"Christmas-er"

Lucy has loved Fancy Nancy since she first heard the books this summer. Here's a picture from this summer - she is all decked out for a "fancy dinner"...she requests "fancy dinners" almost as much as picnics...3-year olds seem to be full of special-requests. Fancy Nancy is a sociable character and Lucy is too...so she expects the whole family to be fancy too!

We'll we've been reading Fancy Nancy's Christmas book a lot lately. Lucy has come up with her own word for extra effort this Christmas...she likes to make things "Christmas-er!" This isn't mentioned in the books, but I can see Lucy's efforts to add just a touch more to our holiday!

She wants me to put jingle-bells in her hair, she wore a lei to Sydney and Caitlin's super-fun Christmas party (the color matched, just not the theme!), and with Ava's help we've used up an entire bottle of purple sprinkles this Christmas...all to be "Christmas-er!" We drove by a house without Christmas lights and she declared them "not very Christmas-er." I'm not sure how to correct her grammar, so I'm just letting it go...Chris and I love experiencing Christmas through her eyes.

Here are the results of un-rationed sprinkles! :-)

Soakin' it up...

On Monday we had unseasonably warm temperatures, so when Lucy suggested a picnic at lunch I agreed...bless her heart, she asks for a picnic almost every meal we eat at home. We're back to cooler temperatures today...I'm glad we soaked up the sun and warmth while we could!

T'was a few weeks before Christmas...

...The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads.

Here's the gingerbread house Lucy made at school. She told me she "put the red circle on" (Lifesaver) because she knows how much I like red.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!

You better watch out

You better not cry You better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town!

He's making a list

And checking it twice;

Gonna find out who's naughty and nice

Santa Claus is coming to town!

He sees you when you're sleeping

He knows when you're awake

He knows if you've been bad or good

So be good for goodness sake!

Oh! You better watch out

You better not cry

Better not pout

I'm telling you why

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

We are stuffed...

...with love and thankfulness! We enjoyed a wonderful visit from Mom and Dad and a great Thanksgiving with our families!

We spent the day before Thanksgiving doings lots of chores around the house to get ready for the next day...

Lucy and I spray-painted our Halloween pumpkins to use as our centerpieces for Thanksgiving. She loved wearing the mask!

Amy sent Eli and Lucy Thanksgiving hats!

I love how Eli is on his way out of this picture...our days of "staying in one place" are long gone...

Thanksgiving Day

Eli ate everything we put in front of him...turkey, stuffing, mac & cheese. Then, he cried like crazy when we told him his ice cream was all gone. When I asked Lucy which food she liked best, she said "the roll."

After months of all sorts of worm-like movements, Eli is now using the normal crawl position...he loves to crawl down the hall and peek into the rooms...he also loves to roll the ball, then go get it himself!

After Thanksgiving, I was quick to get out our Christmas decorations! In all of my hustling, I didn't realize my slippers didn't match...I love these slippers and (obviously) own two pair! Here's to being thankful for the big things (a loving family) and finding humor in the small things (see below!)