Letters to Santa

The week that our town had the candle light stroll on the square was a very busy week for us and Brandon actually had a work dinner that night.  As I was cuddled up with the kids in my bed watching a Christmas movie I remembered that that was the night of the horse drawn carriage rides!  It was also when we mailed our letters to Santa last year.  So the other night I had the kids write letters to Santa, or rather dictate and I wrote.  Let me tell you, it is not easy to make a sentence from my 2.5 year old's one word phrases, but we gave it our best!  Here were the results...

Sunday School Christmas Program

Today was the Sunday School Christmas Program.  Elizabeth's group of kids sang four songs: This Little Light of Mine, Jesus Loves Me, Away in a Manager, Twinkle Twinkle.  All of the songs had second "christmasy" verses.  The kids did a great job! 

Elizabeth is standing to the right of the boy in the blue striped sweater

Love those smiles!

Breakfast with Santa

Last weekend was Breakfast with Santa at Mimi's school.  We arrived a few minutes early and Elizabeth really wanted  to wait to see Santa come in on his sleigh, but we needed to bur our tickets so we went ahead and went in :)  Santa stopped and talked to her before taking his seat.  

 I think Grant was really glad to have a big sister to go with to sit on Santa's lap.

Elizabeth asked Santa for a pink pony, a stable pony, with a purple saddle that a Barbie could ride.  Good luck Santa!!  Grant didn't say a word, but Elizabeth tells us that he wants a dog.  Since we already have a dog, I think we have him talked down to a pretend dog to play with.  Then again, sometimes you ask him and he says "hot dog." So perhaps we don't really know what Grant wants, but hope Santa gets him something he likes!

When I grow up...

Elizabeth: When I grow up I want to be a cook
Me: What will you cook?
Elizabeth: Pizza, cheese soup, salad, bread, bologna
Me: Where do you know about bologna from?
Elizabeth: (shoulder shrug) And dogs are going to be allowed to come .  And I'm going to bake a cake, with cherries and pineapple on it...upside...upside down cake


Earlier conversation...as I am trying to load the kids into the car. "Hurry up I just saw a mouse!"
Elizabeth: A mouse? Don't worry mommy.  Don't be scared.  When they see you they will just run away.  They are afraid of big people.  They only like little people.
Me: Little people, like you?
Grant: Gus! Gus!
Elizabeth: What is he saying?
Me: Gus, the mouse from Cinderella!

Pre-School Christmas Program

I think the best words to describe Elizabeth's program are: short & sweet! Her class did two numbers.  The first one was "Here is the chimney, here is the top, open the lid and out Santa will pop!" with motions.  The second song was Twinkle Twinkle Special Star - not sure of the lyrics but it lasted slightly longer than the first!

Elizabeth seemed fairly comfortable up there in front of a lot of people.  She held her hands close to her face.  The milk and cookies part after was a big hit!  Brandon actually had a business dinner way on the other side of town the same night.  They both started at the same time and he knew he would be late, but he of course came to the program first.  When he got home, I asked if he missed dinner.  "Are you kidding? That program was so quick, I didn't even miss appetizers!"

Pioneer Woman & Shopping

Elizabeth loves the Pioneer Woman.  Grant loves Charlie, the basset hound, or "Charlie Dog" as he is referred to as in our house.  New episodes come on Saturday mornings and it not uncommon for the entire family to cuddle up on the couch to watch.  This morning Elizabeth slipped into bed with me at about 6:30.  "Mommy can we watch Pioneer Woman? I love that show.  I also love vanilla.  It smells sooooo good!"  Soon Grant woke up and joined us.   We had milk and juice in bed and watched a double feature.  What a perfect morning.

Last year the kids loved to play a game called "Tree Farm."  I told Elizabeth the story of when my brother and I were little and my mom took us to a tree farm and they had a little gift shop and we each got to pick an ornament.  I chose an angel.  I am actually surprised it is still in one piece!  Last year we had a few broken ornaments due to the "Tree Farm" game, when we pretend shop for ornaments off of our tree.  This year we put our "Barbie Tree" upstairs in the hallway.  I had a dozen or so odd ball ornaments that we also hung with the Barbie keepsakes.  Today Elizabeth asked to play Tree Farm and we used the upstairs tree.  (I think the Barbie ornaments are pretty durable!)  Our conversation went like this:

Me: Oh is anyone working here today I was hoping to purchase an ornament for my daughter?
E: Hello! What can I help you with?
Me: I am looking for a shiny, sparkly ornament for my daughter.  Do you have anything like that?
E: Oh yes! We have this one, or this one, or this one
Me: Perfect, I will take this one
(She has a colored pencil and notepad in hand)
E: I will just use my pencil to take the ornament off the tree for you
(She struggles to remove the ornament using only her pencil)
E: Can you help me?
Me: Sure
E: That will be $1
(she jots something in her notepad)
Me: Here you go
E: Thank you here is your change
Me: Do you happen to have a box?
E: Sorry, I don't
Me: That's OK
E: Thank you for shopping.  Have a great day.  I hope your daughter likes it.  Come back soon!

I am just grinning ear to ear over this entire exchange.  Then I think to myself...wow we must shop a lot, because she kind of nailed this shopping scenario!

Thanksgiving and more...

Since my brother was in town the week before thanksgiving we celebrated with him and my grandparents on Sunday.  I love thanksgiving food and I loved my mom's new stuffing recipe!  We had thanksgiving dinner with Brandon's family at his grandparent's house on Thanksgiving day.  Another wonderful meal!

Elizabeth has been begging for me to put her in swim lessons again and I keep delaying it.  She already has dance class on a school day and swim lessons will have to be on a school day and she has a hard time making it through these days happy.  I think I have her convinced that we will start at the beginning of the year.

She has her pre-school Xmas program next week and the Sunday School program is in two weeks.  So stay tuned for those updates!

Grant's speech is still progressing.  He is using a lot of words.  Last week I could understand almost everything he said.  This week I am struggling to understand a lot of what he is saying and I am hoping that is because he is using so many new words!  We are very pleased that he is talking now and using more words, I just wish that they were more accurate and understandable, but the therapist reminds me to be happy with where we are.  We still continue to focus on his connective speech (putting words together).

I did get brave this week and let Grant wear big boy underwear to Wal-Mart.  We were ready to check out and I forgot something and I was standing in the card aisle he says, "pee" - as in he already did.  I do have to say that I am loving the boys track pants that have a sweat pant type inner lining - it absorbed the pee, but didn't soak through to the outside.  He will still try to hide in another room to do his #2 business but if we recognize that he has sneaked off and take him to the bathroom he usually poops for us.  If we can just get him to recognize the "i have to pee" sensation in place of "i just peed!" we will be all set!  All in time ;)

We also went to the Festival of Lights Parade.  The kids loved it.  I wish I would have taken a picture of Grant waving to Santa.  The look on his face was priceless...like oh that is Santa! His eyes were fixated on him!

Brandon also took an extra day off work and told him that it would make the kids day to take them to McDonalds for breakfast.  Elizabeth was kind enough to help Grant to the top of the play structure.  Guess who didn't want her to help him down? Guess who had to go and get him? Guess who took lots of pictures...laughing all the way?!