Meredith Carson... Across the Pond and Back Again...

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 fr...

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!

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 cl...

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 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 ...

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 screechi...