Forward

It was a long week.  Along with the rest of the country, we have been mourning the innocent children and staff that lost their lives at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  I am not sure if it is our experiences that we have lived and worked or that we have young children, but it was a bit too easy for Ryan and I to relate to this situation.  We hope for peace and healing for the community of Newtown. 

Thankfully, we have had the Christmas season to enjoy with Layla and Grady.  December has been packed full of  family gatherings, Christmas trains, baking and performances. 

All Aboard!  Our first train ride of the season with Todd, Lisa and Quinn.

Layla was pumped to get her requests into Santa!

Layla and her school sing at preschool.  I am not sure if there is anything cuter. 

I love a room full of preschoolers.

Layla picked a drive by our old house and the yogurt place after the preschool sing.  She was pumped that night and really had Grady (and herself) giggling.

A good night!  And Layla ate ALL of that yogurt.

A mall train ride with Grady, Layla and Shea.  Grady actually sat for the entire ride!

Layla had a dance recital last weekend.  It was really fun and she had a big crowd in the audience.  Thank you to Grandma Barb, Papa Pete, Shea, Grandma Cathy, Joan and of course Ryan for watching Layla in the audience.  I got to help backstage and actually enjoyed the experience this time around!  This recital felt much less like Toddlers and Tiaras than last year :)  A special thanks to Cassie for babysitting Grady and Liam during the show!  

Layla loved this nutcracker in the lobby.

I love this picture of Grandma Barb, Layla and Joan after the show.

After the show, we went for a Christmas train ride and visit with Santa. 

What a fun day and night! 

More pictures to eventually come from our holiday season :)  Merry Christmas everyone!

Grady- 18 Months

 

 

 

 

 



Happy Hanukkah

Layla loves a celebration.  Layla is in full Christmas mode, but she has been very interested in Hanukkah.  She has a book that talks all about Hanukkah and Layla's preschool teacher talked about it a little this week too.  So today we celebrated Hanukkah!  Layla sweet talked me into buying a menorah last year during the Christmas clearance sale.  She was thrilled when she found the menorah and candles in the Christmas bins this year. So we read a little more about the holiday, lit our first candle and played the dreidel game.

I later learned that you add a candle a day, not to put all the candles on at once.  Layla and I will have to fix it tomorrow!

 

The big dreidel winner!

 I have a feeling for the next 7 days, we will be singing quite a few renditions of: 

"Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of clay.  When it's dry and ready, then dreidel I shall play!" 

No matter what you celebrate, we hope you are having a happy holiday season!

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Or maybe not.  The weather has been warm.  I am hoping (am I really typing this?) for the cooler weather to come.  Yesterday was 70.  It is just crazy to be in December and to be coat-less. 

 

But our house is starting to get decked out for the season.  Layla has been pumped to make a gingerbread house again this year.  I think it is her second favorite activity of the year.  I am pretty sure number one would be egg dyeing.  Anyway, tonight was gingerbread night!

 

Pumped for the building to begin.

Grady and Layla helping with the gingerbread house.  Grady can climb on this table in about ten seconds, but this time we did put him on the table to help. 

 

First we tried to distract him with Jello :)

 

And Layla and Grady with the finished product.  They are a very silly pair!

 

And just for fun, here is a picture of Layla and Grady in the game area at the store after grocery shopping this week.  They just run from item to item.  I don't even need to put in a quarter.  They are just happy to be done with a grocery run...me too!