The Lucas Zoo

Violet's 5th Birthday - A Skate Party!

>> Saturday, December 31, 2011

This summer we were in Ohio and went to a skating birthday party. Violet loved it. That was all I ever heard from then on "I want a skating birthday party when I turn 5". Ok baby girl. I rented the skate rink on Thursday and invited all her friends to come and party with us. It was so.much.fun for parents and kiddos. I tried to get everyones picture but failed. Go figure.

Some brave parents wore skates and some didn't. (I didn't on this particular day). It is definitely easier to hold up your kid when you have 2 feet on the ground and not 8 wheels :) Look at J & P go! These 2 got skates for Christmas and took no time learning how to get around on them. I couldn't get P to look at me for anything! One day little girl :)

I enjoy this family so so much! This little boy and girl will seriously keep you laughing. I tell my husband all the time how much I love them. Visit Rachel's blog If The Shoe Fits for all things fashion and bargains. She shares the love of Goodwill that I have ♥

The R family. How I missed a shot of the dad I have no clue. Must have been because they were skating up a storm!

Seems that little K wanted in on the action too. Look at her go!

Seriously Rick put us all to shame with his mad skating skills. He was cruising around the rink like it was his! He did a great job teaching little R too because off he went in no time!

I am not sure there is anything L can't do when she wants to. I am amazed by this little girl. She got right out there and just skated. My friend Kisten who blogs at Polish Pauper knows fashion and has the most stylish kids in town! I have been lucky to be on the receiving end of this little fashionista when she outgrows her gorgeous clothes. THAT is why our Ruby looks so cute all the time. Well that and her cheeks. And smile. And personality. I could go on and on...

The D Family. Violet hung tight with them :)

Our Piperoni spent a lot of time in this position. Her skates couldn't get tightened any more. You learn quick though! Also her little friend from school. When I told her the N family was coming she quickly asked if C was coming too. They are in Awana together. I missed a shot of his sister who is Violet's age.

I am completely smitten! I just can't help myself. This baby makes me smile. How can't you when you see her?

Just in case you want to see more of my Rubyness here is her in action.

Violet requested brownies for her birthday. 4 pans later we sang Happy Birthday! I gave her the choice of a few charities and she choose our local pregnancy center to donate money too. Instead of presents we collected for that worthy organization. What a fabulous day!

Poser

>> Thursday, December 29, 2011

I am not sure where she learned this pose but, and I have said it before, this baby never stops making me smile. Pose away baby girl!

Annual Zoo Trip 2011 - with Instagram

>> Tuesday, December 27, 2011

This year we went with some friends to the zoo instead of with Daddy. Why you ask? He went hog hunting. Yep, I actually said hog hunting. I am quite sure there will be a post about that sometime soon :) Anyway it was a beautiful day in South Carolina and all the girls enjoyed themselves very much.

I have to mention that when we first got there and saw the birds Ruby ran back to the stroller and grabbed my iPhone. Unlocked it. Got it turned on to the camera. Then proceeded to snap pictures of the macaws, vultures, and owls. Here is one of my favorites.

There is a fox that lives in our hood. For reals. Violet is petrified of it and afraid that one day it will unlock our door and come in. She wasn't afraid of this fox though and thankfully it was the only one at the zoo. I am not sure baby girl could have handled seeing a real one behind glass or not.

You would have thought this was the first time that we went to Riverbanks Zoo. I remembered a lot of things except cash. Miss Martha came through and paid for a train ride. Their own mama would never open her wallet for train ride. I know I am cheap right? So here is Ruby's first official train ride. Thanks Miss Martha.

Finally loving on a lion.

What a fun day and tradition!

You know you're a slacker when...

>> Friday, December 23, 2011

I sit just 3 days before Christmas with many things left to get on my list. Presents are not that important but I like for each family member to have at least 1. Yes I would be speaking of the husband who still has nothing from the girls. Ugh.

not a single present that I have purchased is wrapped. What is happening to me?

a friend has to ask you to come over to decorate gingerbread houses. Obviously at the rate I am going this would have never been done otherwise :)
(Right to Left Piper, Violet, & Ruby)

the laundry has been sitting all week and I have not visited it one time. Thank goodness for my ~~addiction~~ love of Goodwill so that we are able to get through times like this and still have clean clothes to wear.

our tree sat with just lights and tinsel for 2 weeks with the boxes of ornaments sitting next to it. Finally the girls took matters into their own hands. The result is beautiful.

it is 6 days before your daughter's birthday party and you haven't sent out a single invite. They sit there staring at you in an envelope but the thought of looking up addresses is too much for me right now. Hello evite!

you don't send out Christmas cards. This year is the first year in probably 10 years I haven't sent them out. I tried. The girls tried. It just wasn't in any of us. Here is my make shift attempt for this post to try and redeem my slacker ways.

Monday Mingle 12.19.11

>> Monday, December 19, 2011

Last mingle of the year! The photographer in me decided that I love the flare in my video :) Ruby likes it too. Actually she just likes seeing herself on video, or in a mirror, or a picture. Vain baby :) On to the questions...

1. Fake Christmas tree or real tree and why?
2. What is your favorite holiday movie?
3. Santa might not bring me gifts if he knew I _______________ this year.

Link up with Eighty MPH Mom and her Monday Mingles!

52 Weeks of Me - Dr. Suess (51/52)

>> Sunday, December 18, 2011

So how do you interpret Dr. Suess? I thought about throwing on a hat but then I found the book Happy Birthday to You! with the quote "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Perfect for a selfie right?

I don't love the pic very much but I have been under the weather lately and it was the best I got. Please add your selfie to our flickr pool so we can all check them out in 1 place. Next week is Togetherness and it is our last week *sniff*.

This and That

>> Thursday, December 15, 2011

Well maybe just this :) I mentioned awhile back that we have put our Ruby in speech so I thought I might update. Baby girl just didn't talk. Who knows why. I still think it is because she is so stubborn but regardless we have been doing speech almost 2 months now and I have totally noticed a change. Ruby regularly uses 3 word phrases now where just a few months ago it was 1 word, if you got that out of her. The therapist who comes to our house is super sweet and Ruby looks forward to her visits, mostly because of this ball toy that she has I think. When I asked how long they thought she would need to continue and they said at least until her birthday and maybe a little bit beyond that. Progress right?

Since she was pretty cute in her mismatched ensemble I thought I might also participate in Small Style Thursday with Mama Loves Papa. The only thing I know for sure she has on are her old Babylegs and hand me down Chuck Taylor's (from Piper then Violet. We get lots of use out of things around here). You need to visit some of the blogs of mamas who really know how to dress their babes right. Truthfully I want some of their wardrobes :)

Wayfair Winner!

Congratulations to LAMusing on winning $45 to spend at Wayfair! Please respond to the email that I sent you within 48 hours or I will choose another winner. Enjoy your prize!

Wordful Wednesday - My Holiday Happiness

>> Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Smiles

Lights

Our little tree

And one day

I hope.

LiveOn Memory Sharing

>> Monday, December 12, 2011

From the minute I first looked through the LiveOn's memory sharing website I was impressed. Imagine having your memories forever being stored for loved ones and descendants to view at anytime. I can see my husband and I sitting down and doing a short video about how we met or even our wedding day. It gives me warm fuzzies thinking of the possibilities. Having lost my own mother at the age of 4 I wish there was more that I knew of her. With technology coming so far now we can all leave our families something very personal.

LiveOn works by you adding your own photos, videos, and stories to create an interactive Timeline of your life. The Timeline displays all the Milestones & Memories from your life and is available for all members of your tribe to view at anytime. You can decide who you want to include in your tribe to share all your memories with. Make it as private or social as you want. You decide! I can't wait to make my first Time Capsule. You are able to include a collection of photos, videos, Memories and Life Question responses and send to someone in your Tribe sometime down the road. LiveOn will hold on to that Time Capsule until the date you chose and then delivers it for you, even if you forget about it or can’t send it yourself. I plan on making them for my girls to open when they are 18 and ready to head out into the big world themselves. Images and videos of all their accomplishments that will surely make them smile. There is also a huge list of Life Questions that you can answer. Someday I am sure my kids will smile when I reveal to them my top 5 favorite moments. I tell you these questions really make you think.

So, for my first memory I decided to use a vacation. Our family rents a house at the beach every year and those pictures end up staying on my hard drive forever. Sound familiar? Making a memory of those pictures is super easy to do and now I have them all together in one place. For the very social you can even share your memories on Facebook. I was able to create that memory in about 15 minutes importing all the photos and then adding captions. There is even an option to add audio captions. Fun right?

LiveOn's Promise to you!

Check out LiveOn and play around. It is easy to navigate and there is an entire section of Help questions to guide you along. There are also great little videos if you are more of a visual person. I was able to figure it out in no time. A standard LiveOn membership is free but a great reason to upgrade would be to use their premium tools will add more flair to your memories. Want to try the Premium Tools? Use code HOLIDAYREWIND to receive 30% off right now to get you started!

Thank you to LiveOn for sponsoring this blog post. Please visit LiveOn to learn more about sharing and preserving your most important memories. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective. Although story ideas were provided, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Week with Instagram

>> Saturday, December 10, 2011

I am recovering from a horrible bug this Saturday morning but I am up and eating again which is good. From about 3pm on Thursday until this morning I was barely able to make it off the couch function. Wow. Glad those kinds of sickies only happen once ever couple years (or so). Fingers crossed that baby of mine doesn't get it next. Still a busy week though and here is proof.

Girls and I went and saw the big guy at Bass Pro Shops. They love visiting with Santa and Bass gives you a free picture. There was no line so we walked right up. Sweet!

and you can't get much sweeter than this

Afterwards we went to Razoo's. I love Razoo's. They have a dish called Shrimp en Brochette which is jalapeno stuffed shrimped wrapped in bacon and grilled. Served over dirty rice with a creamy butter sauce to dip. Um Yum! Sorry for no picture but it was gone before I thought of it. I indulge at Razoo's. It has a cajun mardi gras feel to it thus the chandelier.

Sunday mornings I sit with my coffee, coupons, papers, and list to find out the deals for the week. I also had some Candy Cane Jo Jo's but shh don't tell the girls their mama gets to eat cookies for breakfast.