Christmas Report

"I want Santa" That's what I have been saying all week. I have gotten really excited about Christmas. On Friday we drove to Jen & Billy's house and got settled in. Boppy & Poppy arrived on Saturday while Mom was out having breakfast with some of her high school friends. Then Mom's cousin Mike and his wife Tanya came over for a visit. They were in town from California for the holidays. They got to hear me say my favorite words: "No" and "Mine."

That afternoon after my nap we made Christmas cookies, and by that I mean ate frosting. Then we got ready for Christmas Eve church. I was good in church considering all the excitment. I mostly wanted to be held by Boppy and Poppy, but there was plenty of wiggling in between. After church Uncle Billy's family came over for dinner and I went off to bed to listen for Santa and the reindeer.
When I woke up I was excited to see that Santa had eaten some of the cookie I left for him and dove into my stocking where I found a JoJo doll peeking out! After that we had a lot of presents to open. Aunt Jen and Unlce Billy got me this fabulous set of instruments which Mom and Dad are so excited about. Perhaps these will be stored with the recorder from Aunt Suzie?

As we were opening up the gifts I started packing mine into a shopping bag (packing and hording tendencies from Aunt Jen?) I also was nice enough to help everyone else open there gifts. After we were all done opening gifts, Boppy & Poppy set up my new play tent. I was so excited!!! I went in it and yelled and peeked out the windows. I also brought all my toys in it and let some people come inside.

Later in the day we set up my new hockey set. I liked it but I also thought the net made a good place to sit and have a snack. I got to say "Hi" and "Bye" to most of my Canadian family on the phone.

I had a little trouble napping after all the excitement and was a sleepy by dinner time, but I battled through long enough to have some of the nice dinner Jen & Billy made. It was a great Christmas!

TWO!

Today was my second birthday and I have been busy telling everyone that I am two. When I show two on my fingers I can't get my pointer and middle fingers up together, so I do my thumb and pointer finger. Uncle Glenn says this is the European way of counting, so I am "worldly."

Jamma let me help make my birthday cake today. Doesn't it look like I am doing a good job? I had a great day and then when Mom & Dad got home from work we had one of my favorite dinners- lasagna. Unfortunately, I did not have a good nap today, so the clock was ticking on the birthday festivities. We had some cake and ice cream. I really love ice cream! And then we opened some cards and presents.

After my bath we measured how tall I have gotten on my growth chart-- and we measured Jamma, too!

Visit with Jamma

I had a great visit with Jamma this week. After celebrating Christmas together on Sunday, we kept very busy while Mom & Dad were at work. It was cold and snowy so of course we spent some time outside- this is nothing to us Canadians!

We also spent a lot of time with my new baby doll. Most days she had to sit with us at the table, wear a bib, etc.!

Sometimes Jamma let me pick out my own outfits. And one day I changed out of my clothes into a fashionable swimmy diaper and nothing else. We kept very busy. We made homemade dog treats for Lily's stocking and read lots of books and played with just about every toy I own. I miss you, Jamma!

Guess Who I Met?

Santa Claus! I was excited to see him, but then when it was my turn to sit with him I wasn't so sure about it, so Dad sat down with me at first. After I got off his lap I was really excited about waving bye-bye and looking at him through the window. I got a free cookie afterwards so all in all it was a good time!

Jamma arrived yesterday and we've been having a terrific visit. We celebrated Christmas together tonight and opened gifts and Daddy cooked us a nice dinner. You can see from the pictures that Lily helped open the gifts, too! Jamma gave me my first doll ever and I was so excited. I kept shouting "My baby!" And then after we got it out of the box, I took it over in the corner and played with it by myself and ignored everything else. Once baby was ready for a nap I enjoyed opening my other gifts from Jamma, Suzie and Cousin Bates. Thanks everyone!

We're busy getting ready for Christmas here. I hope to bake some cookies this week. Oh, and one other little thing occurs in a few days . . . I turn TWO! I plan to have a celebration on Wednesday with Mom & Dad and Jamma. I will have another cake and everything!

Snow Girl

We got some snow this week and today I got a chance to go play in it. We weren't really prepared with clothes to play in the snow yet, so we tried on last year's snow gear. The snow pants were capri length on me, but by the time we tried them on I was anxious to get outside, so we made an attempt. It took about ten minutes to bundle me up and then once we got out side I got snow up my sleeve and in my sock, and Mom and Dad called it quits after about two minutes.

Instead we all went shopping for some snow pants and boots for me. And while we were out, I found a fabulous bath robe. We've been looking for one because after my bath I don't like to wear my hooded towel and I stand there naked and shivering while I brush my teeth. The robe we found was a kids extra small. I think I will be able to wear it for the next few years since it reaches my toes. Once we got home I had to wear it around the house like a little diva.

This weekend I also got my own Christmas tree for my room. I was really excited to hang my ornaments on it. I also have been working on giving Daddy backrubs, but sometimes I just give him back hugs. Poppy, you can help train me at Christmas!

I had a fever on Thursday and left school early. That night I watched Charlie Brown's Christmas with Mom for the first time (and have watched it five more times since). I like "Noopy." Of course, he doesn't bark as much as Lily, so he's very likeable. By Friday I was feeling better and was able to go to school for pajama party day. Jamma comes to visit on Friday! I can't wait. I bet I will show her my "buddy" which is my word for belly.

Practical Joke

I played my first practical joke today. I always take my socks and shoes off on our way to school and today when Mom went to replace my shoes and socks one of the socks was missing. Mommy was looking all over it and asking "Where is your sock?" I just sat there in my car seat with a straight face. Then Mommy remembered that out of the corner of her eye she had seen me take my hat off and put it back on. She lifted the hat and there was the missing sock, sitting on top of my head. I just laughed!

Song Bird

My favorite song this week is "If You're Happy and You Know It." Mom was singing it to me while I had my bath the other night and I enthusiastically clapped and stomped and then when it comes to the part of the song where it says "your face will surely show it" I put my pointer fingers on my cheeks and smile a big cheesey smile. (Mom then figured out that I must sing this song at school). Then Daddy remembered the last verse is "Shout Hurray." And boy do I like to shout hurray! I yell it and throw my hands over my head. After singing this Mom asked me what other songs I sing at school and I told her "ABC." When she asked how that song went I sang: "ABC, ABC, Mommy, Daddy, Mommy . . ."

I got my hair cut yesterday (for the second time) and liked it a little better that the first haircut. We spent most of the day getting our Christmas decorations up. I helped. I only broke one ornament in the process. I was very good at helping Mom put the little lights in the ceramic Christmas tree and am now pretty interested in it, so now Mom and Dad have to keep an even closer eye on me!

Today Mom went out to lunch and shopping with her friends Ricia and Joy, so Daddy and I had Silly Sunday together. You can see in the pictures that I helped dress myself, by pulling yesterday's red turtleneck from the hamper and adding it to my pink and green striped leggings. Pretty! Dad and I made cookies this afternoon as a surprise for Mom. We had a lot of fun and I was a good girl. There was only one little incident. He said I was sitting behind the big chair playing quietly when all of a sudden he heard "uh-oh" at which point he found that I had taken a little candle from the guest room smooshed my fingers into the wax and smeared it on the sliding door. You can't take your eyes off me for too long!

2nd Birthday Party

"Happy, Happy, Happy." That's what I woke up singing today after my fabulous birthday party yesterday. It was definitely one of my top two birthday celebrations ever. Let me tell you about my day . . .

I woke up after a great sleep and I was ready to go. I immediately wanted my hair bow in because now that I am almost two, I have to worry about these things.

Mom made my birthday cupcakes while everyone else helped with their assignments-- balloon buying, tidying, decorating, etc. Then I got to help decorate my cupcakes. It was like heaven! Mom kept saying something like "just a pinch of sprinkles." That means handful, right? I pretty much had sprinkles everywhere. I stuck my hand as far as I could into the tube of little colored sprinkles and they came pouring over the sides. Boppy & Poppy were very good sports about this!

I ate my lunch and had my nap and while I was sleeping our guests arrived. When I woke up Uncle Glenn and Aunt Ellen were there from Michigan and Aunt Sharon and Cousin Kristin had arrived. It was my first time meeting Kristin who was visiting from Florida and I haven't seen Glenn and Ellen since I was just a few days old.

First we had cupcakes and ice cream. They were delicious- especially the ones I decorated. I ate two of them and I wasn't shy with the second one. I just shoved it right in! Then we opened presents. Boy, there were a lot of them. I actually did a present dance I was so excited. Boppy brought out a big one and I instinctively knew that I should open it first. I got lots of nice clothes, books and toys. I kept getting distracted and wanted to stop and play with things, but I persevered and got all the gifts open! Then we watched my "year in review" birthday slide show and I did a little dancing to the songs. After our guests left I tried on all of my clothes in some interesting combinations and wandered around like a little bag lady. I also danced around with my balloons and dragged them around the house.

Then we got our favorite pizza for dinner to cap off the day. I slept for 13 hours last night and was glad to wake up and hear that the Irish had pulled out the needed victory over Stanford. Maybe that's why I was singing "Happy, happy, happy."

Happy Turkey Day

I was a little suspicious of this turkey guy, but I enjoyed Thanksgiving and my trip to Boppy & Poppy's house. We all had a great weekend eating and playing. My favorite Thanksgiving food was rolls with butter, with pumpkin pie being a close second. I also ate some turkey and liked dipping my roll in mashed potatoes- I think that's called the carb lovers delight!

I did lots of coloring, including making some hand turkeys. I liked to draw and then run and hand my drawings out to everyone and give them crayons. Jen & Billy played with me a lot and helped keep track of me as I found all sorts of things to play with in the living room. Boppy had some hidden toys to keep me entertained and Poppy brought out Boppy's old rocking chair which was just perfect for me to sit in and watch my favorite show- JoJo's Circus.

Hope all you Americans had a Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for my family, including Lily, mandarin oranges, legos, my favorite stuffed animal Blue Puppy . . . and of course, butter.

No Winter Yet

It got really cold here last week, but fall weather was back for the weekend. We did the usual stuff. Saturday I went to the grocery with Dad and scored popcorn chicken at the deli and a powdered sugar donut at the bakery, in addition to the stickers I get at the checkout. In the afternoon we watched football and then went out for a family dinner.

I am really interested in drinking out of a big kid cup and/or bottle of water. In fact, this is just about the only way I will drink water, otherwise I plead for "juice . .. more juice . . . apple juice"

This afternoon I had a long nap and then we played outside with Lily. Sometimes I am jealous of her when she sits next to Mom or Dad, but I like giving her treats and watching her run and play.

We're busy getting ready for Thanksgiving! I can't wait for turkey and pumpkin pie.