Thanksgiving to Christmas...

Thanksgiving to me signals the end of my favorite season and the beginning of a cold, nasty, snowy winter. I like to hang on to my favorite season as long as possible, so decorating, or thinking about Christmas a moment before Thanksgiving is illegal in this household! This year it took an early morning trip to JoAnn Fabrics for a few doorbuster items to get me into the Christmas spirit. I drove the short ride home with the Christmas tunes on, and am ready to decorate the house and the tree next weekend!

We finished off our Thanksgiving weekend with a trip to the Parade of Lights in downtown! It was a little chilly, but we bundled up the kids and met up with Nanny, Pa, Uncle Ricard and Aunt Cheeny! Elsie had a great time watching all the floats go by, seeing "the nowman" and dancing to the Christmas tunes. The fire trucks weren't a favorite, but they were at the end so overall it was a happy experience for all! Ander took a quick cat nap before the parade and was quite alert to watch all the lights and people passing by. Although Elsie doesn't understand the idea of Santa we are very excited for this Christmas with her and Ander.

I typically spend Sunday afternoons up to my eyeballs in laundry and getting ready for the week ahead. This Sunday includes a little baking. Elsie loves to sit on the counter with me while I'm baking. Today was a very special day for both of us. Elsie realized that cookie batter tastes delicious! I then proceeded to teach her how to lick a beater. I remember when I was a kid and mom would make cookies. It was crucial to claim a beater before she put them in the sink or a sibling took them! She had a blast, making a nice little mess and I'm sure the next time I have the mixer going I'll have a little girl at my ankles begging of the beater! If you have ever been around Elsie for any length of time there is no doubt you have heard her "motor". We refer to it as her concentration noise, and pray that she outgrows it before she goes to school. In the picture you will notice her upper lip is up, as if she is doing an Elvis impersonation. That is not the case, she is just concentrating really hard, trying to get all the batter off the beater, and her motor is running!

So I am now officially in the Christmas spirit! Bring on the snowmen, Santas, peanut butter balls...but hold off on the snow until about Dec. 23rd please!!