Merry & Bright

We had a great Christmas. Sofie and I spent the week visiting Nanas and Papas doing lots of fun things. She had so much fun, even though she came down with a cold right after she left home. Unfortunately the cold is still hanging on, but she's doing pretty well with it, and it didn't stop her from having all the Christmas fun she could stand. It did keep her from visiting some people that we really wanted to visit, especially Staci and Wanda and Ernie. Sorry we missed you guys!!



We started the official festivities off on Christmas Eve by braving the blizzard on the way to Nana Cheryl and Papa Kenny's house. Their house is only about 10 minutes from Nana Linda and Papa Steve's, but it took about half an hour to get there. Giant golfball snowflakes were blowing sideways at 50 mph. The roads were completely snowed over and we could only see to the end of the hood of the car. I think we got around a foot of snow. It was treacherous, but we made it.

Nana Cheryl made a yummy Mexican dinner with homemade enchiladas, burritos, beans, dip, and lots of other yummy things. So good!! Then we went to Christmas Eve Mass. Nana Cheryl sang in the choir, and Sofie just had to join in. She was belting out the songs from the front row and waving at Nana. It was so cute. Until Father started speaking and Sofie just had to talk over him. Blah! Blah! Blah! HI!! Blah! Blah!

So Daddy took her to the back of the church. Still louder than Father, so they closed the doors on her. You could still hear her, in the back, behind the glass doors, over the crying kids still seated. Loudest kid in church. Right here. Gotta say, I'm a little proud of those lungs.

After the shouting match Mass, we off-roaded (I'm assuming) back to Nana and Papa's to see if Santa came. Despite the church yelling, Santa had visited, so we all opened gifts until the wee hours.





In the wee hours we traveled back to Nana Linda and Papa Steve's to sleep. Santa hadn't been there yet, but Sofie was asleep, so it was a good thing she'd put cookies out for him before she left earlier.

When Sofie woke up the next morning, Santa had been there. The cookies were all gone, except for a few crumbs. She toddled out in her candy cane pj's and got to open some more gifts. What a lucky girl!







Then it was time for a big Christmas lunch made by Nana Linda and Mommy. Yum! Great Grandpa Charlie and our cousin, Janette, joined us. We didn't get to visit with them nearly as long as we wanted to, because Mommy had to head back home to go to work. It was nice to see everyone though! And thanks for all the wonderful gifts!




Sofie and Daddy went back to Nana Cheryl and Papa Kenny's for the afternoon and evening of Christmas for more visiting with Great Grandpa Bill, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I'm sad I missed you guys!

Sofie and Daddy came back home the morning after Christmas to find Mommy snuggled in her bed, with visions of sugar plums dancing in her head...and the 3 hours worth of snow she shoveled after a long night's work...and a little stray dog she found that peed all over her...and, no, wait, Mommy was too tired for any kind of dancing. zzzzzzzz...

Until Saturday afternoon, when we had yet another Christmas for the three (five counting Gracie and Lola) of us at home. By then, Sofie was pretty much over unwrapping gifts, so we helped a lot, and she did give us some ooohs and aahhhs. Maybe next year we'll scale it down a bit. But I think we said that last year.

Look what Santa brought to Sofie's house...

My Precious...

Step away from the bah bah. That's right. Nice and easy. No sudden movements. Put your hands where I can see them. Now back up. Slowly. Slower! That's good.

Merry Christmas!

We want to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday as you travel this week. Enjoy spending time with the ones you love, and remember why it is that we celebrate this glorious day!

 

Ho! Ho! Ho!

We've had a fun week so far. Sofie came down with Nana Cheryl and Papa Kenny on Saturday. They had lots of fun over the weekend. I came down Monday, and we've been cooking and baking all week. Tuesday we made our gingerbread house - a yearly tradition. But more on that in another post.

Sofie and I are excited, because Daddy will be joining us later today. It's supposed to start snowing, so we hope the roads aren't too bad. Be careful, Daddy!

The Christmas festivities officially begin for Sofie tonight. We kick everything off with Christmas Eve dinner at Nana Cheryl and Papa Kenny's house with Aunt Aimee, Uncle Kris, Aunt Tiffany, Uncle Mike, and Great-Grandpa Tucker. Then we all go to Christmas Mass after dinner.

If Sofie has been very good, she might find that Santa has already visited Nana Cheryl's house when we get back after Mass. We think that might be one of Santa's first stops.

Christmas morning we'll be at Nana Linda and Papa Steve's house. We think Santa just may visit there, too. But only if Sofie has been a very good girl. We'll have Christmas lunch there and then head back for Christmas dinner and desserts at Nana Cheryl and Papa Kenny's.

Sofie and Daddy will get to stay Christmas night, but Mommy has to get back home to go to work Christmas night. Hopefully I'll be able to make it back to work - it sounds like a blizzard is coming!

Saturday morning Daddy and Sofie will come back home, so we can have our Christmas at home. Santa may have even visited Sofie's house, too. But only if she's been a really really good girl!

 

Waiting for Santa

Mose, The Elf

Do you remember Mose, The Elf from last year? Just as promised, as soon as we put up our Christmas tree this year, Mose was back to keep an eye on Sofie for Santa Claus.

Each morning, we go look to see where Mose is sitting and watching. She's so excited to find him. If you ask her, "Where's Mose?" She'll go hunt for him, and when she finds him she squeals, "Ooooooohh!"

Sofie can talk to Mose, but he's not allowed to talk back - direct orders from Santa. She's also not allowed to touch Mose, because that might make him lose his magic.

At night he flies back to the North Pole to report to Santa whether Sofie's been naughty or nice. Then he flies back to our house and finds a new spot to sit.



I'm sure Sofie was wondering if Mose would follow her to Nana & Papa's house when she went to stay with them last weekend. Sure enough, Mose popped up the next morning at Nana Cheryl & Papa Kenny's house. Then, when I came down on Monday and we went to Nana Linda & Papa Steve's house, Mose popped up there, too. He's a pretty talented Elf.

This! This! This!

When Sofie wants something, she says "This! This! This!" until you give it to her. Right now she is nuts for pretzels, especially the ones in the giant barrel from Costco. Once she spies that barrel, she will follow you around with it yelling "This! This!" until she gets a fix. It is pretty darn cute, though.


This! This! This!

PUHLEASE put down the camera and give me a pretzel!

Sweet victory is mine.

Therapy Session

It occurred to me a couple of weeks ago, that I only had one picture of Sofie with Sherry (her OT) and zero pictures of Dana (her dietitian). Yikes!

Sherry also needed some pictures of Sofie during therapy for a fabulous article she is working on (Go Sherry!) So to remedy that, we shot some pics at Sofie's therapy session last week. Sofie was withholding smiles for the camera in a serious way. Of course! But we still got some good ones of our A Team...

Sofie and Sherry

The whole team.

Sherry and Sofie

Sofie, Sherry, & Dana

Sofie with two of her very favorite people...(even though she's hiding her true emotions in these pictures)



We love you guys!!! Have a Merry Christmas!!!

Big Girl Pony

Sofie's been sportin' the Big Girl Pony all week. Doesn't she look so grown up?!?

I've Got the Joy...

I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy

Down in my heart (Where?)

Down in my heart (where?)

Down in my heart

Hello, Winter!

I'm glad we got out to enjoy the last few days of nice weather the first week of December, because it is officially FREEZING here now.

This was December 1st at a nearby park...

We had the whole park to ourselves for a while, and then a few people came through with their dogs, which Sofie LOVED! She is definitely not afraid of dogs, and would go up to any dog she saw. We're working on not going up to stranger dogs unless Mommy or Daddy says it's okay. I can barely get out, "Sofie, we don't touch stranger dogs..." and then all I can hear is "heh, heh, heh, heh..." as she pants like a puppy in delight. The girl is crazy for puppies.

We'll be driving down the street and she'll see someone walking their dog on the sidewalk, and I can hear her in the backseat..."heh, heh, heh, heh, heh... OR oof! oof! OR Lolaaaa!!!!" It's just so cute, I can't stand it.

We had snow here the other day, so Sofie got bundled up in her mittens and boots, and we went outside to play in the snow. We had a snowball fight, and then ice skated, and then built a snow fort...okay none of that happened.

Seriously, it's been 14 degrees here. So on the way out to Dr. Y.'s office for RSV shots, I plopped her down in the snow, snapped three pictures, picked her back up, and put her in the toasty warm car. Not nearly as exciting as a snow fort, but less frostbite was involved.