Checking in

	Christmas arrived. My goal to have a simple Christmas does not shine through in this photo. We did buy more than we planned, but less than last year. Progress not perfection. (disclaimer, these gifts are for everybody in our house, not just the kids, but still).
	Santa brings just one gift to our house, unwrapped. All Nate wanted Santa to bring for the past 3 months was the Handy Manny toolbox. Once he saw it, we had a hard time getting him to even look at any of the gifts from us.
	Fleury helped Annabelle open her gifts. His main goal was to eat as much ribbon as possible. --- Annabelle received her LalaLoopsy Treehouse, again the only thing she wanted from Santa.
	After gifts were opened, we played our Muppet Christmas CD and danced and danced. Nate danced with his tools.

	Aunt Stacie & Grandma Joyce joined us for Christmas Eve (after we had joined them for the 2nd night of Hanukah a few days prior). We attempted to get some pictures to send to Grandma Reda. The kids were pretty wound up after church so sitting still was not high on the priority list.
	By this point as long as no one was doing anything vulgar we were calling it good.
	Grandma Joyce always calms them right down with a book.
	This picture cracks me up because of the dirty look Nate was sending me when I kept flashing photos while he was trying to listen to his new story. “Mommy, put the camera away”.

They are close to a week old but I had to take a picture.

I want to remember these flowers.

=

	Our annual trip to Overly’s Country Christmas coincided with our only visit with Santa this year, also 2 days before Christmas.
	Nate was so thrilled with the miniature train display, he asked to go back again on the way out.
	The wild train ride. This thing goes fast!
	After bouncing in excitement all day over seeing Santa both kids were upset/overwhelmed by a little girl in front of us that screamed in terror while her mother (literally) plunked her on the jolly one’s lap for a picture. This went on way too long and the result was my kids turned into floppy marionettes that really couldn't speak to him and just wanted to get out of there.
	They did recover with some fresh air and quiet so we got on a sleigh ride complete with horses and jingle bells.
	as Annabelle predicted, it snowed.
	Annabelle’s favorite part was meeting the Grinch on the way out. He gave her a High 5 and she knew it was true, his heart had grown 3 sizes that day.

	The cookie bake off was held the Sunday before Christmas, per tradition. I didn’t take very many pictures, we were hectic this year. This first one was actually taken a few days ahead when Nana & Nate surprised Annabelle & I with holiday cupcakes for dessert.
	Annabelle wanted a picture of herself eating a cupcake while wearing her cupcake shirt. She found it ironic.
	At the cookie bake off she was in charge of making Josh’s favorite Smores cupcakes.
	Then 6 hours and 8 different kinds of holiday cookies later (when I picked up the camera again) the kids & Uncle Kurt made up their own version of Angry Birds, with Kurt being the pig with the helmet.

	Nate helped Daddy assemble the tree (yes, we are over real trees) and light it up.
	Then Annabelle helped Mommy & Nana put the ornaments on it.
	While Nate moped underneath because his comfy cozy pillow cover was in the wash. That hour and a half a week is traumatic for Nate.
	Annabelle placed the angel on top.

Mommy got a package ( and *loves* her December Mamas) and the kids took the opportunity to have an indoor snow day.

There are luxuries we can't afford.

But in our house we never get bored. (BnL)


Clothes basket = Pirate ship.

During a recent dress up session we learned Princesses are not always sophisticated.










and Prince's are not necessarily debonair.

	Annabelle was recently invited to a birthday party for a classmate held at Consol Energy Center, Penguins Kids Zone. I was beyond excited.
	We were given a tour of all the behind the scenes areas of the building, except the Penguin locker room, no one gets in the Penguin locker room. Here is Annabelle in the visitors locker room.
	The highlight of my day was getting a tour of the exclusive Suite 66. As you can see, Annabelle was hardly impressed. Maybe someday she will appreciate it.
	Annabelle’s favorite part was Iceburg. He is as funny & engaging at a party of 5 year olds as he is performing on national television for the crowd. One heck of a dancer too!

I joke (mostly) that the only reason I had a second child was to give the first one a Halloween Partner.

From the time I found out I was having a boy I daydreamed of brother/sister matching costumes, Little Red Riding Hood & a Wolf, Mickey & Minnie Mouse, Salt & Pepper shakers. I figured I had 5 good years to come up with ideas, my independent thinkers say differently.

After last years Snow White & Handsome Prince Annabelle wanted to be a different Princess this year. The thing with Princesses is it doesn't leave many matchy things for Nate. She suggested he dress as beast from Beauty & the Beast, or Gus the mouse from Cinderella, neither of which he was buying. He was determined they be characters from Jake & the Neverland Pirates.

So we compromised, all of us. Annabelle got to be Ariel, although in her mermaid form. Nate got to be a pirate, I got a semi-matchy duo, if you look at it as a Mermaid & a Pirate instead of characters from Pop Culture. Any way you look at it, we had fun.

Now to plan next year....

	We didn’t get around to carving our pumpkin until the night before Halloween. With both kids giving Daddy direction (he must have eyebrows, he has to look scary and happy at the same time) My little managers.
	I think the final result was the look they were going for. Ready to go!

	The Saturday before Halloween we planned to march in our town costume parade. However, when we got up that morning we found a winter wonderland.
	So instead of going to the parade we built a snowman. The kids enjoyed the winter preview.

	It was one of those impulsive “hey it’s a beautiful day, let’s go to Idlewild. Oh wait, it closes for the season in just about 3 hours. We better move it" times. Nate wanted to conquer his Everest, the dragon ride, before next year.
	Thrilled to report that he did. After starting out the year getting scared on this ride, standing up while it was running (causing mayhem and shaving a few years off my life), then spending the rest of the season hiding his eyes in my shoulder while his sister rode it, we finished up with success. He even said it was fun.
	Biker kids.
	Here they were conspiring to get me to buy ice cream. Little did they know I had the exact change already in my pocket. I had no intention of leaving without my last cyclone of the year.
	Goodbye Idlewild. It’s been a great summer. See you in May.

She always reads to us.

	Even though we have never watched any of the movies, can't really identify with this character...
	...these pajamas make Nate furiously happy.

	December 1 already? I’m going to have to move it to get every thing in our yearbook. Back to October, we had our annual day at 7 Springs Autumnfest. Only Jeremy was able to go with us this year, but we still had lots of fun. After a *big* lunch we headed over. Lots of fun in the hay maze.
	It was pretty hard to get anyone to sit still.
	Kids first ride on a ski lift. Sorry I dropped your sun glasses Nate.
	I wouldn’t really call it a race as Annabelle & I were *smoked* by Jeremy & Nate on the Alpine Slide.
	Another balmy Indian Summer day best spent in the mountains.