The Dallas Train Show

Today was a big day! We started the morning going to the annual Dallas Train Show and ended it with a very fun evening spent at the Ft Worth rodeo (more on that later)! We didn't make it to the train show last year, but have gone a few times and really loved it. Of course, we started going because Sofia was such a train nut, and although she's not really into trains anymore, it's still a fun day out. We've usually gone on Sunday afternoon, but decided to go on Saturday morning instead since Marco and Stacy wanted to go with their boys. It ended up being very busy and also seemed to be a lot more active with more displays set up. We started off in the main hall where all the trains are set up and it was great when we realized that Sofia is now tall enough to see the model trains and environment without being picked up! Olivia obviously needed to be held to see the trains and she seemed to enjoy it, but wasn't too terribly interested in it. Once I pulled out pretzels she was a lot more interested in those over the trains. Sofia walked around with CK while Olivia (in her stroller and gobbling pretzels) and I stuck with Marco and Antonio. Stacy was off feeding Luca. After we saw most of the trains, we headed over to the room with all the larger "garden" trains that the kids could sit and watch.

THe three kids sat on the ground and were mesmerized! Even Olivia really was fascinated. Sofia held her unicorn with it's saddle and rider, but didn't play with it. After a while, we headed outside to the courtyard where the kids were able to ride the train around. They ended up going three times and would have stayed there the rest of the day to ride it! We were getting hungry so we headed back to Marco and Stacy's car and loaded up. We drove back to Southlake and tried a new pizza place which ended up being really good. The kids had a great time and we headed home for a very late nap for Olivia. We convinced Sofia to take a nap too since we planned a full night ahead at the rodeo! What a fun day!

CK and the girls at the train show

Marco, Antonio and Sofia watching the trains

One of the scenes

Dinosaurs!

Cows

Watching the big trains

They all loved the garden trains

Olivia watching...

One of the trains - one of my favorites

All set to ride the train!

There they go!

Having fun!

Happy New Year

Last night, CK and I left the girls with a sitter while we walked next door to help celebrate Marco's 50th birthday and the arrival of 2014! We've been at Marco and Stacy's the past few years with another couple and it's been a relaxed and fun evening, but we also haven't been able to stay up past 11:30 the past few years either! This year, Marco and Stacy planned a catered party with about 40 friends, co-workers and neighbors. We were really looking forward to the evening together and ended up having a great time. The food was great and it was a fun, low-key night. We actually ended up staying awake and made it home around 12:30am! A new record for us. The girls were great for the sitter and went to bed on time for her. Of course, we had Sofia visit us around 5am just to be sure we'd made it home.

Although the girls have been sleeping in until 8:30/9am the past week, Olivia woke up at 7:30 and Sofia was awake shortly after, so it was a bit of an early morning. I made orange cinnamon rolls yesterday afternoon and stuck them in the fridge after they were done rising. I put them in the oven and we enjoyed orange cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs after everyone was fully awake! After breakfast, we decided to go for a long walk with Buddy and Sofia actually rode her bike the entire time and was way ahead of us on the path for most of the time. Olivia was in the stroller "walking" Buddy the entire time while singing and chattering away to no one in particular. We took CK to "hidden lakes" which is one of Sofia's favorite places and is a bit of a hidden area among another neighborhood. Buddy decided to go into the water and was very wet and muddy. We headed home and gave Buddy a much-needed bath before Olivia took a nap and the three of us hung out and watched football.

Around 2pm, CK and I got back into the kitchen and made hoppin john from a recipe I used last year and was happy with. It turned out great and is so easy to make. CK also made cornbread. After all was ready, we ate and enjoyed our traditional New Year's meal!

No resolutions yet, but I'm sure I'll come up with some. This past year flew by so quickly that I feel like I'm still wrapping up from the final days. I'll start focusing on 2014 soon....

The two of us at Marco's birthday party/New Year's Eve Party! What a fun night!

Our traditional breakfast of orange cinnamon rolls and scrambled eggs

Ready to eat!

The four of us. Happy New Year!

The Chinese Lantern Festival

On Sunday afternoon, Aunt Shirl and Uncle Steve took us all to see the movie "Walking with Dinosaurs" which was really interesting and well done. It reminded us of the BBC documentaries that Sofia used to love watching about dinosaurs, except that it wasn't quite as educational and the dinosaurs actually talked. It was a fun movie and Sofia thoroughly enjoyed it and spent the rest of the day pretending to be a dinosaur with Aunt Shirl. They made up their own separate roars and had a dinosaur conversation or two.

That evening, we went to Stampede 66 in Dallas which had a Sunday family-style dinner that included ribs, fried chicken, biscuits and green beans. It was very good and an interesting restaurant. After dinner we headed over to the Chinese Lantern Festival which we did last year and really enjoyed it. Of course, it was in the mid-30s and freezing cold so we bundled up and headed out! It was just as spectacular as last year and really beautiful. We walked around, looking at it all and trying to stay warm. Olivia was beyond tired and at point took a serious digger and scrapped up her knee and bit her tongue which made it bleed. She was really upset, so I carried her the last bit before we headed to the car. Aunt and Uncle bought Sofia a cute little ladybug that one of the Chinese vendors made out of a blade of tall grass. It's pretty amazing and I soon found when it's upside down in our living room it looks very real!!

After the Chinese Lantern Festival, we loaded up and drove home. Olivia finally fell asleep on the way home and we slipped her into bed once we arrived home.

Outside Stampede 66

Aunt and Uncle

The girls at the Chinese Lantern Festival

The lake at Fair Park

All bundled up!

Sofia, our little dinosaur

The goldfish

Love the reflection

Flamingos

The girls and their favorite part of the Festival...they begged I take a photo of them with it. So cute!

Aunt and Uncle Visit

Aunt and Uncle arrived for a short post-Christmas/pre-New Year's visit on Saturday! They flew in from California, where they spent Christmas with Aunt Shirl's family. They planned on heading out Monday for New Mexico where they would do their annual New Year's in Santa Fe. Since we had just a few days with them, we had a lot planned.

They arrived early Saturday afternoon and we headed back to the house for CK's "signature" dinner of grilled filet mignon, roasted asparagus and sweet potatoes. He's got the grilled steaks down and they are fantastic! After dinner, we opened presents which was really fun and the girls loved it. Olivia got a constellation ladybug, which she and her sister absolutely love! In fact, Sofia wanted to take it over! For Sofia, they got her a great dinosaur book, which she and Aunt Shirl started looking at together. The book is similar to Dinotopia, which Sofia got last year and LOVES to have read to her over and over. The art work is incredible and the story very interesting. Although Sofia has "moved on" to horses, it was great to see her interested in dinosaurs once again and reading all about them.

After gifts and hanging out, we put the girls to bed and caught up with Aunt and Uncle until we all went to bed. It was great to have them here!

Sofia and Aunt Shirl reading her new dinosaur book.

Sofia Looses Her FIRST Tooth!

Finally! Sofia's tooth has been loose for over a month and we originally thought that she might loose it while at her Grandparent's house in Florida over Thanksgiving. Then, over the past week it has been so loose that we couldn't tell how it was still in her mouth, yet a sharp yank produced nothing. Sofia has been afraid that losing her first tooth would be painful and bleed, and despite our explaining that it wouldn't hurt, she was not to be swayed. Honestly, I thought she might swallow it in her sleep since she wiggled it so much.

Then, yesterday morning, as CK and I were getting dressed and ready to take Buddy to the groomer and then move the plane over to Addison, Sofia came into our room with her bottom right tooth in her hand! She was so excited! She was mainly excited because it didn't hurt or bleed! I took pictures immediately and asked her how it felt. She said it really didn't feel that different, I think because her permanent tooth is so far in already.

I gave her a little container that my Mom gave to me years ago that I figured would be a good tooth holder. She loved it and immediately put her little tooth in it to "keep it safe." We headed out and the girls flew with CK from Arlington to Addison, while I drove and met them. We then went to lunch together and headed home after, where Olivia napped and Sofia played with her horses. Then, we went to sushi for dinner and after we came home so Sofia could write her letter to the Tooth Fairy. She wrote out a note and outlined her tooth. After reading stories at bedtime, Sofia mentioned that she wished she could keep it for another day to show her Aunt Shirl and Uncle Steve who arrive later today. So, I told her she could put the tooth back into the little container and fold the note and put both in her night stand drawer. Then, she could show her tooth to her Aunt and Uncle and put it and the note out the next night. Plus, I'm pretty sure the Tooth Fairy is too tired, so it all worked out!

Sofia's tooth!

Her new smile!

A close up of her mouth!

Sofia writes her note to the tooth fairy

Finished!

Her tooth

The note

All set for the tooth fairy!

Merry Christmas!!

Sofia woke up around 7:30am and since CK was already awake and in the living room, he told her to play with her toys and wait until Olivia woke up before going through her stocking. She played with her horses while Grandma and Grandpa came downstairs and we all sat around with our coffees waiting for Olivia to wake up around 9am! Meanwhile, the breakfast sausage and bread strata Connie and I made the day before was in the oven.

The night before, Sofia came down around 11pm wondering how Santa would be able to get down the chimney with the fire still going....she narrowly missed seeing Santa getting ready to put gifts out. Finally, I agreed to cuddle with her until midnight since she was determined that Santa arrived at midnight and she was GOING to see him this year! As she cuddled, she would be close to asleep then sit up and ask "What time is it?" I would check my sports watch and tell her it wasn't quite midnight yet. Finally, she fell asleep around midnight and missed seeing Santa! Maybe next year.

Once Olivia was awake, Sofia was beside herself to go through her stocking! They both sat on the couch and ate the rest of Santa's cookies and were so happy to enjoy a little sugar first thing in the morning. Sofia immediately started going through her stocking, while Olivia focused on her cookie, and then a chocolate coin in her stocking. Otherwise, she didn't really want to delve too far into her goodies. After Sofia was done going through her things, she opened the play food that Santa left for both girls to share and they were both happy and excited to play together.

We all ate the breakfast strata and drank coffee and relaxed. Around 2pm we enjoyed ham, green beans, scalloped potatoes and biscuits which were really good. Around 3pm, Scott, Brenda and Oliver came over for dessert and coffee and it was great to catch up with them. That evening we went to our Bible study before returning home for some leftovers and bed. What a great Christmas day!

The stockings full of goodies

Toys from Santa - pretend food and a shopping cart for the girls to share

Santa was here!

Enjoying the leftovers from Santa's cookies

Such cute girls

Going through their stockings

Sofia going through all of her goodies

Olivia trying to find the gold chocolate coins...

More candy!

Opening Christmas Presents

Sofia was SO excited to start opening presents and was convinced that the biggest present (from CK and I) would be the absolute best one. Once it was her turn, we let her open the big box and she was a little less than impressed when she found .....clothes and socks. Not what she expected. She continued opening her presents and was SO happy when she opened two from Grandma and Grandpa: a horse farm set and a Breyer "Paint-Your-Own" horses set. She immediately opened up her horse farm set and started playing. She also got many books, four Magic Tree House series from Grandpa and Grandma, the newest Fancy Nancy from her Aunt Cynthia and Uncle Jay and cousins, Black Beauty, Little Princess and Alice in Wonderland illustrated books, and the Barbie Horse set from her sister.

Meanwhile, we couldn't get Olivia interested in opening her presents. She was far more interested in playing with Sofia's horses. Finally, we convinced her to start opening and she started on a good one: a pink "princess" dress from Grandma and Grandpa! She was so excited! She continued opening presents and got clothes, a sweater and shiny winter boots from us, a real Cinderella dress, Cinderella book and DVD from her Grandparents (the dress went on immediately), a Snow White book and musical princess book from Grandma and Grandpa, a shapes activity set from her Aunt Cynthia, Uncle Jay and cousins, and an erasable travel drawing set from her Grandparents. She also got a Hello Kitty notebook and Melissa and Doug horse set from us. Both girls were in horse heaven!

The girls got gifts from my sister Becky, from Sian and her family, as well as Alice and her family which we plan on opening with Aunt and Uncle once they arrive on Saturday.

Before bedtime, we gave the girls new Christmas pajamas they could wear for the night and while they went through their stocking goodies the next day. We got the girls to bed a lot later than normal and I was in the middle of listening to Sofia read her Magic Tree House book, when she asked about putting milk and cookies out for Santa! We'd completely forgotten! Sofia and I hurried downstairs and she chose the cookies for Santa while I got a glass of milk ready.

The presents ready to be opened!

A new "princess" dress - she's SO happy!

CK opens one of his presents

Sofia plays with her new horse set from Grandma and Grandpa

Olivia and her REAL princess dress!

Sofia sets out milk and cookies