With only one school week left before our official Christmas vacation, I’m preparing for hibernation this week.
Our weekend happies:
A family shopping day and a trip to see Santa.
Nobody cried. In fact, Lainey had a hard time wrapping up her prepared speech. She was concerned that the letter she wrote to him in class included the wrong spelling of Rainbow Loom.
Kilwin’s Fudge (sea salt caramel–Lord have mercy.)
Post rain beach morning.
We were the only ones on the beach with the exception of a kite surfer. Nella chased seagulls and sandpipers (or she says, “quack quacks”) so far down the length of the beach, I was out of breath following her. And I realize I’ve associated the beach with sunset so much that I’ve forgotten the allure of early morning shore strolling.
And my favorite. Last night’s ballet recital.
I’ve managed to catch this very moment at every recital in which she’s performed. This smile? Oh, that’s when she finds her dad in the crowd.
Is anyone else over the Elf on the Shelf? Ours came back this year after Lainey had some friends talking about theirs and requested ours return. I love traditions and childhood memories, but Good Lord. I’m so tired of thinking of new places for our elf to hang from.
Fresh week…heading to get some fresh laundry to match it.
So beautiful! Love the dance recital pics!! Sweet girl!
Love love love.
And can we talk about Nella’s plaid pants? Adorable!
Looks like you had a lot of fun this weekend.Love the pictures.
I’m over my husband saying he finds better spots for the elf. 🙂 But not the kid’s reactions when they find him!
I love it all, Kelle! Sounds like a wonderful weekend. Those dance recital pics brought tears to my eyes, I can only imagine what they do for you. Enjoy your week! 🙂
Having 19 & 14 yr old sons, the elf was not around when they were little, and now a 1 yr old, I’m quite determined that it’s nothing I would like to participate in ever & I’m holding my ground. I would rather start a tradition of volunteering as a bell ringer at Christmas & teach her that it’s in giving that we receive, rather than making an elf watch her & make her be good to get presents. God, I’m boring!
Nella’s little punk rock plaid pants are the best!!!!!!
Love the baby boys smocked Jon Jon
DUDE! Dash is straight killing it in that photo with Daddy! MAJOR swoon. And yeah, SO over the elf. If it weren’t for my son’s shrieks of delight every morning, I would toss him. In fact, that’s the ONLY thing that gets me out of bed all hours of the night when i forget to move him. 🙂
Agreeing WHOLEHEARTEDLY about the elf. I love that the kids enjoy it, but he steals the seasons thunder a bit.
Melting over the picture of the girls giggling together – what a beautiful friendship these sisters have <3
I HATE elf in the shelf…not that I feel strongly about it or anything 🙂
Lovely, fun weekend! We are in our 6th year of elf anitcs & yes, it’s sometimes a challenge. Ours are not the “do not touch” kind (which my children are convinced must be the grown up elves) ours are children elves that have been sent here for elf training & fun while the grown up elves are busy with the end of season crunch time work. Our elves go lots of places with us & sometimes get ideas for their antics from adventures they’ve had with the kids. Last night someone snuck the elves into our Family Movie Night at church where they watched the movie Elf….this morning the kids awoke to a delicious breakfast, made by our elves in Buddy the Elf style….spaghetti with pasta sauce, maple syrup, marshmallows, m & m’s, crushed pop tarts, & chocolate sauce. Mmmm, yum. Good luck mama! There are lots of fun ideas out there on Pinterest, blogs & FB groups such as Elfcapades, Elf Antics etc where elf family hosts share the night time fun their little visitors are up to. 😉
These pictures are so sweet! Love the recital pics, too and how you are able to capture the look for daddy. Daddies are so special to little girls. And yes, I was tired of Elf on the Shelf after the first Christmas. I ran out of ideas fast. We hung underwear on the Christmas tree on year and blamed it on the elf. LOL
Yes, totally over the Elf. I told my kids he got deported.
“This smile? Oh, that’s when she finds her dad in the crowd.”
How sweet!!
Love the photo of the girls laughing ~ under the tow sign =)
The photo of her smiling at dad! Priceless!!!! Just something about a little girl and her daddy! Then you put the daddy in the audience at a dance recital and their little smiles are infectious!! I have a dancer who will have her 11th recital in May and I can not wait! My fave is pointe! Have a very Merry Christmas!!
O kel, can I call you Kel? haha I feel like I know you since I have been reading faithfully for almost two years now! but I want to put in a request for a post about how you get your girls to sit still and do their hair so cute all the time!!I have three girls and I am lucky if they let me get one little pony tail.
our elf makes an appearance 10 days (or less) before Christmas……I sorta forgot yesterday…
We’ve been given 2 elves that have been liberated from their previous owners. To date, neither has made an appearance at our house. We’re plenty happy not having to think that through every night, and try to one-up everyone else of Facebook. So far Max hasn’t noticed. Yeah!
so over the elf!! LOL! yes i was so excited, and it drives me crazy now. I wake up at 3 in the morning and remember that I forgot to move him. Gah!
First off, I am TOTALLY over Elf on the Shelf. I have been trying to think of a way to ditch them next year without making my kid angry (she’s five this year).
Second – I so want to live somewhere where we can go see Santa in shorts and eat push up pops in December.
I keep trying to convince my husband that a transfer to his company’s Orlando office wouldn’t be too bad 😉
So sweet. I can’t believe how much Lainey looks like you… such wonderful memories
Dash is adorable!
Dash in his smocked jon jon and saddle shoes… a boy after my own heart!
love your pics! your babes are so adorable!
Oh, the quacks! Ellie is CONVINCED they are penguins.
That picture of them laughing together in the chairs is golden and HOW ARE YOU ALL SO BEAUTIFUL!
I love the pictures of your little one in the ballet recital! She looked so beautiful. I used to be a ballet teacher, so I loved looking at these pictures. It’s a good art to get into! I hope she stays with it; it’s good for the soul 🙂
Nella’s plaid pants are the best! so cute!
Oh Kelle, I love the way you write. Your little girls are just the most beautiful little beings I have ever seen. Amazing post!
ohhhhh happy post, kelle 🙂
1. your hair is so pretty here
2. nella’s dress!? are you kidding me?
3. we saw santa this weekend too and it was all good. good times 🙂
Just wanted you to know that I love your hair shorter, it really suits you! I’ve been meaning to tell you since you got it cut, and the beautiful photo of you with your chickens reminded me. That is all. 🙂
I say this in love…shelf the elf girl. Like storage room shelf lol 😉
I’ve forgotten a few to move our Elf a few times now, and I always blame it on the kids for touching him. He loses his magic a little you know. 🙂
Cute photos Kelle. Your kids’ smiles melt me.
Dear Kelle,
You rock the red lipstick girl! Go. It has inspired me to red lipstick it up during grocery drudgery. BTW, we used “unicorning” on our holiday cards this year, thank you very much. As in: skirted layoffs and unicorned a promotion. –That’s what I’m talkin’ ’bout!
Now on to the important thing(s): I was just thinking this morning: AS IF we ladies don’t have ENOUGH to do this time of year, what with the buying and the making and the baking and the wrapping and the writing and the sending…but now there’s this new ELF THING to add to the list? the elf doesn’t come to our house, but I do LOVE the idea, and I think next year our little stuffed mouse TipToe will be creating some Christmas mischief. I am already scheming for good places for him to hang out. Here are some thoughts (feel free to take what you need and leave the rest, I do owe you for the “unicorning” after all 🙂
1. shower curtain rod 2. cereal cabinet and/or snack cabinet (both at kid level) 3. ceiling fan 4. Son’s coat sleeve 5. by the toothbrushes 6. On the TP roll 7. In the dog food bin –ok, maybe some of these are more appropriate for a mouse?– anyway, hope you have yourself a merry little christmas. LOVE that sister love going on with Nella and Lainey. Love. It. And Dash, OMG, could he be cuter? I have two boys and I gotta say: Aren’t they the best? (I won’t tell Lainey and Nella 🙂
Argh! Try and get your account to work and it takes an hour (google is being persnickity)
I don’t know why the comment is down, maybe S deleted it? But anyway-S if you are reading here I’m almost positive that I saw once that Kelle bought the barrettes from an individual or individuals that have special needs. With google not doing it’s thing I can’t do a search on this site so maybe Kelle or another reader can share what person or group sells them. It’s always the best to support shops that are created by or staff those with special needs. The BEST.
I can’t stand that you guys are in shorts and short sleeves in DECEMBER! It’s all but making me pack up my little shivering munchkins and heading to florida – leaving the coats and boots behind. It’s FREEZING where we are, and your pics make me so very jealous!
Kelle, I love your family posts. I say this everytime, but you have such a beautiful family. Lainey’s face and her smile during the recital are priceless. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Kelle….
Nobody cried while visiting Santa Claus!! That is a first!! 😉
I love, love, love Nella’s facial expression while pointing at the fudge!! Chocolate, baby!! ;-D
–Raelyn
Kelle,
I dedicate this to you: http://www.pinterest.com/cavanos/gifts-for-unicorn-lovers/
Cheers!
Laughed as I realized they have Bass Pro Santas in Florida like they do here in Kansas, we just visited ours this weekend. 🙂
You don’t know how you make me want to move to Florida. We have four inches of snow on the ground here. I can’t get over seeing pictures of your kids with Santa … and then eating ice cream on the beach. 😉
A friend of mine did naughty elf Ellie who wrote on glass picture frames of her children with dry erase marker… santa hats and beards. You could hit up the bathroom mirror too.
Love the sweet moments you always capture! 🙂
I am so very grateful I did not know of the elf until recently and that my kidnicks are old…grateful indeed!
Sounds like a great week! Those plaid pants… painted toes! OMG!
We don’t do elf on the shelf. The elf would be discharged for conduct unbecoming an elf…
;o)
Joyeux Noël,
Caryl
Nella is rockin those preppy plaid pants! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! Dang is she cute OR WHAT?!!! Lainey is growing like a weed. And Dash – – cut as pie! What a wonderful holiday season in progress for the Hamptons!
…and next time I’m back in Naples, I’m checking out the fudge store……how the hell did I EVER miss that?
We’ve never done elf on the shelf but I am OH, so sick of seeing everyone else’s pictures!! 🙂
I’m not as annoyed as I sound, but you get it.
The pictures in this most made my heart melt.
I miss Google Reader, and I miss your blog. I need to put a feedly prompt somewhere.
Just a little while and I notice a change in Nella and your boy! I love the ballet pics- always good for a tear. Her hands are perfect!
So tempted to meet you on Orcas Island, it’s not that far and my writing is sadly on the back burner. But the knitting is rocking!
Thanks so much for the sunshine!
Oh, Kelle!
I feel like I could cry looking at every photo…especially Nella running on the beach!
My heart is bursting!
Bass Pro! Hands down, THE BEST place to go visit Santa. This was our fourth BP Santa year.