Belated Christmas festivities

I am a very lucky girl, because I get to celebrate Christmas THREE times, once with each set of Grandparents.

Papa Todd and Grandma Julie came to celebrate Christmas early with me, and Mama is just now getting around to posting the pictures.  Silly Mama! 

The first thing I did with Grandma and Papa was open presents, and boy did I get some great ones!

The best one was this work bench, which (it turns out) takes a true carpenter to put together.  I learned lots of new carpentry tricks during the construction proceedings.

High Five to Daddy for a successful Work Bench Completion (and good thing Papa was around to help Daddy figure it out)!

And I got this cool book where I press buttons in the pictures to make things happen.  It's my new favorite!

I was pretty happy to have my grandparents stay and play with me!

Papa and Grandma had another surprise for me, too, though... 

Grandma baked me a gingerbread house, and they brought it with for me to assemble and decorate!

I was very careful to line all my candy up in straight rows.

The adults tried to help, too, but whenever they helped, candy seemed to disappear.  Hmmm.

I may have eaten a few pieces, too.

My finished project!

And some lovely cuddle time with Grandma.  What a great early Christmas!

Another visit to Daddy's work

On the way home from running errands last week, I decided that I needed to tell Daddy some important news so Mama and I stopped by his work to visit him.

I had a snack with Daddy, but I didn't want to sit long.

I found the dinosaur Mama and babies!

Daddy showed me the fancy fireplace.

We looked out the window at all the snow.

"No, Daddy, let's go THIS way!"

"Tired?  Why do you think I might be tired?"

Telling stories to the animals

Last week, I noticed a disturbing silence in the house, and found Elsie in the living room whispering stories to her animals as she acted out an elaborate tale. You can't quite make out the words she is saying in the video, but it was pretty cute!

Elsie and Campbell

A belated Thanksgiving video that I just found on Andy's phone of Elsie and her Campbell cousin. In case you can't understand her, she ends the video with a question (after pondering the profound revelation that the puppies go outside to go to the bathroom), "Where IS that pooper OUTSIDE?!?"

Visiting Daddy at Work

Last week, Mama and I stopped in to see Daddy at work. What fun! Did you know he can get UNLIMITED QUANTITIES OF JUICE? Whenever he wants some! Wow! There were other fun things to see and do at Daddy's work, too- here are a couple of pictures:

This funny man has a bell that you can ring!

There were two baby dinosaurs, too!  I thought they were so funny!

First Snow!

We had our first snow of the season yesterday! It snowed all day long! We went to Uncle G and Auntie Kristin's engagement party in the afternoon, and when we got home it had finally stopped snowing. It was dark out already, but Mama and Daddy still gave me my own big kid shovel and let me help clear the sidewalk and driveway. I love winter!

Playing with Campbell

The best part of Thanksgiving was getting to stay at my Campbell Cousin's house. Boy, did we have fun together!

I liked to give him hugs

and I taught him how to play "animals" with me.

Grandma RJ, Campbell, and I spent lots of time playing Ring Around the Rosies.

Campbell had a fun camping tent in his playroom

and lots of other fun toys, too!

My favorite toy of his was his big train table!

On Friday night, we got to watch Frosty the Snowman together before bed.

Mostly, though, we just liked to be together, no matter what we were doing.

I wish I could play with him every day!

Thanksgiving in MN

Hanging out with Grandma RJ and Grandpa David on Wednesday night

Bouncing on Campbell's bed

and more bouncing

and Ringing Around the Rosies with Campbell

and falling

and helping each other up

and rearranging pillows

Bedtime stories with Grandma RJ

Friday morning cuddles with my Cuz

Getting some kitty love from Cousin Hannah's fluffy pal

At Cousin Hannah's house, watching the Daddys hard at work

How many Daddys does it take to put in a light bulb?

More cuddle time with Campbell

and climbing over mountains

and loving my Cousin time!

A quick visit to Papa's house

On a cold and rainy day, Papa took Mama and me to the children's museum. 

They had a big barn with lots of animals just like my animals at home!

Mama thought it was too cold to play outside, but Papa took me out to jump on the trampoline.

Papa taught me how to race cars down the tracks!

Grandma Julie made some gingerbread, and Papa helped me frost the special little cake she made just for me.

Yummy!

One afternoon more grand kids came over to play, and Grandma Julie read us stories.

Autumn Quotes

While trick-or-treating at a friend's house, Elsie received a full-sized Starburst package which she was VERY excited about.  Walking toward another house on the way home, we decided to "practice" the polite things to say ("trick or treat", thank you)....

Daddy:  Elsie, let's practice our manners.  Knock, knock...now what do you say?
Elsie:  Elsie wants a really, really big treat?

***

After the fifth round of Ring Around The Rosies...
 
Elsie:  Again!
Daddy (as Elsie begins to run in circles):  Okay, but you sing this time.
Elsie:  No, Daddy sing!
Daddy:  I've sung it a few times already.  It's your turn to sing.
Elsie:  No, Daddy,  I'm too busy running.  You will have to sing.

***

Elsie:  Oh, my goodness!  Mama, I think Elmo has a baby in his tummy just like you do!  Elmo has a boy baby in his tummy.  I think Elmo is pretty silly!

***

Elsie:  I want to go to Papa's house!

Mama:  What is your favorite thing about going to Papa's house?

Elsie:  Dino Dinosaur!  And Mama, I really like Grandma Julie, too.

***

I went in to the doctor to get some blood drawn, and asked Elsie to hold my hand and help me be brave (mostly to keep her out of trouble while I was in the chair).  Afterwards, this was our conversation:

Mama:  That you for holding my hand so nicely and helping me be brave!

Elsie:  Mama, you're brave all by your own self. 

Reading stories- a guest post from Mama

Tonight at bedtime, Elsie declared that she did not want me to read her any stories. 

Instead,  she decided that she was going to read to me.  She then proceeded to "read" to me (extremely accurately, I might add)  Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?, A Mudpie For Mother, What Will Little Bear Wear?, and Take Care, Good Knight.  After telling me that was her "last, last" book before bedtime, my not-yet-2.5-year-old explained that she has been practicing her reading very hard every day during quiet time.  I guess so!  Kindergarten, here we come.