The Girlies with Nana & Papa

Ward Christmas Party

We had our Christmas party last Saturday and we really enjoyed it.  Loved the food, let the decor, loved the whole set up: Santa, dinner, nativity play.

Lainey was the only one willing to actually visit with Santa.  Apparently Liz is too old and too cool to to interact with him, but she did swipe a candy cane.  And Ellie liked to watch Santa from afar, but was too afraid to approach him.

Alaina was a bit chatty, but when it came to a gift request she kind of froze up and Santa had to ask her several times and tell her to speak up.  Turns she wants a teddy bear--I had no idea. 

Midway through dinner Ellie decided that she really did want to see Santa and kept asking us to take her to him.  We waited till the line died down and good thing too because even after her multiple requests she panicked when she got close to the guy and wouldn't let go of Drew.

Lizzie and Lainey initially didn't want to participate in the nativity play, but I was one of the dressers so I made them come "backstage" with me.  Eventually when Liz saw all her friends in costume and realized that there was only one angel costume left she decided that she wanted to wear it.  Of course she when she came out on stage she was in a shepherd costume . . .  Once Alaina saw Liz in costume she decided she wanted one as well and once she got on stage she was pretty excited.

Baltimore Dollar Days

We went to the Maryland Science Center and we loved it just as much as we did last year.  

The favorites were the dinosaur area and the Kids Zone.

The girls liked brushing sand off dinosaur bones so much that we did it on the way in and on way out.

 Kids Zone: it was crazy busy in there, but the kids were contained.

 Bed of Nails:

On the way out the girlies looked at the ducks in Baltimore Harbor and Liz tried to teach her sisters the difference between the males and females.

Drew wasn't with us.  He didn't want to go to the museum and I didn't want to make the food I volunteered to take to the ward party later that evening so I brokered a deal (I think we were both happy with the result).

More on Lainey

Yesterday Lainey told me that she wanted to go to Build-A-Bear and make a "pink unicorn with a horn" just like Lizzie has, only she wants hers to be "better than Lizzie's."  She wants it to "sing and grant wishes."

Lainey is still talking (daily) about her next birthday party.  Her latest plan is to have a slumber party where she and her guests wash our cars. 

She can't seem to say her S sounds if another consonant follows so it's tupid, tart, and top, instead of stupid, start, and stop (I sure I wish I could say that my four-year-old didn't say stupid).

Today I took her and Ellie to the local bounce house.  As always I made Lainey try the slides with me once.  Usually screams and fusses, says she doesn't like them and refuses to go on them again.  This time after once with me she loved them!  Hooray!  I'm glad she's finally over her fear of them.

Miniatures today

The girls were completely enthralled with the holiday-themed miniature display at our local library, and, we all enjoyed some rounds of I Spy.

The Season Starts

We've begun our holiday activities.  We made and delivered treats to our neighbors and Liz worked on her gingerbread house this weekend.  I actually didn't plan to get one of these, but she made her request early Saturday morning when I wasn't fully awake and said something along the lines of, "Yes, yes, sure.  Mommy just needs a little more sleep." 

We finished putting up our last few decorations (though Liz is frustrated that we don't have anything on the outside of the house) and the girls started pulling links off their advent countdown chains (we made these at the last Activity Girls activity).  Lizzie and Lainey had written services they could do for others on each link.  Lizzie's first one was, "give mom a hug" so that was nice to wake up to.

ICE at the National Harbor

 We went last Monday for FHE.  The kids loved it, well Liz did.  Alaina was initially excited about it, but midway through (the relatively short exhibit) she started saying, "I want to leave the freezing place!" and one time actually slipped out the exit with a group of strangers and had to be retrieved.  In all, I thought it was a nice way to start off our holidays.

 

 

Thanksgiving

The only pictures I took the entire holiday were of Drew and his beloved bacon-wrapped turkey.  It was a first for us and it was delicious.  Incidentally this was only the second time we have ever hosted Thanksgiving.  The last time was 2001 and we had two guests, only one of which spent the night.  This time around we had a family of seven. 

 That's right, seven. 

I was a little nervous to have such a large family staying with us, in part because I didn't really know them.  It was a cousin that Drew was close to growing up, but I had only met a handful of times.  Actually the last time I saw him and his wife was five years ago.  I needn't have worried though, we all got along well, the kids were well behaved, and things generally went smoothly (expect for one painful lunch spent arguing politics). 

Along with a delicious Thanksgiving dinner and pleasant company, over the holidays we also enjoyed a visit to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum (along with a million other people) and The Rise of the Guardians.  And, as I had hoped, we finished off the long weekend by putting up our Christmas tree and decorations.  Hooray Christmas! 

Lizzie Update

We had a nice Thanksgiving and have already started our Christmas festivities, but before I get all that, I want to finally do little update on Lizzie (only two months behind schedule).

 

Liz is delightful.  She is exuberant and sensitive and so kind.  She is also very helpful.  I'm always aware of just how much she helps when she's at school and I have to buckle her sisters into the van myself.  I also appreciate Sunday mornings when she she gets her sisters breakfast and turns on a cartoon for them all so Drew and I can sleep in a bit.  

Liz doesn't like to smile with her with her teeth showing.  Below is a lucky shot.

Liz is a busy girl.  She goes to Activity Days at church, Girl Scouts, and piano lessons.  Mercifully soccer has ended (she loved it, but the schedule started to wear on me), and we have just one day left of pottery (till it all starts up again in January).

STATS:  Height - 4'2"/22%, Weight - 55 lbs/19% (those percentages are from the doc, when I put the numbers into an online calculator Lizzie's percentages were 15% for height and 18% for weight).

Liz still loves to play with toys and I'm really glad that her My Little Ponies and Polly Pockets are still interesting to her.  I'm also glad that she'll regularly play with her little sisters (Lainey mainly). Right now her favorite toys are Legos, Lego Friends to be exact.

Lizzie also loves to read (to herself and her sisters) and is still excited about having Drew and I read books to her which I love.  She and I just finished Island of the Blue Dolphins.  I enjoyed reading it as a child and was happy that she liked it as well.  I was also pretty pleased when Liz used all the "mother's helper" money she earned last spring at the school book fair last month instead of the toy store.

Like her sisters, Liz is a total daddy's girl.  My favorite fill-in-the-blank answers from Liz about her dad:

My dad always tells me .  .  .  You're the best kid ever.
The best thing he does is .  .  .  make me laugh.
My favorite thing to do with dad is  .  .  .  just being together.
How strong is daddy  .  .  .  strong enough to pick up me.

My dad is special because  .  .  .  he's different from all the other dads and I think he's the best.

Random stuff Elizabeth has recently said to me:

"I don't like it when grown-ups do cartwheels.  It's creepy."

"That's why they invented friends, so that kids won't get bored or annoyed with their parents." 

Favorite dinner - chicken baked in yogurt, butter, Parmesan cheese, and crushed Ritz crackers.

Favorite television show - Monster High

Favorite color - purple

Favorite dessert/treat - Oreo milkshake

What she wants to be when she grows up - Artist
She likes her long wavy hair and thinks it's cool that she can roll her tongue like her dad.