Christmas Cheer

 As the days of December are speeding by, we are sprinkling in as many fun holiday activities as possible. Last week, we didn't have a very successful track record: we had a failed attempt at a drive-thru live nativity (a 2.5 hour wait!), and then we had trouble getting smiles out of the kids during our visit with Santa. Even though we had practiced in the car beforehand with Emmy's request for Elsa slippers, she was a bit shy and standoffish as soon as we were within sight of him. Mommy and Daddy had not planned to be in the photo, but with masks and all, it's pretty appropriate for the year 2020. 

Although last week was somewhat of a bust, we had greater success this week with seeing the Christmas balls in the Sunset Hills neighborhood in Greensboro and making Christmas cookies with Grammy. Emmy was so excited to wear her chef hat and apron, especially when she saw that Grammy was wearing an apron, too. It was all hands-on-deck with Grammy rolling out the dough, Meg and I transferring the cookies to the oven and the cooling racks, and then all three of us supervising the icing and sprinkling. There was a good amount of "No, don't touch that!" "Don't put that in your mouth!" "Be careful, not too much!" Eli napped during most of the cookie-making, but he got to taste test a couple of cookies after he woke up. We will really have our hands full next year when we have four little bakers in the kitchen. We made lots of messes, but lots of memories, too!

We made more sweets today, our chocolate pretzel kisses to share with Boomer's coworkers. They are an easy treat that even little hands can do. 

On Saturday evening, we walked around downtown Kernersville to take in the sights and lights. Our little town looks so beautiful at Christmas time. There were several light displays and photo ops, along with a synthetic ice skating rink and a tree-decorating contest. During our stroll, we stopped in at a pretzel shop for a cinnamon sugar pretzel and hot chocolate. What's a little more sugar in our weekend!

Eli has been so excited to try "big boy" food. His meals now include bites of cereal bars, peanut butter sandwiches, crackers, corn, and other soft solids. He has enjoyed some Christmas cookies, too! I am still nursing in the morning and at bedtime, as well as pumping about 8-10 ounces during the day. As Eli gets more comfortable with the sippy cup, we will move to only the morning and nighttime nursing. Here are a few other snapshots from our week. Emmy sent off her letter to Santa. I believe it says that she would like Elsa slippers. Check her out in her Christmas jammies with a homemade blanket train; silly girl! Our little Christmas princess! There have been some nice days for walks around the neighborhood, and Eli loves going for a stroll. Snow is in the forecast for this coming week, so I am glad that we have enjoyed the sunny weather when we can. I hope the second half of December doesn't pass by too quickly; I am loving all the festivities and the joy of this time of year. 

Emmy's First Haircut

Emmy had her first haircut today! Although I was tempted to cut it myself and save a few bucks, I am glad that we splurged for the experience of going to a salon. A girl's first haircut is special. Grammy and Eli met us there after school. Emmy did such a wonderful job sitting in the chair and following the directions of the hairdresser. She didn't talk much during the haircut, but she was bouncing around and smiling when we left. After getting three inches chopped off, she got a cute braid, and I think she was feeling pretty stylish the rest of the evening. We are officially counting down to Christmas - happy December!

Thanksgiving 2020

We have had a wonderful Thanksgiving relaxing at home, seeing family, and eating all the food. On Thanksgiving we traveled to Star to see Boomer's family. In other years, we would make the trip up to Virginia to see Boomer's extended family, but it was decided that a large gathering would not be wise, so we stayed here in NC with his parents, his brother, his sister, and her fiancé. We had a fun day Thursday watching football and eating non-traditional Thanksgiving food - barbecue, hot dogs, and chocolate cake. On Friday, we had the more traditional meal of turkey, stuffing, green beans, and his mother's delicious mac-and-cheese. The weather was beautiful both days, which allowed us to spend a lot of time outdoors. Boomer and I even fit in a run on Friday morning. Emmy loved dancing outside on the back porch, running around barefoot in the backyard, and especially going "deer hunting" with PawPaw, meaning "going for a walk in the woods." (No deer were harmed, and no guns were involved!) She has warmed up to their dogs and cats, which is good because Uncle Kyle brought along his new puppy, Koda. Although Emmy wasn't really interested in petting Koda, she wasn't afraid to be around him either. In addition to her bravery around four-legged animals, we have noticed that there has been a lot of improvement with her emotional outbursts - we are hoping we have left the three-nager mood swings behind us. That is, until she is actually a teenager and the real fun begins, oh boy! When we returned home on Friday evening, it was a special treat to watch the lights at our neighbor's Christmas display, complete with music through the radio. We have resumed last year's tradition of making a nightly loop around our neighborhood before bedtime.

On Saturday, we had our Bakewell Thanksgiving meal at the Houstons'. Zack again took care of the meats with a deep-fried turkey and chicken legs, and Megan made her broccoli casserole. My mom made her sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, and stuffing, and I got off easy with store-bought rolls, pies, and drinks. We had our meal in the mid-afternoon, and after we ate, we kicked off the holiday season with the classic Christmas Vacation. We have watched it so many times over the years, but the one-liners still make us all laugh. Grandma was able to join us for dinner, and she got a kick out of Eli's crawling and talking. I think Eli has quite enjoyed himself during Thanksgiving; he has gotten his first tastes of pumpkin pie, Cool Whip, and chocolate icing, and he was very enthusiastic for more bites. I think we will soon be moving on from baby food! 

During the break, we also fit in a trip to the Science Center with the cousins, Aunt Megan, and Grammy. The animals were so active, and like our trip to the zoo, we picked the perfect day to visit. 

This month and over the Thanksgiving break, there have been a lot of firsts, including the first joint bath! 

And the first time brushing Eli's teeth! 

Eli has had teeth for awhile, but we are just now adding this extra step to our nighttime routine. Each night, both kids will pile on Daddy's lap while I try my best to brush Eli's teeth. Although he will readily open his mouth, he otherwise doesn't sit still very long, so I have to be quick about it. 

Emmy continues to come up with funny little stories and sayings. The newest thing she has started to request is for Daddy to "be in love with her" or "get in love with her." I didn't understand what she meant at first, but Boomer decoded it first: it means dancing together like the princesses and princes on the Disney movies we have watched. It is so sweet to see Boomer and Emmy hold hands and spin around in circles, usually until they are both dizzy. Emmy has proclaimed that Daddy is her "favorite boy." She continues to learn a lot in school. She can now count beyond 20, and she can write all of her letters, uppercase and lowercase. She has also memorized my phone number and our address. She is quickly picking up on all of the Christmas songs, too. Her memory is amazing! If the Jackson 5 come on the radio with "I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus," I try to change it quickly; that song has already brought up some questions!

As the Thanksgiving break comes to a close, we are excited for the Christmas season ahead. Emmy was such a great helper as we decorated our tree. She was very gentle with the ornaments, and she especially liked the ones that had her name on it. She can easily recognize her name, as well as "Mommy", "Daddy", and "Kennedy." I can already see what a magical holiday it will be this year with Emmy and Eli. We have much to be thankful for!