Christmas 2012!

Steve climbing our neighbors house for a lost helicopter before 7am!!!

So Santa came to visit the Beane girls this year and they must have been especially good because Santa brought lots of toys!! We did our tradition of Steve reading the Night Before Christmas after their baths. Then we laid out the cookies that Santa (at the mall) specifically said he wanted Snicker-doodles, along with celery and milk.  Of course I have never made these kind of cookies so we had to get a recipe from online! After a few minutes we heard Manny eating something, and guess who ate the damn cookies for Santa!!! Manny was punished to garage while we avoided a meltdown and Steve quickly found "more snicker-doodle" cookies (really oatmeal but they didn't notice!) Both girls were dead asleep by 7pm, as I have learned to wear them out during the Christmas eve day including riding bikes, running around the yard, and jumping on the trampoline! That night Santa came and brought lots of toys, including a basketball hoop, barbie jeep, and rocking horse:) There truly is nothing better than seeing Christmas morning through the eyes of your children. They get so excited and it is so heartwarming to be able to give our kids a wonderful Christmas memory!~ Another memory we made was that Santa brought Steve a remote control helicopter. He quickly brought it outside to try in the yard and go it caught on our neighbors roof....mind you it is 6:30 in the morning! I made sure to include picture of Steve climbing on the roof!  We had about eight guests for christmas and cooked a wonderful prime rib! We also had a few furry friends visit us that of course the girls loved! We hope everyone's Christmas was as wonderful as ours, and we look forward to another year of being truly blessed!!

Dad and Liv tracking Santa on the Norad website

our tree before Santa came!

Leaving out our 2nd set of cookies for Santa! ( thanks Manny!)

the girls last minute gift ideas for santa....

fast asleep while Santa came!

our big girl also asleep :)

Santa Came!!!!

Love Maddies expression in this picture....

Olivia is so excited!!

Olivia and Maddie, who clearly is not awake yet!

Liv taking a ride on her new horse

this is what Steve and I did all morning....cut, put batteries in, screw back together, repeat....

Maddie was a little nervous at first

Liv drives like her father....

Manny hopped right in for a ride in the new jeep!~

Some of our guests, Mike and Jerry

Miss Shannon

Bee, Emily, Kim, Maddie, Brian, Ali and Gerry

the newly married happy couple~

the girls making Bee work!

Nashville Ballet Nutcracker

   This weekend Olivia and I went to see the Nashville Ballet Nutcracker. Since Liv is in her second year at ballet I thought she would really like seeing it.  The ballet was wonderful and Liv and I had such a great time!  She was glued from the opening act and didn't make a peep until intermission.  The second half was wonderful with the sugar plum fairies and Clara visiting the different countries. Olivia promptly fell asleep before we even left the parking garage! We will definitely be going again next year:)

Olivia all dressed up for the Ballet

another pose

Liv and I heading out

Manny and Liv posing lol

before the show

yes I am that mother that made her pose with the Nutcrackers

Liv and I at intermission

Nebulizer Hell!

                              We have once again started using the nebulizer with Maddie this winter. After a round of the croup, followed by ear infections, she now has pnemonia. Last year when we gave the nebulizer it was a breeze, Maddie would cry for a minute then usually fall asleep! This year is a whole different story, today is the first time she is not screaming bloody murder and me holding all of her limbs as she thrashes around! We had tried everything, face-timing, ready, Elmo apps, and nothing seemed to work. Today was the same story until Liv comes over to a crying Maddie and starts reading to her!  I couldn't believe that Maddie tolerated the rest of the treatment! Olivia has really taken to being the big sister, and now rubs Maddies arm when she's upset, and talks in a super high voice to her. Here are a few snapshots of Liv and Maddie:)

Olivia reading to her sister:)

Liv trying to cover the vents in the nebulizer

Poor Maddie!!

Swim School!

After our cousin started taking swim lessons, we decided to enroll Liv in a learn to swim program.   Olivia's teach is a 14 year old Justin Beiber look alike. Every time he asks Olivia to do something she gets very shy and bats her eyes at him, I told Steve and he said to take her out of class immediately!! She has learned how to completely go under water bobbing, how to paddle and kick with just a noodle, as well as jumping in from the edge. She has also made a few friends! On a side note, I never considered how hard it would be to keep Maddie OUT of the pool. It is literally an fight for the hour Olivia is taking lessons. I end up having to take Maddie out of the pool area to the glass looking area because she throws a fight about 20 minutes into the lesson. Regardless, I'm glad that we enrolled Liv and we look forward to our next set of swim lessons and new friends:)

Olivia and her teach Mr. Mike

blowing bubbles and kicking at the same time is hard work!

she was the only one in class who didn't need any help from the swim teacher

very hesitant about jumping in at first...

starting to jump...

and she's in!

we need to ask santa for some goggles!

Maddie and Liv in the locker room

soo cute!

Maddie talking to Elmo while waiting for her sister during swim lessons

Olivia and her new friend Scotia

Zippo the Elf!

It's that time of year again when our elf from Santa comes to visit us from the north pole! This is the second year Zippo has visited the Beane Family and we Love it!! Each night Zippo flies to the north pole to report back to Santa. In the morning he is in a different spot and the girls have to find where he is. Our elf tends to get into trouble at night, things such as toilet paper and tooth paste are a regular and Olivia and Maddie love to wake up and find out where he is! There really is nothing better than christmas time with little kids, and it makes Steve and I appreciate the holidays. We LOVE the magic of the girls talking about Santa, being good girls, and the act of giving to the less fortunate:)






Zippo hung up Liv and Maddie's underwear and diapers where our stockings were!!

Santa wrote Liv and Maddie a letter when they both were naughty girls!!

Barbie, Zippo, and Minnie playing Candyland:)



Zippo got into the flour in the kitchen:)

Zippo when he delivered the letter from Santa

Zippo hanging out in Olivia's undies

Zippo decided to make some popcorn in our new popcorn maker!

He made a mess!!

Zippo hangin from the lights...notice our cat Lilly at the bottom

Zippo just chilling