Our Toddler












The other day Elaine told me that Kit walks like Fred Sanford. And while I can't confirm that, she does have a distinctly adorable gait and she is walk-stomping everywhere nowadays! And check her out in these Converse high tops--a gift for Elsie years back from dear Jenn Habel. They make me think of Jenn's affinity for her Converse in a darker shade. They also make me think of Ashley Fulmer on the 8th grade Pace basketball team. What do you think, Gunner?

Smudge


Elsie is very into cooking and was delighted to make some brownie muffins a few weeks back and a tres leches birthday cake on Sunday for Mommy's birthday.... She also loved making breakfast in bed for Mommy who got to sleep in until almost 8:30 on the 31st--how decadent! Many kitchen utensils have found their way into Elsie's kitchen, and she is constantly inquiring into the names and uses of devices she discovers. In fact, Elsie seems to enjoy playing with language and concocting recombinations of its various uses much like she enjoys combining ramen noodles, croutons, and dry macaroni into a "salad" in her little red kitchen. Here are some of Elsie's latest linguistic recipes: Smudge--her moniker for fudge and Nudes--What she calls the candy Nerds. There are more that I meant to write down and forgot and I'll have to get back to you on those!

A Hair Raising Playdate










Thanks again Heidel Girls! Last week, Ginger and Camille came over and watched the girls at lunch time so I could run go teach when Elaine was at a family event. Here is some of the fun that ensued on this glorious winter day! It was electrifying!

Trampoline





One parenting lesson I learned was when we decided to give Elsie a trampoline on the occasion of her September birthday: Parents have very strong feelings about trampolines. Some are very opposed and some eagerly embrace them. It has been so far-so good for us. The girls love the trampoline and ask to jump on it just about every day. Their friends adore the trampoline--even older friends-and adults-and are eager to hop on when they come by. Here are a few shots of Kit and her recently discovered joy on the trampoline!

Irrepressible Elsie

Bedtime for Bonzo

Birthday Buddies



And here they are.... the two who are keeping me young at heart even as I turn 38 years old.

Pet Portraits for All




It was a pet portrait Christmas thanks to artist Heather Young! David got an Oscar portrait from me and Dad got a Rocky one from Mom and Kate got the frenchies from Johnny. Clearly, these smush-faces are finally getting the high art recognition they deserve.

Christmas Morning




























We enjoyed Christmas Eve at Grammy and Poppa's with Kate, Johnny, and Baby Tad. Santa visited us there and Christmas morning brought lots of presents and a visit from Addie. Christmas evening brought a fantastic dinner courtesy of chef Johnny and visits from Addie and Gwynne. Elsie loved all of her toys and books and clothes. She delighted in a Leapster, a bento box, and slippers from Santa among many other gifts--she got lots of treats from Grammy and Poppa and her aunts and uncles including Bolt--the movie and her Leap Frog Tag Reader. Kit got musical instruments and Leap Frog toys and lots of packaging and wrapping materials to shove in her mouth. David was a little stiff but present and accounted for--we both got to enjoy generous books, gift certificates, sheets, and a Flip camera which should be fun to incorporate here. The best gift, of course, was time with family especially cousin time!

The week after Christmas brought more holiday fun at Pace Camp--Elsie joined Bryce there and played her heart out! She looks forward to visiting one of Aunt Barbara's camps again one day soon. We also got to enjoy big city dining and adventures at the Children's Museum and the movie theater.

Our Alabama Christmas was also full of wonderful and generous gifts and delicious food. Benji and Jamie joined us for the festivities at Ann and Roy's and we huddled inside and enjoyed family togetherness in spite of the cold. After our visit to Minter, we even swung through to see Grandpa Dave in Tuscaloosa making a pilgrimage to Bryant Denny just days before the big national championship game and also traveling down memory lane to those soccer fields of yore where David and I first met almost fifteen years ago! If only we had known how young and free we were... and if only we had an inkling of all the adventures to come....

Twas the Night Before Christmas



So Christmas this year was full of all sorts of blessings and miracles: David survived a pretty serious car accident with only a few broken ribs, the grandparents were incredibly generous, and our children were full of so much joy and wonder. Luckily, Grammy was in Savannah when David's accident happened and stayed with the kids while we were at the hospital and then drove us all (including the heavily medicated D) to Atlanta. We enjoyed Christmas there and Dad drove David back to work and Savannah the following week. We were able to enjoy a second Christmas in Alabama New Year's weekend.

Here are some of the photos from the Atlanta Christmas though I haven't been able to find my Alabama pictures. I might have to get Ann and Roy to send us some. Here you'll see the night before Christmas: Elsie wrote Santa a letter and left him and the reindeer various treats before she went to bed. Surely, he was especially delighted by the crouton and bubbles she left him--Johnny was convinced that the Christmas crouton will become a holiday tradition in years to come! Likewise, Beth had no problem defending the use value of Kate's ND snuggie on Christmas Eve and was delighted that Meredith gave David an Alabama snuggie for Christmas which she has since borrowed quite liberally.