Telling Santa what she wants for Christmas: note she asks Santa for a blue Christmas tree for her little brother's room.

Buddy the Elf

So after much talk about Elf on the Shelf, I decided to purchase one for Cadence. We started off on the wrong foot because I was so anxious to get it open and see her reaction. I was more than a little disappointed when she threw him down the hallway and ran off to play with her other toys. I put him away and at bedtime I pulled the book out, but she informed me she didn't want to read that book, she wanted a different book (3 yr olds!) So "Elf on a Shelf," day one, was a fail. That night, while she was sleeping, I stuck Buddy on top of her tv. Shortly after she awoke, I heard, "Hey, what's he doing up there?" I knew exactly what she was talking about and a smile came across my face. I went in her room and acted suprised. That night, we read the book and I learned no one is supposed to touch Elf on the Shelf..opps. Buddy was found the next morning in a different location (the picture of her is when she found him on Day 2). I explained to her how Buddy flys to the North Pole every night and tells Santa if she has been naughty or nice that day. (She totally bought it) So this little game of moving Buddy to a different location every night while she sleeps will go on until Christmas Eve, when he flys home for good and then he'll will reappear next year. Hopefully Derrick and I will get some good behavior out of it and she'll get the joy of having one of Santas little helpers in the house. She's tried to talk to him, but understands Santa doesn't allow him to talk back. However, there is nothing in the book about when he eats so it looks like I will be cooking for 1 extra every night, per Cadence's request. What a fun little idea. Love the Holidays...

Pictures from Cadence's 1st, 2nd, and 3rd birthdays!

Cadence's first birthday party was held at our house. She wasn't feeling very well, but still managed to dig into her birthday cake without hesitation. We learned a valuable lesson that day about the maximum number of people our house could hold, comfortably. I decided to look somewhere else to have her 2nd birthday party.

We had her 2nd birthday party at The OEO center in Portland. This is where I had many parties as a kid. Lots of room to run, but short on the entertainment value. She cried when we lit the birthday cake and starting singing, "Happy Birthday" to her. All the grandparents pitched in for her new swingset, which she uses frequently.

The 3rd birthday party at Chuck E Cheese was a hit. She walked around carrying the inflatable Chuck E Cheese all day. I don't think she sat still for a second. She has told me several times she wants to have her birthday party again there next year. I think we have found the formula for birthday party success!

This video was taken on 11/4/11, as we were driving home from Murfresboro.

The funny things (my) kid says

   So I've been keeping a mental record of the funny things Cadence has said to me, with the thought that someday I could share those with her. Who am I kidding?! I can't remember where I put my car keys! With that in mind, I decided to make this the subject of my blog. It seems as if one day Cadence went from a baby to a little person, who suddenly new what things were and used words I was sure I had not told her. She became very interested in how things work and her favorite word became, WHY. Everything....why? Somedays I am patient and take the time to explain why the sun shines and why cars don't have mommies and daddies. However, somedays I make a rule she can not say the word why the rest of the car ride home, b/c my brain is simply overwhelmed. She has recently said some things I must make note of so I can always remember them and I would like to share those with you.... 
  We were on our way home from a stay at Nana's and she tells me, "I love pickles, but I don't love you." Now, I've never thought of pickles as much competition, but as she let me know, I had been replaced by pickles!
  Around dinner time, after a busy day, she asked me for a Happy Meal. We loaded up in the car and off to Mickey D's we went. As we were getting our happy meal, she tells me she wants to be a McDonald's worker for Halloween. She had previously asked to be a nurse, a doctor, a ballerina, a ghost, a witch, but a McDonald's worker?... I was speechless, as was the cashier who overheard her request.
 When at her uncle Mark's football game, a young guy with an afro walked by and she looked at him and said, "you have big hair." He looked at me, I blushed a little and then he smiled. He must be familiar with the the crazy things kids say.
  Recently she's been asking God for a baby sister. She understands she's having a little brother and she's not very happy about it. One day she asked me if when she had a baby, it could be a girl. I told her she would have to ask God. Without hesitation, she looks up to the sky and says, "God can I have a girl baby?" Then she looks back and me and says, "He said yes." Man, I love that kid and the funny things she says...

Giving this blogging thing a try.

  So after admiring a friend's blog on Facebook, I've decided to give this blogging thing a try. Little did I know how complicated it would be with templates and footers (I haven't had to think about those things since college); and don't even get me started on the dreaded, "About Me" section. It was a little intimidating to be honest, but after watching a video on Youtube, I decided to jump right in, so here goes........
   I wanted a place where I could share all the memories that have been and are being created in the the mudane moments of everyday in the Hendrick household; a place where I could share my children with the people who love them most, and that would be the people reading this blog. Now, I'm a little behind seeing that Cadence is already 3 years old, but I figure better late than never, right? Cadence is the single greatest thing that has ever happened to me and I feel so blessed and honored that I get to be her mother. Of course, there is a little man, yet to be named, on the way as well. (What to name him may very well be the topic of my next blog) I will do my best to document all the special moments I have with our little angels and share those with you in this blog. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy. .