Holly Jolly Lights of the South

Lights of the South has become a holiday tradition ever since we moved to Augusta 3 years ago. We like to go on a week night right after Thanksgiving. It is a good time to avoid crowds and great weather the last couple of years.

The peacock is my favorite light display

This year we invited Mel's friend Maggie and her mom to come with us. We figured Mel would have a lot more fun with a friend to run around with her. We were not wrong.

First thing we did when we got there was the hay ride. There was no line so we were able to get right on. (Though this year there was a big screen playing Christmas cartoons right by the hayrides to help entertain people as they stand in line. I think the girls wouldn't have minded waiting a little just to watch the cartoons.)

Mel loved the ride. She oohed and aahed at all the lights and pointed out the different shapes and characters displayed in lights.

After the hay ride the girls ran around and played in the different play houses. There are a couple of big ones with slides, ladders and stairs. But the girls seemed to prefer the simple one that looked like a gingerbread house. They also liked the wooden train.

This year there was a walking trail that leads through the light displays. The trail is 1.5 miles. I love walking through all of the lights and just enjoying the night. The girls loved running and playing and stopping to look at all the lights.

The jumping dolphins was one of Mel's favorite displays. (It was really hard with the dark night and bright lights to get great pictures.) Lights of the South (as long as we live in GA) will always be a Christmas tradition.

Holly Jolly Christmas Crafts

We did a little Black Friday shopping this year. Our last stop was Home Depot. Mel was getting a little bored so I let her help me pick out poinsettias and look as Christmas stuff while Meric was looking at tools. Among the Christmas stuff Mel found some holiday puzzles. They were made of wood and came with paints to decorate them. She picked the gingerbread man and was so excited to bring it home.

After putting the puzzle together a few times (she LOVES puzzles) Mel was ready to paint. It was fun to watch her paint. She was so focused.

I was expecting her to make a mess of it and mix all the colors all over it but she didn't. Mel deliberately painted every part of the gingerbread man a different color. The head is yellow, arms red, legs white, buttons brown and vest green. Mel is so fun to watch and is always surprising me.

Mel and Meric have started doing daddy/daughter dates. Whenever they can they attend the Lowes and Home Depot kids workshops together. Usually they aren't held on the same weekend but December's Christmas workshops fell on the same Saturday. Since they were going to do 2 workshops and it is Christmas and I wanted pictures, I invited myself along on their date.

HD was first with a gingerbread man candy dish. Mel is getting really good at swinging a hammer. She loves tools and working on projects with her daddy. 

Lowes had a couple of Christmas ornaments for her to make. It was amazing to me how she never hit Meric while hammering. A fact that Meric pointed out to me when I tried to help and ended up hitting him with the hammer. 

Mel loves crafts. She loves painting and hammering and decorating. I have said it before and I will keep on saying it: This kid makes Christmas so fun and exciting!

Holly Jolly Christmas Tree

Mel was so excited to get a Christmas tree this year. It amazes me how well she remembers getting the tree last year. For weeks she would talk about running through the Christmas trees. She would say "I'm going to get a Christmas tree. Were going to cut it down. And put lights on it. And a star on top." Over and over again she would say this.

Like last year we headed down the road to Gay's Christmas tree farm. We walked through all the trees until we found the perfect one.

Mel supervised while Daddy cut down the tree. She loved helping push the cart around.

This year I decided to buy a fresh made wreath to hang on the door. I love real trees and wreaths.

Every year we get Mel a Christmas ornament. They had a few for sale in the little store there so I let Mel pick one out. She chose a cute little cardinal. When we got home, while getting things ready for the Christmas tree, Meric heard Mel playing in the living room. She was saying something about how the bird couldn't fly. He found her holding her ornament with one of the wings broken off. Nothing a little glue couldn't fix and somehow it made it even more fitting for Mel this year. What kid hasn't broken an ornament or two.

By the time we got the tree into the house and in the stand it was time for Mel to take a nap. While she was sleeping Meric and I put the lights on the tree and put the tree into place. We waited until Mel woke up to put the star on top. When she came down the stairs and saw the lights she was in awe but quickly pointed out that we needed the star on top. She was thrilled to help put it up.

 Mel loved pulling out all of the ornaments. We did have to remind her several times that they were to go on the tree and not toys. We managed to get the tree decorated with only one more ornament broken. (just a little piece, nothing major)

Mel loves looking at the tree, ornaments and lights. We put all of the lights on a plug strip so that Mel can turn her Christmas tree on and off. She is very good about not playing with everything too much. Only one or two ornaments "falled down" occasionally. Mel enjoys looking at all the decorations.

Mel handed me the camera and said "Take a picture of me with my tree"
She LOVES her Christmas tree... and pictures of herself.

Christmas is so much more magical through a child's eye. This is by far the earliest I have ever gotten a tree, the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but it was hard waiting even that long. Mel was so excited and I hope she keeps that excitement for years to come.

Turkey Time

The week before Thanksgiving Mel's playgroup did a puppet show and craft. Mel loves getting together with all of her friends and ran into the room jumping and saying yay! She had so much fun!

The Friday before Thanksgiving Mel and I ran all over town shopping and gathering supplies for our Thanksgiving feast. Mel loves shopping and we had a very fun day.

Unfortunately late Sunday night Mel got sick. It was a nasty little bug the didn't let up. We spent most of Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday just cuddling. I love my cuddles but her sick eyes just broke my heart. Also we were going to have one of Mel's friends and her mom over for Thanksgiving dinner but didn't want to spread the sickness so we had to cancel.

Luckily Thanksgiving morning Mel finally started to feel better. Still not 100% but those sick eyes had brightened up and let me know she was feeling better.

We cooked and played all day and enjoyed our fabulous feast with all of our favorite Thanksgiving foods. One of Meric's coworkers (whose wife had to work Thanksgiving) joined us for our feast.

Another successful Thanksgiving meal done and leftovers aplenty to enjoy. Thanksgiving is a great way to kick off the holiday season!

Building a Sandbox

Mel loves digging in the sand. When she is outside playing, Mel is usually sitting in a sandy spot of the yard with her shovel. We knew we had to build her a sandbox. I showed Meric a homemade sandbox idea I found online and the next day he went out and got the supplies.

After cutting the pieces to size we decided to paint the sandbox. Since this was for Mel we decided to make this a true family project and had Mel help us paint. She LOVED painting the wood pieces. And surprisingly she kept most of the paint on the boards.

Once the paint dried it was time to build the box. Meric would drill the holes for the screws then Mel would put the screw in the hole. She loves to help daddy, especially when tools are involved.

The sandbox design had a lid that opened up to create two benches. Sounds a little complicated but was really pretty easy for Meric and I to figure out and put together.

After we got it all built Meric went out and picked up some sand. Mel was so excited to see her sandbox all completed and full of sand. (On a sided note I had read that cinnamon was a good way to keep out ants. Haven't seen any ants yet and she has one great smelling sandbox!)

It was fun building the sandbox and I love that Mel got to be a part of the project.

Happy Halloween!

When I was a kid I loved Halloween. Dressing up, parties and CANDY! What isn't there to love? As I got older dressing up lost its appeal, the parties have stopped and well I can always buy candy if I really want some. Honestly I would probably be one of those people who kept the curtain drawn and the porch light off on Halloween and just let the holiday go by without much thought.

But we have Mel and Mel makes every holiday worth celebrating. She makes everything way more fun.

The first thing we did to celebrate the holiday was something I have not done in years. We carved pumpkins. Mel loved helping scoop out the slimy seeds. She was also very eager to help carve the pumpkin.

I asked Mel what she wanted to be for Halloween and I never got a real answer from her. She hasn't gotten into playing dress up so I don't think she quite understood what I was asking. I think next year she might be able to decide her own costume. After looking at a few costume options I decided to have her be a bee for Halloween this year. Since her name is Portuguese for honey I figured it was a fitting choice.

At Halloween I look for every opportunity for her to wear her costume. The first time she got to wear her costume was for her playgroup. When getting ready she initially refused to put it on. I actually was chasing her around the house. I wasn't sure what I was going to do if she wouldn't wear her costume. But then I mentioned the wings and she got all excited and happy to dress up. It was so cute to see all of her friends at playgroup all dressed up in their costumes too. At the end the kids got a goody bag and to trick or treat a little. Mel loved it!

The next day she got to wear her costume again at the library story time. All the kids dressed in their costumes and they read Halloween books. At the end the kids paraded around the library and got another goody bag.

Friday night Meric's work did a trunk or treat activity. It was put on by/for the hospital unit and two other units on post. They had a parking lot lined with cars decorated and full of treats. Mel loved going trunk to trunk. She really loved the people that just let her take a hand full of candy from the bowl. It is amazing how big those little hands can get when reaching for candy. There was also a tent set up as a haunted house. We could hear kids screaming inside and we weren't sure if Mel would like it or be scared. As we entered the tent a kid (probably 10 years old) jumped out and screamed to scare us. Mel started laughing. Another kid would run up to people screaming to scare them. Again Mel just laughed. She loved running around in the dimly lit tent having kids jump out from behind decorations to scare her. We walked out of the tent and Mel immediately turned around and went right back in. We watched her for a little as she ran around laughing and being scared by the kids. Eventually Meric had to go in and make her come out. Mel had a blast.

On Sunday we went to a local Halloween event. There was a train ride, horse rides, a petting zoo, games, candy, food, balloons, face painting, and bouncy castles. It was so much fun. Mel had an absolute blast!

On Halloween we stayed home and handed out candy. We dressed Mel up one last time in her bee costume and set up outside to greet trick or treaters. Mel loved handing candy out and was calling down the street for kids to come. She even went trick or treating at the neighbor's house.

All in all it was a very fun and successful Halloween. I can't wait to to it again next year.

Little Miss Mel Turns 2!

I can't believe my baby is already two years old! Meric took time off and we spent Mel's birthday doing her favorite things and spoiling her rotten. For breakfast we had pumpkin bread "cake" with frosting. Basically she just ate frosting for breakfast which she didn't mind at all. After breakfast we took her to the park. Mel LOVES the park.

She spent an hour running around and going down the slide. She laughed and played with the other kids at the park and had a great time. I love watching her run and play. Her laugh is my most favorite sound in the world.

We spent rest of the day playing and snacking on Mel's favorite foods. She loves the gourmet popcorn at Costco so Meric and I got her a few bags on our last trip there.

When it comes to sweets and candy nothing beats m&ms or as Mel calls them "Ms". I decided that an m&m cheesecake was the way to go. The look on Mel's face when she saw the cake I knew I had made the right choice.

She loved it! Now everytime she sees it she says "happy birthday to Mel!".

I love this kid! I hate that she is getting so big so fast but I love watching her grow.