December 2011

I'm realizing that if I don't catch up on a few posts, they may never happen. So...December 2011. I think that we'll remember the surprisingly warm weather, the abundance of baking that my pregnant self and the kids did as well as E & N dancing to 'Let It Snow' about a million times.

At some point in early December we finally had a snowstorm. I remember it taking forever to get bundled up as a kid to play in the snow and I can't say that I'm much faster now. Thankfully, they've figured out how to get on snowpants and all the layers so now I get to just help with mittens and snaps.

Both kids were fascinated with the present wrapping process and I can't remember quite how it happened, but they decided that they should decorate their room with ribbon and tape. It went from being a few snips of ribbon strategically taped to being 'a spider web room' as Noah called it.

Our sweet Ella has had quite the experience in her first activity away from Noah: ballet class. I've been so amazed to see her come into her own. She's gone from cautiously watching the other girls to complete participation and even teaching Noah her dances. For the winter recital her class did a little dance to 'Let It Snow'. At her request, we celebrated with pink cupcakes afterwards.
She tells me that this spring they are dancing a 'Pan Peter' dance.

Christmas morning! It finally arrived and it was such fun to celebrate as a family of 4. The morning started off early with stockings full of band-aids, race cars and 'bunny cookies'. They could not have been more pleased.

Ella's big request this year was a 'bobile' aka mobile for her baby crib. Thankfully, I found one. Here she is with a new dress for 'Baby Faith'...which is worn under a sleeper if you have Ella as a mommy.

The kids picked out 'Cars' cars for each other at the grocery store. We took them out separately and then helped each child wrap it for their twin. Oddly, neither of them put it together that the present for their twin looked just like the one that they were to receive.

After celebrating with our church family, complete with kids in jammies, we headed over to Nana and Grandpa's house for the Potoshnick family celebration. It was quite the event. Following that we had a quiet dinner at home with dear friends. All in all, a sweet, sweet Christmas.

Beyond the events, I have to say that one of my favorite memories of December will be realizing that the Ella and Noah are remembering, absorbing and pondering the story of Jesus. They are still singing 'Away in a Manger.' The days are sprinkled with little questions about God. Some simple (ie. how big are God's feet? and what color are God's eyes? how many (what age) is God?) and some more profound.

I was in Trader Joes with the kids in early December and we'd been talking about how an angel had come to Mary to tell her that she was going to be the mother of the Savior. Especially this year, I've been thinking about her quiet surrender and how the scripture talks about her 'pondering these things in her heart.' I never know what the kids are actually absorbing...but Ella's rendering of the Christmas story on the back of my shopping list made me think that in her own way she understands Mary's response to the news.

Here is what she told me: This is the angel and here are the pigs and Mary and Joseph...and the hay. And here is Baby Jesus. The angel came to Mary and said that she was going to be Jesus' mommy. Mary said 'Okay, I'll do it.'