The Run Down

Over the last ten days:

We decorated the Christmas Tree,











It looks like it was decorated by a couple of kids cause it was. I had intentions of going back and redoing it, but realized I would be fighting a losing battle and really, who cares if the ornaments are not equally spaced?

And what tree can claim to be fully decorated without a collection of hairbows?


It snowed. Real snow. In Houston. It was very cool (literally) and very bizarre.


The kids loved it.



Well, Luke started out loving it, but refused to wear anything to keep himself comfortable, like a hat or mittens.


Then he wasn't loving it so much any more.


Ava loved it from start to finish.



Max had an upper GI test done where it was confirmed that he does not have pyloric stenosis but does have reflux.



Dan, Max, and I played Joseph, Baby Jesus, and Mary at a church nativity.


Luke got sick with the croup but still managed to look cute.


Dan's car died. Then it came back to life. Then it died again. The mechanic couldn't figure it out because when we dropped it off, it started right up.

But then it didn't start. Then it did. Didn't. Did.

We think we're gonna get a new car.

Between the latter two I nearly had a nervous breakdown. I really needed to be an octopus to hold my sick one and my six week old at the same time, but not close enough to spread germs, as their neediness nearly always overlapped. But thanks to the thoughtfulness of a couple of friends and the debut of Max's smile, we made it through!

My parent's came down for the weekend. We built lots of lego towers, made cupcakes, took a trip to Ikea, and Ava saw her very first movie in the theater (Princess and the Frog). Her favorite part of the whole experience was the candy and popcorn. It was a great visit and a nice relief to have a few extra hands with the sickness stuff.

Ava got the croup.

But she has really hit her stride lately. She has taken on so much more independence and has been very pleasant. She wants so badly to be a big girl and do what big girls do. This month has been such a roller coaster, gladly we are at a peak!

And many evenings on the couch, after the bigger ones are in bed, I snuggle with my sleeping pile of love. And it is pure bliss. Always a highlight of my day.