Today I'm thankful for.

my bed

pumpkin candles

the dollar store

diet 7-up

music

tropicana 50 orange juice

jammies

felt

my husband

my mom

my dad

everyone else
my church

twinkle lights

tivo
second chances
all kinds of pie
our free country

online shopping
my camera

my baby.

tiny green curlers

corduroy minis

 sunshine

morning smiles

ruffles

I'm thankful that tomorrow I can freely celebrate Christmas.

shhh don't tell but my tree is already up.

A Cascade Christmas

If you are thinking about a family friendly, fun holiday show to see this year, look no further. "Presented by The Dance Project under the direction of James Santos, the Cascade Christmas has become a north state holiday tradition. The 90-minute dancing and singing musical revue features intricate backdrops, hundreds of costumes, live animals, a Nativity scene and a snow experience the whole family will remember."

My mother has worked about seven hundred and forty one thousand hours doing all the costumes and props- she is really talented and puts her whole heart and soul into this production. Plus, she doubles as Mrs. Claus! This year the show goes around the world to visit other cultures during Christmas time- Russia, China, Rio- and it ends with a beautiful nativity scene featuring live animals. It really is a show for all ages and it starts THIS WEEKEND! The show runs November 26th until December 4th and tickets range from $10 to $25 and can be purchased here. Bring your in-laws, your aunts and uncles, your cousins, and that one weird guy that isn't really related to you but claims he's family.

Isn't she awesome?

I AM GOING TO BLOG TODAY.

That's what I have been saying every day for a week. But today is the day! FOR SURE.

I feel like there is really nothing new to report 'cept maybe a few things. You will be happy to know that I have NOT put up Christmas yet. There is one do-dad on my bookshelf because it was a gift and I'm not going to put it away only to get it out again. It's been upwards of 80 degrees this week which makes it difficult to feel very Frosty the Snowman like.

Isabelle has been cuter than cute. Don't I always say that? What did I ever blog about before Isabelle. Yesterday just before her nap she brought me a book. So I pulled her on my lap and we read it. When we were finished, she wiggled down and walked over to the bookshelf, picked another book and brought it back to me with a HUGE smile on her face. She put her little knee up on my leg like she was trying to climb up me. What could be cuter than that? After that book was finished, she got down again, went to the bookshelf, found another book, and came back. Again, and again, and again, until there were no more books left on the shelf.

We read all of these books. 

I almost died every time she hopped off of my lap and watched her low diaper bum walk around the corner to the bookshelf. I kept thinking she would get bored or sleepy but NO she had to finish. (Something tells me she has inherited my slight OCD). She loves Goodnight Baby and Hippos Go Berzerk. Oh, and the Little Bee.

This is her new favorite place to sit.

The one with the remote kills me.

I've had this chair forever, since before Isabelle was born. Jazz thought I was insane for buying a chair for a toddler when we didn't even have an infant yet but it was TJ Maxx and I knew I would never find anything like it again. That's what I love about TJ Maxx. (Have you seen their Christmas stuff?!) Anyway, she loves this chair. She loves to climb on it, she loves to put her doll on it, she loves to sit on it with her toys, she loves it.

In other news, I got bangs. I know, huge news, why did I not tell you earlier. I had a pretty crappy week and needed a change and have really wanted them for a long time so I just DID IT. And I love them. Not everyone does, which is expected, but it is so refreshing for me to have something different.

Weird half smile!

I love my new bangs with a ponytail. It makes the tail seem fancier.

Not sure how Isabelle feels about them. Her face is pretty classic though.

Craving Christmas.

I don't know what is wrong with me this year, it's like the holiday elf has bitten me very hard in an inconspicuous place because all I can think about is CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS. I always get excited for The Holidays because it is such a charming time of year, but this year is baaaad. I have opened my Christmas bins in the garage at least three different times just to smell some pine and peek at my decorations. I scored some great deals at the post-Christmas seasons sales, so I have some new items to play with not to mention this year for the first time, My Big And Spacious House to fill.

I have some company coming this weekend (yippee!) and I have seriously thought about putting up Christmas before they get here. Things that are stopping me: It is not Thanksgiving yet. Not even close. We have not figured out if we are purchasing a full size tree. (Not much room for a tree in our previously occupied 900 sq. foot apartment.) How are we going to baby proof said tree from the tornado known as Isabelle? Also, what will I do with my few Thanksgiving decorations?

With this horrific, man-invented time change, it gets dark here at 5:00 pm. Isabelle's mind is tricked into thinking it is bed time, which it is not, and since it's too cold slash dark to go for a walk, we went to the mall the other night to play. Everyone has alllllll their Christmas stuff just bombarding me in the face. This tricks MY mind into thinking it is okay for me to start collecting red and green crap for my house. And, with the magic of online shopping, I have the infinite Internet at my fingertips. If you think about it, online shopping is totally okay because you must factor in shipping time. By the time the stuff arrives, it will basically be
Christmas anyway.

This year I would like to find cute Christmas stockings for our family. We've always spent Christmas at my parents' house and haven't really had a need for stockings. Now that Isabelle is around, and that we have moved to Redding and will be waking up Christmas morning in our own home, it would be great to have stockings of our own. There are some great yet expensive options online, complete with personalized monogramming. I'd also love to get an advent calendar to start a new tradition in the Sorensen household.

So I gotta know. When is it okay to bust out Christmas? And what are your favorite pre-Christmas traditions in your family?

Cataloves.

Anyone else getting scads of catalogs in the mail lately?

Ballard designs, Land of Nod, Pottery Barn, Unique Gifts. All fun to browse through.

Anthropologie had an amazing Alice in Wonderland meets vintage circus theme going on- I died a little bit going through it.

How cute are these teeny pigs?

I swear I could never get tired of Anthropologie.

I've also noticed all of the upholstered headboards as of late. We need a headboard for our guest bedroom and I think going the upholstered direction would look awesome in there.

from csn.com

I'm obsessed with grey and yellow, have I mentioned that?

This one from Ballard is so refreshing and clean. I'm sure it would take all of five seconds to get baby entrails on it. Maybe someday...

cousins forever

Yesterday Madilyn came over to visit for a few hours while her mom had her pre-op appointment at the hospital. We played and had breakfast and played some more. We made a pretend zoo with stuffed animals and snapware. We read books and hid around the couch to surprise Isabelle until she she giggled and giggled and couldn't giggle anymore.

Soon JaNae came and picked up Madilyn. We walked them to the front door, waved goodbye, and they were off. After we shut the door, Isabelle had a total meltdown. She was SO sad that her BFF left without her, she cried and cried.  I was hurrying to change my clothes so we could go for a walk, and every time I set her down she literally RAN to the front door. She tried so hard to reach the knob so she could break free and find Madilyn. It was the saddest slash cutest thing I have ever seen in my life.

As of 9:25 this morning, our family dynamic has changed. Madilyn became a big sister. Isabelle is no longer "the little one" running around. In fact when I held baby Kira this afternoon, I couldn't believe how small she is. (All nine pounds, ten ounces of her.)

On our walk we found this giant tree looming from a front yard like a big multi-colored symbol of autumn. I love this time of year- the holidays stretch out in front of us, so many fun things to look forward to.

Seasons change. Leaves fall. Families change. Babies are born.

Still finding joy in our journey.

Obligatory Halloween Post

Was Halloween especially long for everyone else this year? We had three whole days of Halloween festivities. I think because Halloween was on a Sunday, the whole weekend really got drawn out. Not that I am complaining- cmon, cookies and treats and babies in costumes? Yes please.

So how did we choose Isabelle's outfit?

Fact: Great White Sharks have a lot of teeth. Isabelle has a lot of teeth. (12!)
Fact: Great White Sharks don't sleep. Isabelle doesn't sleep.
Fact: Great White Sharks are very long. Isabelle is very long.
Fact: Great White Sharks are apex predators. Isabelle is an apex predator.

The similarities are uncanny. Behold:

I hate to sound biased but shes the cutest shark in the sea. And in all the land. And in the universe.

Side view, with a bow of course. My favorite part is the tiny fin.

We spent most of our weekend with Madilyn and Company. She is Abby Cadabby from Sesame Street. Didn't JaNae do an awesome job on her costume?

Madilyn makes the BEST faces. "Hey Madi, show us your wand!"

I love her little eyebrows.

In case you are wondering. This woman is the SAME grandma from the previous picture. I know I've said it before but this just really ephasizes my point: my mother is by far the coolest. People come from all over to see her and trick or treat at her door. She makes small children cry and large children retreat in fear. In a word, amazing.

And every year it gets better.

Aunt Francie

It was so much fun this year to have a real Halloween experience. Last year was fun and everything but mostly she just sat in her pumpkin suit and slept and ate and looked really cute. This year we had a ward party on Friday, the Trunk or Treat on Saturday, and then spent Sunday at my parents' house. We also went to a few neighbors and treat or treated- we made it to three houses before we called it good and went back for a bath and bed.

In fact, Isabelle was so tired last night she slept the e n t i r e night long. Sounds like no big deal because she is ONE and it is a fact that one year olds sleep through the night, but not our little shark. There was some serious rejoicing going on this morning at our house. I took all of our Halloween stuff down today and now my house looks naked, which tempts me to throw Christmas stuff up but I WON'T. Maybe tomorrow though.