Some Christmas Pix

It's been a crazy couple of days but we had a wonderful holiday.  I tried to keep Emma busy with some projects in the days before Christmas.  She made a gingerbread house, we baked cookies, made a cotton ball Santa and some other artsy-fartsy projects.  We missed Aunt Carolyn thanks to Chicago's uber-snowfall and a case of bronchitis but she's planning to come home for New Year's.  Mimi came and spent the night while Gram and Grandpa came over later in the afternoon.  

Mimi tripped over a toy Christmas Eve and Mommy slipped and fell on the ice in the driveway.  We were both a little sore the next day.  We let Emma open Mimi's presents Christmas Eve because it was too overwhelming to open everything on Christmas Day last year.  Kurt and I were up until 2:30 Christmas Eve (I guess it was actually Christmas morning) wrapping and putting things together.  We decided there were a few things that needed to be removed from the boxes because she wouldn't be able to wait.  The Barbie scooter was simple.  The Barbie RV rolled out of the box.  Then I found the three pages of 9,327 stickers . . . and the worst instructions I have ever seen in my life.  I would have better luck if they were written in Chinese.  An hour and a half later, we were back on track.  If Obama wants to provide jobs for people, applying stickers to children's toys is one I'd love to see filled.  

Emma came downstairs Christmas morning and went straight for the box she thought was her "doll that goes potty," and she was right.  She still wants to play with everything right away so we're trying to teach her to open everything and then we can play with something.  Of course, opening toys is a process in itself.  I'm certain there is some kind of college course that teaches Toy Extraction Without Tantrums (from the child or the parent) - or at least there should be.  Now, she wants to play with everything at the same time.  Annie doesn't understand any of it but she likes it.  She's very good at flashing a smile if she doesn't know what's going on.  She spent about half an hour flirting with Mimi yesterday.  All-in-all, it was a great day.  

Emma and Mommy making a Santa

Emma feeding her Baby Alive - for the third time.  She found it was most efficient to feed baby on the potty.  Why have the rest of us not thought of this?

Emma and Daddy trying out the Barbie scooter.  All the ice and snow have melted (and it's 62) so maybe we can try this outside today.

Annie checking out presents.  She liked the bows best.

Baby needs to eat - again.