Regifting

 

So in between activities, we had a chance to do some chores including cleaning out a closet, in which we found our first digital camera.  If only we had known what a hit this would be with our four year old phototog.  The girl loves to take pictures and has been quite busy snapping away.  Here is her version of her nutty parents, her crazy sister, and all that is merry and bright.

Holiday Happenings

 

So its been a blur of fun since Thanksgiving.  The first weekend in December brought a wedding night out for a colleague of David's on Friday for D and me and babysitting and Christmas movies with Nonie for the kiddos.  We woke up for the bridge run (kiddie style) and some limited decorating (no need for a tree with all our traveling!)  On that Saturday we enjoyed the St. Nicolas party at Dorothee's and Paul's with baby Clementine and my department.  This event has become a yearly family favorite and has introduced Elsie to French food and traditions--she has embraced European ways in the form of Nutella!  We finished off the weekend with a family tour of lights, complete with hot cocoa and hot toddies.

This past weekend included two parties for the folks on Friday and one on Saturday--The girls enjoyed Christmas movies at home with Nonie and Delaney those nights.  Saturday morning at the beauty parlor with Seth was quite a treat and made sure they were pretty for their Sunday birthday party and dinner at the Martins.  We are all ready to hibernate at this point!

Christmas Sweater

This isn't a Christmas sweater per se.  It is a sweater Addie made for Kit last Christmas, but this Christmas it is her go to sweater of choice, perfect for all holiday attire and any and every festive event.  She insists on it, demands it, and won't leave home without it.  Whether it is Monday or Friday morning at the soft play and Christmas train at the mall, Tuesday at Oatland Island animal sanctuary for toddler Tuesday, Wednesday at Ms. Amy's music class, Thursday at Toddler Time at the Bull Street Library, all with her Nonie, or afternoon playdates with Mommy and Daddy, Kit is good to go.  We've had lots of parties lately and she's worn it with all her party clothes and her new cozy boots.

The Silly Sisters

 

These are some pretty silly sisters.  Constantly singing, inadvertently dancing, ceaseless chatting, always on the run.... Their energy inspires and exhausts me.  And while the similarities are apparent, their distinct personalities shine brightly.  Elsie is forceful and vibrant.  She is exacting and relentless.  She flits and kicks with abandon.  The other night she was thrilled to do a flip turn in the pool accidentally. 

Her sister is not exactly those things.  Of course, her personality is emerging as definitely and quickly as her vocabulary is, but it is still in the emergent stage.  She is fearless, physical, funny.... What stands out above and beyond any other personality trait at this point is her sense of humor.  The girl is a ham.  She delights in making others laugh.  When she isn't shaking her booty, she's giggling uncontrollably and no one makes Elsie bust a gut like Kit does.  She'll dress up, get down, say it, shake it, squeal, whatever it takes but she'll get a laugh.  

And now, on nights when I'm at girls night or book club or nights when D is on call, the very different girls come together and enjoy their books together with one of us reading, reading on a single lap, arms linked, legs crossed, lost together in imaginary worlds of their choosing.  

Ready to Go

Happy Holidays Y'all!

Shake your Booty or your Booba






Kit is different. She is not the same as we are. She loves to shake her booty and seems to have some rhythm..... Actually, her dad can shake it and has rhythm so maybe she is just more like him and less like me---though I know she looks like me! I hear it only occasionally every day. Or maybe it is Nonie's rhythm.... at least that is what she claims. Nonie takes her to music class and revels in how Kit can get down.

Also, she calls a spoon a booba. Yes, a BooBA.

And she is stubborn and neither of us are.... well, maybe she's a little like us.

Frosty





Fortunately, the temperature dropped so we can feel a little more in sync with the season.... the stores made sure we knew the holidays were coming and the semester confirmed it. All of the frenzy almost makes me want to rebel and resist it and then I witness the wonder of it all in the anticipation of these two.... Elsie remembers the stories, the decorations, the songs, and the DVDs from last year--here they are engrossed in Frosty. She was ecstatic when she discovered her Elf on the Shelf had moved from the mantle last night to appear tucked into the baby bed in her room this morning with a note from Santa about listening and minding her manners. She rejoiced in the first day of her advent calendar. She has Kit adopting her Ho Ho as the big guy's official title--pronounced Oh Oh by little Kit. All in all, I guess more than any marketing or in spite of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, they remind me about the reason for the season or whatever it might mean.