Sledding

Today is Christmas Eve and there is no snow. That seems almost impossible for Iowa! We have had a few dustings, and one of them was just enough for Andy to break Georgia in to the fun of sledding. We found some snow pants on sale last year and they fit perfectly; however, she walks around like the little boy from A Christmas Story.

Our backyard was the perfect place for her first experience on a sled. It has a very gentle slope; not too fast, but just the right speed for a two-year-old.

I wasn't able to capture any outside action shots, but here are a few pre-adventure pics.

Georgia-isms

After eating three-quarters of a candy cane, "Mom, I just can't like this." Yeah right.

Watching me change Ollie's diaper, "Mom! What is that? A big belly button?"

At dinner I scolded her for playing when she was supposed to be eating. "Mom, I love you." I was totally trying to suppress my smile. "I love you too, honey, but you are making Mommy upset. You need to eat your dinner." In complete shock: "I making you upset? Oh my goodness, I don't believe it!" I had to walk away to laugh after that one.

At the mall, Andy and I split up to do some Christmas shopping. He took the girls with him and when we met up later Georgia said, "Mom! We got you some socks. But it's a surprise!" I guess we now know who not to trust with our secrets.

More Fall and Then We'll Move On

I just have a few more pictures from this fall to share with you. The fall season was so beautiful this year, so we had many days to get outside. We have three trees in our front yard that were more than willing to share their leaves with us, providing lots of fun and photo opportunities. I think this will be my last backlog post and then I'll start sharing about the present.

Oh, and don't let the video freak you out.

Niabi Zoo

Our local zoo offers free admittance every Friday in October and November. The first Friday in October was a warm, beautiful day, so we, along with some friends, took the girls to see the animals. It really is a nice little zoo and we always have a good time together.

can you see the lions?

Cedar Rapids

Today we went to Cedar Rapids (actually Marion) to spend the day with Andy's brothers and their families and also his dad and step-mom. We were celebrating our family Christmas as well as our niece's 3rd birthday. We had a nice time visiting and the kids had a good time playing together. All the girls received Cabbage Patch dolls (watch for a future post on this!) and the boys got fishing poles from their grandparents. It was a really nice day.

Last night at dinner we were telling Georgia that we'd be going to see her grandparents and cousins today; that we would be traveling to Cedar Rapids. "Da rabbit?" she said. "I don't want to see da rabbit!"

It's funny what kids hear.

LOL

Getting Georgia changed and dressed for the day, I say to her, "Georgie, you have such a cute butt." She laughs and runs out into the hall to Andy who is fixing a creaky door.

"Daddy, look at my cute butt! You wanna touch it?"

Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we traveled to be with Andy's parents in Glidden. We celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday and had our Christmas celebration on Friday while everyone was together. I always love opportunities for Georgia to be with her cousins. I don't know why, but I'm always surprised at how well she interacts with them; probably because they don't see each other too often. (I also pray for a little bit of influence from her girl cousins who eat like big girls and go to the potty.) And for myself, I always enjoy a gab session with my sisters- and mother-in-law.

Another new event for us this year, was our attempt at Black Friday. But really it was Black Thursday, because it was 10:00 pm Thursday night (at Walmart). We did stay until midnight when the electronics went on sale, but we didn't purchase anything huge. I have mixed emotions about Black Friday. I can appreciate trying to snag a good deal and it's even fun to shop late at night. But some people (not all, but some) lose sight of the fact it's Christmas and go wild without a thought of the people surrounding them. It can make a gal nervous! So will I do it again? I can't say either way. Depends on what's on sale next year. :)

Here are some pics of our time away: