Layla- 4 1/2

Layla sang her way through the Christmas season this year.  

Here is just a small taste from the last six or so weeks :)

 

Here is a link to Layla's 3 1/2.  

Some things haven't changed a bit!

Santas

Visit one:  Layla is tickled.  Grady is intrigued.

 

Visit two:  Grady screams.  Layla still tries to work her list in over the yelling.

 Visit three: Layla tries to warm Grady up to the big guy. 

Visit four:  Layla is very impressed by the reindeer.  Grady stays home to nap.

 Visit five:  Layla and Shea pose nicely for the picture while grandma, Grady, Liam and Cass look less than thrilled to be in the picture :)

And visit six:  Layla and Grady both love the Santa at our last Christmas celebration of the year!  Woo hoo! 

And in case you were wondering...Layla asked Santa for a dollhouse from Menard's (you can tell we have been in Menard's a lot this winter with home projects) and a rubber duck family (we have no idea where she got this idea, but she just plays and plays with her ducks) for Christmas.  Grady was hoping for any type of ball to add to his collection.

  

 After all of these visits to Santa, they both received what they wished for!

Cookies and Christmas Eve Morning

I was hoping to get Christmas pictures up before January.  Bummer, it is already 2013!  We had a busy week after Christmas with a waterpark hotel overnight, more Christmas celebrating, and my favorite...Christmas clearance shopping!  Oh, and Cassie and Ryan threw me an awesome 30th surprise party!!  More pictures to come in the weeks ahead.

 

Grady loves to be involved and really enjoys standing on the chair. 

I need to make him an apron!

 

 

 

 

 

Cookies for Santa

Sledding down our little hill

 

 

Santa gifts  (both Black Friday deals!)

 

 

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!