Sledding Fun

It only took until the end of December, but we finally got some snow. It may have barely covered the grass, but it counts! It was certainly good enough for snow angels and the girls' first chance at sledding.

We only have one teeny tiny little slope in our backyard, so for real sledding we took the girls to the park nearby. It's perfect because we can do a short hill, a long hill, or even a double hill, to make it even more fun.

They rode with Daddy for the first couple trips down the hill but soon enough were asking to go on their own, and boy, did they love it!

It made for a fun but exhausting afternoon, so we headed back to the house for hot chocolate and a nap. We can't wait to do it again!

Couch Cuddles and Cousins

We took a day trip down the shore for a belated Christmas celebration with the other side of my family, but before we headed into that mayhem, we got to spend a nice afternoon relaxing at the house and spending some time with Ella.

I mean, how sweet is she?!

Rollerskates!

The girls were so excited to try out their new rollerskates from Mom-Mom and Poppy, and since it was warm(ish) today, I figured we might as well!

Hmm. Let's just say they're going to need a lot of practice. After a lap or two up the driveway, Kate gave up and switched to her scooter while Emily decided to try Kate's beginner skates instead.

Clearly that worked much better for everyone. Now we just need spring to hurry up and get here so we can get outside for some more practice!

Night Lights

It's a stop I've wanted to make every night we've driven past this park on the way home from Mimi's house, and with the Christmas season nearing its end, I knew it was now or never (at least until next year). And so, with the girls in their pajamas and already up past their bedtime, we stopped to admire the Christmas lights. At first they were a bit confused as to why we were stopping but soon became excited. That is, until we all realized their pajama pants are no match for cold winter winds.

So then we hurried back into the car and made one more stop to see the lights at a home near us that goes all out with their light display, but this time we all stayed nice and cozy inside the car.



I just love Christmas lights and hate to see them go when the holidays are over!

Toy Overload

And I'm not just talking about the presents under the tree. I'm talking about Kate's crib, now with the addition of her new Cinderella doll along with not one but two baby dolls, a stuffed puppy, her froggy lovey blanket, and three baby blankets. As if she doesn't already take up enough room in the crib herself!





With the girls snuggled in their beds, it was time for Santa to come and add some more toys to the mix.

My personal favorite gift, though, is the note Emily wrote for Daddy.



I can't wait for the morning!

Christmas Coordination

Speaking of coordinating outfits...

I picked Emily's dress to match one of her hand-me-down dresses for Kate, but I failed to take into account how much taller Kate is than Emily was at this age. I think the fact that Em's dress is so long makes Kate's look even shorter. Whoops! This girl is going to catch up to her big sister in no time.

Once we got to the party, I was happy to see that Sloane and Ella coordinated nicely too. Unfortunately coordination doesn't always lead to cooperation when it comes to little ones. I forget why Emily was even crying, because I know she was so excited to see her cousins!

Speaking of cousins, look how big this family has gotten!

And back to coordinating outfits, sometimes it happens even when your mom isn't even picking out your clothes anymore. This isn't even the first time it's happened with me and my sisters, and I'm sure it won't be the last!

Pink Santa Jammies

If you haven't noticed, I dress the girls in coordinating outfits as much as possible. No, wait. Who am I kidding? I do it every day, and pajamas are no exception. It's a problem, I know, but I can't help it when they make it look so cute!

Money Talk

Emily: Daddy, why do you work so much?
Daddy: So I can make money.
Emily: How does Mommy have so much money if she only works two days a week?

This kid is giving away all my secrets, huh?

Four Days to Go

Can anyone tell me why I always seem to wait so long to make our Christmas cookies? Fortunately this year the girls fared a lot better decorating the cookies than last year (when they managed to decorate only three cookies before losing interest) so it made my workload a bit easier, even if it did make for some wonky decorating. I'm sure Santa won't mind!

Fly on the Wall

I've long said that I wish I could be a fly on the wall so I could watch my kids in action in their classrooms, and days like today are probably the closest I'll get. I had volunteered to help with Emily's class holiday party and got to see them start their day with their usual circle time. It's a treat for me that's far better than any of the treats the kids had at the party, and I know Emily really enjoys having me there too. Probably not as much as she loves actual treats, though!

Kate's class had their holiday party today too, so both girls were dressed in what I like to call Christmas casual, and of course I can't resist a photo op in front of the tree!