A morning parade....quite a frequent occurrance around here.

Quinn and Opa's dance party

Beck dancing

 

Books with Oma and Opa

 

 

Class with Opa

 

Though she has a hard time deciding if it's a classroom or doctor's office. 

 

A couple of sillies

 

Quinnism

Quinn LOVES the whole concept of mail--writing and sending it, and best of all, receiving it.  Grammie wrote Quinn a letter and posted it, and Q was so excited when it arrived yesterday.  She opened it up and Grammie had put a picture of herself on the inside.  Q looked at it and said, very matter-of-factly, "Oh, there's Joline." 
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And another--
Today we stopped by Target with Mimi.  She was trying to help Q get into a cart and Q didn't want help.  "Mimi, I don't NEED you to help me!  This isn't my first rodeo!"

She freaks people out at stores all the time by climbing in and out of the cart when we arrive/leave.  She never wants help and it doesn't phase me at all to let her do it on her own--she's a safe, well-seasoned climber.  After all, she's been scaling bookshelves three times that height since she was a year old.  :)

Christmas breakfast

On Christmas Eve Q went to Aunt Lynda's to make homemade cinnamon rolls and fresh-squeeze OJ.  We enjoyed her product on Christmas day!

Sweet friends had also baked us pumpkin bread, which was Beck's preference!

 

Christmas kisses

 

Goodies from Santa

Quinn's request from Santa this year was for soft pink and purple mittens.  Unfortunately the elves had already used all the pink and purple fur, so the big guy brought pink mittens and a pink hat and some soft purple socks.  He also brought a little white teapot for her!

Beck waited anxiously to see what Santa brought for him.  After all, Q had wanted to know if she could ask Santa to bring something for Beck, too.  Didn't matter what, just SOMETHING.

Beck got some days of the week socks and a little wooden tray for his collections (acorns, rocks, etc.).

But he really loved Q's teapot.

 

The gloves passed the test and she has been happily sporting them.  I sewed a purple felt rose onto her hat so she could tell the back from the front. 

The socks WERE NOT more interesting than the teapot. 

 

Christmas Eve

 

 

 

 

 

Grandad had arranged (with his special Christmas elves....)for Grammie to have a Christmas gift from him this first Christmas he was gone.  She got a beautiful necklace with a sapphire setting. 

Beck LOVED an airplane he got.  He couldn't wait for Daddy to get it out of the box.

But the best toy of all is still Grammie's walker.

We had the perfect Christmas Eve--appetizers at Mike and Lynda's....firepit outside, Santa dropped in, and everyone had a nice, relaxing time (well, as relaxing as it gets with two little ones and Christmas gifts...).  And Aunt Mandy had the biggest Christmas surprise as Brian proposed later in the night!  So we'll have wedding excitement coming up soon!

Light Walk

Over the weekend we took a looong walk to look at lights in our neighborhood with Oma and Opa.  I put some battery-powered Christmas lights on the jogger as a little surprise for the kids.  :)
Then we hit DQ after the lights. 

You know it!

 

 

 

 

Play it, Mr. Matt!

A few weeks back we were at the Merediths and asked Matt to give us a little trombone demonstration.  Q has a song she likes called, "Sammy the Dog Has Learned to Play Trombone," but she didn't know what a trombone was.  I think Beck was the biggest fan of all, he danced right along to the music!

Merry Christmas!