Cousins

Lilly got to see her cousins, Archie and Lucy, a few times while we were in Utah. She loved baby Lucy and had so much fun with Archie! 

We got together one evening with a bunch of Drew's Utah-dwelling family. The menfolk watched football and the womenfolk chatted and made pizzas.
 

 
We also played at my parents one morning. Lilly and Archie enjoyed sliding down this giant beanbag. . .

We got one more chance to play when we drove to Provo to visit with more Aunts and Uncles. Lilly was so happy when I told her we were going to see her cousins. I love these pictures of Lilly and Lucy . . .

  

 

 

They let Archie join them for a few pictures, too.  
The whole group! +1 more cousin in utero :)

And a few more pajama pictures with Aunty Erika. . .
 

 

 
We can't wait to see everyone again!

Arts and Crafts

Lilly loves doing little art projects and she has been very busy lately, what with Christmas and all.

        

  

I did my fair share of projects in preparation for Christmas, too, but to be honest, I just use crocheting as an excuse to watch more Hulu. Which basically means. . .

 

I may have overdosed on t.v. this month.

2 years + 1 month/Lilly's Book of the Month

In the rush of cleaning and packing that was Monday, I forgot to post Lilly's 25th month update. I had a whole list of my favorite Lilly-isms, but I left them on my computer at home, so they will have to wait. Instead, I'll post a couple pictures and start what I hope I can keep up as a tradition. . . a post of Lilly's favorite book discoveries for the month!
We have a growing list of favorite books that we repeatedly check out at our weekly library visits, but we also try out lots of new ones every week. We usually find a couple to add to our "love" list, and I thought it might be fun to start sharing them.
So without further ado. . .

Lilly's Books of the Month!

The Woods by Paul Hoppe

A fun story about a boy in search of his bedtime bunny. In the woods, he meets some scary creatures that don't turn out to be that scary at all. I think Lilly was particularly sympathetic to the main character's plight, as she too, would dare the deepest, darkest woods to find her beloved bunny.

I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen 

A silly story about a bear looking for his hat which it turns out he's already seen. The tricky bunny shows up wearing the hat around page 2, but the bear passes it by. The story doesn't end well for the poor bunny once bear finds him, but Lilly doesn't get that part, yet. What she does love, is pointing out the hat to bear when it first shows up, even thought he never seems to hear her!

Little Bear's Little Boat by Eve Bunting

Just a simple story about a bear growing up and growing out of his favorite toy. Sometimes growing up is hard, no matter how old you are, but that's little bear's destiny and he handles it well. Lilly loved the illustrations and words and insisted on reading it over and over and over. 

In other news, Fall has finally arrived in Texas:

Lilly LOVES the Christmas lights! We went to a really cool Christmas light tour in Round Rock last week, and she also loves driving around the neighborhood in the evenings.

And Lilly made and decorated her first gingerbread men. . .

 

We had a great flight to Utah, and we can't wait to share all of our Christmas adventures from the coming week! 
Until then, we wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas (Round One)

On Sunday we celebrated Christmas! Well, kind of. Since we're spending Christmas in Utah, we decided to open all the presents that had been sent to our house before we left. Lilly loved opening her new presents and playing with them! I think she's pretty excited to do it all over again next week.

  

 

 

 

 

  
 

Today

Today I am worn out. It's been a week of sickness, cold weather and bad news. I've been vacillating between depression and apathy for most of the week, so I really didn't have much emotion left yesterday with which to process the news that had everyone else reeling.

Today I cried. Mostly for selfish reasons. And also because I was so very tired and, as mothers will understand, had no choice but to keep going. I've been feeling like a single mom lately, but I'm not, and understanding this makes me feel that much more sympathetic toward those who do parent alone 24/7, 365 days a year.

Today I wanted to be more gentle and more kind, knowing that others are hurting in secret. I was reminded as I always am, in my own times of struggle, that others are struggling, too. We all are, and when we're not that's when we can help the ones that are. When awful things happen, it's easy to sympathize with the victims, as we should, but it's harder not to villainize the perpetrators. Their families hurt, too, and so do they. People don't do terrible things because they feel good inside.

Today I thought about the awful, uncanny juxtaposition of all of this with the supposedly "magical" time of year that is Christmas. And I realized that this "magic" that people expect doesn't just happen, we make it happen. We create the magic. Santa doesn't really come down the chimney, we do his work for him. And Christ probably won't come tomorrow, or on 12/21 for that matter,  but we can be his hands today.

Today I feel okay, because I know that what I've felt, others have, too. We're not alone and we can't act like we are. Christmas is about togetherness and giving and love. So smile more, lend a hand, be considerate and patient, and maybe today will be a better day for everyone.

I think I just made the naughty list . . .

I love Christmas! In fact, I love the whole holiday season! I love the lights and trees, the presents and family, the spirit of giving and baby Jesus, and the food, of course the food. But Santa, I'm not so sure about him . . .

Call me crazy. Call me Scrooge. But when did the idea of an overweight old man, who "sees us when we're sleeping," and creeps into our homes once a year, become the grandest white lie of all time? Would it kill him to shave and eat some veggies every once in awhile? Ok, I'm sorry, that was too much. I don't hate the guy. I actually kind of like the idea of Santa as a jolly old man who loves to bring presents, and who spends all year hanging with his elf friends and preparing for Christmas. 

Here's the thing, so far my 2 year old understands the following about Christmas:

1. We celebrate the birth of Jesus. Sweet! Birthdays are awesome!

2. We're going to see Grama. Fabulous! (Probably the most exciting part for her)

3. We're going to give presents. Fun! And we're going to get presents. Even better!

4. We get to see fancy lights and there's a tree in the living room. When did my life get so awesome?

5. There's some creepy guy whose face has been taken over by white hair who shows up at random places, and last year my parents made me sit on his lap. So not cool.

As you can see, Santa really deserves more of an explanation, but somehow, after all the other good things about Christmas time,  I find myself at a loss as to how to fit in Santa. Because let's be honest, it can get a little complicated and out of hand. There are letters to Santa, expected presents from Santa, threats in the name of Santa . . . and that crazy Elf on the Shelf, don't even get me started. 

I want to be real clear, I know I'm the weird one. And this is no reflection on my parents. In fact, my 20-something year old sister still insists on leaving cookies and milk for "Santa" (and snacks for the reindeer, too), and my dad willingly gets up in the middle of the night to eat said cookies and "secretly" fill the stockings of his adult children. I even remember being slightly jealous of a friend growing up whose parents went ALL OUT. I mean, they even left real boot prints on the carpet! Yep, her parents were awesome.

I guess it can be a lot of fun, but, in all seriousness, is Christmas really ruined without Santa? If it is, I don't think we're celebrating it right. If I buck tradition and take out Santa, will my children be proud they knew before all their friends, or will they resent me forever as the mother that stole their childhood? 

Should I grit my teeth and play along like a good mother? Should I seek middle ground and include Santa, but only until my children reach the age where fantasy and reality separate, however young that may be? Or can my children just learn to love the story and spirit of Santa while knowing he's not a "real" person, just like we all do as adults? 

Because I don't want to kill Santa, I just want to put him in his place.

Where does Santa Claus fit into your holiday traditions? Does he bring 1 gift or 3 gifts or more? How do you explain why Johnny down the road got a $300 gift from Santa, or why Santa didn't get the right present? Does anyone else feel the way I do?

Make me a believer, or don't. I just want to hear your thoughts, and let's be real clear, there's no right answer.

Polka Dots and Kitty Cats

Austin just got an H&M, so Lilly, my very favorite shopping buddy, came with me to check it out! After trying on all the shoes she could reach, she picked out this little number for herself.
I think she was sold at the polka-dots, but the kitten on the pant leg sealed the deal. She was so excited to put it on, she couldn't even wait to get it home! I mean, literally, she couldn't wait. She had her pants and panties half way down before I realized she was trying to change her clothes in the middle of the store! After I stopped laughing, we had a little talk about indecent exposure.
You're welcome H&M Austin customers for the free entertainment.