Larry's Adventures

Larry the Elf came to visit us for the Christmas season. The girls are obsessed with making sure he's pleased with their behaviors--especially Lia. Anyway, he also has left some special notes for the girls to open from Santa each day to go with their advent calendars. They're a lot of fun this year because they seem to really get it. They wake up, are shocked that Larry moved and think he's pretty "tricky." Then we get to read our message for the day. Here's the first two. 

Make gingerbread cookies. 

Make a new Christmas decoration. 

Larry's Adventures

Larry the Elf came to visit us for the Christmas season. The girls are obsessed with making sure he's pleased with their behaviors--especially Lia. Anyway, he also has left some special notes for the girls to open from Santa each day to go with their advent calendars. They're a lot of fun this year because they seem to really get it. They wake up, are shocked that Larry moved and think he's pretty "tricky." Then we get to read our message for the day. Here's the first two. 

Make gingerbread cookies. 

Make a new Christmas decoration. 

Flamenco Dancers

G-Ma brought us flamenco dresses from her trip to Spain. Start the lessons now. 

Christmas at the Arboretum

When 2 are smiling, the other is not. Photos are not easy with these girls. 

They had free face paining and no line, so the girls each chose a design. You would have thought we got them a brand new pony. They were elated.  

Thanksgiving Visitors

Alex and G-ma came for a Thanksgiving visit. We kept them busy the entire week. 

11 Months

This little monkey is constant trouble. While she's generally a happy girl she continues to keep us on our toes and laughing. She crawls as if her leg is broken and looks a bit like Lieutenant Dan from Forrest Gump or like a little ape. She sits on her bottom, curls one leg under as if she's going to crawl properly, keeps her other leg out in front, and then puts her hands down and swings herself forward. It is certainly not the most efficient way of moving, but she gets whenever she pleaded and has gotten pretty fast at it. She climbs the stairs perfectly and on all fours--almost as if she were a normal child. She loves to climb anything she can, so we are constantly and creatively containing her in an attempt to keep her safe. Her sense of humor is evident when we sit at the dinner table and she raises her arms or makes goofy faces or noises just so that she can get a good laugh. Her scream is still deafening and will move anyone to immediate action. 

Slumber Party

Daddy went to New Mexico for 2 days. While he was gone we had our own little slumber party. Each night the girls would giggle in bed, get scolded for talking, then talk and giggle some more before finally dozing off. 

Best Friends

Buddies

To say Bruchi loves Lia would be an understatement. We found him curled up on her during her nap the other day. Naughty, but sweet nonetheless. 

Fall Leaves

Static Electricity

Mary Poppins

One of our high schools was playing the musical, Mary Poppins these past two weeks. Our first graders were invited to see it as a field trip and one of the teachers told us it was a lot of fun and that the girls would love it. It started at 7:30 pm so we were reluctant to go, but the performance for the first graders only lasted 45 minutes so we figured the girls would make it. Needless to say, the first grade version was clearly abbreviated because we had to pretend that it was over at the intermission at 9:15. They loved it despite being tired at the end. 

Daddy took the littlest on her own type of date. 

Hidden Talents

This little nugget learns a lot by watching her big sisters. She took off driving their car the other day without much help--just needs steering lessons. 

L has become quite the architect with her tall castles and other structures. 

Trick or Treat

It was a bit chilly for a Texas Halloween, but our little unicorn, dragonfly, and giraffe were not going to let that keep them from filling their bags. Lia got quite good at remembering the order of what she needed to say at each house. After she got her candy, she'd stand in front of the person, processing what they may have just dropped in her bag and fighting her urge to grab more, then she'd snap out of it and shout, "Thank You, Happy Halloween!" Zadie loved ringing doorbells any chance she could get, and Gwendolyn was a happy little giraffe so long as we took her all the way to the front doors as well. How dare we leave the 10-month old in the stroller to watch her big sisters have all the fun. She did help herself to a Milky Way at one house and chewed on it (wrapper and all) for several minutes. When it seemed she was possibly sucking some of the chocolate and sugar out of the wrapper we took the bar away--which was not a popular decision. 

Fall Festival

The Fall Festival at Mama's school was delayed this year due to rain, but it turned out to be a whole lot of fun. We loved playing the games, getting fancy balloons, breaking cascarones on each other, and just playing.