Birthday, Thanksgiving, and Princess Day

This morning we unexpectedly woke up to this winter wonderland.

Normally, I would not appreciate snow during a time like this because it has already interfered with basketball games, a possible trip to Raleigh, Christmas shopping, and the Christmas play.

However, because I hit stress level +11 last week, I was able to appreciate the halt of all activities.

This snow (like online shopping) was a pure blessing.  

December activities are certainly taking us through a whirlwind but today I was able to sort and pull my pictures off of all devices.  

Allow me to get caught up in November:  

Birthday-  my last 30s

This year was really different for my birthday.  

I'm used to my old school really going all out, so this year was a bit more subdued, which was fine because I was overwhelmed by life.  Still, I ended up arriving to a BiG SuRpRiSe...

Yep, Mrs. E.  made sure to sneak to the school to surprise me with a sign, cake, and BIRDday gift. 

You may have remembered from my previous blog that all of my friends have an unhealthy attachment to bird watching, calling, and picture taking (snore), so Mrs. E. made sure to set me up with some bird trinkets.  #craycray

My middle schoolers had no problem sharing my cake.

(Birthdays never tasted so good Mrs. E!!)

It was a good birthday, lots of good wishes and the Husband even brought me back a gift from the beach trip he took with Connor. 

Love those bangles. 

Thanksgiving STOP #1

                  This year we made a few stops for                                         Thanksgiving.

I made the most adorable cornucopias for dessert. 

Turkey Day Selfie

Tru Bug Selfie

Yum!  Yum!  There is a reason they call it 

'Thanksgiving Day Full'. 

Thanksgiving STOP #2

Don't you love this coloring tablecloth?

It provides a lot of entertainment while you await the Turkey Lunch.  (In between selfies that is...)

My Connor:  going through his football cards. 

(My boy loves his football.)

An Auntie Selfie

C & O

(these gals are growing too fast)

A little Thanksgiving Game called 'Farting Pig'

(bringing family members closer one fart at a time)

Burning Off the Turkey Dinner

Football Time (while practicing with volleyball?)

In Sechrist Tradition- 

We Deck the Halls right after Thanksgiving (or the next day)

I love this photo of my sweeties.

This is what happened right after the picture was made:

Princess Day

Another tradition, 

our annual mother-daughter Disney on Ice day.

Don't you love this fur coat?

It is one of the nicest gifts we have ever been given.

We had so much fun!!  

It was totally worth it.  

Here is the highlight reel I made for Carlee-

I love me some princess day with my growing princess!

#GirlsDayRules

Now bring on the Christmas Festivities!!! 

Ice Date

I was very excited to go on a very special date this week.

It reminded me of a time that I went on a different date with this fellow.  It was right around the second inauguration of President Obama.  

Much has happened in that time- in my life, in history, in this country.  Four years ago seem like both 4 minutes and 400 years.   

A mother daughter date is just what the doctor ordered for 'busy life'.

Of course we had to get all dressed up.  

A good dress is the kind where you can really do a great twirl.

I skipped the photo part of me twirling (you can thank me later).

We were VERY excited to watch this year's Disney on Ice:  Follow Your Heart! 

Just so you know, I did offer a ticket for brother.

Being the sweet tween he is, I think he responded with-

NO I'M NOT!!!  YOU CAN FORGET IT.

when I am sure he meant

 "No, Thank You but Mom you are SIMPLY the best for thinking of me'.

The Typical Tween Mind

We ladies had a grand time together! 

Carlee decided to bring her favorite princess- Ariel.

She thought she might be in the show.

We sat right up at the top level. Not only was it cheaper but it kept us away from the sparks.

There are a ton of words you can use for cheaper seats.  
Darling, let us take our balcony/veranda/terrace seats... you know to make them seem more fancy, like Old South.  :)  

Cinderella

Ariel and her Amazing Acrobats

Carlee enjoyed the show so much.  

The costumes were certainly her favorite part.

It is a good thing we were up high or else we would have been recruited to get out there with the other Disney princesses.

I love going to Disney on Ice.

Where else can you get a crown with your cotton candy??  

That is what I am talking about!! 

Isn't my Carlee such a beautiful girl?

She is such an observer and deep thinker of all the things going on around her.

Right after the show Carlee asked me 'what was your favorite part?' and my heart did a happy dance because no one in my house ever ASKS me things like that and I was thinking 'you are such a girl'.

After the show, we hit up the mall for a bit to eat and window shopping.

Maybe I will blame the sugar rush from the cotton candy, maybe it was the excitement from the show,  but I totally got suckered into renting a mechanical motorized animal at the mall.

(Writing it, actually makes me feel even more crazy.)   

The children can just hop on and ride all throughout the mall.  What could go wrong?

It looked so cool.

I think I was suppose to technically get on with Carlee, but I was wearing a zebra skirt, need I say more?

Me.....on a moving hippo...in a zebra print skirt?

You see where I'm going with this, do I really need to bring that kind of attention?  

No.  

No I don't.  

No one does.

By the way, there is zero training for these things.  Have you ever seen an angry hipster?  They DO exist when a toddler rams into the shins on a hippo at the mall.  

I managed to guide Carlee to a less populated part of the mall:

Just when I thought she was getting into it, she became SUPER distracted.

Then I was SUPER distracted.

The point to the story is that we were both too distracted to ride a moving hippo in a mall during the holidays.  

I returned Mr. Hippo WAY before my 15 minutes were up.

the time Carlee almost shoplifted



Let's just say by the end of the evening I was feeling like Ariel here but

it was a certainly a great date!