The Magic of the Season

This week was a tough week for our family.  We are currently in transition with child care and what we thought would be a  slow transition into starting with a full-time nanny (you know who you are! :))  in January was accelerated this week by circumstances in which we had to say 'enough is enough!'  The kids will be home with my parents (thank you!) the rest of December and will not be going back to daycare.  In the midst of stress and scrambling to make arrangements (some of the nanny arrangements we made for January have since fallen through) I am repeating (and believing) mantras of joy and abundance.  Because really - joy and abundance are all around me everyday. 

We put aside the stress of the week and had a truly festive holiday weekend.  I love this time of year and want Miles and Hadley to feel that it's a magical time as well. 

Our little monkey (he gets making silly faces for pictures from Mike - so I guess this is payback)

It doesn't get much more relaxing and magical then gazing up at a beautifully-lit, twinkling Christmas tree

Yep - another attempt at a Christmas card photo.  Remember last week when I said these two are looking more alike?

Saturday we invited our neighbors over for a holiday happy hour and then went to City Center Park for the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony.  Last year the kiddos were bundled up in their snowsuits and this year it was in the 40s with no snow!  Hadley and Miles ran around the park in excited anticipation for a visit from Santa.  Santa always arrives on a firetruck and it's always so fun to watch the kids mob him as he enters the park. 

Hadley's first candy cane

Checking out Santa

Love these moments - playing a game on the tablet together

Attempt #2 at a Christmas card photo

It's better to sometimes do solo pictures - my handsome boy

Today we had a family outing and hopefully started a new holiday tradition.  We saw the musical Madeline's Christmas at Stages Theater and then went to Buca for dinner.  Here we are all dressed up and ready to go.

Everyone was very excited for the show to start

Miles and Hadley's first theater experience

True to themselves Miles was a little hesitant about the whole experience.  We've been reading the book everyday and in it Madeline says "poo poo" to a tiger in the zoo.  Miles was very concerned that the tiger in the show would be scary.  He also wasn't very sure about the theater being so dark.  Once the show started though he was enthralled and especially loved all of the sparkling lights representing snow.  When I asked him at the end what his favorite part was he said "everything!"  Hadley on the other hand clapped her hands, bopped her head and at one point stood on my lap and started singing.  Yes, I'm thinking dance and theater are in her very near future.  After the show Miles insisted on taking a picture with "one of the girls" and held Hadley's hand as he led her through the crowd for a photo.

Like a true toddler Hadley cannot stay still!

Enjoying a family dinner at Buca

Hadley Rose cracks me up.  She had her 18 month appointment last week and she is still a healthy and growing girl.  The doctor noted that she wants to watch her eye sight  - she detected a slight delay in one eye moving when Hadley looks to one side.  We've never noticed this ourselves.  Otherwise, she's right on schedule developmentally and with her rapidly growing vocabulary - 60+ words the doctor said her language is more like a 2-year olds.  Here are her stats: 

• Height:  32 inches (56%)
• Weight:  25 lb 3 oz (61%)
• Head:  46.3 cm (41%)

Holiday Spirit

We had lots of holiday spirit this week.  I love this time of year - our house is decorated and looks extra cozy with a huge, 8-foot tree, the stockings are hung from the mantle and our outside Christmas lights emit a nice glow outside our front window.

Monday was 'crazy hair' day at school which for Miles, with his very dark hair, meant that you could only tell that his hair was sprayed with color my looking at his forehead and scalp which were red and green. He was into it though.

The kidlets and Mike visited me at work on Wednesday and thought mommy's work was super cool!  My colleagues gave them little toys and they grazed from our all-day potluck table of treats.  Everyone commented how alike they look to one another.  I never really thought so until I saw these two pictures in which they are making identical silly faces.

Here's another attempt at a Christmas card picture...

Thanksgiving was celebrated with lots of cheer and food at my parents' house.  It's just not Thanksgiving unless you have a huge feast for lunch followed by an afternoon snack and then dinner!  We all ate heartily and enjoyed the delicious food.

All of the excitement and anticipation for the noon meal was too much for Hads and she fell asleep before the food was ready.

 After a snuggle with daddy and Aunt Nancy she feasted too.

Here's the first photo of all 5 of my parents' grandkids.  This is one of the only pictures where Bradyn wasn't flying off of the couch.

Matt, Janelle and Bradyn stayed the whole weekend and we had lots of fun hanging out, shopping and playing.

Although we're enjoying the holiday season here in cold MN Hadley's already gearing up for our trip to Phoenix.

Although not as picturesque as chopping down a Christmas tree in the woods we still had a good time picking out an awesome tree at Menards!

My sister convinced me that Hadley's hair is long enough for pigtails.  See that tiny sprout on top of her head?  It's her first little ponytail!

Feed the baby doll was loosely interpreted by our babies this weekend.

One of my favorite moments of the weekend was watching Mike wheel around a shopping cart at Target with Miles, Hads and Bradyn all sitting contentedly in it.  We all shopped while they browsed the toy aisle.  The kids loved spending lots of time with Uncle Matt and Aunt 'Lola.'

Although a smaller crowd this year we enjoyed our annual 'fundue' party.  Miles was our little party crasher.

We listened to Christmas music on Pandora and hauled out boxes upon boxes of  decorations this morning. 

Until all of the decorating was a little too much for our baby.

To top off a very festive weekend we celebrated my sweet, little Godson Daren's birthday.  The kids went to bed without a fuss tonight after running around with the Lemke kids.

Enjoying Fall

These are our first attempts at Christmas pictures....  very sweet and cute...  but we'll keep trying!

The kiddos had lots of fun and smiles at the park today.  We nicknamed them "Cautious" and "Fearless."  Miles is careful as he climbs the ladders and balances on the beam.  Hadley launches herself down the slides head first.

Mommy's tired from a busy weekend.  Dinner Friday with an old friend, errands and out with Mike Saturday night (Argo and the Pig and Fiddle - both we'd highly recommend) and today brunch with friends, laundry and dinner with Grandma.  Now Mike and I are trying to stay awake as we try to convince Miles that it's night-night time.

A sick little Rose

Little Rose came down with a fever this weekend.  She's on the mend now but spent a quiet couple of days taking her own temperature.  Miles also had pink eye last week.  Ahhhh - just another week in the Gray household.

New this week:  Miles is diligently practicing writing his name and makes pretty successful efforts when he traces the letters.  He can also (most of the time) spell his first name out loud.  I asked him today what he is thankful for and he replied "Grandma and Grandpa." 

Hads has been impressing us with her animal sounds repertoire.  She knows the sounds for a cat, dog, cow, pig, fish, horse, bird, monkey, and sheep.  She also is speaking in more 2-3 word sentences:  "more Mimi," "bye-bye baby," "up mama," "no daddy," and "Hadley shoe."

 Overall we spent a quiet weekend at home - here the kids are watching the first snow fall of the season.