1st Annual North Pole Breakfast!

It was about 3am Tuesday morning when I decided

 to start this post. I was in early labor with Lottie 

and could not sleep. Looking back I wish I had just

 headed to the hopsital. 

Unfortunately, I waited too long

 and didn't make it in time 

for the epidural (which is more 

the hospital's fault than 

mine but that is another story) 

So this is officially the Cartee's

 last blog post without Lottie! 

Cartee Family 1st Annual

 North Pole Breakfast! 

Thursday December 1st I decided to 

have the family's 1st 

North Pole breakfast to 

welcome the holiday 

season and the arrival 

of Casey the Elf!

I set the table with our Christmas dishes 

and I got the kids their 

1st Christmas goodie bags!

We had chocolate milk with

 marshmallows and candycanes!

The girl's got a cute new "big girl" 

Santa cup filled with juice!

I made Rudolph doughnuts !

These were my favorite! So easy and cute!

They are just chocolate doughnuts with

 red peanut M&M's as noses, pretzels 

as antlers and icing for eyes!

Nixon Grace really liked them!

I got the idea off of Pinterest for

 Snowman pancakes.

 I of course improvised with items I already had!

Two pancakes, chocolate morsels for eyes 

and buttons, bacon for a scarf, and a 

sliced orange gumdrop for the nose!

I have NEVER had success 

with making pancakes

 so Jared generously offered to be in 

charge of the pancakes and bacon! 

(also, "No Shave November" carried into

the beginning of December)

The kids were so excited to see the 

arrival of Casey and the breakfast surprise!

Nixon's favorite was the Rudolph doughnuts

and the chocolate milk!

Isla loved the pancakes!

And Roman just ate all the chocolate 

and dipped his marshmallows in the syrup! 

He did finally try his pancake!

Jared read the story of "The Elf 

on the Shelve" during breakfast!

The kids received their 1st present of the season!

I got cute Christmas bags and filled them with 

Target $1 items for the kids to

 prepare them for December fun! 

Roman got a Christmas coloring book, 

Christmas pajamas and socks,

and a water gun!

Nixon and Isla received 

Christmas pajamas,

 (Nixon wore for the next several nights!) 

Christmas coloring book,

Christmas lipstick,

Christmas socks,

Christmas headbands,

I love how excited Target $1 

section makes my girls! 

If only this would last forever! 

The funniest moment of the morning was after breakfast. 

I dressed the girls for MDO and Isla came in screaming. 

We asked her what was wrong and she said 

"We were lying to her. Casey the Elf was not real! 

He was fake and he does not come to life"

She was so serious it was hilarious!

I immediately looked at Jared to see how I should respond. 

We simply told her (like we have told Nixon) that 

she was right. Casey the Elf is just for fun and pretending. 

I thought that might be the end of Casey and Santa 

but both girls have had a blast "pretending" that Casey 

and Santa are real this past week. 

Nixon reminds me daily that we are pretending 

but thinks it's really fun.

 Isla I think has

forgotten she doesn't believe. :) 

We had a wonderful 1st annual 

Cartee North Pole Breakfast! 

It was full of fun memories 

and new traditions! 

Next year we will have one more 

plate of snowman pancakes!

(I think we are going to have to buy a bigger table!)