas through a child's eyes. I am able to do that everyday at work with my first graders.... only because I work in a super conservative public school district, where we can say Christmas, make ornaments, and sing Away in a Manger at our Christmas show- YAY Wilmore. But this year I am also seeing Christmas through Ivy's eyes. This year she is old enough to really talk about all the magical aspects of Christmas and it is so much fun. We have started some new Christmas traditions and added to some old ones. This post is to capture us getting into the Christmas spirit!

New Tradition: Elf on the Shelf!!! If you have a child and haven't heard of Elf on the Shelf it is a book and little Elf that you read to your child. The Elf then gets a name (ours is Rob- odd I know!) and it lives at your house until Christmas flying back to the North Pole every night to report to Santa and reappearing in a new spot each morning. Ivy talks to Rob- every time she wants to report her good behavior. She pretty much ignores him when I refer to him mid temper tantrum!! When she wakes up the first thing she does is look for Rob. :) It is so much fun!

New Tradition: Pink Tree :) You've seen it, we love it, and it needed a spot on this post!

Old Tradition: My Granny got me this advent calendar when I was little (well maybe me and Anthony... but I have claimed it!!) and each day you move the mouse. Ivy loves it. She doesn't understand to move him one day at a time but instead skips him all over the calendar. One thing she does know is that on the last day Santa will be coming! This is one of my favorite memories.... except the times when Anthony tackled me to try to beat me to the mouse each morning.

Old Tradition, New House: LOVE the fact that I have enough space that we do not have to move furniture to put up our Christmas tree. Don't LOVE the fact that our toddler of a kitten destroys the tree daily so I have the joy of redecorating it each and every day for the month that it is up. Don't LOVE the fact that our toddler of a kitten opens Christmas presents so they have to rest on the mantle to protect them from little kitten claws! LOVE LOVE LOVE the Christmas tree and stockings, even if my cat is sort of annoying!

Old Tradition.... Growing: I love getting out the Santa pictures each year!
Here is this years picture! Ivy was terrified of Santa. She clung to us from the moment we stepped in line to see him. We have been talking about going to see Santa and she has been so excited, but it all turned to fear when we actually could see him. None the less, this picture became a family affair with Santa!! Now she is already saying.... next year, when I am bigger, I am going to sit with Santa by myself. We will see!!

Merry Christmas!!!

Sick Days.... the dreadful ear!

Ivy has been sick for a long time. Not life stopping sick, just mildly, annoyingly sick. To be exact we are on our fourth antibiotic and our fourth ear infection in 7 weeks. CRAZY!! The last 2 weeks our sore ear has been complimented with an ugly combination of an upper respiratory and sinus infection... yuck.

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However, we are thankful that it is not the flu.

We are thankful to have excellent insurance for our many co-pays.

We are thankful to be going back to the ENT tomorrow to decide how we are going to fix the faulty tube.

We are thankful that in the midst of our sick days (home together) we are able to play!

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Even though we are sick and feverish with gook draining out of our eyes, nose, ears, and mouth (sorry to make you gag) we are still playing and....

Being very creative in picking out our own clothes!

Finding the best spots in hide and go seek!

Practicing for the day we finally become a big sister!


And trying to escape the confines of the backyard!
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I love my little Ivybug! Feel better soon, sweet girl!