Clare is Two and a Half!!

This HUGE stinker pot is two and a half today!! I can hardly believe how big she's gotten!

Some things about Clare Anne as a two and a half year old:

1. She's incredibly smart and wily. Her vocabulary is huge, and she forms her sentences so well. It is VERY easy to understand her and hold a conversation with her. She catches on to things very quickly--if she chooses to pay attention and concentrate.

2. She has a vivid imagination. She plays independently and creatively very well. She pretends a lot. Her stories are great and a lot of times she tells them while we are rocking for bed or nap..

Here are a few (based off nursery rhymes she has hanging in her room):

-- Mama, Lila, and Clare are Bat-girl, and Daddy is Bat-boy. The mouse from Hickory, Dickory Dock put Humpty Dumpty in a cave because he stole the drummers and the instruments. All of us Bat-people saved Humpty Dumpty from the cave. (The next day for nap she was ill and told me we weren't superheroes today.)

--Little Bo Peep is a superhero and she's gonna save the day. She's gonna save the dog (From Hey Diddle, Diddle) from out of the sky.

--When she was a baby, she was in mommy's tummy and the doctor spoke to her. The angels told her "Let's go to the Monkey Park."

--When I was a little baby, I was in Mommy's tummy, then I just jumped right outta there.

3. She loves her sister, but she also loves to aggravate her. She knows just what to do to push Lila's buttons.

4. Her new little quirk is to twist her hair...into knots. I have pulled and even cut out pieces of her hair to get the knots out.

5. She loves all things Minnie Mouse and Princess.

6. She sings or talks ALL THE TIME. It never stops. This keeps her from being able to stay in church with us.

7. She still sleeps in her converted crib/toddler bed. She sleeps every night with her blankie, Rosie and Cackie.

8. She has been potty-trained since right after her 2nd birthday. She's had her ups and downs, but I'm happy to say that by this point in time, she is fully trained. She still sleeps in a pull-up, but a lot of mornings she wakes up dry.

9. She recognizes some letters (C, L, A) and some of her numbers.

10. She loves animals and really enjoys being around the dogs when we're at grandparents' houses.

11. She loves movies and would watch them all day long.

She is my baby, and we all love her so much!

Happy 2 1/2 years, Clare Anne!!

Christmas Day

Our Christmas Day was fantastic -- except for the traveling. We woke up that morning to find that Santa come, and the girls were totally excited to see what he left...after we woke them up at 8.

Clare's Side

Lila's Side

We had so much fun sharing in their joy and excitement. Christmas is truly so much more fun as a parent.

This microphone was the biggest hit.

So shocked and pumped to see that Santa had downed his milk and cookies.

We traveled to Madison to celebrate Christmas with my parents and Casey. The girls received even more loot--Lila was so excited to see her new American Girl Doll, Saige.

Hoping that everyone was as blessed this holiday season as we were. Merry Christmas!!

Our Christmas Eve

We got ready for Santa this morning by baking him some chocolate chip cookies. I had two good little helpers!

We joined some family this evening for a Christmas Eve service. It was my first one, and I thought it was beautiful! The message was so relevant, and the music was gorgeous. We really enjoyed it!

Once we got home, we changed into jammies, and the girls got to open one present each. They chose the presents that turned out to be the sisters from the movie "Frozen." We had a minor meltdown (over who got what sister), and a big discussion on being thankful and grateful for what we are given. Nothing like a parenting moment on Christmas Eve...sigh.

We calmed down and put out reindeer food for Santa's reindeer, tracked Santa on the computer, and set out his milk and cookies.

I'd say they were ready!!

Merry Christmas Eve!!

Gingerbread Village

How nice is Christmas vacation?? I.love.it. I loved sleeping in a little bit with my girls this morning. I loved being lazy and taking my time to drink my coffee. I loved not getting a shower till 11 on a Monday. I.love.it.

Once we finally got going, the girls and I headed into Auburn and ate some lunch. Afterwards, we went to the AU Hotel and Conference Center to see the Gingerbread Village they have on display. I was thankful that it was right in the front door and not too big. We were in and out pretty quick. They modeled the gingerbread houses after different buildings around Auburn's campus. Very creative and very neat!

First Christmas Festivities

We started our Christmas festivities this afternoon. We headed to Josh's aunt's house to celebrate with all of his family. It was a little bittersweet with Granny's absence, but the kids had fun playing with each other and the adult fellowship was nice too.

Mimi and Pop came over this evening, and we exchanged our presents. The girls were tickled with the nice things they were gifted. Their little spirits are contagious!!