Dear Santa.....

Our neighborhood has a special little mailbox that comes out around Christmas time.  It's shaped like a small, red, sleigh, and if you put your letter to Santa inside it, chances are he'll actually write you back!  It's pretty awesome!  One very cold night, Lizzy and Peter finished their letters, and we put on our coats and ran down to the mailbox.  They were so excited, and it felt so magical to be out walking at night, in the chilly clear air, with all the Christmas lights twinkling.  And guess what?  A few weeks letter, what should arrive in our mailbox, but two amazing letters from Santa!  He had received their letters and wrote back to them!  How exciting!  Now, I think we're finally ready for Christmas to come.

Hello, Santa!

Every Christmas, we get all dressed up to visit Santa.  This is always an adventure, to say the least!  Herding all the kids into their nice clothes, hoping everyone will have a nice smile and nice little chat with the big guy is no small accomplishment.  But for some reason, perhaps a Christmas miracle, it always seems to work out.  Perhaps it's because Grandma and Papa always come with us, and they bring their lucky energy with them.  This might have been our best year yet!  Everyone got dressed with no complaints, and there were no tears or worries, and some sincerely happy smiles!  Wow!  Afterwards we ran around the mall and grabbed some hot chocolate and treats- yum!  When we got home, the kids were so beat, they all took a nap in the car.  Now that's a Christmas miracle in itself!

Gingerbread Fun

It's not Christmas around here without our annual tradition of making gingerbread houses.  Each year, daddy is in charge of assembly (he's the house engineer master), and I'm in charge of supplying ample decorations and reigning in the madness (a near impossible task).  Lizzy and Peter love decorating their houses.  They take such care to make them extra special.  Maybe next year, we'll have three little houses in a row!

Lizzy's Christmas Concert

What a sweet night!  Lizzy's school had been practicing their Christmas carols for weeks, and finally they got to put on their special Christmas concert for all of their families.  Grandma and Papa came to see Lizzy's special show, and we all loved seeing all the adorable children all dressed up, and to hear their lovely songs.  The night seemed to be going off without a hitch.  That is........until I got a phone call mid-way through the concert from our babysitter saying I had to come home right away because Catherine had climbed out of her crib and fallen on the floor!  Whew, that made things exciting!  Thankfully she wasn't hurt, and we lowered that mattress as far as it could go so that little rascal won't try that again anytime soon.  Except for that tiny little problem, the concert was a very lovely night;)

Happy 4 1/2 Sweet Peter

Peter just couldn't wait until the end of the year for his big day, so he decided to celebrate his half birthday instead.  It's tough with those summer birthdays.  We usually just do it at the end of the school year, kind of close to the real day.  But this time, Peter was anxious to do it a little bit sooner.  I love how excited Peter gets to celebrate his birthday at school.  He was thrilled to make his special snack (banana chocolate chip muffins and bananas) and he kept talking all about the cool things he would get to do at school.  For someone who often plays it pretty cool, Peter loves his chance to be the birthday boy in the spotlight.  He got to pick out his own birthday badge, assemble the special birthday cake, and open the birthday mailbox that held his card and a tiny music box he got to play with the happy birthday song.  Every year at pre-school when I watch the simple, thoughtful, and lovely way they celebrate birthdays, it chokes me up.  Each child gets a chance to feel so special, so loved, so treasured, in the most low-key, low-pressure way.  It's just wonderful.  Happy, happy, half birthday to the most special boy I know!

Chaperone Adventures

Now this is a sign of the times: a great big line of booster seats, expectantly ready to get packed into cars and move off on an adventure.  When I was a little girl, we didn't worry about silly stuff like car seats and booster seats.  When there was a field trip, we just packed all the kids into some moms' cars and we were off.  And guess what?  We all survived and there were no casualties, believe it or not.  Nowadays, these giant kids squeeze into these little booster seats......but, I guess safety first!  Anyways.....I got to chaperone Lizzy's class as they went to a local high school to watch a play- super fun!  I love when I get to be a driver.  It's fun to be a fly on the wall, listen to all the little chit-chat, and see the kids in their element.  Plus, I could tell that Lizzy was excited to get to have "her mom" be one of the drivers, which made me feel extra special.  

Tunnel of Love

Pat would tease me if he saw this shot, because he knows I'm such a sucker for a great tunnel shot.  I'm not sure why, but I just love taking pictures of my kids in tunnels.  I've got a ton of them- at parks, at gym class, really anywhere you can find them.  I think they're so neat!  I love the big smiles, the pure childish joy that emanates from crawling through a tunnel.  Like you're going on an exciting journey and you just can't wait to get to the end.  There's just something about them, and boy does Catherine look adorable in this one.

Ponytails?

Those may be super tiny, but they're still super adorable.  And they won't be tiny for long!  Catherine indulged me the other day and let me put teeny-tiny pony tails in her hair.  So cute!  One of my very favorite things about little girls is getting to "dress up" their darling hair.  So fun!

Tree Trimmers

Lizzy and Peter were beyond excited this year to get our tree and decorate it.  Honestly, Christmas is just the best with little kids!  They are so thrilled about every little detail, and they make it so special.  We visited a local tree lot, and right away, Lizzy found this winner- perfect size, perfect shape, perfect tree!  We brought it home and set it up.  We ate a yummy dinner of soup and delicious bread, then we put Catherine to bed.  Once it was just "big kids," Lizzy and Peter helped me put the lights on while daddy got the hot chocolate ready.  We loved going through all our ornaments, remembering where we got each one, and admiring how beautiful they are.  The kids were having the best time, and they loved the finished result.  Pretty amazing, I think!

Football Boys

There's not too much that can top throwing the football around with your buddy.  Peter and Charlie sure had a great time pretending they were UCLA football players.  Go Bruins!

Sleepy Lunch

Poor Catherine!  She's dragged, very happily I must admit, all over the place.  She loves being a part of all the action, and she loves watching what all the big kids are doing.  More and more, she wants to be doing it too!  Sometimes, we have to remind ourselves that she's just a baby.  During her lunch the other day, she fell asleep eating!  She would startle herself awake, take a couple of bites, then fall back asleep.  Clearly, we need to do a little better job finding some quality nap time for Catherine.  Sweet dreams, little angel.

Ice Skating Fun

Lizzy was invited to an ice skating party at our local rink, and oh, what a great time we had!  Lizzy was so excited to go.  All her school friends were there, and they were gliding, sliding, and slipping all over the place, with huge smiles on their faces the whole time.  Lizzy did awesome!  She's quite a skater, actually, and she had a great time.  I think all those roller skating afternoons paid off because she really got the swing of it.  Catherine came along for the ride too, and she loved watching all the big kids skating all around her.  She wanted to skate so badly, but I think we'll wait until next year to give her a try.

Fun With Friends

Lately on Thursdays, we've been having lots of fun with our good friend Charlie, and his little brother Nicky (and his baby, Lauren, too).  The boys used to take a soccer class, but now that it's over, we've been having all sorts of fun at the park and library.  Now that Catherine is so big, she's ready to join in the action too.  Lots of times we'll grab lunch together.  Oh, you can only imagine how crazy those lunches can get with two four-year-olds, one two-year-old, one one-year-old, and a baby.  Whew!  There's a lot of energy, but a lot of fun too.  Thank goodness for good times with great friends.

A Baby Walking A Baby

One of my very favorite things to do with my kids when they're toddlers is to go for long, rambling, patient walks, where we explore everything around us, and take in all the wonder.  The walks are made even more fun, and completely adorable, when the kids push their own babies along.  I loved doing this with Lizzy.  It just melted my heart to see her pushing her little stroller along, with her baby tucked inside.  When he was old enough, Peter would often borrow one of Lizzy's strollers, but instead of a baby, he would stroll around a whole bunch of blocks he had piled inside.  Now, it's Catherine's turn.  For her birthday, we gave her a stroller and a little baby.  When she looks at dolls, Catherine always laughs and points at them, like she's amazed there is someone even smaller than her.  What fun we've had strolling around, and I'm looking forward to many more adorable walks with my baby walking her baby.

Sitting Pretty

So this is Catherine's new favorite trick: sitting on this stool.  For some reason, she loves the stool in our bathroom.  She is constantly trying to figure out how to sit on it, and when she does, she gets a big smile and thinks she is pretty fancy.  She has even upped her game to standing on the stool.  This girl is giving every indication that she loves to climb.  We are in some serious trouble.

Boys With Cars

Peter is one lucky little boy.  He has no idea how wonderful his daddy is, and how much his daddy loves him and is always thinking of special things for them to do together.  Pat had a weekday off and read that there was a car show going on in San Francisco.  He spontaneously decided to make it a "boys day."  Peter got to play hookey from school and Pat and Peter took the train up to the city.  They got to check out all the cars, and Peter go to sit in some pretty fancy wheels.  Afterwards, Peter got to have his favorite lunch- hot dogs and french fries.  Overall, it was a pretty awesome day!

Special Thanksgiving Visitors

The day after Thanksgiving, we had some very special visitors come over.  Philip and Maria, along with Grandma Susan, Jane, Janelle, and Meredith all came over to see us.  We had a wonderful visit.  Philip and Maria are so cute, and spent such a long time talking with all the kids.  Catherine loved, and I do mean, loved Philip.  She kept walking over to him and wanting him to hold her.  She stared up at him adoringly, and loved every second with him.  Jane and Janelle were so fun playing all sorts of games like basketball and soccer with the kids outside.  Lizzy, Peter, and Catherine were in heaven having so many people to shower them with attention.  We loved our special visit from our family.

Jackpot!

After Thanksgiving dinner, we all get excited to play a very rousing game of Left Right Center.  Everyone has three dollars, and takes turns rolling the dice.  The money moves all around the circle, and eventually ends up in the center pot.  The last person with a dollar wins the jackpot.  All the kids were super excited to play the game.  We all cheer and chant for who we want to win (or lose).  Peter and Lizzy were feeling very big and right in the thick of things.  Peter, of course, was wearing his poker face the whole game, and very seriously rolling his dice and sorting his money.  With a little help from Auntie Elizabeth, Peter ended up the big winner of the night!  The littlest guy there won the jackpot- almost $60!  We were all dying with laughter, but Peter still kept it calm and collected.  The next day, Lizzy and Peter counted up the winnings, and added it to their savings.  They decided to pool their resources and cash it in to buy a Lego garage.  What fun!  I love that Peter was the big winner, and I can tell that he was pretty happy with himself too.

Extra-Thankful Thanksgiving

We were especially thankful this Thanksgiving because besides being Thanksgiving, it was also Catherine's first birthday.  Yes, I really did say that........Catherine is one!  Boy, that year went quickly, and it certainly is true, time flies when you're having fun!  There was much to celebrate.  Catherine is, quite simply, pure joy.  She is such a happy girl, and she loves being around her family and friends.  She loves people.  She is always ready with a smile and a wave, and her face lights up when she sees someone to wave to.  She is very curious.  She loves the world, is full of wonder, and loves to explore everything around her.  Catherine is very snuggly and loves holding hands and giving hugs, but she is also very independent.  She'll let anyone hold her and is at her happiest out and about.  I didn't think it was possible, but my heart became even more full with Catherine in my life.  I had no idea I was missing her so completely until she filled me up so perfectly with her love, her warmth, and her joy.  She is the greatest blessing, and we are so very thankful for our sweet, sweet, baby girl.  We love you Catherine!

Cars, Cars, Cars

The cars in our house have it pretty good.  On special days, they all line up to watch the big race.  Then, of course, when it's over, they crowd around the winner to congratulate him.  Those cars sure are thoughtful!

Back to the Park

It seems like forever since we've done what we used to spend all our time doing......hit up the park.  Lately, I'm not sure where our time goes, but it feels like the days pass so quickly and we're so busy with school.  We've scaled back our after-school activities, and we've all been enjoying some serious playtime in the afternoons.  On a lovely afternoon, we decided to take a bike ride to the park.  It was awesome.  Our day went from blah to great in no time flat.  The kids were so excited to break out their bikes and I put Catherine on the back of my bike and we were off.  There's just nothing like riding a bike together.  It's so freeing, so fun, so liberating.  We rode to the park, played all around, enjoyed the swings and the play structure, and just had fun.  I felt, well, like me.  The me that loves to be outside, watching the kids playing, joining in their games and fun.  It was so great to break out of the monotony of school work and chores and to just enjoy being outside together.  What a great reminder to take more time for bike rides and parks!

And.....

......she's off!  It's amazing to watch......truly, it never gets old........little by little, inch by inch, babies put it all together and they figure it out.  They learn how to go from total immobility to off and running.  It's miraculous, when you stop and think about it.  Catherine has been cruising for quite some time, and walking pretty steadily holding our hands.  We would see her take a step or two here and there, and then she'd sink down and start crawling around.  Well, now it's all clicked.  She's mastered that amazing combination of confidence and skill and she's walking all around.  I love this stage!  I love, love, love, seeing babies toddle around, checking their balance, smiling at their new-found skill, so happy to see the world from a new point of view.  Those first few steps are so precious, because they're not slow and  cautious for long.  Before we know it, those steps will turn into running, and then we'll really be busy.

Leaf Pile Fun

We had probably our best Fall walk the other day.  It was one of those afternoons I just didn't want to end because the kids were so happy and we were all having so much fun.  We went for an afternoon walk, as we often do, and we were admiring and looking for fall leaves to decorate our home.  That's a pretty easy task as there are so many breathtaking leaves around.  Truly, I just love all the bright colors and unique shapes.  Some of these trees stop me in my tracks because they are just so beautiful, like a colorful painting waiting to be admired.  We saw Trevor and Connor playing outside, so they joined us on our walk.  We decided to swing by the "leaf pile."  The "leaf pile" is, quite literally, a giant leaf pile that one of our neighbors leaves in his front yard all during the fall.  He has an enormous tree that drops thousands of leaves, and all the kids love raking and then jumping in the enormous leaf pile.  On this particular day, the kids just couldn't get enough.  They rolled around in the leaves, buried themselves, jumped in them, and piled them as high as they could.  There was tons of laughter and silliness, and it felt like one of those magical afternoons we'll all remember for a long time.

A Wonderful View

If I look down these days, this is my view........a tiny, adorable little body walking next to me, pointing, waving, and enjoying the world.  It's pretty awesome.  Catherine is taking more and more steps these days, but most of them are while holding onto my hand, which is just perfect with me.  I love her slow, careful, pace, and the wonderful way she happily takes it all in.  I know very soon she won't have to hold my hand all the time, so for now, I'll cherish each step we take together.