Merry Merry

This month we've been enjoying everything about the holiday season--decorating the house, baking cookies, shopping for gifts, going to parties, and getting sick.

Brooke squeals excitedly whenever we see Christmas trees, lights, or Santa. Justin has been asking lots of questions about how chimneys work--I can see his little mind trying to piece together how Santa gets up and down them.


He performed Jingle Bells with the children at our church Christmas party. I love how hard he is working to sing the song and ring those bells!

Both kids scored some antlers at the party.

And both got to meet Santa. While we were waiting in line, Justin kept asking me every five seconds, "Can I still tell Santa I've been a good boy?" Then he would shove his sister or something (not in a mean way, but just out of over-excitement), and then anxiously ask me again. When he got to Santa, he froze up at first, but then remembered the one thing he wanted to ask him for: a running (i.e. digital) watch.

Brooke was a little less enamored with the experience.

Justin also did a terrific job performing Christmas songs with his preschool class. That is some very intent pretend-book-reading. After every song he took a deep and serious bow (this is something he apparently learned to do himself, and he was the only one). It was hilarious. I love this kid. He is four going on forty.


The kids were so excited to pick out a tree and decorate it. As we drove home with the tree tied to our car roof, Mark jokingly asked Justin to let him know if he heard the tree fall off. A few minutes later when I was trying to ask Justin something, he worriedly told me that he couldn't talk and listen for the tree at the same time. It was so cute. We hadn't realized he was sitting there carefully listening for the tree the whole time. And since we brought it home Justin has been helping take good care of it, and checking the water levels every day for us. Brooke enjoys pulling ornaments off the tree, and even ripping them up if she's able to. They are such different personalities, those two!