The Run-up to Christmas

Looks like today's going to be a big day, so I'm going to keep it short and sweet and post some pictures leading up to Christmas, and catch up (read: depend on JVL) on the amazingness of our Christmas in the coming days. Below...Christmas baking, building, church, watching a video from Santa to Cody and discovering Granny and Pop Pop under the tree, and writing to Santa. 

Overheard

Yesterday...

CJP: Mom? I just love everything, and everyone, in the whole wide world.
Me: Oh, what a wonderful feeling to have in your heart! Cordelia, what are you feeling in your heart?
CML: Mom, I'm busy playing with my play-doh right now.

And a moment ago...

CML: Cody, can we play this together?
CJP: If you insist.
CML: I am insisting. 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas II

Behold the tree! Cody chose wisely. 

Gaudete Sunday at St. Matthew's.

And here are some utterly adorable ones from Sunday night, when Cody and I had a date to see Violet's children's choir program at her church. We had such a lovely time -- just the two of us! JVL and Cordy had a fancy dinner date (Panera) followed by fireplace Christmas stories. We're trying to do as much one-on-one with them as we can before Peanut arrives and we upend their lives again. It's a bittersweet time! 

She was, naturally, an angel. The prettiest one you've ever seen. Here he telling her how amazing she was and how beautiful her voice is.

Brenna is not about to be left out!

Here's our little post-game review of her performance. : )

Just Overheard

So Cody and Cordelia are playing Santa, and CML exclaims: "I'm going to be bad for goodness' sake!!"

Perhaps Santa Claus is...NOT Coming to Town

When I went to pick Cordelia up from Kim's today, Kim ruefully told me that their visit to the library--where Santa was coming for storytime--was...well, less of a success for CML than for Brenna and Violet. Apparently, the second she saw his broad face and little round belly she started screaming in terror. As Kim put it, "I've never seen a child run so fast." She burst into tears and ran to Kim's arms, where she stayed while all the other kids went to sit on his lap and visit. When Kim told Cordy she was going to go take a picture of VL & BL on Santa's lap, Cordelia shrank back, and when Kim turned around to check on her, she was quaking and hiding behind someone's stroller. When I asked her about it on the way home, she said, "I just do not like Santa. I do not want to ever see him again. I was a little bit nervous. Kim said Santa is kind but he makes me ANGRY!"

I'm not quite sure what to say about that. The whole rest of the night she asked Cody over and over, "Is Santa going to come? Can I just go in Mama's arms if he comes? Will he take Hopsy? I do not want him to come! No presents!'

Here's us revisiting the subject a few minutes ago -- her "I love you too!" got cut off, but it was pretty cute. : )

Ten Years!

We celebrated our ten-year anniversary last week...normally I wouldn't post a picture of us, but this is Peanut's blog, too, and so far I think there are maybe three pictures with Peanut. I don't want him or her to feel left out. : ) 

We look tired already, and Peanut's not even here! This is gonna be fun. 

Haircut Heaven

On Tuesday, we went from school to get Cody a haircut--it had suddenly gotten "all scraggly and scruffy, Mom!" Who has this much fun getting their hair cut? :) 

a

 "Miss Amina! You made me look like a stegosaurus!" 

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Saturday morning, we were up earlier than usual. At about 4:43 we heard a shout of joy (though it took us a moment to figure out it was joy): "It's Saturday! IT'S MARY DAY! IT'S CHRISTMAS TREE DAY! YIPPEE!!!" Who wakes up like that?! Sometimes I don't get how he's my son. Off to get a tree we went, then to Mass (they kept singing  Happy Birthday to Mary, and we figured, hey, close enough).

I love these, because of the positioning of their feet in each one. 

 This is completely ridiculous, and I look like an eighteen-wheeler, but Cody's face is so funny I can't resist posting. 

 A clear favorite. :) 

(SD: He's a Milford Man.) And when she saw this picture, she reminded me, "Mommy, when you took that picture, I was angry. I will not smile if I do not want to!"

Aunt Monika and Uncle Sean came over to celebrate Christmas. I couldn't have been more pleased to have a dude around, since I am...well, less helpful with the heavy lifting at the moment. Cody just wanted to get up on the ladder. He got his Home Depot apron on, grabbed his scissors, and they were off. 

Cordelia mostly danced and tumbled and shouted encouragement. And looked beautiful. Deadly, but beautiful. 

 (Note the way Shannon the Snake is entwined around Cody and the apron, "so she does not feel left out.")

 The annual picture of the back of our heads. 

And here...setting up the train!!! (There's a better picture, but sadly she's flashing her underwear in it, so I decided to go with the more modest side view.)

Off Recipe

I was baking sweet potato muffins tonight and had the following exchange with the babes:

CML: What kind of muffins are you mixing?
Me: Sweet potato muffins.
CML: I do not like them. I will not eat them.
Me: You do like them, actually. You ate four on Thanksgiving. They have raisins.
CML: Actually they should have chocolate chips.
CJP: Mom? Could you put chocolate chips in them?
Me: In theory, sure. The recipe calls for dates or raisins, which is how I made them last time. When you all ATE THEM.
CJP: Mom! Can you go off recipe? And make them with chocolate chips? If you go off recipe, it will freak Daddy out!!
Me: Hmm...okay. Let's do it! But...don't tell Daddy! He WILL freak out! Especially if you tell him I'm not even measuring the chips! I'm just dumping them in!
CJP: I will tell him first thing tomorrow during guy time!

Cordelia's First Tattoo

Well, first three tattoos, compliments of a birthday party for twins in our moms' group. She asked for one on her hand and liked it so much she sweetly asked for another for her other hand and cheek. Her manners were so impeccable that I couldn't find a reason to say no. Now that I've had the experience of scrubbing it off her face, I will think of that reason next time.