Getting ready, seeing Santa!

It's Christmas time!

Our girls are enjoying opening a pocket each night on their beautiful Advent calendars. Thanks, Nan and Pop, for sending such lovely treats for them to discover!

Here you see Violet modeling the new headband she drew out of one of the pockets.

On Friday we had Genia and the kids over to decorate Christmas cookies and a gingerbread house to help get us in the spirit. And on Saturday we decorated the inside of the house and the tree.

Also Saturday, we visited with Mr. Claus himself, when he visited my MOPS group.

It was our best visit with Santa yet.

On Year One, Cora was 10 months old and just old enough to NOT like Santa. We got some photos, but she bore the "I'm going to cry" face.

The next year, Cora wouldn't pose with him without me and Stace in the photo too, and she wasn't anywhere near the Red-Suited One. Last year we didn't manage a photo with him, thanks to an unfortunate chain of events.

By next year, I wouldn't be surprised if Violet is scared of Santa. So, we had this one year to get it right. No smiles from Vi, but she didn't cry, either.

Cora was very quiet and demure, and asked for a particular Ariel doll we spotted at Kohls the other day. I think I need to get busy on that front!

Cora woke up Saturday night/early Sunday morning with a pretty decent fever and headache bad enough to make her sob, so our Sunday was spent at home. Her fever went away with meds, but kept returning, so we didn't make it out to the Christmas tree lighting at Henry Mayo hospital, per our family tradition.

We took her in to the doctor today, and she has a virus. They checked her for the flu, and that came back negative. Her fever was gone most of today, but at bedtime she had a mild fever again. No Terrific Tots on Tuesday for Cora, which will be a disappointment for her.

If nothing else, this little cold has reminded Stace and me to appreciate how very healthy our girls are! I can count on a couple of fingers the number of times Cora has been to the doctor because of illness. It also makes me re-appreciate being able to stay home with them. This little cold would be such a bigger problem if I worked outside the home.