2012 closes with ** SNOW **

Snowy day!  Ellie loves to be outside in it .. running, making snowballs and snow angels!  Not very bright, but you can still see the joy on her face!

Saturdays are the MOST Fun!

Lots of wonderful errands to get caught up on today ... picture frames for things to hang, Toys R Us gift card for Ellie to use and somewhere in between we stopped for brunch ... at Wild Berries.  Here's a few shots of our adventure ..

Breakfast

She sure does love her peanut butter and Nutella!

Dancing Queen

Ellie's present from Santa this year was a sparkly dance outfit and Just Dance for the Wii.  You should see her go!  She's practiced every song and every move .. she'll be ready for Just Dance 2 by her birthday!  I remember when we were  in Charlottesville, Ellie was 5-ish and two of the older girls, Elyana and Kayla were 8 teaching Ellie all the moves in Miss Vivian's living room.  Funny how life moves so quickly .... Lan's twins are now 10, and Miss Vivian has twins of her own that are 3 months old .. Haley and Riley ... and Ellie has mastered Just Dance!

Ellie's new camera

Ellie is learning to use her new camera .. with lots and lots of blurry photos to show for it.  We tell her she's practicing .. and practice makes perfect.  Here's the best of the best ... and we're working on her focus!

Boxing Day in Canada - December 26th

A few shots of Ellie in her new winter coat - love the Gymboree color!  And a scarf from Aunt Maureen~ she loves it .. it's soft and colorful!

Christmas 2012 memories

Merry Christmas!!

Although Ellie crawled into bed at 2am saying she couldn't sleep, she managed to catch a few more winks until nearly 5am when she decided she couldn't wait another minute more before going downstairs!  Big pot of coffee on ... butter braid in the oven and let the festivities begin!

Now it's nearly 9am and she's still unwrapping ...

Day 24 - Nearing the Finish Line

This morning it appears that Jingle is ready to play games!  He's all set with his Wii Controller by the manger and decorative wooden tree.  Oh, let the festivities begin!

More Fun with Ellie

More photos from our adventure yesterday to IKEA.  Ellie is loving her dog, Goldie ... playing in the pretend kitchen .. and at one of the kid entertainment stations throughout all the furniture.

Day 23 - Jingle Playing Games

Road trip - Bolingbrook, IL - IKEA

We trekked to IKEA in Bolingbrook, IL - outside Chicago to get furniture for the new basement!  Lots of cool stuff and what an adventure!  Crazy busy area with Christmas shoppers, but we arrived early and practiced our patience at departure time .. especially on the roads.

Ellie loved that she got a new stuffed animal. A golden retriever, named Goldie.  She held him the entire way home, and as you can see fell fast asleep in the car!

Day 22 - Jingle and the Nutcracker, Sam

Polar Express Day in PJs at school today!

Day 21 - Jingle just holding on until Christmas!

Ellie's School Christmas Party

Mrs. Carlock gave each of her students a book for Christmas .. Ellie was very excited to have her Scholastic book order with 5 books and then her gift book all in the same day!  The look on her face as she took each from the plastic was better than Christmas morning.  This round I picked two books on weather (volcanos and beginning weather), two beginning biographies )Amelia Earhart and Orville & Wilber Wright) and a book on the Solar System!  She was thrilled and read most of them on the car ride home from Clubhouse!

The students also made ornaments to bring home.  She was happy to hang hers right on the tree.  A miniature terra-cotta painted pot and a silver decorated ball.  Today is even more fun .. as it's the official Polar Express Day!

Day 20 - Elf on a Wreath

Ellie's December Classroom photos

We're grateful to Mrs. Carlock who shares photos of all the activities in the classroom.  They've sure had an exciting December.  So much so that Ellie is not counting down the days until Christmas.  She's been perfectly content with all the activities and practicing patience through the Advent season!

The Voice - Hallelujah in honor of Newtown

Day 19 - Jingle Cheer

For the record I'm exhausted from all the antics of Jingle, or more so coming up with crazy places and arrangements for him .. whew!  I'll never to so happy to have Christmas Day arrive when he can happily be sitting in the Christmas Tree waiting for Ellie to come down the stairs!

Day 18 - Rock it out, Jingle!

Day 17 - Jingle playing Go Fish with Barbies

Day 16 - Jingle on a date!

Day 15 - Jingle in a bubble bath!

Day 14 - Jingle in the Chocolate!

Daisy Scouts Caroling at Westminster