The Higgins Family: The House of Higgins: December 22

Embry's Church Choir Performances

Embry's been doing church choir weekly for a few months and the first Sunday in December they performed Sunday morning and then at the church's big Christmas concert Sunday evening. Despite knowing all the words and hand signs, she did *nothing* during either performance. Haha. Just stood there, looking around. She thought she did so good afterwards....so I guess that's good...haha!

William, Caroline, Embry, and Sophie

Favorite Things Party

I hosted a Favorite Things Party for my MOPS group for our December Moms Night Out! Everyone brought a wrapped $10 gift that's one of your favorite things and we opened them White Elephant gift style! It was super fun and I'll definitely host one again!

Meeting Santa 2016

We went to Bass Pro Shop to meet Santa this year as we've done a few years in the past. It's close, free, and no lines! Score! With Todd's love of strangers (especially men) I was shocked he ended up crying, but made for a cute picture! Hah! Embry was excited to sit on Santa's lap and was definteily nervous...but wanted to tell him what she wanted. She said Pony Suprise (she's getting puppy surprise) and a stuffed bunny (check!).

Embry at 14 months and Todd at 14 months- same sad face

Embry's Preschool Christmas Performances

My mom (Mimi) came in for Embry's Christmas performance at school on December 7! Mom came the day before and we had a fun afternoon with the kids at home. They performed 9 songs and Embry basically did what she did at her church choir performances...didn't really participate. She didn't seem nervous, upset, or anything...just stood there singing every few words. Hahah. For a girl who never shuts up or stops performing at home...it was quite a shock! She thought it was so fun to have Daddy and Mimi at school which never happens!

Chicago Trip!

Friday December 9 I flew to Chicago for my cousin, Lindsay's, wedding! Kids weren't invited so Jacob stayed home with the kids and I got 48 hours away....well really 72 hours.... It was a cold and SNOWY weekend in Chicago and I had an absolute blast hanging with all my dad's side of the family and my immediate family (minus Ruthie)! I stayed up til 3 am both nights, slept in, ate good food, did some sight seeing, caught up with tons of family members, and attended a gorgeous wedding! Saturday night it started snowing and didn't stop! My flight was cancelled early Sunday morning (before I got to the airport luckily) and I was only able to get on a flight the next morning (Monday). My dad booked me a room at the Marriott near the airport since I was on a 5am (yes 5am......) flight to Atlanta, then home! So although I was bummed I didn't get to get home to Jacob and the kids Sunday evening as planned....it was quite heavenly to have a whole afternoon and evening in a hotel room alone with takeout food and Netflix (finally finished Mad Men!). Jacob was able to go into work a bit late Monday and dropped off the kids at school. I got home by 11am and picked up the kids from school that day! It was such a refreshing trip away!!

Cousin dinner out

Dad and his baby sis, Aunt Jamie!

SNOW!

Me and the beautiful bride!

The two Todd Fannings

My hotel room all by my lonesome self! ;)

While I was gone, Embry had her ballet dress rehearsal for her recital right in the middle of Todd's nap...so Lauren and Eliot took her!

My hotel Sunday night

FaceTime with my girl!

Reunited Monday at 2:30pm!

Christmas Tree Pics

Todd's Ear Tube Surgery (And Lip Tie Correction)

Friday December 16 I had to wake Todd up to leave by 5:30 am for his tube surgery up in far North Plano! When we scheduled tubes, Jacob already had a hearing that day and it wasn't something he could change. Jacob's mom came to town for Embry's ballet recital a day early so she could stay at home with Embry! I was SO worried about T not being able to eat since he's food (pouch) crazy, especially first thing in the morning. He did great the 45 min drive to the surgery center, but the 90 minutes before his surgery were hard. He was starved! About 10 min before he was up to be taken back to the OR, they came and gave him some loopy meds to relax him...it was one of the funniest things I've ever seen. He was basically high.

He got the routine ear tubes done and also had his top frenulum clipped. He was lip tied pretty bad and had a really thick frenulum. The ENT clipped it and placed dissolvable stitches. Both things went well and he was done in 25 min or so. Similar to his anesthesia for his surgery last December, he didn't like waking up. Each time they tried to wake him, he just cried and wanted to sleep. They finally released us and he never woke up walking to the car, getting in his car seat, and the whole drive him. He wasn't quite himself the rest of the day, just really groggy! That night was Embry's ballet recital and we had a sitter for him who said he barely made it to 6pm before she put him down.

So hungry

And he's happy on his drugs...lol

Playing with Kiki once we got home

Embry's Ballet Recital

Both Kiki and Mimi were in town for Embry's first ballet recital and it was as cute as can be. It was a low key affair, just held at the dance studio. Embry did fantastic and did every move! (We were a bit worried after her frozen choir performances.....haha). She had so much fun going there and afterwards we went out for ice cream and gave her a gift she'd been looking forward to opening- a ballet ornament for the tree =)

Opening a ballet Barbie from Mimi!

The cutest Sugar Plum Fairy!

Play Date With The Aussies

Sunday afternoon Embry and I had a Mommy Embry date to the Perot Museum to go meet up with the Quick family- the family that my sister Tomi lived with (and was an au pair for) in Australia! They're on a 5.5 week US tour and were in Dallas for a few days! Their youngest child, Zoe, is 2 days older than Embry and the year Tomi lived there we FaceTimed with them almost every day! We all had a great time! Afterwards we continued our "date" and went grocery shopping and ran two more errands. I just adore spending one on one time with my sweet girl! Four year olds are just so easy! (Can you tell which child of mine wears me out these days, haha)

Embry and Zoe!

Hair Cuts for All

I've only ever paid for a haircut for Embry 2 or 3 times in her 4 years. But since Todd has started getting haircuts at "fun" places, Embry has been asking for a haircut. LOL So both kids got fresh cuts for Christmas!

Cookie Decorating

I hosted two, much smaller than my previous, cookie decorating parties on Wednesday with friends! The first was just our little group of four stay at home mamas who tend to hang most together! Between us we have 9 (almost 10) kiddos and that was plenty for cookie decorating! Haha! That afternoon, we had our annual gift exchange with Eliot and Embry and Eliot decorated cookies together!