Getting behind!

Time is flying. Em was a midnight pukarino on the Wed / Thurs turnover, then woke up complaining her throat and ear hurt. We kept her home from school, coughed up yet another copay to simply confirm she had the stomach bug that was going around. The "my ear hurt" threw me a bit - I'm not one to rush to the doctor, but she has had so many ear infections over the years I wanted to be sure. By lunchtime she was her insane self and I was all, "Can I send her to school now?" Instead after dropping Ben off to preK, she was my Christmas shopping buddy - we hit up a few stores for the PTA staff appreciation luncheon I am chairing, and also a store to get Daddy some gifts. Daddy, she picked everything out, so you cannot give me the eye! I most certainly turned her down on many choices like a superman t-shirt - yes, you are our superman, but I know you wouldn't necessarily want the shirt...

Santa decided to send "Elfelina" to us this year as our children can sometimes be behaviorally challenged and in need of an Elf apparently to whip them into shape. She has proven to be excellent at playing hide and seek. Emma is so far winning the seek Elfelina out every morning game, but is most certainly losing the "You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I'm telling you why," game. Daddy and I must say 50 times a day, "Elfelina's watching!" Ben's favorite Elfelina spot so far was finding her looming a Christmas bracelet early one morning.

It's any easy one to loom.  Maybe I should have given her the iPad to watch youtube videos...

Speaking of presents, Gramma Lou gave Emma this wagon on her 2nd birthday and it still gets play. Nothing like a good 'ole red wagon to pass the time after school before the neighborhood kids get called in to do homework.

We love our culdesac friends.

Food: as Daddy's turkey was beyond amazing on Thanksgiving, but we didn't take nearly enough leftovers home, we decided to give his butterflying the Turkey recipe one more shot to ensure it's deliciousness was not a fluke. Nope, no fluke. It was juicy and mouthwateringly perfection. Proof positive:

Our sweet cavegirl...

Posh (that's a fancy word for fancy) Daddy popped by our local french bakery and picked up a loaf of sourdough to accompany the veggie chili he made for dinner Thurs night. He also picked up mini fruit tarts. Emma chowed hers, Ben took off the real fruit topping and (surprisingly) ate the custard and the (not surprisingly) shell. Delicious once again!

I look at least 8 in this pic.

The annual Charles Dickens Festival began tonight in our village. It was rainy and cold, but that did not deter these kids from wanting to walk around port. This is a shot of them at the Masonic Temple's Gingerbread house exihibit.

Sooooooooo should have been our Christmas pic!