December 20

Well, we are in full Christmas mode around here. Santa has made his police-escorted neighborhood rounds,

all of the decor we have is up, gingerbread boys were made and decorated yesterday, the train is out.

I am starting to feel slightly ill from eating too many delicious baked goods, and we are getting ready for company to arrive. We went to Dovewood Ct. last night, where every house decorates in grand scale. The kids loved it and Sylvie (who refused to wear a coat because she already had long sleeves) spent a lot of time dancing at each house because most of them had music. Favorite houses included one with a huge tunnel structure you could walk through covered with lights which were syncopated to music, and the Disney house, where there was a Minnie and Mickey blow up, a castle built on the drive way, and many Disney character cut outs in addition to all of the lights. I do wonder what the cul-de-sac electricity bills are like for the month of December!

Mike and I made a couple of escapes last week--once for a shopping date and dinner, and once for a Christmas concert downtown with Laura. Both outings were delightful and thoroughly enjoyed. Mike has been working so much lately it was nice to see his face for more than a few minutes. The concert was especially nice, featuring several arrangements and pieces I hadn't heard before, and the choir was excellent. I left feeling very Christmasy. We are looking forward to company arriving to celebrate with us. Hopefully Mike will be able to take a little break for Christmas so he can be around, too!

I'll leave you with Sylvie's new favorite look: dresses with knee socks and 2 "curls" (as she calls her braids). Also on the Sylvie front, she calls the big blow-up Christmas decorations "Glow-ups," which seems appropriate. It is cute enough that I almost want one for our yard, but I guess visiting the neighbor's house every night will do.

A few cute things

When I got out my little Christmas town, my carolers were minus the little boy. "What do you think happened to this?" I asked Jens.

"Maybe he just hopped out of his shoes and ran away," he answered nonchalantly.

I made chicken noodle soup a week ago. "Mom," said Jens, "this is good brew."

Sylvie was in the church Christmas pageant. She was one of the shepherds and did a very good job, beaming and sitting quietly. She even sang the hymns that she knew. She did somehow end up center stage for the final number, but she was sitting reverently, even if she was smack in front of baby Jesus. When she came down afterwords I told her what a good job she did. "I was a princess!" she shouted happily. I guess we have a little work to do on the nativity story . . .

December 4th

Just to document that Uncle Joel did, in fact, visit this weekend. Joel and Mike were supposed to run a marathon together, but after Mike's various injuries this fall, he had to give up the dream, and Joel was left to run solo (with thousands of other runners) . He did great in his race and the kids loved having him around. He very patiently read a few very painful library books that desperately need to be returned.

Sylvie sported some of her new birthday duds on Sunday, and the knee socks in particular were a real hit.

On a side note, does anyone have tips on getting a good looking picture in front of a Christmas tree? One where you don't look like a giant, or crooked, and you can actually tell how pretty the tree is? Because we actually have a very pretty tree this year, even though it doesn't look it in pictures.

Also on Sylvie's Birthday

Did I mention she happily wore her crown for large stretches of the day?

And Jens lost tooth #2 and swallowed it while eating birthday cake.

The next day he tried to tell me he lost tooth #3. When I asked where, he gestured vaguely to his mouth. When I asked to see the tooth, he informed me that he swallowed it and already wrote another note to the tooth fairy. I explained that the tooth fairy is very smart and that if he was trying to trick her, she might not come back. Then I asked him if he was trying to trick the tooth fairy, and he sheepishly grinned and admitted it. Not that I blame him--a buck for doing nothing? Not too shabby!

Sylvie's Birthday

It is hard to believe, but my little baby is 3 years old. She still occasionally asks me to "Rock-a-bye Baby" her, she still sleeps in her crib and takes a nap, and we have not managed potty training yet, so in some ways she still is my baby, but the reality is she is growing fast and is more little girl than baby now. Her speech is impressive, her vocabulary extensive, her imagination is broad. When I watch her at the park and see her climbing and jumping and running and sliding, I know that babyhood is gone, and it makes me really sad. But she delights us in so many ways. I love watching her learn and change.

She has been talking about her birthday for quite a while now, insisting that Audrey, Ruthie, and Uncle Joel would be at her "party" and that she would have a chocolate cupcake with a candle and a letter (I figured out that she meant a number candle) and everyone would sing. It pretty much went down just the way she wanted.

Jens got up early to make her a special card, which is really cute and very detailed.

We had a birthday breakfast and opened a few presents, which she received joyously (one big difference between our boy and our girl--she was thrilled about opening a present of clothes).

After a birthday dinner of spaghetti and her last two presents

(Jens and Sylvie fight over this pillow pet constantly and Jens is SURE he is going to ask for one from Santa)

And beautiful slippers that she loved but that couldn't quite fit on her "fluffy" foot (that's Mike's term, by the way)

We had all the aforementioned friends and Uncle Joel, plus friends' siblings and parents and JP and Natalie--our Folsom Family, if you will, to celebrate with us. I made gingerbread cake for the adults, and the kids had chocolate cupcakes with a variety of toppings. I used marshmallow cream instead of frosting, which really makes the sprinkles stick. We even let her eat it in a princess dress.

Happy Birthday to you, sweetheart!

Doesn't it look like she is fervently asking for something desperately important? She is just getting ready to bless the food. Not sure where she got the clasped hands pose, but I'm loving it.

Merry Christmas!

Don't worry, everyone. I am still a Christmas card person--I have just decided to save a little paper and post my Christmas letter instead of sending it with my Christmas cards. This way I can include a few pictures, too. Okay, "a few" is a total lie. I had too much fun going through all the pictures from this year.

We have enjoyed a very happy 2011 at our house. The kids are growing, the house is standing, Mike's job is keeping him busy, and we all love each other.

Sylvie has grown and blossomed this year. Back in February we made a concentrated effort to get her to quit thumb sucking. It worked. And for about 2 weeks she didn't suck on anything. Then she started sucking her finger and now she won't quit. Boo. We continue struggling with dairy and peanut allergies, not much fun to deal with, but she's a trouper. She does think, though, now that she is 3 she should be able to eat everything. She has turned into an imaginative little gal this year, especially loving animals (all) and dressing up (multiple times and outfits per day). She loves reading stories, eating (especially carbs), lip gloss, playing games, dancing, going to the park and story time, and playing with her friends. She is my little shopping helper and my little shadow. She delights us daily, although she can be stubborn and dramatic, too.

Jens finished kindergarten with gusto and has entered first grade with equal enthusiasm. He loves school and is doing so well. He has really turned into a reader this year and loves practicing. He is a busy dude, bursting with energy and verve most of the time. He continues to be a great bike rider and this year he tried out a kids' fun run and a kids' triathlon, which he loved. He also played soccer again on our great team from last year. He definitely improved this year and even scored a goal. He just recently lost his two bottom teeth, which he is very pleased about. He enjoys drinking with a straw through the hole left in his smile. He is starting to enjoy the role of helpful big brother, and he will often jump up to help Sylvie when she is having trouble with something. My favorite new thing is that he will sing hymns with me at church now that he can read the words.

Mike has been up to his regular hijinks, work and family. He did squeeze in some running and biking time when he wasn't dealing with knee injuries. I have been gardening and projecting and doing kid care type of things. Mike and I did a little triathlon this summer, which was fun. We also did a 100k bike ride in October, which was an accomplishment for me. I wasn't sure I could sit on a bike that long, but I did, and we had a good time together.

Family highlights this year include a wonderful summer vacation to Florida and North Carolina. We had the best time. The kids traveled pretty well and loved hanging out in Florida. We swam every day and enjoyed some peaceful time hanging out with Grammy, Papa, and Uncle Peter. The beach was a little more crazy, but so fun. The kids loved playing with their cousins and friends. Sylvie was in love with the ocean. She and cousin Jill struck up a firm friendship and were so cute together.

We also made our first family trip to Disneyland, and I say first because I am certain we will return. We went with our friends, the Johnsons, and had such a great experience. The weather was perfect, the crowds weren't too bad, and the kids are still talking about it even though it was a few months ago. They definitely felt the magic.

I hope you are all enjoying the magic of the season. I am always struck with such gratitude for the good will and love that seems to flow in December, and I am especially grateful for Christ, a true gift worth celebrating.

Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread Houses

We did cheater versions this year, using graham crackers and royal icing. Jens ate a ton of candy, but was the happiest little builder. He must have spent 2 hours on his little house.

Good news and bad news. Jens lost his tooth at school! Then he lost his tooth at a friend's house and can't find it. I told him we could write a note explaining things to the tooth fairy. She is pretty nice about these things, I hear.

A few Sylvie gems:

"Mom," Sylvie sighed today, "I really love you." Which is nice to hear because when I tell her I love her, she responds with "Thank you."

"The Christmas tree is still there!" she shouts every time she goes into the front room.