Christmas finery

With heartfelt thanks to Kamma, for sewing Miles' spiffy vest and Eleanor's glamorous dress (which is far more gorgeous than the photo shows).

Sometimes Miles just knows he looks good...


A good skirt for twirling!


My kids still haven't learned a pleasant fake smile-for-the-camera.


These last two speak for themselves...taken in immediate succession:

More sayings I need to remember

Eleanor's plurals: handses, pocketses, appleses, crackerses (I feel like I'm living with Gollum sometimes)

Reading aloud our Advent Book together: Miles racing to be the first one to say "Emmanuel: God With Us!" every time it happens. Eleanor, "Nothing is impasta-ble with God!" Eleanor screaming "NO ROOM!!!" when we get to the page where Mary and Joseph get to Bethlehem and there's no room at the inn. And our unison, enthusiastic "Glory to God in the Highest!" when we're at the angel/shepherds episode.

LOUD renditions of some songs from the kids' Musikgarten class - the grandfather clock song is a favorite, as well as repetitions ad nauseam of the color/greeting song (red, red, red, red, Nora's wearing red today...)

Changing Eleanor's poopy diaper:

Nora: I don't want to sit on my bottom (enunciated very clearly)

me: why not?

Nora: Because it's all poopy.

me: oh. (sniffing and cringing) Oh yucky yucky!

Nora: Don't eat it, Mommy.

me: uh, thank you, Nora.

Miles' response whenever he doesn't want to obey a command: "Well...but I'm just (fill in the blank)." I'm just too sleepy, I'm just thinking about something, I'm just busy already, I'm just too sore for that (must've gotten that from Mommy post-workout), I'm just working on something else, and my personal favorite, I'm just not feeling like obeying right now.

Miles' nonsensical I-love-yous. He comes up, gives me a hug, and says, "Mommy, I love you EVEN when you're wearing snow boots." Or, "Mommy, I love you EVEN when you are cooking dinner." I think this stems from our reassurances to him that we love him even when he's mad...or grouchy...or disobeying...or whatever the current occasion is. But he hasn't quite caught on to the idea, so he reassures me that he loves me even when I'm doing something not at all objectionable. I don't mind.

future blackmail photos...

Miles may regret this someday. He asked, "Mommy, can I be a ballerina?"



Background: I am trying to persuade Eleanor to actually wear her fluffy skirt I made for her, which she, sadly, detests. So we pretend to be ballerinas together, which entertains her for about two minutes. The downside, of course, is that Miles wants to join in the fun. So today, his request really meant, "Can I wear Eleanor's skirt and you can take pictures of me?"

We also practice our curtseys together, since opera-Mommy is actually pretty darn accomplished at giving a graceful and theatrical curtsey. Eleanor has grasped it pretty well.



Miles, less so. I'm trying to convince him that boys bow. No luck so far.