Tub crayons

Best stocking stuffer ever.

Tricycle Time!

Leila loves her new tricylce! Her legs are still about a half inch too short to reach the pedals really easily, but she totally understands what to do, and she loves it!

We went to the park yesterday and she road for about a half hour before she wanted to go to the playground. I'll try to get video of her riding - it's very cute!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you and your families had a wonderful Christmas and Christmas Eve - we sure did! On Christmas Eve Tony had to work, but Leila and I went over to my parent's house, where we got to see my dad's side of the family. We had a great time hanging out and laughing with everyone! When we got home that night we put out cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer....

The next morning, when Tony got home we went into the front room to see that almost all of the cookies and carrots were gone!

Santa had also stuffed our stockings:

...and left a ton of presents for Leila!

Leila loved that we wore matching "night nights"

The first thing she saw was her new baby stroller:

Then Daddy and Ramon helped her unwrap some presents:

She also really loved her sherpa hat - hopefully we'll go to the snow so she has an excuse to wear it!

Leila got so many great gifts from Santa, friends and family! Her favorite is her baby stroller, but she also loves her new tricyle, babies from around the world (her favorite is the one from Madagascar, who is sitting in the stroller in the picture above - she calls her "pretty girl") And she also loves her new Ugg boots from Bamma and Papa!

Christmas morning my parents and brother came over - we watched Leila open presents for hours, and then we stopped at her Gigi's house where we also got to see Auntie Katie and Uncle Michael, and then Grandpa Tom stopped over. Later in the day we went to my parent's house for dinner where we got to see my mom's side of the family. Christmas Eve and Christmas were busy, but wonderful! It was so much fun to see Leila's reaction to things this year, versus last because she is so much more into it now! It's hard to believe that she will be two in less than a month!

We're ready!

We've placed out cookies and milk for Santa, and carrots for the reindeer. Leila is nestled all snug in her bed, while visions of sugar plums dance in her head...

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday

Snug as a bug in a rug

Leila chatters herself to sleep every night, and tonight she is cracking me up! I keep hearing "Sassa!* Sassa! Leila a good girl! Ruuuuuuuuudolph. Ho ho ho!"

I think my girl is ready for Christmas!

*Sassa = Santa

Eek!

Another "what happens when Daddy gets her dressed" post. Leila and Tony went to the library, the grocery store and Chuck E. Cheeses like that. : )

Deacon Dave's

I can't believe I'd never been to "Deacon Dave's" until just a few days ago! It's probably the most Christmas lights I've ever seen in one place, and it's amazing! Leila got to see Santa there, who told her he knows she's been a good girl, and his favorite cookies are chocolate chip.

After Deacon Dave's we drove around looking at some beautifully decorated mansions and called it a night.

Wordless Wednesday

{so I know these words are not making this a true WW, but I just wanted to let you all know that Leila picked out that hat and is obsessed with it!)

Cruising for Christmas lights!

On Monday night we went cruising the town for Chrismtas lights. We went first to Bob's World, which is where I've been going since I was little. Leila loved it! Bob, himself was out there and gave Leila a candy cane and a glow-in-the-dark bracelet. Then we went to "Papa's World" - my parent's house. My dad has been decorating for Christmas more and more every year, and Leila loved it!

We finished off the night at "Candy Cane Lane" which Leila also loved. We read Christmas stories at bedtime and had a great night!

Decorating the tree

On Wednesday we decorated the tree!

Leila's favorite part of decorating the tree, was sipping apple cider after every ornament: And after the cider was gone, Leila decided she was done:

Apple Hill

On Tuesday we went to Apple Hill to spend the day, and find the perfect Christmas tree. Tony's family used to do it when he was little, and although I didn't think driving 2.5 hours to get a tree was my idea of fun, I was wrong! We left around 9:30 - stopped at the Starbuck's and Noah's Bagels and were on the road by 10:00. We got to Apple Hill a little after noon, and drove around for a while until we saw "High Hills Ranch" We walked all over the grounds, sampled fudge, got fun crafts, and I even got some home-pressed apple champagne bubble bath. We had lunch at their apple cafe, fed the ducks and then went on. We stopped at Boa Vista Orchard and bought a ton of different apple things - apple cider, apple juice, apple wine, apple butter, applesauce (in two varieties), apple pancake mix, and three different types of apples - I think we got a couple of other things, but they're escaping me right now.

By then it was about 3:30, and although Leila was still in a great mood, she hadn't taken a nap and we thought we should get moving....BUT we still hadn't gotten a tree. We ended up going to a place where the trees were already cut (Tony had big plans for chopping down our own tree) and found the perfect one pretty quickly. Leila made friends with a nice old man who used to play Santa on the weekends, while Tony loaded up the tree.

We got in the car around 4:00 and Leila passed out within minutes. We stopped in Tracy for dinner at the Olive Garden, and finally made it home around 7:30. It was a long, but fabulous day and I can't wait to do it again next year!

When Leila got out of her stroller, Ramon got in:

Leila loved her grilled cheese dipped in ketchup (yuck!)

After running around the grounds Leila's legs got tired so she hitched a ride on Daddy:

...and then we found an old tractor to play on:
Finally, Leila picked the perfect tree:
My loves:
All loaded up and ready to go:

Wordless Wednesday

Christmas parade

Saturday night we went to the big Christmas parade downtown. It was very chilly and very long, but we had a great time. Leila loved the parade, especially when there were dogs!

We got sandwiches at Quiznos and she stole mine right away. Seriously, she had my sandwich and most of her Sammie. I think she's growing!
Leila kept Bamma warm:

ALCO kid's Christmas party 2008

Tony's fire department is awesome enough to throw a really great Christmas party for the kids every year (I guess it's been going on for over 20 years!) Leila had a ton of fun this year playing with the other kids, eating cookies and seeing Santa, but she had the most fun singing! They had a live holiday band singing fun Christmas songs, and the kids got to participate in a lot of them. Leila was the only kid who didn't want to stop singing, and was way more interested in the microphone than Santa. Oh well - maybe next year!Leila and Tony had a vital part in "Must be Santa"
Santa came in on a fire engine!

Leila was fine seeing Santa, as long as she had her Daddy close by!

And, just for cuteness a full view of her outfit with her coat.