'Twas the Week Before Christmas...

I absolutely love the fact that at Christmas, there is always something special going on that we can do. These extra activities were especially nice this week as we endured our SECOND straight week of rain. One of the highlights was our visit with Santa. Caroline has never been comfortable being held by anyone but Chad or me, but Aly has had stranger anxiety creep in only in the past 6 months or so. We had been talking about the visit, colored pictures to give to him, waited in line (behind a school trip!), but both girls LOST it when the moment came. Needless to say, I was in the picture too. I've included pictures from last year and this year:

Last Year's Visit with Santa...

...and this year's!

Ever since our trip to the ballet, Aly is absolutely taken with the Nutcracker. She pretends that her friends are Fritz, Clara, and Uncle Drosselmeyer...I woke her up from nap a couple days ago and she had put on her black-patent-leather shoes and said when I opened the door, "I'm getting ready for the party, Mama! I'm going with Clara and Fritz!" She sleeps with her Program that we got, and this is how Chad and I found her several nights ago:

Visions of Sugarplum (Fairies) Dance in her Head

I always pictured Caroline being a newborn forever. I am proved wrong day by day! She seems to be growing an inch a day, and this week she started throwing tantrums! I guess that she, too, has her own little personality! She is still just as sweet as can be, and imitates everything that Aly does.

Caro wears her thinking cap!

Playing with Dolls

Merry Christmas, everyone!!