I am guest blogging over at i.seeKissimmee this week. You have to head over and read all about our adventures as we are blogging about our truthful opinions on attractions in and around the Kissimmee, Florida area!
Happy Birthday to the Best 7 Year Old
It all started here baby girl 7 years ago:
and how did we end up here this quickly?
M, it was this day 7 years ago you made me a mom. This is my Mom Anniversary just as it is your Birthday. Isn’t it neat we get to share such two great events on December 19th every year? M, you continue to amaze me each and everyday.
This year you have participated in Clogging, T-Ball, Community Theater, Swimming, Soccer, GA’s and Children’s Choir. You absolutely love staying busy and you handle it so well too. I follow your lead and let you decide what all you want to be involved in.
M you love to make everyone happy. You get your feelings hurt if you realize that you may have hurt someone or did not do the right thing. You are very apologetic and just want to help out in any way you can.
You are the best big sister. It’s not always easy being the big sister, but you take it and run with it. You help guide Lyndsee and I hear you both when you are playing, hugging each other and saying “I Love You”. Your teachers at school tell me all the time how you both make sure to find each other during the day so you can give each other the “I LOVE YOU” sign. That just melts my heart. Yes, you both have your fights but you two are definitely best of friends.
M, you are doing so great at school. You are reading 3rd grade level books and just love to read your chapter books. Everywhere we go, you ask to take a chapter book with you so you can read. There are still times at night though you enjoy mommy still reading to you. 🙂
M, you still love to cuddle with mommy which just makes my heart so warm with love. I love you so much and when you want me to pick you up out of bed to carry you into living room… of course I still do it. I want to keep you little as much as I can… even though you are inching up height wise up on mommy ;).
M, you love mommy cooking you waffles each and every morning. Some mornings when I am running and late and fix you cereal… you make sure to show me that face that you are not too happy with mommy. So, yes mommy sets the alarm clock 15 minutes earlier every morning now so I can make sure your waffles and warm and ready when you wake up.
M, you so enjoy helping me cook in the kitchen. You want to be right there to pour the ingredients or stir. I love this time M. You little suzy homemaker 🙂
M, you are such a great all around daughter. God blessed me with a wonderful soul. I’m so happy you love him as much as I do. He has a plan for you and I cannot wait to see it.
M…. HAPPY 7th Birthday my dear. Mommy loves you sooooo much. You will just never know. Let’s go have a super fun day at Magic Kingdom. Just what you have requested. Here’s to many many many more birthdays and mom anniversary celebrations together.
Much love,
Your Mom
And This is What December Is All About Right
You know this is truly the most wonderful time of year, but even in all the hustle and bustle we simply cannot forget why we celebrate this time of year.
This month has been a month of craziness for sure. As most of you know, I took on the task of going back to school full-time since the girls were both in school (something I am debating now having them in school). So the last two weeks have been up very late nights studying and putting the finalizing touches on end of semester projects. I am so thrilled and happy that I made it to the end of semester. I cannot say it was easy, but I can say I put my whole strength and heart into my work. Well, I can say that work has definitely paid off. I have completed the semester with a 4.0 GPA. I am a bit of perfectionist when it comes to work and I will stress and stress about things. I have cried some tears this semester but now, I can sit back and breathe. I can enjoy the season. I can celebrate with my family Jesus Christ’s birth. I can enjoy seeing the girls smiles on Christmas morning. I can enjoy time with my extended family. I can just take it all in now without any worries or stress. Now… that my friends is what December is all about.
M was in a Christmas play at church last Sunday. I will share video and pictures of that soon. It went soooo well and was sooo funny and cute! I want to leave you though now with this short video. It will move you for sure. This was an act put on right after the play. Enjoy 🙂
Cheerios 100,000 Book Giveaway!
We are a huge reading family. Each night we take time to sit down for family time and M reads her chapter book to us and then I will read to the girls. I just love having this time each night with the girls. Also, the girls love books. They are always asking for new books and so delighted when they see new books come in.
Cheerios has teamed up with Jon Scieszka and First Book to distribute 100,000 new books to kids in need across the country. Through the 100,000 Book Giveaway, the five states receiving the highest number of votes will each receive 20,000 new books for local kids – and we need your help to decide where the books should be donated!
By answering the trivia questions featured in this challenge, you can help select the states that will receive new books for local kids. For every trivia question you answer correctly now through August 31st, 2010, you can cast one vote for the state you want to receive new books. The more questions you answer correctly, the more votes you cast!
We take so much for advantage and don’t realize how a simple book is wanted so bad by children that just cannot afford them in their household and county school system. We are very fortunate here in our school system for the Pre-K division. Each week a new set of books is sent home in a reading bag for myself to read to L. We were so thrilled when this program started for the first time this year, but I never realized till Cheerios brought to my attention how this is wanted so badly by other states and school systems!
Please take a moment and go to the site and answer some of the trivia questions to cast your votes to where the books should be sent.
Cheerios sent to us through My Blog Spark a gift pack.
All the books shown above were included and also a box of the Frosty Cheerios. They included a Barnes and Noble gift card as well. Each book was the perfect shape to fit into travel bags for the girls and just the right length. Each night we would read one, and the girls just loved sitting there listening then asking questions at the end. No book is the same, so I really recommend at the end of each book you read to your child, to let them ask questions to see how much of the book they actually do comprehend!
Cheerios through My Blog Spark would like to offer one of my reader’s this same gift pack. All you need to do is:
1. Leave a comment about your reading routine with your family.
Then to receive extra entries:
1. Tweet this contest
2. Facebook this contest
3. Subscribe to our feed
4. Blog about this contest
Leave an extra comment for each entry that you do!
I will close this contest on Dec. 19th at 11:59pm EST.
Full Disclosure: I did receive the Cheerios, prize pack, information, and giveaway from Cheerios through MyBlogSpark.
Annual Snowland Tradition at Great Wolf Lodge
Where’s the only place in town that can guarantee real snow on cue three times a day? Inside the Great Wolf Lodge® in Charlotte/Concord, North Carolina. That’s right – inside.
This December marks the fifth anniversary of Snowland, an annual holiday tradition at Great Wolf Resorts, Inc.® (NASDAQ: WOLF), North America’s largest family of indoor waterpark resorts. The month-long celebration welcomes families into the Lodge to celebrate in a unique, family-friendly way.
We were given the privlege to come visit the Snowland last weekend at Great Wolf Lodge. It was so cold outside, so it was nice to go inside and be in our bathing suits. Once we were in, the girls went straight for the water park.
We let the girls play their little hearts out and even mom and dad joined in all the fun as well. They have some very cool “big” water slides that even take you outside but you don’t know it. M and I enjoyed those while daddy and L stayed down in the “ocean” as L called it.
It was time to get ready for Santa making his arrival and for the guaranteed snowfall that the girls were eagerly awaiting. As we were heading back to our room, we were greeted with the all mighty black bear.
The girls could not believe the winter wonderland that was taking shape in the lobby of the Great Wolf lodge. It was like magic to their eyes.
Did you notice what the ceiling lights were made of? 😉
The time had arrived… the big man in the red suit made his big debut for the weekend. It was SANTA!
As we headed to dinner, we were greeted yet again with another black bear 😉
We came back with our tummies full to a show put on by moose and owl. The girls thought this was the coolest. It was a really entertaining little show for all.
As you can tell by the smile on M’s face. Day 1 was a huge hit!
Sunday morning we were greeted with snow as we made our way downstairs. What a way to start the morning… playing in the snow and you don’t even have to deal with changing into warmer clothes after playing in the snow 🙂
We were making our way down to breakfast and all we had to do was follow the wonderful aroma of the big buffet breakfast. It truly was smelling so delicious and once we got to the breakfast spot, we knew why. The buffet was loaded with all our favorite breakfast foods!
Two happy parents 🙂
After the kids finished, they all got up and started providing entertainment for everyone.
The kids were just preparing us for the big show. They gave them the best intro HIGHWAY 101! They were taping their Christmas special right there with us in the room as their audience. How cool is that?
The Mom Bloggers!
Here we are with the Band Highway 101
With all our tummies full of wonderful food, it was time to head back to the great water park. The girls just loved being in there. It helps too that the water park is 84 degrees at all times. It felt great!
They have a kiddie area too that is not over 2 ft. They include smaller water slides for the small children and jet skis they can ride that will shoot water.
The girls were on cloud nine the entire time we were there.
M would have stayed on the slides all day if we had let her. I do have to admit, all the slides were so much fun. There is even one slide called the Tornado… I’ll just let you try it out for yourself 😉
Great Wolf Lodge, we truly enjoyed our whole stay.
It’s a mother’s dream that you can go on vacation and not even have to leave the premises. There is so much to do that your little ones will only want to stay there the whole time. You are allowed two days at the water park with one night’s stay. So awesome! Here are the activities going on this month that you will want to take part in:
* Holiday Story Time with Rowdy the Reindeer
* The Writing Depot, where children can write, decorate and mail letters directly to Santa
* Polar Wolf Walk – a wintery nature hike for kids to site penguins, polar bears and more
* North Pole University, complete with educational activities to earn a diploma and special gift
* Toy Creation Station, where children can create toys to keep or give to a friend
* Wrapping Depot for guests to have presents wrapped on-the-spot
* Special musical guest performances
* Holiday caroling
* Santa appearances
* Animated Great Clock Tower holiday performances
One of the great features too is they gave each family member armbands. The two adult armbands features you door lock. You just rub your armband over the door and your door will open. Now is that not the coolest thing? No more worrying about where the key is! Also, you can use your armband all throughout the lodge to buy food, drinks or whatever you may need at the moment. Then just pay for your purchases when you check-out. So much easier on a mom :).
Thank you so much and we plan now to make this an annual tradition with the girls! We definitely give it two thumbs up from the whole family :).
P.S. Full Disclosure. The Great Wolf Lodge provided accommodations for our family, but we were in no way paid for our review. This review comes from our heart and we truly stand behind our words!
