Christmas Festivities

The Polar Express library program is one I look forward to all year(not so sure if Hollis feels the same way) and it never disappoints. From the golden tickets and bells to a visit from Mrs. Claus, I am always in awe of the dedication and passion of the library staff. I am convinced we have the best little library this side of the Mason Dixon!

First Snow of the Season

We awoke to a light dusting of powder on Monday morning. It might as well have been 12 feet to Hollis, she was so excited! I loved it because it was gone by 2pm! Truth be told, I have to agree with my snow loving midwestern husband-having snow this time of year does make the season a bit more magical-but for the record, I could do without the 58 mph Indiana winds!

Friends

We had a house full of friendship and laughter Sat night with the Hedenbergs and the Thawleys. Hollis was in her element(check out the pink get-up she answered the door in!) with all her friends running around the house-plus a showing of the Polar Express with popcorn never hurts either! My camera didn't have a shutter speed fast enough to get a really good picture! HA!
Sunday brought Walk to Bethleham with friends Gracie and Sophie.

Headlock Central

We all agree that Hollis needs a little brother or sister to play with, but no one agrees more than Wrigley.

Visions of Sugar Plums Danced in her Head...

I snapped this picture of Hollis last night...she looked so sweet all snuggled up in her bed and dreaming.
I am reminded of a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson
"There was never a child so lovely but his mother was glad to get him to sleep."

A Confession...

Hollis is a pretty high maintenance kid when the bedtime hour arrives. She requires much prodding to get upstairs, get her PJ's on, teeth brushed, devotionals read and then it is story time. Jason usually reads 3-4 books and then I am usually recruited to read 2 more. After that comes the obligatory drink of water, angel song, prayers and "monster spray"(to discourage the monsters from bothering her at night-especially one named "Steve" who must really pester her). Finally, it is time to push "play" on her CD player and pray the music is to her liking.To be quite honest, I am spent around 9:15 at night and there is nothing I want more than to put her in her little bed, kiss her goodnight, and turn out the lights. So, needless to say, I am really, really lucky to have a spouse who helps carry 75% of the load at night.
One of Hollis' favorite books to read with Jason is "I Spy". I loathe this book and she knows that so she no longer asks me to read it. I am in no mood to look for little characters in a book for 25 minutes at that hour at night. Jason, on the other hand, endures it every night and didn't seem to mind, I assumed, until the truth came out last night. This is the conversation I had with him at 9:30 last night after the reading of "I Spy."
"Wow, Honey, you deserve a purple heart for reading that book."
"Yeah, I know," he says while brushing his teeth.
"Well, she knows better than ask me to read it, because it is not gonna happen," I assert.

"SHHHH," he says( his eyes as wide as saucers at this point), "I just KICKED it under her dresser."
Everyone has a breaking point, I guess.

The Simple Things..

AHH... brand new warm pjs, a cozy fire,hot chocolate with lots of marshmellows and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on tv. Does life get ANY better than this? Hope your evening is as blissfully simple!