Not So Traditional

Hutson hates that we have colored lights on our tree and that I put it up before Thanksgiving, BUT he helps me year after year to get it all done before it's "traditionally" okay to do so. Love him! (I'm Team Hutson!! Have you seen Breaking Dawn? This statement will make him cringe and roll his eyes so hard he will probably hurt himself.) I'm off for the week of Thanksgiving (woo hoo!!), and like any other "mother of the year" type, I sent Ginger to daycare so that I could tackle many projects that I have been putting off. Before you go to judging me :) please know that I used the time to get our tree up so that I could surprise G with it! She LOVES it and keeps asking, "Mommy, you put the tree up for me?!" Preciousness!!

Completely enthralled in all of the different ornaments!

I purposefully put these ornaments side by side. We are a family divided! I love the Rebels (that's right, I said Rebels...pooey on Black Bears!!), and Hutson loves those stinky bulldogs (as G calls them when her father isn't around) :)

Ginger Belle

For this child I am thankful!!

Miss Me???

I know you have worried yourselves sick over my absence in the blogging world :) Well, you can now breath easier. I'm back...I think. (I almost forgot how to use Blogger. It has been about 7 months since I last blogged.)

Not much new here:

• Ginger Belle is two and a half. Quite the character she is!!
• I'm still teaching middle school. Oy vey!!!
• Also, I'm just a handful of days away from the big 3-0. (Some of my 7th graders are so sweet to point out that they can't believe I'm ONLY 29. Scallywags!!)

Ginger Belle is:

• completely potty trained!! Praise the Lord!! I thought she was going to college in pull-ups!!
• obsessed with Dora the Explorer. I fought it for the longest and then found it in my best interest to give in :) She also loves Tinkerbell, Caillou, and The Little Mermaid.
• unbelievably stubborn and hard-headed. She has already been sent to the "office" at school for fighting. These surely are not my genes! Have I mentioned "Oy vey"??? Hello, terrible two's!!
• always repeating, "God loves me. I not be afraid." Seems like a stark contrast to the above statement, but that's my girl :)
• very fond of the following song: The Wheels on the Bus, Zacchaeus Was a Wee Little Man, Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and This Little Light of Mine.
• a pro at dodging bedtime and finding reasons to get out of bed. I've dreaded this for a while, and she's finally reached that stage. Any and all helpful hints are welcome for keeping her in HER bed at night!!

I'm horrible at taking pictures these days because all my time is spent running after her. Here are a few I have on my phone though...

Ginger the Fairy and cousin Kyle on Halloween night

Ginger and Santa

I posted this one so you could see just how big she is getting :)

Gnawing down on a rib!

I love this one because it shows off her "ever-so-pinchable cheeks." Love that girl!!

Just a Quick Post...

because I need to get in the bed! Sunrise service is going to come early in the morning!! I just wanted to put up a few pictures that make me smile!!

Ginger while she was hunting Easter eggs at a birthday party. She was on a mission to find the most eggs!!

My high school group of friends and our babies. (I desperately need a tan!! Who has the time with a toddler??)

I often leave out my main squeeze! Love him!!

Big Girl Bed

Well, we are officially in a big girl bed tonight. I have to admit that of all the milestones that Ginger has reached this one has pulled at my heartstrings the most. I guess saying "bye bye" to a baby bed means that there is no longer a baby in the house. Sniffles!! My fingers are crossed that she will sleep through the night like a baby!! Pun intended!!!

P.S. You're crazy if you don't think that I will sneak into her room and take at least a couple dozen pictures of her sleeping in her new bed!!

What a Difference a Year Makes!!

We've spent a day camping with family for the last two years during spring break. I cannot get over how much GB has grown!! She is quite a character and amazes me every single day!!

Spring Break 2010

Spring Break 2011

(Does anyone else notice how unstable MS weather is?? Last year she was bundled up, but this year it was t-shirt and shorts all the way.)

Spring Break!!

Spring break is finally here!! Woo hoo!!! (In other words, I have time to blog.) No big plans here for this break, but that is alright with me. Seems like we are on the go all the time, so I have appreciated this slow week!! I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather!!

Here are a few pictures of recent outings. The older she gets the wilder she gets, which makes it almost impossible to catch pictures of her.

Ginger and the mannequin dog at Old Navy.

Golf cart riding with Papa Cool

Ginger Belle and Mommy!! She looks completely disgusted with me, but I still love this picture!