Snow Angels

Today we got some Christmas presents off in the mail to all you Ohio folks. Should be getting to you all next week sometime. It really starts to feel like Christmas when the cards and packages start coming. I loved it most the first year we were here in CA. We felt so far away and it was like a little taste of home each time we opened up a new surprise. Today we got a few Christmas cards in the mail from far off friends. It is so fun and heartwarming to find out what is going on with people who have been important in our life. It is amazing, actually. I love it! Today I also got a little Christmas treat from my sweet sister in NYC. She sent me two new Christmas CDs (Sis, you are awesome! How did you know I was just thinking I needed some new xmas music?). Sarah Mclachlan's Wintersong and Over the Rhine's Snow Angels. I haven't listened to Wintersong yet, I am too in love with OTR- I had to study the jacket, read all the lyrics, read all the notes. And finally put the CD in. The piano, the voices. So beautiful. Their music captures something...some old taste of things lost. I can't describe it exactly, but that when I listen it stirs my soul. You should hear it! Thanks, sis!!

She's 6

Saturday was Belle's 6th birthday. She had a great day. She invited a couple of friends and had some fun with Chuck E. Cheese! They had a blast- played games, danced with Chuck E, won prizes. Then the girls came over for a slumber party! They stayed up way too late playing Polly Pockets and growling through fake teeth (thanks to the party pack from CC's). She got rid of her booster seat for good- she was pretty excited about that! And she is getting so big, growing up fast! She lost her first tooth tonight. That is another story for another day!

She loved all the gifts that were sent. She's been wearing the pink skirt for two days in a row, Grammy. And they play dress up non-stop with their new "sister" Princess Belle. Grandma & Grandpa- Bella Dancerella Popstar Dance Party! Bella has been acting like a rockstar for the past couple days anyway, so now she has a headset! Todd & the girls were watching the instructional video and doing some 'sweet moves'- which I caught on tape. It was hilarious! He is such a great Dad! It did resemble Napoleon Dynamite, though :)

We are pretty much exhausted. The party at Chuck E Cheese was so chaotic. Emma is so sneaky that the moment I put her down, she disappered! Her favorite thing to do was to walk down the skeeball alley and sit in the divider. Goof. She almost got left behind- for real!

Abigail's been sick, but it didn't stop her from having a great time and helping Bella celebrate her big day. She is a sweety pie.

Tonight Isabella went out and spent her b-day money. She bought a barbie doll ballerina, and one for her sis. Isn't that sweet? She is so excited to give it to her in the morning. She even wrapped it. She then put it on Ab's bed next to her, gave her a kiss and whispered 'this is for you to open in the morning, good night'. Beauty!! I love these crazy girls!

love ya!

ho ho ho!

Today Emma learned some new words: Ho Ho Ho! She was saying it all through the store and entertaining her sisters all the while!

the naughty rabbit

It's me and Emma the Grace. She has been so michevious lately. She is into EVERYthing. I have never child-proofed any drawers or door handles before but I am thinking that it might be good for my sanity with her. She opens all the drawers and takes out ALL the contents. She wanders around the house leaving trails of her found treasures. We started singing her this song we learned in school...."Old Mr Rabbit you have a naughty habit of jumping in my garden and eating all my cabbage." Only we change it around for Emma. And her new nickname is "Naughty Rabbit". Abigail runs around calling her that all day! It is pretty funny, actually. And she has started doing this thing where she says "Mama" but in different inflections to mean different things. Like, if she wants someone to come where she is she shreaks "MAma". Or if she wants a bite of whatever your eating, she'll say "ma ma ma". It is cute. And she does say "SIT DOWN" and "See it?". She is funny. She laughs now if I say no. So fun. She is sweet, though and loves to give kisses and snuggle up with her blankie to go night-night. She loves her friend Elliot and whenever she sees him she claps and sometimes does a little dance. It is cute. And she loves her pink converse sneakers. They are I think 2 sizes too big, but she brings them to me all the time and won't give up till they are on her feet. It's funny too, because the other shoes she always tries to pull off. Strange! She still does the eyebrow nod when she likes something. She nods yes and her little eyebrows move up and down too. And she is waving all the time now and saying "bye bye" and "hi"- such an achievment! This Christmas is going to be fun. If we can get past the taking all the ornaments off the tree and stealing all the candy canes! :)

That's all for now,

love.

all better

Oh yeah, so our internet connection is fixed now. The superhero was here ALL day long and even has to come back tomorrow. But we are up and running, PRAISE THE LORD!!

it's in every one of us

Well, we are all decorated here. I know you all already knew that, seeing as we have been all decorated since the day after Thanksgiving! Well, the day after the day after Thanksgiving. We got our tree, a Douglas Fir this year, from OSH. Oh, for you easterners....Orchard Supply Hardware. 30 bucks for a 7-8 ft Douglas Fir! Yay, we're all happy!!

See my Christmas Village? It is so cute! All the kids at our home group love to watch the train and the ice skaters and all the little people. It is so fun and magical. I love that about children. And there is something about Christmas that brings out the child in all of us.

So, when the girls are eating candy canes every day wanting Christmas to come so they can open their presents. Abigail said "Mom, I don't want anything for Christmas, just presents" Funny, Ab. I think she meant she didn't want to pick out her own gifts...we had been asking her what she might want. She is a sweety. Emma likes to grab candy canes and eat them, sneaky kid. She has been really funny lately with that kind of thing.

Isabella is ready for her Birthday. She is having 2 friends spend the night. It should be pretty exciting! Todd is excited to play skee ball with her at Chuck E Cheese's! I will definately fill you guys in on that. She's turning 6, can you believe? So crazy.

That's all for now...

love.

oh, the internet....

We have been having trouble with our Internet for the past week. It is really amazing how much we actually use it in our everyday. School is the big one. Isabella goes to school on the Internet. Not to mention recipes, news, weather and the "I just wanted to know" google search. And of course, communication. I feel so isolated without my message boards, blogspots, emails. And it's been a week. We call it vacation for Bella. No school due to.....connectivity issues. Well, it has been a good break. For us. Todd on the other hand has spent 2 solid days of frustration dealing with Dell. Then Verizon. Then Dell. Then Verizon. Then Dell and Verizon in a conference call. Still to no avail. The router will not connect. Is it the IP address? Is it because we are set to static? We have no idea. And apparently no one else does either. So for now we will check our email after hours and remain in vacation mode until Computer Man comes to the rescue....someday.