ah. good times.

Christmas 2009 in review

highlights!

-being with family for real and virtually

-starting an advent tree tradition and reading a Bible story each evening before adding the ornaments

-shopping for Sissy, wrapping her gift especially and keeping it a secret

-really learning the story of Jesus' birth

(then pretending to be the baby Jesus for the next month)

-Uncle Mike... Em's first crush and a darn good sport

-candy... canes, kisses, chocolate or not... anykind. just bring it!

-The Biscuit Brother's holiday music...

-driving around in 'pajama socks' (footed pjs) looking at holiday lights

-Christmas in the Big Woods... a new favorite holiday book

lowlight!

-tummy bug for the entire family

more highlights!

-watching The Nutcracker... many times

-singing Christmas carols, loudly and with much enthusiasm

-rides in the barber chair

-pretending to make snow angels on the floor and imaginary snowmen on their beds

-seeing real snow fall, helping Daddy make a snowman and watching Uncle Mike make a genuine snow angel

-hot(-ish) chocolate, gingerbread cookies and marshmallows

-holiday pajamas

-wishing everyone they met a 'merry Christmas!'

-wishing Marmee a happy Nutcracker merry Christmas

all I want for Christmas is you

Christmas with the McGrands was super fun and so special.

We cherished the time we got to spend with Aunt Joy and Uncle Mike, with Marmee and Grandpa, with Nana and Nannie, with Aunt Kaki and also with Aunt Tracie's family and an encore visit with Mammaw, Pappaw and Aunt Gail.

Family is so dear to us and that was really all we wanted for Christmas...

YOU!

Snowy Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was so beautiful at the McGrandparents' this year.

Not because of the candlelight service. Because it was cancelled.

Due to the SNOW!

Enough fell that we had a white Christmas the next morning, too!

Luke 2:14

Glory to God in the highest,

and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Wishing you all a blessed Christmas with those you love,

The Rowdy Girl Family

Sweet covered in Cute with Adorable filling

Last month the RGs attended a 4th birthday party for a playgroup friend.

It was an incredibly cute ballerina birthday party at her dance studio.

And. Her mommy made tutus, wands and floral halos for all the little girls.

It was so sweet and adorable it almost made your teeth hurt.

That is just how cute all the littles were.

having the best.time.ever!

aftermath

Last Tuesday, Em and Roo had their Christmas program at preschool.

It was pretty informal. No stage to stand on or lines to learn. Just a sing-a-long with all the parents and invited guests.

BUT...

The kids are lined up in front of the audience to lead their portion of the sing-a-long.

They've been practicing the songs for two months and had a dress rehearsal in the giant family life center room that would house the program.

None of that mattered.

They froze when it was time to go stand on the line with their class.

I went with them, sat behind them and held their hands. That helped brave them up enough to stand with the class, but not to sing.

So, no cute video or pictures of the performance this year.

Instead, we have the aftermath. Two slightly freaked out little girls eating holiday cookies during the reception.

Next year!

a dream come true

We've had a lot of fun get togethers with our playgroup this semester.

A special addition to the group (for us) are Abigail and Porter.

We go way back with them.

Back to the incubator/isolette/NICU with them.

Abigail, Porter and the Rowdy Girls are a couple of weeks apart in age and have lived parallel lives. We reconnected with them a year ago, and are so very glad.

Abigail and Porter planned our last playdate and it was a smashing success.

Complete with a walk down fancy-shopping-row to the gigantic Macy's Christmas tree.

special thanks to Jenny for these 2 favorite photos!

On the way back from visiting the tree, we stopped off at Santa's hangout.

These four weren't brave enough to check him out in person, but they were very interested in all that were.

Looking at this picture makes me drift back to the NICU almost 4 years ago and wonder what we would have given to have had a glimpse ahead to this photo.

50 first dates

When Pappaw and Mammaw were visiting, we saw the usual dynamics play out.

Roo gravitated to Pappaw

and Em belonged to Mammaw.

Roo was easily swayed to Mammaw's side,

but Pappaw had to work for any kind of time with Em.

By the end of each day, she was ready to hug him and kiss him and play. But each morning, it started all over again. Em required a room's length between them before she felt free to interact with him. As the day progressed, the distance would shrink. By dinner time, Em wouldn't begin eating until Pappaw was seated at the table. It was very very important to her for Pappaw to say a blessing before the meal.

(She and Roo preferred it if he said several prayers during the course of the meal, actually.)

All in all, it reminded me of the movie 50 First Dates, where the boy gets the girl with amnesia to fall in love with him over and over again.

where's my super suit?!

Roo insists on calling J "Mr. Incredible".

She sometimes uses it as a replacement name, but often addresses him as both Daddy and his superhero name. Like he has an alternate identity.

It goes a little something like this:

R: I love you, Daddy.

R: I love you, too, Mr. Incredible.

J: hysterical laughter

J: Thanks, Roo. I love you, too.

no particular place to go

We celebrated Christmas a bit early with Mammaw and Pappaw. Soon they'll be headed back to Tanzania, so we made the most of our almost 2 weeks with them.

The day they left, we opened presents and, let me tell you, they hit the jackpot as far as the RGs were concerned.

These nifty little plasma cars are their dream come true.

Walking is now so November 2009.

They drive to bed, to the kitchen and even to the toilet.

Roo has named her car, Muno. Em's is number 76.

lil helpers

Christmas decorating was a blast this year.

Mammaw and Pappaw were here and Em and Roo were really interested in helping and participating.

The girls proudly sorted through the branches while we assembled our tree and handed over the correct pieces.

They were super cute with their manners each time.

"Here you go, Mama."

"Thank you very much, Em."

"You're wellllllcome, Mama. I so proud of you!"

While we hung the ornaments, A Muppet Family Christmas played in the background. A perfect mix of comedy and caroling for this fun project.

I think we've created a tradition.

Christmas comes but twice a year

J and I had a system worked out for Thanksgiving morning. The parade was top priority for me and not so much for him. There was a lot of cooking and meal prep to be done. And, of course, Rowdy Girl wrangling. The plan was for me to take first shift in the kitchen while J watched the girls and kept them out of mischief. Then, we would swap duties and the girls and I could watch the Macy's parade together.

What really happened is that the girls wanted to be everywhere I was. And everywhere that Mammaw was. J used the long-time coping strategy that is channel 42. The Disney channel.

So, they settled down with him, in the master bedroom, watching The Mouse and I scrambled to meet my parade deadline.

Finishing up, I came back to our bedroom to find J fast asleep, Em playing with office supplies in his desk and Roo quietly occupied in our closet.

With. Her. Christmas. Presents.

Yep, she found the dollhouse I'd hidden and was blissfully playing house.

No going back.

We pulled it all out and handed it over to 2 very happy little girls.

At least it was gifted on a major holiday.