december nineteen

one of simon's favorite holiday events is the train show at grand central. i love how we can get there in twenty  minutes.

these boys could spend all day running around this set.

and here they are just enjoying grand central.

and keeping anyone else from enjoying their commute. you could just feel the stares coming from every direction.

 and at the end of the day we returned to our regularly scheduled programming.

why are his lips so pink?

santa's beard is really filling up.

december eighteen

since nana and papa were still in town i thought i'd keep simon home from school and go to macy's. 

i should have come at nine. i had every intention of being there at ten, but i think it was closer to eleven. i thought since i went on a school day it would be fine. i was wrong. it took an hour.

this newspaper was inside a holiday window that we passed as we were in line to get to the north pole.

miriam's many faces while we were still waiting.

almost to the train that would take us to the north pole.

simon, so excited, can't you tell?

i didn't get any pictures at the north pole because the lighting was so terrible. my camera couldn't focus on anything.

miriam freaked out the second i tried to put her on santa's lap. maybe next year. i'm surprised simon has a smile. he actually wasn't too thrilled to go. we saw santa at the plaza a while back (but they wouldn't let me take my own picture).

naughty nana.

and the calendars...

not much longer.

december seventeen

i may have just given simon candy in his calendar today. oh well.

so, a catapult? at least it advises you not to hit anyone's face.

december sixteen

early christmas with robert's family began with a video about the savior's birth.

we're so glad that christmas gave us time with nana, papa, lee and clara. oh, and we added another member to our family. this is dot.

december fifteen

we had the brilliant idea of going to midtown and looking at holiday windows two fridays before christmas. nothing to drive away the holiday spirit like midtown crowds. at least we made up for a little by going inside st. patrick's cathedral.

clearly baby jesus was not born yet. after all, it was still ten days before christmas.

so much love between these two.

and more of the usual.

december fourteen

simon didn't open his "morning calendar" until after school, because it was a special surprise that i wanted him to wait for. it said, "eat dinner with the missionaries and nana and papa." he didn't even know they were coming! so, no pictures of that. just his night-time calendars.

if you pay attention, i'm pretty sure there are several pictures of simon's tongue sticking out while he's working on his legos. i still can't believe this kid has graduated to the little ones.

december thirteen

today's activity was to make muddy buddies, but with speculoos since we're a peanut-free house. somehow, i'm the only one that participated. but that means i was able to stage pictures with out worrying about kids.

you think normal muddy buddies are amazing? you really should try this kind. if you can't find speculoos look for biscoff cookie spread. it's pretty widely available now. just melt a jar of the spread, no added butter or anything else. just chex, speculoos and sugar.

and now the nightly advents.

now i'm wondering if the lego pieces have any meaning at all.