Getting in the Christmas Spirit

The Christmas season is upon us. This year, Elliott is old enough to get excited about Santa, Christmas lights, and Christmas carols. It brings the magic of Christmas back for me too.

We started decorating after Thanksgiving.



The week after Thanksgiving, we went to the Roycroft Inn so Elliott could meet Santa. He was in an odd mood when we got there and curled up briefly in the corner.

Watching the band performing Christmas carols.

I attempted to get a cute picture for the front of our Christmas card. Most of the pictures looked like this - just awkward. Poor Lucy!

This was the best of the bunch. It graces the back of our card.

Meeting Santa was rough. Elliott wanted nothing to do with it so I held him on my lap. Santa and I laughed while Elliott cried and tried to run away. Lucy cried too. I think most families have some version of this picture. 

In preparation for riding on the Polar Express a few weeks later, we watched the movie one evening. This was a big event - Elliott's first feature-length film and his first show on the big TV. The only thing that is ever on our TV when he is awake is football. He loved it!

Snuggling with Daddy while watching the Polar Express.

Elliott has his own Christmas tree. I found this great idea on Pinterest to make a felt tree using a traffic cone. This way, Elliott can decorate his tree and leave the ornaments on the real tree. He seems to really like it. Unfortunately, Dutch likes the ornaments. We've caught him nibbling on a few of them.

E with his tree.

 

More Thanksgiving and Early December

Most of the pictures I took on Thanksgiving were for Christmas cards, which made for very entertaining outtakes. Here are a few pictures from the rest of the day.

Poppy took Ned out for the first sledding of the season.



Lucy hanging out with Daddy.

Pile of cousins.

Lucy conked out after dinner.

Out sledding at our house. Elliott helped out by towing the chainsaw cover on his sled.

On the weekend after Thanksgiving, we went out for dinner on Saturday night. Our kids were angelic. Lucy sat quietly on my lap and then Jesse's lap. Elliott read books at then ate a great dinner. He even tried new foods! He is usually very reluctant (read: screaming crying) to try anything new. We were out for sushi and he took a piece of shrimp tempura from my hand and ate it! He also asked to try raw salmon. He put it in his mouth but then took it out. At least he tried it! After dinner, Jesse and Elliott went to Wegmans while I nursed Lucy in the car. Elliott got a chocolate chip cookie and gave this huge, chocolatey smile for the camera.

Safety first at breakfast. 

Big smiles. 12/1/13.

Thomas hat and crocs. Nice outfit.

The kids and I went to my parents' house one day while Jesse was working on the house. Elliott has become quite fond of this stuffed doll of Holly. Yep, the doll actually has Holly's face as a child screenprinted on it.

Hugs for Aunt Hol.

More big smiles! This picture graced the back of our Christmas card. 12/2/13.

We went over to Coco and Poppy's house early the next morning to vacate the construction zone. Elliott sported this great outfit. He insisted on wearing his sunglasses and medal. Cool kid.

Poppy wrapped his noggin in an ace bandage for fun - no injury this time.

Elliott wanted Aunt Hol to sit and eat lunch with him.

Snug as a bug in a rug for a wintery walk with Danielle and Emma.

 

Christmas Card Outtakes

On Thanksgiving Day, we attempted to take many Christmas card pictures. Some versions of these might arrive in your mailbox but these are these hilarious discards. I hope you see the humor in these that I do!

 

Elliott photobomb.

 

 

Our attempt at a picture of the four grandchildren.

Penny wanted nothing to do with it.

 

This is what happens when you try to get twelve people to look at the camera at once.

 

 

 

 

November Days

I dumped pictures off my phone and am getting to posting our everyday shots from November.

Snuggling with my girl. 11/19/13.



While Elliott snuggled with Poppy and watched part of a train movie (Murder on the Orient Express).

Lucy is becoming more expressive every day. 11/20/13.

I knew that picture of Lucy reminded me of Elliott. This is Elliott on 11/9/11.

Our kids have goopy eyes. Elliott has his corrected in November 2012. We do hot compresses with Lucy in hopes of her tear ducts opening on their own and skipping the procedure. She is often completely calm as she sits in what we call "the eye spa."

Big girl likes sitting in the bumbo now. We stay close by since she's still a bit floppy. 11/23/13.

I ran some errands one day and brought along Dutch for the ride. I came back to find him curled up in Elliott's car seat. Funny dog.

He definitely prefers to be warm. When the wood stove is going, he plants himself right in front of the fire.

Lucy wearing booties that Coco knit for her. 11/25/13.

Elliott's thumb was looking red, swollen, and uncomfortable a few weeks ago. A quick trip to the pediatrician revealed he had an infected cuticle. They prescribed a few things, including an ointment and changing dressings multiple times a day. In previous trips to the doctor, Elliott was more upset by the band aid than the shot or finger prick. We weren't sure how the thumb bandages were going to go but he was a champ! He also insisted on wearing his bike helmet that day.

The doctor recommended soaking his thumb. How do you convince a two year old to sit still and soak his thumb?? Poppy to the rescue! The animals took a bath, too. (Once at home, we used the iPad. Poppy gets points for creativity.)

Looking at the turkeys from Coco's bath tub.

I moved the Moses basket to the floor one day and look who made himself at home.

And then this one. Once again, silly dog.

Back to smiling in the bumbo. The kids and I have been spending time at Coco and Poppy's house while Jesse makes noise (= progress) on the upstairs bathroom. 11/26/13.

How about those cheeks?! 11/27/13.