Project 52: Week 52

I cannot believe this is the last Project 52 post of 2011.  Some posts basically wrote themselves, while others forced me to sit and think, write and rewrite.  Either way, I enjoyed writing each and every one, and I hope to compile them all into a digital album or something of the sort so I can share them with my girls in the future.  By the way, anyone know how to do that?  I plan to continue my weekly mommy posts into 2012, and I'd love to get feedback from my readers...comments, ideas, tips, etc.  We're all in this together, ladies!

With Christmas just coming and going, this week's post was kind of a no brainer.  I think this may have been the best Christmas ever...well, the best one in my adult life and recent memory, at least!  We had brunch on Christmas Eve with my parents and my older brother and his family:

Kids' table

Brunch was followed by naps and Christmas Eve dinner with a plethora of Psimases (and many, many honorary Psimases).  I tried to get a nice picture of my girls in front of our Christmas tree wearing their pretty dresses, but Brynn was mad I wouldn't give her gum and assumed her "you're-the-worst-mom-in-the-world" position.  Camryn does whatever Brynn does, so she followed suit:

Christmas, gangsta style

The girls spent about and hour and a half opening their presents on Christmas morning, and it wasn't until after I cleaned up all the wrapping paper and made myself some coffee that I realized Ryan and I still had our own presents to open.  That's how you know you already have everything you need, wouldn't you say?  Here's some of the clearer shots I was able to capture...those kids move fast!

As if we needed more lawn ornaments 

Digging in

The $8 backpack might be Camryn's favorite gift 

The ridiculously cute dollhouse Santa brought for the girls to share.  So far, so good...as long as Camryn doesn't try to play with the blue baby.

We rounded out Christmas Day with an open house at Ryan's brother's house, where we opened presents with Ryan's family.  After we got home, we had some chili with our neighbors (and Brynn's BFF), who will be moving out of state in a few weeks.  Such an awesome Christmas.

Now I thought I'd spend Brynn's Christmas vacation being out and about, going from one playdate to the next, but I decided to go in a different direction:

Yup.  Taking on the task of potty training Camryn.  And you thought you had a holiday hangover!  Let's just say that at the end of Day 2, I'm glad I don't have to be anywhere for the next eight days!  Perhaps a bit of foreshadowing of Project 52:  Week 1?

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52 in 2012, click on the link below:

There are some guidelines to follow if you want to submit your posts to be shared on www.simplymodernmom.com, but it's totally worth doing just for yourself.  Make it your own and enjoy putting your memories in writing and looking back at them weeks or months later.  How could you possibly regret it?

Project 52: Week 51

While my husband hasn't been with his company long enough to have oodles of paid time off, he does get this thing called a "Fun and Laughter Day" every year.  Basically, he gets an extra day off each year that doesn't count against his regular vacation days, AND the company reimburses him $100 of whatever he spends that day.  The only catch is that whatever they pay for has to invoke fun and laughter.  Um, done!  So after Brynn's adorable Christmas program at school, the four of us hit the lanes for the first ever Psimas Family bowling outing:

How stinkin' cute are they in their little bowling shoes?!  Camryn was more than a little disappointed when she learned we couldn't keep them. 

Brynn has stated in the past that she "only likes not heavy things," so she had no interest in rolling even the lightest bowling ball through her legs.  These ramps proved to be critical to our fun and laughter. 

We still had money to burn after two games of bowling, so we moved on to our favorite Italian restaurant where both kids are known to eat every morsel of pizza off their plates.  We ate like kings (and queens and princesses):

And the girls were on their best behavior, despite a really long day of being on the go:

We detoured through some neighborhoods to check out some Christmas lights on our way home.  Our bellies were full of delicious food, and our day was full of fun and laughter.  Thanks, Ryan's company!

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below:

Another year over...

I cannot thank my Fancy Fans, near and far, enough for helping me end 2011 on such a great note.  After having a very busy fall with the popularity of my posh pumpkins, I was really looking forward to the holiday season and the fun new ornaments I would get to make...all 170 of them!  Thanks to you, Special Olympics Virginia will receive $85 of Fancy Fonts proceeds during the 2012 Polar Plunge.  My fundraising goal through ornament sales was $50, so exceeding that goal by 70% feels pretty darn Fancy!!!  


Many of you have asked that I don't post pictures of the ornaments you've ordered, as the recipients are Fancy Fans as well.  I don't want to spoil any surprises, but here are a few I can share with you:


For the dog lover

For a couple who got engaged in Ireland this year

A sandy Scottie dog

Let's go Wolves!  Yay Three Oaks Elementary!

For your favorite Mary Kay consultant

Christmas cookie party favors

Let's Go Monarchs!

For the Starbucks enthusiast

For the Joneses (whose children I try my best to keep up with!)

In honor of a beloved doggy lost this year

I'm taking this week to Fancy up my own Christmas, so I will not be able to fill any more holiday orders this year.  After the holidays, I will be searching far and wide for new products to offer in 2012...suggestions welcome!  In the meantime, 

Happy Holidays!
~Karen

Project 52: Week 50

It seems like lately, I've had a lot of challenges to discuss with my fellow warriors of motherhood.  The antics of the 2 year old.  The sass of the 5 year old.  Finding time to manage a household while also running the one man show that is Fancy Fonts.  When summer ended, the circus began, and I've been the juggling act ever since.  I've certainly dropped the ball when it comes to keeping house, but I could care less.  If I have to live among a mess to make my kids' happiness a priority, so be it.  And while this stay-at-home mom gig I have can be terribly thankless, I'm frequently rewarded with little moments of sweetness from my girls, and it's all the pat on the back I need to keep on keepin' on.  

Like so many others before him, this bird flew a kamikaze mission straight into the 2nd floor window of Camryn's bedroom, plummeting to the deck below.  He lay dazed for a while, but finally got up to his feet.  Brynn tried to nurse him back to health by feeding him this stick, and she kept coming back to check on him every few minutes.  The look of concern on her face was priceless.  

While an actual man dressed as Santa will send Camryn running for the hills, she loves this little one who shakes his bum to "Jingle Bell Rock."  She choreographed her own routine to the song, and finished with a kiss.

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below:

  

Project 52: Week 49

A bit late getting this out there, but better late than never, right?  I can't start slacking now...there's only 3 weeks to go!  Have no fear, though...I think this is a weekly post I'd like to continue after the ball drops.  

This week's glimpse is from an impromptu Christmas cookie baking session with Brynn, my mom, and Meghan.  My mom can bake her @$$ off, and I like to think I can hold my own when given flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.  Unfortunately, I've also inherited the Grove sweet tooth, so I had to leave the fruits of our labor at my mom's if I wanted my jeggings to fit through the holidays!  I think I smell an annual tradition...

If you'd like to participate in your own Project 52:  Glimpse Into Motherhood, click on the link below: