Workout for Auntie Meg

Last weekend, we went over to the Clarkes' house for an impromptu take-out dinner. Somehow Auntie Meg got suckered into amusing Emilia in the basement. Meg must have burned her entire caloric intake for the day pushing and spinning Emilia on their office chair. Emilia had a blast and we were exhausted just watching them.

Leesburg parade

Last Saturday, we met up with Brad and the girls to watch the Leesburg Christmas Parade. The girls enjoyed getting treats from the parade participants as they viewed fire engines, dancers, Santa, Frosty and more. We love hometown parades!

Meeting Old St. Nick

When Emilia woke up this morning, I surprised her by telling her she was not going to school today. Instead, I took the girls to the mall to see Santa Claus. Last year, Emilia was terrified of him, so I had no idea what to expect this year. After a lot of preparation, both girls did great! Emilia didn't respond to his question about what she wants for Christmas (she has no idea that Santa actually brings gifts), but she gave him lots of smiles, waves and high fives.

After the successful Santa visit, we caught the weekly Rocknoceros performance and had lunch. Here she is getting a hand stamp from Willie Bob. It was a lovely date with my girls!

Anna: two months

Anna turned two months old over the weekend. We had a great check up this week, and she continues to grow well: 10 pounds, 10 ounces, 22 inches (50th percentile for both). She is cooing and smiling quite a lot -- even laughing at us. Her sleeping and eating schedule is fairly consistent. We recently transitioned her from the bassinet in our room to her crib and that went well. She gives us a good stretch from roughly 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., which is a blessing!

Let it snow, man

We had our first snow of the year today and it was no joke. Forecasted for 1-3 inches, Eric measured more than 5 inches before it even stopped. Last year, Emilia was not a fan of the white stuff, but this year she was a little more interested in it. It was a good thing I picked up a new winter coat and snow pants for Emilia this week.

Where is this white stuff coming from? Emilia's snowman... Eric's snowman...


Corey and Gill's snow alien-man...

Living nativity

After the school party, we took the girls to a living nativity presentation at Southview Baptist Church in Herndon. It was a terrific display with lots of actors and animals in various scenes depicting Jesus' birth, and a great way to teach Emilia about the true meaning of Christmas. I suspect this is another event we'll make an annual tradition for our family.

School holiday party

Last night, we went to Emilia's new school for its annual holiday party, which included sing-along Christmas music and a potluck dinner. It was a great chance for us to mingle with some other parents and the staff. We are so grateful that the school is such a good fit for Emilia.

Christmas sing-along

The girls and I went to James Madison High School on Thursday for its annual Tiny Tots Christmas Concert. I wasn't so sure Emilia would be patient enough to sit through the whole program, but she loved it. It didn't hurt that the show featured not only Santa and Mrs. Claus, Rudolph and Frosty, but also the likes of Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird. She was fascinated... until we hit the meet-and-greet line. She managed a high five for Elmo, but was very skeptical of everyone else, especially Santa. Thankfully, Anna slept through the entire concert so she didn't add her own melody into the mix. It was a lot of fun and I hope to take the girls back next year.

Deck the halls

Last weekend, we officially got the Christmas season underway by trimming our trees, inside and out. Emilia was very helpful with the ornaments this year. Later, she topped the tree and was very proud of her work.

Gobble, gobble

We headed up to New Jersey for Anna's first trip to Grandma and Grandpa's house and Thanksgiving. Grandma made a fantastic meal that we shared with Uncle Corey, Gillian and Uncle Kyle.

Emilia had a great time throughout the weekend. Riding the Smithville carousel with Grandpa... Playing beauty salon with Grandma...And catching a squeeze from her buddy Kendall...