Family Picture

This is our crazy family picture this year. We procrastinated too long in getting someone else to take the picture so this is what we ended up with. This is going to be such a fun Christmas. Addie is just old enough to understand that Santa is coming and bringing presents. She also kind of gets that it is someone's birthday. However, a lot of the time she sees the tree and says, "Happy Birthday Daddy." Then we correct her and tell her it's Jesus' birthday. "Oh yeah, Happy Birthday Baby Jesus."

It's got to be so confusing for her, who is Jesus and why are we getting presents instead of him? How does Santa and Rudolf come into the whole thing? I think the poor kid is going to be crushed when she doesn't get the moon sand she keeps seeing on TV and saying "Santa bring that?" Then what about the letdown after Christmas? Is she going to be disappointed that there are no more advent calendar socks to open, no more presents, no more stockings?

See House?

Addie and I decorated a gingerbread house on Sunday. I was amazed at how methodical Addie was about decorating the house. She started with lining up a perfect row of candies along the roofline. No smidge of frosting was going to be uncovered! Next we did the doors and windows, and although this was harder for Addie she did a really good job. Then I made crosshatches of frosting on the roof and started putting candies on the x's. Addie picked up on this and started putting the candies on - some x's have more than one candy, but I think for a 2 year old she did an amazing job. I really tried to let her do her own thing and be creative.

Every day (multiple times a day) we have to go into the dining room and "see house." Lily has picked up on this and follows us into the dining room to see what her cool big sister is doing. Addie of course then wants to "touch house," which really means, "let me eat the candy and frosting." I'll have to post a picture of her making the house - you can see the concentration on her face!

December 2006

This was one of my attempts to do a cute Christmas picture without taking them into the _ell that is portrait studios at this time of year. Unfortunately I never did get a picture of them both smiling at the same time (let alone looking in the same direction!).

Thank Goodness for Big Sisters!

We were in Chicago for a baby shower on Dec 1-3 and had just gotten back and were unloading the car when Addie started screaming from the TV room. I thought she was screaming at Lily because she had taken one of Addie's toys (a normal occurrence). All I could understand was, "NO Lily, no no no!" I went out into the TV room and automatically told Addie it was OK, Lily could play with that toy. Addie shook her head and said,"No momma, mouth!" and pointed to her open mouth. I asked her if Lily had something in her mouth. "YES!"

I took out an acorn sized piece of plaster out of Lily's mouth. Someone must have tracked it in while we were unloading the car. It scares me to think what might have happened if Addie weren't there to keep an eye out for her sister! Addie may have prevented Lily from choking.