The Month of December is a very busy one at our house. Not only do we have Christmas traditions that we carry out but we now have the addition of Sophie's birthday to add to the mix! (She was my Christmas Eve, Eve baby. That's a whole 'nother story for a whole 'nother time. It's a doozy. I'll save that one for another day.) This year, my kid sister from Ft Worth was able to come for a December visit. We don't always get to spend time together during the Christmas season, so we decided to celebrate our favorite December traditions AND Sophie's 3rd birthday the weekend she and her family were able to be here. I was so happy to have them join us. It was a great time.
One of the biggest traditions we have is Annual Cookie Bake Day! My little sis and I grew up with this tradition. My Mom would take us to visit one of my Aunts. All the other Aunts and cousins would be there and we would all decorate cookies, listen to music and have a great time together. It's definitely one of my favorite child hood memories from a time when I was very little, before my world turned upside down. So I cherish it very much and looked forward to passing the tradition on to my own children.
It seems like my little crew of participants keeps growing too! If you have little kids, this is a great activity for them. They have a blast decorating each cookie just the way they want it. We had to drag Sophie (literally kicking and screaming) away from the table when it was time to move on to something else.
If we keep growing like we have been, I'll have to separate the group into ages and form a "kids" table just so everyone can fit!
Right after the cookie decorating we did a gift exchange. My sister and her family usually exchange gifts with myself and my big family but as my family has grown, it's getting harder and harder to keep up with so many purchases so we came up with a great idea for this year. We drew names! It was really great to see how well we all know each other. We all did a wonderful job giving our special person a gift suited perfectly to them. My 9 year old son, Little John, drew my name. He got me an adult coloring book and coloring pencils! I cannot WAIT to use them!
The very next day we celebrated Sophie's 3rd Birthday! I cannot believe she is 3 already. The time just flies by. The theme for her party was Paw Patrol! She and the Grand baby loved the Paw Patrol masks I picked up at Party City.
And I couldn't help but put one on too. When it comes to my family, I'll make a fool of myself and never apologize! We had finger foods for the starter course then for dessert, cupcakes and a make your own sundae bar! It was a BLAST!
I convinced myself I was going to rest the next day......
My sister and her family along with my oldest daughter, Amber made plans to travel in to Houston on Monday to go to The Galleria Mall which is about 1 1/2 hours away from where we live. I planned on spending the day pretty low key at home. In true Stacey fashion, I ended up going to the mall. I've never been to The Galleria. I love experiencing new things with my sister so I couldn't resist!
The Galleria Mall is AMAZING! I saw stores in that mall that I have only ever previously seen on TV. We are talking stores with their own private security right at the front entrance. Being the weekend before Christmas, it was super packed but we forged on. It was another really cool experience! It even had an indoor ice skating rink. I want to take the kids back one day to skate. It looked really fun!
At one point, Ashley (my little sister) said "Look up there! It's a HOTEL! INSIDE THE MALL!!" Whoa! That's both clever AND convenient! I wonder how much a night's stay at one of those costs? Maybe one day! I even got to visit Sephora again. I am convinced that Sephora is a make-up junkie's dream. I seriously got overwhelmed when I walked in. It was only my 2nd time being in a stand alone version. I'm going to start making a "dream list" of items I want. There's just too much to try and buy at one time. I just want to play with ALL THEIR STUFF!
I loved that this Mall had so many different eateries to choose from as well. From everyday places like Taco Bell and Chipotle to french bakeries like La Madeleine, your group can eat together or you can each eat something different. Ashley and I decided to try a place called Sultan Pepper. I really like Mediterranean food when it's fresh and cooked properly but it can also be a huge disappointment if you find a place where the menu items are poorly cooked. I had a lamb and beef Gyro. It was fresh and tasty. The meat was well seasoned and oh so tender. The bread was soft. The sauce was exceptional. Plus the employees were very friendly and the service was remarkable. If you like Mediterranean, add this place to your list!
If I had ANY complaint about my experience at the mall that day, it would have to be the obnoxiously rude woman I "met" during our visit. Let's use this experience as a lesson in breastfeeding etiquette.
I took Sophie and Emma to Houston with me that day. I wanted to give my husband a day "off". Emma is breastfed so anytime I am out and about for a prolonged period of time, I have to search for a place to feed her at some point. I am an AVID believer that women should be able to breastfeed where ever they are comfortable. For me, that means somewhere private and quiet if I can find it. I was thrilled to find a room for breastfeeding Moms to use inside The Galleria! It had a baby changing station inside as well as a small couch to sit on and it was empty and ready to use just when I needed it. The room was tucked inside this public waiting type area filled with places to sit and restrooms around the corner. As I was going in to the special room to feed Emma, the sitting and restroom area nearby was packed with people though no one was in wait for that particular room. I was glad the BF room had a lock on it for my privacy with all those people around.
My intent was to breastfeed Emma as quickly and efficiently as possible in case some other Mom came along and needed the room. This isn't a huge obstacle these days. Emma is almost 10 months old and eats regular food now too so she doesn't breastfeed very often or for very long at a time. We are usually really fast! I was in the middle of her feeding when someone bangs on the door. I say "Someone is in here." About a minute goes by and banging starts again. I say "Someone is in here". A minute or two later, same thing. Then, someone starts violently wiggling the door handle trying to get in. By this time, I am raising my voice to let them know that someone is in the room hoping the banging and handle wiggling stops. I am concerned that a line is forming outside the door so I finish feeding Emma and quickly change her diaper so the other Moms can feed their littles also. As soon as I open the door, I see ONE MOM standing there. She has one baby that looked to be about 1 year old in her arms. The baby isn't crying so I'm not sensing an emergency situation. She also had a small child with her and it didn't seem like anything was wrong with him either. The door wasn't even fully open when she charges passed me, almost knocking me over and proceeds to enter the room and shut the door, practically in my face.
I was caught completely off guard. I looked around, stunned and the crowded room full of people were shaking their heads. I walked over to my family who had been sitting outside the door waiting on me and they were annoyed to say the least. They told me the woman was repeatedly knocking on the door even after being told by my sister n law, more than once that someone was inside trying to breastfeed and when that didn't get me out, she had her small child knock and wiggle the handle. Even the strangers in the room were flabbergasted. I usually encounter very friendly and supportive people when it comes to them finding out I am breastfeeding my baby. This wasn't supportive at all. This is a breastfeeding etiquette FAIL, ladies! When encountering a breastfeeding Mom, please try and adhere to these simple rules. These are not a complete set of rules but you can certainly use these to get you started in the right direction.
- Be kind.
- Be patient.
- Use common sense.
- DON'T BE A JERK!!
I stress #4 the most. I am proud of myself for not causing a scene. There once was a time when I was a very confrontational person. It took years for me to change and I am glad I did but the nerve of some people just astounds me at times. I wasn't going to let that one thing define my day but shame on whoever she was for behaving that way!
Moving on. By the end of the day we were all hungry (again) and exhausted. We stopped for a quick bite at another place I have never eaten called The Shake Shack! Burgers and shakes for everybody! Then we headed back home.
The next morning, my sister and her family headed back to Ft Worth. Another set of memories and adventures down in the books! We were sad to see them go and we can't wait to see them again! For now, it's time to get this house together for the next big thing. CHRISTMAS!!
Want to check out The Galleria? Click this link
If you want to know my secret to cookie day, here's the sugar cookie recipe I use every year. It gets rave reviews!
What are your Christmas traditions?
Are you ready for the Holidays?
As always, love to you all!
Stacey
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