Sleigh Bells in the Air... Beauty Everywhere...

Christmas has come and gone in a blur of twinkly lights, carols, sugary concoctions, jingling bells, sticky kisses, whispered prayers, and yule tide cheer.  Here are a few of the highlights that I was able to catch with my camera.

The night before Christmas eve, these jolly little elves worked diligently to construct this delightful-looking gingerbread house which served as a perfect centerpiece to our holiday table for the next few days.  Never mind the fact that my two-year-old ate 37 gumdrops and 24 M&m's for dinner that night.

On the morning of Christmas eve, George managed to make festive pancakes even though we couldn't scare up any food coloring.  Sophia and her little sister were rather impressed...

At four o'clock, we all went to church, dragging Pawpaw and Uncle David along with us.  Emma rang with the Prime Chimers, Sophia had a lovely reading during the sermon and George and I made it through the Minuet Noel before my voice completely frogged-out on me.

Making beautiful music...

It had been a LONG time since I had sung with my husband.  We thought we should take a photo to mark the occasion.  Perhaps the new year will hold more musical opportunities for us both.

After our traditional Christmas Eve spaghetti, we opened a few presents...

And I remembered my dear friend Myrt by topping her Christmas cookie plate for Santa with her favorite "doo doo balls".  She undoubtedly would have approved of my sock monkey nightgown as well.  It was also apparent that Santa approved since ALL of the doo doo balls were gone the next morning.

On Christmas morning I traditionally make something a bit naughty.  This year's cinnamon rolls with chocolate icing were no exception.  Lili thought they were spectacular... finger-licking-good to be perfectly  descriptive...

Mimi arrived on Christmas Day just as Pawpaw and Uncle David were making their way home.  There were more presents and good meals to be enjoyed with her.  My favorite thing that I found under the tree was...

Can it be true that it is all coming to an end?  We are finally beginning to tire of holiday ham and cheesy made-for-TV Christmas movies.  It must be time to ring in the new year with countdown lists of the worst fashion faux pas and political gaffes of 2011.  Luckily we have a few photos and some sweet memories from this year's Christmas.  Mimi was only with us a few days, but while she was here, she conducted art classes in our basement for Emma and Sophia.  Both girls painted a stretched canvas flag for their rooms and are so pleased with this memento.

Happy Christmas to you all!

The Best Picture of the Day

Sure, the photos from Santa's House were wonderful, but this one takes the cake in my view.  Last night we went out for pizza with some friends and Lili insisted on sitting next to her buddy Riley.  He is an older man (at age 5), and constantly demonstrates for Lili how a true gentleman should treat a lady.

No, chivalry is NOT dead!

Keeping It Real at the Santa House

PawPaw and Uncle David arrived yesterday, and there were two little girls at my house who were none too excited about having to go to school this morning.  They sucked it up, however, and climbed onto the bus bright and early this morning.  To ease the ache just a bit, I picked them up a little early this afternoon.  School didn't seem all that awful when I got there.  Sophia's class was in the middle of a Christmas party with a very strong sugar-theme, and all of the kids in Emma's class were seated in the floor, eating popcorn and watching Ice Age on a big screen at the front of the classroom.  Emma's teacher suggested that this animated feature somehow tied into their science unit on prehistoric creatures, but I didn't require an explanation.  I used to be a teacher myself and know that on the last day of school before Christmas vacation, we teachers are allowed to use any means necessary to keep the peace.

Lili made herself right at home in Emma's classroom.  She helped herself to a cup of popcorn and found a spot on the floor that offered a nice view of the screen.  She was completely content during the ten minutes it took Emma to gather up all of her essential bits and papers and fashion accessories.  It almost got ugly when it was time to get Lili out of there.  I was afraid I might have to make a trail of M&m's for her to follow, but somehow we managed to get everyone out the door without any major hissy fits.

Sneaking out of school half an hour early on the last day makes vacation seem just a little bit more fun.  To add to the excitement, we gathered everyone into vehicle and made our way to the Santa House in downtown Midland.  There was a bit of a queue and a bit of Christmas grouching, but we were there in time to make it in before Santa took his break for milk and cookies.  Lili, however, fell asleep while we were in line, and we knew Santa wouldn't have a chance with her at that point.  My brother in law helped out by taking a photo which shows what we all really look like before we get ourselves together and say, "Cheese!"

And here is the whole motley crew with Santa's sleigh.  Pawpaw is wearing his traditional jovial smile...

And to be clear, Lili wanted absolutely nothing to do with that Santa Claus.  The rest of us thought he was quite wonderful.  When Sophia told him that she wanted make-up for Christmas, he told her she was much too pretty without it.  Good man, Santa!

"NO LIKE Santa Claus!!"

Best of all two brothers were able to re-live a childhood memory, and Santa happily indulged...

Monkey See...

In case you  hadn't noticed, I am one of those moms.  I am the mom who pulls out her camera in order to document "Baby's First Dental Appointment" or "Baby's First Meatball."  I have numerous photos taken of my children when they have fallen asleep in unusual places or in comical positions.  Heaven help you, if you are a child of mine.  Your mama will take photos upon photos of you in the bathtub, pictures of you pretending to decorate the Christmas tree, and she will require you to pose and reenact the really cute thing you did just a second ago when she wasn't ready with the camera.

My adoring two year old has picked up on the fact that we should document every moment of our lives through photography.  Lately she has really been getting involved.  She has such confidence and passion.

 

"I'm gonna getchew, Sophia!"

"Beautiful!  Beautiful!  Show me 'Exuberant'!"

"SAY CHEESE!!"

"I just LOVE it when a photo shoot goes well!"

And now, for your enjoyment, here is a sneak peek at some of Lili's latest work...

This one is entitled, "Sophia's Smile"

This one, entitled "My Feets," is a bit more artistic.

Of course I adore my budding photographer and believe that she exhibits great potential.

"Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving.  What you have caught on film is captured forever... it remembers little things long after you have forgotten everything." ~Aaron Siskind

    

Haircuts are Contagious Around Here

I had been noticing over the past week or so that our resident toddler's hairdo was becoming a bit wacky and unmanageable.  On yesterday she agreed and declared, "I want Kasey to take my haircut!!"  Kasey is a good friend who also happens to be pretty great cutter of hair.  We were really in luck because it turned out that Kasey was working an had an appointment free just for Lili.  Hooray!

"I am ready, Kasey!  Take my haircut!"

There at the salon, the little person who terrorizes me night and day, sat and behaved like a perfect angel throughout the entire haircut.  The little person who, ten minutes before her appointment, had been standing atop a chair in my kitchen, waving a magic wand and commanding, "YOU MAKE ME EGGS!" stayed still and on her bottom with a perfectly cherubic look of innocence on her face like this...

Of course I am not complaining.  I am glad that she is able to exhibit self control and that she doesn't behave like an ornery warthog every moment of the day.  The results were beautiful hence Lili's frequent declaration, "I so so cute!"

Post-haircut Lili came home and took this photo of herself.

I guess she actually is "so so cute."

In fact Lili apparently looked so doggone cute that my daughter Sophia insisted that she too needed to visit Kasey for a new 'do today.

Of course she had to have the full salon experience.

Lookin' good!

And because the day hadn't been girly enough already, George and I took Miss Sophia to get her ears pierced tonight as well.  She is pretty pleased with her new little silver studs.

"New Earrings" was the "treat" inside today's Advent calendar drawer.  When Sophie read the news, she was so excited since she knew this meant that she was actually getting her ears pierced!  Emma got to pick out a few new pairs of earrings too, so do not worry.  There was absolutely no sister snarling or reverse "Marsha! Marsha! Marsha!"-ing.

And perhaps the best thing of all about today is that it is now snowing! And I am STILL dreaming of a white Christmas.  I am pretty sure that my husband promised me white Christmases when we moved to Michigan.  He may be in trouble this year.  (And don't even get me started on the almost white Easter we had this year, but I digress.)

Happy Festivities, Friends!

Love,

Meredith

Using Our Words

Have you met my narrator?

Yes, I live with my very own personal life-narrator.  As I go about my daily business, her little voice punctuates each activity with helpful comments like, "Mama, you cleaning up cat throw up," and (as I'm climbing into the shower), "You naked, Mommy.  You got a booty."  I do my best to reply affirmatively to each of these conclusive announcements.

Not only does she narrate my each and every movement, but she has also found herself to be a very worthy subject..  My two-year-old likes to give us up-to-the-minute reports about her state of being.  In keeping with the style of a proper narrator, she keeps it all in the third person.  "Lili needs chocolate milk," she might broadcast or, "Lili doesn't WANT to take a shower!!"

Earlier this week, I found her struggling to get out of a pair of footed pajamas in her bedroom.  She was easy to find as I simply followed the sound of her passionate screeching, "Get OFF Lili's legs, Lili's JAMMIES!!"  When I entered the room, she looked up at me, her face full of rage, and exclaimed, "Lili's jammies NOT WORKING!!"

(This is a very artistic photograph with a balloon in case you were wondering.)

A growing vocabulary and the ability to express her feelings should reduce the frequency of temper tantrums, right?  I am not, however, exactly sure that this is the case.  Sometimes when things don't go her way, words fail her, and the only sounds she can manage are grizzly bear-like growls.  Often she is not impressed with the way I have expressed my feelings as her caregiver, and she reverts to her two most favorite and treasured words: NO and MINE.  The narrator is still a two year old.

I have thus far made mention of everyday words and angry words, but I have saved the best kind of words for last.  Lilianna also has wonderfully loving words tucked up in her brain now.  I cannot explain how extremely loved I feel when this little person whom I spend a great deal of energy taking care of asks ever so gently, "You okay, Mama?" anytime I utter an "ouch."   It goes without saying that her sincere "I love you's" make the grizzly bear moments far more bearable, and the occasional unsolicited "thank you" causes my heart to skip a beat.

Sometimes she even accidentally utters prize-worthy phrases in the midst of all of the mayhem that goes on at our house.  Last night, while I was trying to organize my two older kids and get them into bed, I realized that I had an over-tired two year old on my hands.  She even announced (in the first person), "I'm TIRED, Mama!" as she rolled around on the floor.  A couple of minutes later, she pulled me away from what I was doing, climbed onto my lap and  declared, "I want more mama."  Can you guess what happened?  I dropped everything , and gave her more of me.  I do so like to reward well-chosen words, particularly the sweet ones (even when they are unintentionally sweet.)

"Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson