Christmastime, 2012

Trimming the tree!  

This year, June was too young to reach the ornaments, and Mia was old enough to lose interest in tree destruction, so it was intact the entire month!

Matchy-matchy snowman shirts with pom-pom snowballs from crafty Gma K:

Polar Express day with Gma R: train crafts, jingle bells, and frothy hot chocolate with fun straws.

Festive Sunday stuff:

Architectural Digest (Gingerbread Edition):

By the time these arrived to their intended display location, the gumdrop boxwood hedge was missing...

Mia had Santa hat fever this year.  She wanted to wear this thing everywhere.  It didn't jive well with nice hairdos, so we did a lot of coif improvising this month.

Our always chilly and not-so-glamorous boat ride to the "North Pole."  

June's expression is a result of the ultra-layering. 

This year, the boat left with Gma K on it and the rest of us still on the shore...  

A nice boat captain turned the boat around to pick up the stranded passengers.  

Mall Santa visit sans lap photo:

 $30 for a picture package?  No thanks.

Our sweet Great Gma R carries on the British tradition of Cherries Jubilee every Christmas Eve at her house.  The grandbabies were in awe over the flaming ice cream:

All is calm and bright at 1:00 am, Christmas Eve:

Our documented Christmas morning debut is rather revealing about Mom's control issues, 

but for the sake of authenticity, here it is 

(I swear, they had a free-for-all when the camera was put away):

"Yippee," thought June, "A sippy cup and some organic fruit snacks."

At the R family celebration, the cousins had more fun crawling around in Gpa's present 

(snowmobile sled) than playing with their own!

Gma K made matching flannel nightgowns (Mia's prefered pajama category) for the girls: 

More Santa hat shenanigans with Uncle Ethan:

With a 3 week school break for Dad, glorious holiday merriment (particularly the food), and heightened awareness of the purpose for it all, Christmas certainly is the most wonderful time of the year!

Princess Tiiime

I have never been a big proponent of Disney princess frou-frou (we like Up, Mary Poppins, and tough girl movies like Pocohontas and Mulan), but as obnoxious as I find the "pining after a future prince" theme, my mom pointed out that encouraging princess-like behavior will work to our advantage. For the most part Disney princesses are kind, courageous, and occasionally smart (with the exception the 1950s-produced brainless "heroines"-  it's okay because I have red lips and sing well- in Sleeping Beauty and SnowWhite and "if I choose to abandon my family for the self-proclaimed love of a man I've never talked to, because, after all, I'm 16 years old and not a child, everything will turn out okay" in The Little Mermaid).

So, with this in mind, Gma K has taken it upon herself to supply Mia with princess attire and memorabilia (cups, tiaras, books, etc.), and, in culmination, took her to Disney on Ice last month. While we were getting Mia ready to go, I was blown away by way she "channeled" her usual energy.  She spent it all on her efforts to sit nicely, smile, and be charmingly sweet.  I think my mom is on to something!

Letting Mom attend to her toilet (regularly, Mia prefers to do this stuff herself):

sitting quietly and reading a little Beatrix Potter while waiting for her escort:

Mia had a lovely time at "Disney Princess" and mom gained some leverage. Win-win!

Crocheting Hazards

Our Friday Fun night this week was spent in the ER after Mia impaled her face with Mom's crochet hook. I felt like CPS would be alerted all night when we were asked what had happened.  I've been trying to finish June's Christmas stocking in between daily activities...the project was thoughtlessly left out on sofa for easy 

access with hook hidden in yarn. Unfortunately, Mia frequently practices her gymnastics moves on said sofa.  We are grateful that the hook did not make contact one superior cm.  She would have been blinded!  Ugh. Yucky mom feeling (understatement). I have had some scary nightmares in the subsequent nights.

ER waiting room entertainment:

Pleased to have a new "bracelet" and binki liberties: 

Post-op photo and first encounter with scene of accident (she did her best to seem pitiful):  

June's Top Ten

1

These Eskimo-esque cheeks are irresistible: 

2

Gpa R will do just about anything to get a reaction out of these babies, and now that June has grown into more than a squishy infant, she is a primary target.

3

Wagon ride in 33 degree weather:

4

This particular Sunday, June and Mom were donning our denim overkill:

5

Sweet, sweet girl...these beautiful dark eyes make me melt!

6

June has begun her furniture-assisted standing. It is currently the THRILL of her life.

7

Cruising around our regional (300 mile radius) Ikea.  

As much as we love this place, it is not always easy to pull off a smile after a thorough browse.

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Some more of Dad's acrobatics on Gma K's freshly waxed linoleum.

and she still likes him after the trauma (mom's definition):

9.5

9 & 3/4

Visiting with Great G & G Heinz:

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Although this girl seems more demure that her energetic and extroverted big sis, she has picked up some words pretty early (due to Mom & Mia's constant blabbing, do doubt).  Here is her running list:

"MMMMM-ah" (Mia)

Mama & Dada

Uh-Oh (like most babies, this is favorite after an intentional object dropping)

Bye-Bye

"Ni-Night"

"Bee" (bink)

"Mo!" (more, please)
"Hi"* whispered

But best of all is her darling singing voice that chimes, without fail, during every occasion of

Angels We Have Heard on High:

movie

And she is officially mobile!  I am not really excited about this for a variety of reasons: 

disintegrating babyhood, the perils of having two on the move, and the emergence of the human vacuum who seems to inhale particles not initially visible to the adult naked eye.

Mia's Top Ten

1

Mia got to go to work with Gpa R this past month; she had a fabulous time riding int the "high up in the sky" truck and hoking its horn.

2

First attempt at mascara application:

3

Making lovely music with cousins:

4

Fun craft days with Gma R: 

5

Mia built this "big house" this week at library story time...

...but it's an even better day when the librarian pulls out the tunnel!

6

I am always so impressed with the sporadic doodling I find around the house.  When I found this one and asked Mia about it, she said "they are just some little guys."

7

Great Gma Heinz visited this past month, and Mia found her highly entertaining.  

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So pleased to be wearing dad's re-purposed shirt.  "It is like squeeze from daddy."

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