Family Night...

Maren cooked dinner for just the immediate family last night (very yummy!)...and we had a great time with just the 5 of us. Enjoy the pics....

My favorites:

The First Annual Ollie vs Lilly Wheelbarrow Race...

Lilly Jumping on Papa...

Lilly and Olllie Both Crawling Under the Sofa to Find the Ball...

HO HO HO!

We had a great Christmas. Her hesitations on Santa seem to have disappeared with seeing the loot her left for her...a Santa Convert! (The pics are of her playing with Santa's gift - "Diego's Animal Rescue Center" which was THE hit of Christmas....)She did really well through the church service - to my relief and delight. And thanks to balmy weather around here - I have been able to get her outside every day and run her into the ground to burn off the lingering sugar high. And...I am trying hard to get her back to her normal sleep times as she has been staying up late (on purpose on my part for Christmas Eve & Christmas Night...but it has been taking a while to undo it!). Enjoy the pics...

(Walking in Colonial Williamsburg Christmas Day)

Visions of Sugar Plums...

So, we started a new tradition this week...baking and decorating train cakes...and it was fun...mostly....

We had a blast...she piled about a zillion pounds of candy on them (after she insisted on eating the engine train last night...she said she wanted to eat the one with the whistle). She tried all of the candy, and spit out most of it...which is what I had hoped she would do. But, she definitely ate some! I knew she would...and knew to expect some bouncing off the walls. What I didn't quite bank on or see coming...Lilly running laps around the sofa, slipping, busting her lip, blood pouring out, but the sugar high still kicking in and none of it bothering her at all! She is now snoring in bed...can you be drunk on sugar?!?!?

Another funny thing? She LOVES singing Christmas Carols....she just doesn't quite have the words right. "WE MISS YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Also - here are some fun pics of Lilly and Abby from when we (& Abby's mama - my other adoptive single mama friend) went to the Virginia Children's Museum. The girls had a great time. They had full sized buses and fire trucks the kids could drive...so here is Lilly's version of "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round...."

Overheard...

Recent conversations in our lives....

ON SANTA....
"Mama, he not a real man"

"Who, honey?"

"Santa"

"Who said that?"

"I did"

"Oh, alright then..."

ON WHAT SHE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS...
"What do you want for Christmas, Lilly?"

"MACARONIES!"

ON OUR CHRISTMAS TREE...
(friend) "What a great tree...where did you get it?"

(me) "KMart"

(Lil) "No, mommy - it is from upstairs" (the attic)

(friend) "What else is upstairs Lilly?"

(Lil) "Mice"

ON THE FIRST CHRISTMAS...
We were reading one of those I Spy books and there was a page with pictures of tons of stuffed animals..

(Lil) "Mommy, baby Jesus had one of these..."

(me) "Had what, honey, a teddy bear?"

(Lil) "NO silly mommy, a monkey!" (all of this was said totally seriously!)

AT THE PEDIATRICIAN TODAY...
(me) "Well, I know something is wrong - she slept through the night in her own bed -not that I don't want that - it is just soooooo not her normal behavior...and she is as mean as a snake"

(doc) "Yup - mother's intuition has it again...its strep"

FROM MY FRIEND DAMARIS...
They finally got PINK and Nidia is coming home after almost 4 years!!! Their embassy appt is Tuesday and they will be home later next week...and have an INCREDIBLY blessed Christmas!!! Please join me in thanking God for allowing Nidia to finally come home...and to hold her in prayer as she goes through another difficult transition in home life that she may somewhere in her heart know this time it is for forever.

Decorating For Christmas

We put up or 2 trees...the regular one, and a 2 ft one that Lilly can decorate, redecorate and redecorate again! And - we got out our Advent Calendar that Lilly loves (a doll from a different country each day goes on a wreath...very cute).