Gah!

A little pre-holiday spiffing up.


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NYC December 2010

Someone's really excited to be in New York.

At the Disney store...



They were so happy with their purchases:
Carriage ride through Central Park:



Underneath the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree:
Getting ready for Broadway!


So sad I wouldn't let her ice skate in Bryant Park:
Chasing pigeons is almost as fun:
Underneath the tree in Bryant Park:
Heaven for Miller: the Lionel Trains store...

Birdie's return

The morning after our camp-out, Birdie, our elf, came back. Parenting is so much easier when he's around!

Camp out!

Last year, right after Christmas, I read a blog post about someone's favorite memory being how her family would camp out under their Christmas tree one night each year. Ever since, I've been determined to start this tradition with our family too. So Saturday night we dragged mattresses and pillows, blankets and a blow-up bed for Gary and me into the living room and settled in. We made gingerbread cookies, drank hot apple cider and watched Frosty the Snowman before turning the lights out. Miller ended up getting put back into his room (until about 5am when he made it back into our bed) but the rest of us slept in the living room. These photos are terrible but we definitely had fun!

What the grinch teaches children

Even though it's still not even Thanksgiving, Emmylou and Miller are all excited about Christmas. I shamelessly fed their excitement tonight and let them watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Right after the ending I asked both of them--who were sitting slack-jawed on the couch staring at the credits-- "so what did that teach you? What is Christmas really all about?"

Their responses:

Miller: "Getting a choo-choo."

Emmylou: "Candy."

At least we have a little time to work on this.

How to use chopsticks

Tonight at Madam Mam's...





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First day...

For Miller to wear underwear!


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Oh, the indignity of it...

I think a new scooter's in order.

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Waking up with Lola

Our heater's broken and being replaced tomorrow, so we've been shacking up with Grammie for the last few cold nights. Lola especially loved last night because she got to snuggle with Emmylou. Lucky dog!


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Not-so-strange bedfellows

Look who I found all cuddled up in Miller's bed... I knew it!!*



*Obviously not that it matters one way or the other to us. :)

And, P.S., if you can't tell, I finally got the new iPhone and am thrilled with the improved camera on it. I'm hoping that means I can post more spontaneously now!

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Tuckered out

I guess the Halloween festivities really wore Miller out- he fell asleep in the shopping cart on Monday.


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Halloween IV

Once we got home from the Riley's party, we decided to trick or treat at a couple of houses on our own street just to say hi to the neighbors.


Not exactly sure what's going on with Spidey here except that I'm pretty sure he was chewing some candy and that a new diaper was in order...
Here's what happens when you eat too much candy!
We all look kind of exhausted, don't you think?

Checking out the stash...
And this, my friends, concludes Halloween 2010.

Thank. God.

Adios, Halloween candy!

Monday night the Switch Witch struck again. In case you don't remember, I signed Emmylou and Miller up for it when they were born in the hospital. They are each allowed to keep 5 pieces of candy and then we put the rest out for the Switch Witch who trades them diabetes candy for a toy. This year was a huge success as Emmylou's been saving up for a big Jessie doll for months and thought she'd have to wait until Christmas to get it. I guess we didn't leave out quite enough candy since Daddy didn't get the iPad he was hoping for!


The next morning: Score!

Run for the Water

Since we didn't think there was enough going on this Halloween weekend, we decided to enter the Run for the Water, a race that gives a person in Burundi a lifetime of water with every registration. Isn't that cool? They have a 10 mile race, a 5K and a kids 1K walk. I did the 5K and Emmylou and I did the 1K together. I was so excited for her to run her first real race and she really loved it. Her friends Tripp and Charlie did it too and we were so proud of Ms. Elizabeth for running her first race ever!

Halloween III

Halloween night we went to the Riley's neighborhood party that included a pizza party at Ski Shores and a combo trick-or-treating hayride afterward. It was so luxurious being driven around to the lakefront homes so they could shower us with candy!

Here's Emmylou standing in the costume contest at Ski Shores. I couldn't believe it- she was beaten out by Ariel! If only they'd seen her last year... Her disappointment in not winning was quickly forgotten once the pinata was cracked.
The prince and princess on the hayride:
Cinderella and Spidey...
The look on E's face in this pic totally cracks me up:

Thanks, Rileys! We had a blast!