Tis the season

I haven't been very good about writing lately so I wanted to provide a quick update. It's been hectic around our place. It seems like everyone wants to get everything done before the end of the year, everyone wants to get together one last time before the end of the year. Baking exchanges, potlucks, helping the kids make Christmas cards and gift for their teachers. It's all very exhausting. Next year I think I will designate the Thanksgiving holiday for making teacher cards and gifts. I should become a little more like Scrooge and be less willing to participate in every potluck and cookie exchange. Though my co-worker tells me I should put on a happy face because it's scientifically proven to better my mood. But what about the added stress of participating in all of this crap? Okay, back to the point of my message, which is to update you on the girls!

Madeline is very spirited. She has energy that would be priceless if bottled and distributed. She has a few great interests which are 1. playing Barbies or Polly Pockets, 2. Playing with our neighbor MacKenzie (she's a 5th grader) and 3. Playing Webkinz. She loves her Barbies. She loves dressing (with SHOES) her Barbies. Shoes are very important to Madeline. We bought a pair of white Barbie shoes at a craft show this fall and she uses them every time. She wished she had loads more shoes for her Barbies. Apparently she's going to be a shoe-girl. She still loves to dress up. I think she'd love a cape. Some kind of cape (white maybe with frillies on it). She loves to accessorize with "fancy" stuff. I wish I had more time to paint her nails because she's really into nail polish and make up (as Mary discovered at Whole Foods last week - where Mary put "Roxanne" red lipstick on her lips) Madeline turns to me and says excitedly "people will think I am older!" (imagine that with a great big smilely expression on her face) Madeline is reading very well. In fact I think she's going to read a poem/story for her "talent" at her dance studio Christmas party. Maddie did tell me that she'd like a new baby for Christmas (Oh Good Lord! Not as in a human baby, but a baby-doll) She said that her Baby Lila is a little too big and she'd like a smaller baby. I think she loves Baby Lila and all of her baby functionality, just a little smaller. Baby Lila (by Corelle) cries, has a pacifier that stops crying, drinks from a bottle making swallow noises and laughs when you tickle her tummy. She told me this kindof late in the game so I never looked for a new baby-doll for her. Baby Lila is 15 or 18 inches. I think Maddie would like a 12" baby-doll.

Madeline was fitted for her flower girl dress last weekend. She's very very excited about being the flower girl in Mary and Ted's wedding. She's very excited that Ted will "become" her uncle.

As for Annalise - she loves her pegs; putting them together and ripping them apart. She loves anything that makes music (aka: noise). There was a ball-toy thingy at a toy store. She puts the ball in the top, it rolls down the slide all while making copious amounts of noise. There were farm animals too that made noises when put in the correct stalls. Anyway, you get the jist. She seems to like interactive noisy toys, but who wouldn't?! We were hoping to aviod anything made in China so we could avoid looking at the endless recall lists. I didn't knowingly buy her anything from China but it just stinks that the toys she most enjoys are from China. Anyway, it's a soapbox item. Anna has nine teeth. A stubborn tenth on the bottom refuses to come in so she has three little teeth on the bottom. She crossbites occassionally because it's uneven on the bottom. She doesn't do it often and it looks like she's just feeling around with her teeth. She is talking a lot. She says night night, cat, kitty (kee), dog, ball, hi, momma, dada, Maddie, yum yum and a number of other promted words. She shakes her head no and yes to communicate. She runs and loves to dance. She does a cute little happy feet dance where she does a little jig with her feet. It's cute.

Last week I presented to the Department of Roads for a trails grant on behalf of the city and we were awarded a $500,000 grant. I prepared some maps for the grant as well. That was pretty exciting because the Public Works Department has tried for three years to get this grant approved. I'd like to think it was my involvement that got us the grant. Actually I am just going to go with that. It was me! :)

Ryan is planning a trip to Virginia soon in order to punchlist his federal courthouse. Poo on his job.

We celebrate this weekend with Ryan's family for the holiday gift exchange. They're coming to our house and Ron will prepare a meal. It will be nice to keep the girls at home with their toys and let everyone come over to our place.