Pizza Night!

Call it Cabin Fever, but I've been feeling pretty uninspired in the kitchen recently...ugh! Normally, I love cooking and I always love having McKinley help, he is learning so much. Tonight I had an idea for something we have not made since McKinley has been a kitchen helper: M.Y.O. Pizza night! I love make-your-own pizza night---especially when I don't have to make the dough OR the pizza sauce! See? Uninspired. Anyway, Boboli to the rescue, courtesy of Cary. I know it's not the same as homemade, but better than the alternative. Besides, it allowed us to have a lot more fun with McKinley in the kitchen!

We pulled out the pizza peel and toppings and went to town! McKinley aptly named our Pizza Kitchen, Mama's Pizza (where we serve store-bought pizza dough, apparently...homemade next time!). He put the dough on the peel, spread the sauce and added the toppings by himself! Of course, I handled oven duty. But my little sous chef insisted on serving Daddy his pizza by himself. It was pretty sweet.

I love nights like this! As uninspired as I had been feeling, this impromptu little pizza night turned into a fun experience for all of us (and clean up was a CINCH! AWESOME!). More planned in the future!

YUM!

Lynn

PJ Party

Today was probably the most fun day of preschool I have ever heard of...PAJAMA DAY!
Miss Kymberli had a wonderful day planned for McKinley and his classmates - popcorn, hot chocolate and lots of gym activities! It was a real treat all around.
This morning it is really cold, so I knew McKinley's P.J.'s wouldn't be enough, so I doubled layered him with long-johns under his precious Superman Pajamas. He also wanted to wear his robe and favorite Lightning McQueen slippers. I packed his 'sleep over' bag with a pillow, blanket and the slippers and we were off!
McKinley told me they read 'bedtime stories', made popcorn and hot chocolate and snuggled under their blankets. The class played in the gym with the parachute and popped 'popcorn' using yarn balls. Then they used the yarn balls to have an indoor snowball fight - boys versus girls!
McKinley was noticably tired when I picked him up...so we went home to fill his belly with soup and take a nice long nap.
All the kiddos looked so cute in their p.j.'s and it looked like they all had the best pajama party ever!
I'm so thrilled that McKinley is having some memorable experiences in preschool!

Fun!
Lynn

Snow Hill

In keeping with a long-standing Haute tradition we all went sledding on Snow Hill. It was REALLY, REALLY cold but McKinley and Cary were very well bundled...me on the other hand? Not so much. Thats okay though, I had a great time with my boys! McKinley was zipping down the big hill by himself and screaming with delight all the way. It was pretty darn funny!

Here are a few of the funny photos!

Hoping for more snow, less cold so we can go again! We love sledding!

Lynn

Start out going forward....end up going backward!

McKinley's First Snow Day

Today was McKinley's very first snow day! At first, he was really disgruntled to find out we were not going to school as planned. Then he was confused...WHY exactly aren't we going to school, Mom? But he figured it out quick...once breakfast was over he pulled out the Polar Express, requested hot chocolate and prepared for day in our comfies. It was great. No sledding for us today, Daddy is off work tomorrow and we are all going together. Today is reserved for being warm and cozy!

Just look at that hot chocolate 'stache!

Lynn

Happy New Year!

Hello 2-0-1-1!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night was quiet, but fun no less!

My Mom asked to take McKinley to lunch to have their own little celebration (cute!), so I jetted off to run a few errands and prep for tonight.

Savannah & Austin came to visit for a little while and we all had fun playing together. McKinley & Savannah gave Cary, Rick and I an awesome concert with McKinley as drummer, Savannah as lead guitar and both were the band's featured singers. Oh, does this bring back memories...I was always planning a show or a concert (my poor parents...) on the piano (which I couldn't play worth a ...). I loved every migraine-instigating moment though because I remember how much I got out of those little performances. I hope it lasts a long time!

After Rick and the kids headed home, the three of us ventured to our sort-of-annual NYE dinner at Outback. It was yummy but we were all really tired, so after that we went home. We played games, watched Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve (tradition...) and popped open some bubbly. McKinley's bubbly was a lovely FRENCH Sparkling Apple Cider. French. Serious. But when I saw it, I had to...and I tasted it. SO DARN GOOD! Wow!

We toasted to the new year, donned the annual NYE flair and posed for a family self-portrait and pretty much called it a night. Seriously, we were tired!

The hour didn't matter, we had the perfect evening at home after having spent time with family and good friends.

Happy New Year!

Lynn

McKinley's sparkling cider & our silly action shot!