It was the perfect weekend to enjoy all things Christmassy – all with the comfort of above freezing temperatures. Saturday we gussied up the girls and headed downtown to visit Santa. The first Santa photo with Ella as a nearly one year old was adorable to the max, it was then a steady decline in the following years. This year was definitely a wild card. Ella is old enough to really dig Santa and is getting over overreacting being around new people. Lillian on the other hand is just getting into that age of scariness and cries for nearly an hour when I leave her with Loran, her father…How would she react to being plopped into the lap of a bearded, red-suited stranger? Ella and I talked quite a bit about Santa. I didn’t show her the prior photos because I didn’t want to frighten her. I explained that she would only have to sit on his lap briefly and she didn’t even have to talk to him. This resonated with her because throughout the morning she kept whispering to herself, “I don’t have to talk to Santa”.
Both girls waited in line so patiently as it meandered through the paint store. Ella kept asking “where’s Santa?” she actually seemed to be looking forward to seeing him. The line moved pretty quickly and soon, it was our turn. There were a few mentions of Santa being scary, however, remember this is coming from the girl who thinks soup and pillows are scary. Once up in the lap, I could tell they were both hanging on by a thread. Ella immediately went into her defense pose, hands all over her face, typically looking like she’s about to pick her nose at any moment. Lillian also went for comfort and jammed her entire fist into her mouth and started gnawing. The photographer asked Ella to put her hands down and Santa had to hold down Lily’s hands. So, while there were no tears, it did look a bit like a hostage situation. Santa looked pleasant. Someday, we’ll have that picturesque photo with Santa, but until then, I continue to cherish my awkward Santa photos. Just a refresher – click here for the other awkward photos and here for the first year.
After the Santa visit, we went outside to experience the horse-drawn carriage ride. Both girls loved seeing the two horses and we enjoyed our ten minute journey through town. It was peaceful to hear the clip-clop of the hooves, smell that barnyard smell…
After the ride, we walked down the street to the bakery for a cookie break. Ella was drawn immediately to the bright yellow smiley face, while fluorescent, didn’t boast two inches of frosting.
Sunday was even warmer, so we grabbed the sleds and headed to the local hill. I’ve dreamed of the day the two girls would be able to both go sledding. And they were both able to walk up the hill by themselves! Bonus! Both loved sledding. Ella was a little more cautious about going down the hill. She preferred going with Daddy because he was also a little more cautious going down the hill. Whereas Lily and Mommy enjoyed going a little faster. Although I did get Ella to go down the steep part of the hill rather than the gradual slope we had been using. She whimpered the entire way down and wasn’t as impressed with our speed or distance as I was. She didn’t cry, but wasn’t super excited to repeat going down the steep side. Lillian was all smiles. This is going to be a good winter for sledding…provided we get some more snow (it’s currently raining).
We’re really knocking things off the winter to-do list!
Santa – check!
Horse drawn carriage ride – check!
Sledding – check!
Tree up – check. Random fevers – check. Elf on the Shelf – check. Cookie exchange – check. Shovel – check. Children’s Story Time at the Fillebrown – check. Reading Christmas stories and watching Christmas movies – check and check. Singing Christmas songs like it’s our job – check. Driving around to look at light displays – check. And it’s only December 12th! (Happy Birthday Uncle Nathan!)
Trying out the new child-sized shovel.
Time outside leads to cuddle time inside reading Christmas stories!
Mommy read Christmas stories to children around the tree at the Fillebrown House for the historical society.
Lily came down with an unexplained high fever the weekend prior. The day it spiked, she was pretty happy and not going to let a 101.7 fever keep her from being stylish. It landed her in urgent care on Saturday morning. Luckily, a bad looking throat, but clear ears and negative strep test. After a long nap, she woke up drenched in sweat and fever free! Whew! However, throughout the ordeal, she managed to accessorize.
Tree has been up and decorated, and redecorated and decorated again since Thanksgiving weekend! Our family’s presents are wrapped, slowly getting the extended family gifts done!
Her eyes are closed for effect, not just blinking. My little drama girl.
And the biggest news of the holiday season – Lillian has a stocking this year!! Because it took me 11 months to complete Ella’s stocking (and I worked on it in the hospital upon her birth and she still didn’t get it until she was 10 months old!), I thought ahead with Lillian’s and purchased her kit three months prior to her birth to give myself 13 months before her first Christmas to work on it. Smart thinking. Lillian did not have her stocking for her first Christmas. Santa was still good to her and filled her makeshift stocking by process of elimination. But, this would be Lillian’s big year. I really started working on it in September and suffered many ups and downs with it. The biggest downer was when curious little Lil spilled a bowl of sequins and beads. Watching hundreds of those beads and sequins go airborne was rather stress inducing. We both cried. Some (me) more than others (Lily). But I powered on and finished her stocking Thanksgiving weekend. She seemed to truly appreciate it, or at least realized at her now advanced age that she should put on a good how of appreciation lest I end up in some sort of asylum giving my self a soothing straitjacketed hug. Either way, she likes her stocking and it is done! DONE! If we never have another child in our family, it will be because I don’t think I can do another stocking. That, or I should start now, and I’m not sure the wound of the prior one is healed enough.
And what fun is a long blog entry without a little treat for making it to the end. This, is why we have insurance. Lillian – future stunt woman.
Do you think she did this move on accident? I assure you, she didn’t. This is a standard move on her part. Ella won’t even attempt this. Someday, Lily will stand at an open plane door and do the same jump. Maybe I’ll go with!
No comments:
Post a Comment