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

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...

  How cool is it that we live in a town that has its very own Santa House?  Midland, MI is where Santa likes to hang out from the end of November until Dec. 23rd.  He even has a house right on Main Street. Today we visited our bigger girls at school (where Lili allowed herself to be admired by a slew of first and third graders), then we took them out of school a few minutes early and headed down town to visit Santa at his house!  Lili was completely impressed.  There was so much to look at in Santa's house. "I want that!" Sophia had decided there were a few questions for which she needed answers:  1) Why do they call you "Santa"?  2) How many elves do you have? 3) How do reindeer fly?   By the time she actually got on his lap, however, she was so star struck, she forgot to ask any of her questions.  The big guy did most of the talking and Sophie asked for the usual: surprises.  Emma and Sophie both had a turn on Santa's lap and spent ...