Must be Santa...

I like to call this "No fear."  For the first time in 2 years, both kids sat on Santa's lap without screaming at the top of their lungs.  Hannah isn't feeling so great, and Eli has a new trick where he sees a camera and says "Cheese" - thus the gigantor smile!

Grandma and Papa joined us this year - good thing - waiting for 45 min gets a bit long!

 Breakfast after church on Sunday...hammin' it up - as always- 

keeps him from getting in trouble - the cute part that is...

 Pancakes and syrup - still apparently in her mouth - a favorite breakfast food!

The aftermath...church, breakfast and Santa...Santa threw him over the edge of exhaustion...

Window looker...

Nurse Practitioner in the House!

Raggedy Ann was very sick this day.  She needed Hannah the Nurse Practitioner to help her out.  I think that Cookie Monster told her that her "heart beat is very healthy and strong!"

Not sure what the deal was with the headband except that we see the ENT more often than our PCP.  You may also notice the pink blanket tied around her waist...

Listening intently...

Cookie Taster!

Tryin' out the snickerdoodles...he may be doing a little snickering too 

- thinking about his cinnamon project.

 Yum!  So proud to be sitting in daddy and Hannah's chair!

Bein' a little naughty in the big chair!

Cookie Helpers...

 Since we have most of our Christmas shopping done, mommy and Hannah 

and a little helper extra have been making lots of cookies...

 Hannah is having a great time and Eli is working on touching EVERYTHING possible...

Here is one of the EVERYTHINGS...yep an entire bottle of cinnamon!  EVERYWHERE!

 What??

 Dippin' cookies in sugar...

 Day 2...no more cinnamon...still dipping!

Nice and Naughty? Naughty and Nice?

Soccer?

It began...November 6th at 845am...a 25 min drive away...

Happy Feet Soccer for toddlers ages 3-5.  

30 minutes of just running after each other and a ball...

What a great way to let this little pink "Happy Feeter" spend her Saturday morning energy, right?

Team Name - The Cubs - hence the blue (yeah that's an extra small) shirt!

 Team huddle, learning the rules of the game...

And the Cubs being coached where to kick the ball....  Folks that is the last time Hannah stepped foot on that tiny field.  When Coach put the ball, down - the tear faucet turned on and Hannah started screaming for her mother.  I sat in the corner with her encouraging her to go and kick the ball.  

We even took a water break.  No good.  This "Cub" is stubborn.  

Will do anything in her power to NOT set foot on that field again.  

We went back on November 13th at 800am and on the 20th at 945am.  Still no chance.  I remember mom's words saying, "once you start something, you have to finish."  Well, what happens when your child screams her brains out in order to avoid the soccer field?  So to prevent my humiliation, we left on Saturday after 10 minutes.  More refusal...more anguish from her mother....  Lessons learned - 1) even if you think your daughter is soo intelligent and amazing, she is still just 3 - she just loves to dance and hand-eye coordination will come with time.  2)  even if you think your daughter is soo advanced for her age VERBALLY, it doesn't mean she is socially 4 or 5.  Yes she has huge sentences and a great sense of humor, but when it comes to big groups and aggressive behavior - nope she is not there...she is 3....  And finally lesson 3) even if you think your daughter is just like you because she looks relatively similar, this doesn't mean her interests are remotely the same...I believe we have a dancer and cheerleader on our hands.  Not a bad thing, just something her mother never aspired to be....  

Live and learn - and I am truly grateful everyday for all that this little girl has taught and continues to teach me.  Lesson learned Hannah...no more soccer for a while...