Holiday Happenings

The Sielicki's have been quite busy since Thanksgiving, so I haven't had much time to post.  The house is all decorated, the presents are all purchased and are even wrapped under the tree!  Best of all, Alli is all about Santa.  Anytime we go somewhere with Santa, she has to sit on his lap...she wants to make sure he knows who she is.  Her big request this year is a bumble bee pillow pet.  Last year, we couldn't pay her in candy to sit in Santa's lap. 
Chris hit his 100 lb goal well before Christmas!  Kudos, Honey!
Lucky 7~Chris and I celebrated out 7 year wedding anniversary.  We went out to Sullivan's in Anderson.  It was our first time there...their red velvet cheesecake is to die for! 
Alli also had her Christmas program at school...her class sang Jingle Bells and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.  She did a super job!  It was her first public performance!
We also took Alli to Eden Farms last weekend to see Santa come down the mountain on his sleigh with his horse "reindeer."  We all had a good time.  Alli especially liked the pony rides.

Alli's "big girl" bed

While Alli was away at Gigi and Pappy's over  the weekend, Chris and I decided to get Alli a new bed.  She had been sleeping in her toddler bed, but thought it was time for a "big one."  Since her crib coverted into a full size bed, we went ahead and skipped the twin, and went right into the full.  I'd say she liked it, and we heard no thumps of her falling out of the bed last night.

Tailgating

We decided that since we hadn't tailgated yet this year (we normally go to the Letterman's Club), we should probably do it since the season was almost over.  Leave it to Clemson to have a noon game...not so good for tailgating, especially when it's cold outside.  Thanks to our neighbor Tim, and his propane heater, we were quite toasty warm.

Trick or Treat

Alli was a butterfly this year.  She really got into dressing up and especially the trick or treating when she realized people were giving her candy.

Our Birthdays

Along with Fall and Football comes Chris' and my birthdays (our birthdays are 3 days apart, and yes...I'm older).  We turned the Big 33 this year.  We had a little get together of Chris' college roomates and families at our house to celebrate his birthday.  We are so thankful for wonderful friends and the new Dyson vacuum we got!

The Mountains

Sorry I've been a little slow on updates...I'm not sure where the time goes, so here's a few blogs to catch you up. Back in October, we met our friends Amy, Jeremy, and their son Conner (whose 4) from Memphis in Gatlinburg for a long weekend. It was wonderful to see my BFF since it had been a whole year...talking on the phone just isn't the same. The kids had a great time at the petting zoo, a bird sanctuary, and the adults enjoyed spending time together.

Shout out to my hubby

Chris has really been working hard on living a healthier life.  He done such an awesome job and is such a hotty!  Since January, through diet and exercise, Chris has lost 85 lbs!  Great job babe!  Alli and I are so proud of you!  Here are some before and after pics.  You can really tell a difference!


Before




Now

Gigi and Pappy's Visit

Over the weekend, Gigi and Pappy visited and babysat Alli's cousins Jordan and Chloe.  We thought it would be fun to get the girls together for a visit to Monkey Joe's and lunch...a good time was had by all...especially Pappy!

Clemson Football

We thought the PC game would be the perfect game to take Alli to, and it was.  The weather was perfect, and it definitely wasn't a sell out so we had room to stretch out.  At the Lettermen's Room, the Tiger Cub even dropped by and Alli had her picture made.

Fun with Play-doh

Alli absolutely loves Play-doh...especially wearing it!

Back in the saddle again...so to speak

Party's over...I'm back at work.  My almost month long hiatus is over.  I started my new job today, and so far, so good.  I'm now directly upstairs from where I used to work, only now I'm in the biochemistry/genetics dept. at Clemson instead of bioengineering.  I now do research on chocolate!  Yes, you read right.  My current boss works with the people at the Mars Candy Company. I'm looking forward to tasting!   You may remember from old posts that my former boss moved to Chapel Hill and is now faculty at UNC.  So, I moved upstairs.  It ended up taking the Clemson HR dept about 3 weeks for a simple transfer...I'm not complaining!  I have also started back at Tri-County teaching...been at it for 2 weeks now!  It seems to be going pretty well as well.
Alli has now moved up to the the 2's class with Mrs. Susan.  She seems to really be enjoying it.  Her 2 favorite new activities are painting and play-doh.  We get a painting of a "tiger paw" almost everyday.  She also loves playing on the "big playground."
Football has officially started back, so Chris is thrilled.  Our first football game is tomorrow.  We're looking forward to seeing what the Tigers are made of this year.  Alli is looking forward to going with MiMi and PaPa to the Babyland General Hospital...the place where the Cabbage Patch babies are born!
No pictures this week...sorry!

Clemson Fan Appreciation Day

We headed to Clemson yesterday to as Alli said "see all the big football players."  It was hot and there were a lot of people, but we had fun checking out the team.  Chris and Alli even got a quick shot with Xavier Dye.

Vacation to Hilton Head

We just got back from vacation at Hilton Head.  A good time was had by all.  However, I was glad to get back home...not back to work...just back home.  We stayed very busy while we were there.  We didn't have much time to just relax, but I doubt that ever happens with a 2 year old!  As soon as we got there, we were off to the beach!  Alli loved the beach.  I'm not sure what she liked more...the water or the sand!  They  have a cute little children's museum there that she loved.  We also went on the "Bubblegum Cruise."  It's a dolphin cruise geared for kids, however, I think Alli was still a little young to enjoy.  Alli also went on a pony ride at the Lawton Stables.  She really liked that too.  There was a pool at the villa we stayed at, so went swimming there every night after dinner.  It was nice to be able to spend time together as a family...looking forward to our next vacation!

We get a raise!

Woo-hoo-Alli went to spend the weekend with my parents in Columbia this past weekend, and came home potty trained!  Who knew that's all it would take?  Thanks Mimi and Papa!  Alli's doing great~she's wearing "big girl panties" all the time (except for at night)!  Anyone need any diapers or pull-ups?  Not having to buy those anymore will certainly be nice!

Meet Katie and Rebecca

Since Alli did so well with her swimming lessons, Chris got her fish.  She has named them Katie and Rebecca.  They are named after the baby sisters of 2 of her classmates at school.

Blueberry Picking

Sorry it's been a couple of weeks, but it has been busy.  I've had quite a few interviews for teaching positions in a few public school districts, but with the budget cuts, the competition is stiff...I have a feeling people with more experience will be hired for the few position that are available.  Today, I just had an interview at TriCounty Technical College for a faculty position.  I even had to give a teaching demo on the Lac Operon...it was lots of fun!  I think things went well, and I hope to hear back soon.  Awaiting with fingers crossed!
Anywho, over the July 4th holiday, we took Alli blueberry picking.  I think Alli ate her weight in blueberries!  She didn't understand the principle of putting them in the basket...they were way too tempting for her!  We all had a good time though!

Swimming Lessons

Alli had her first swimming lesson at the Clemson-Central Rec Center yesterday.  I thought she did really well.  All the kids in all levels of swimming lessons sit on the bleachers by the pool until their teachers come to get them, then they all line up and walk together to the 3 1/2 ft pool....Alli cried the whole walk over, but once her teacher got her in the water she stopped and did everything they asked.  She was jumping from the side of the pool to the teacher and swimming with a noodle.  I sat on the bleachers quite a ways away with the other parents.  Sorry the pictures are so fuzzy, but I had the zoom as high as it would go, and lost resolution.  On the last class, parents are allowed to come over to the pool the kids are in and take pics, so hopefully I'll get some good ones in a few weeks.