All The Things

I keep thinking I'm going to blog...and then there's this little miss who has had one cold followed by four teeth coming in at one time who seems determined to issue an immediate cease-and-desist order on all enjoyable evening activities that may otherwise occur...such as soothing cups of hot milky tea, or just a brain on veg, or an uninterrupted Netflix show, etc. etc....nope.  Right now I am typing and she is busily investigating the boys room, where they are happily camped out on the floor in their blankets, or trying to high-tail it down the hall with a gleeful chuckle and glint in her eye towards Layla's room.  When we really get down to bidness, I'll probably put a big chair in front of the living room door that she can't squeeze past, and then she'll howl her little head off in great distress and then I will comfort her by nursing her to sleep.  It's all planned out, you see.

This made me laugh the other day.  So, we have a cat, Kitzi.  And she is verrrryyy friendly.  She will get right up in your face and demand the love.

She takes very little offense if you push her off after a bit, and pads off to find her next patron.  She's such a good cat.  She and Caroline have a symbiotic relationship and have had from as little as Caroline could grab her.  She is exceptionally tolerant with Caroline and often goes to find her so that Caroline can grab at her, which Kitzi interprets as petting.  :)  She has a funny quirk of PREFERRING to obtain water by sources other than a water dish.  She spends a lot of time in the bathtub waiting for drops to drink, or if that's not working out for her, goes scouting for stray water cups, which she will dip her paw into, and then carefully lick off the water.

Meanwhile, we're settling into Christmas around here.  Christmas really is fun with little kids.  They have such wide-eyed delight in it.  When we got back from Thanksgiving, the shieldren's were hot on my heels about Christmas.  I told them that the living room needed to be cleaned up first and they were ON IT.

Israel is especially chief of Christmas excitement.  He just can hardly contain himself.  :)  This is the second year that he has been both the primary urger and primary helper to obtain all items and do all the Christmas goodness YEEEESSSSSSS!!!!  But it's pretty contagious to the leetle ones too.

The aforementioned Kitzi surveying her Christmas domain.  She's a very regal Queentzi.

The Baby and her daddy were looking at the Kitzi and talking together about her the other night.

Luuuuvvv's me some Baby Curls. ;)

She's SUCH a sweet baby and totally adored by all parties at all times around here.

Seriously people.  That is a morsel of sweet child, right there. 

On Friday night, we did our Official Christmas Activity of the season, which was to go to The Salted Rim in Ocean View, DE, where they have two train cars set up as part of the restaurant, and you enjoy a Polar Express Train supper.  It was really fun, actually.  We went through a buffet,

and were seated where we could see large screen TV's that played The Polar Express.  The boys were transfixed the whole time.

The train car.

Layla got a little restless eventually, and romped around playing with the baby.  They served hot chocolate and a cookie, and then Santa came to visit...

He asked all the kids what they wanted for Christmas, and then gave them a little bell with a ribbon to match Santa's bell in the movie.  Layla wanted a doll, Israel wanted a Wii U, and Zion wanted a sword.  Gabe couldn't decide.  :)  

I mentioned to Tim as we traveled the 50+ minutes away that it was significant (and potentially promising in regards to Christmas travels) that the distance was not intimidating this year in terms of Caroline.  Last year at Christmas, I was not ready to commit to traveling anywhere further than 15 minutes away from home (and even that was stretching!!!) but this year she is older and able to be entertained.  We have officially entered a new phase that makes life a little broader and less survivalistic.  

Tonight (Saturday), we ate pizza and watched Home Alone for the first time.

The boys LOVED it, which I knew they would.  I don't normally have patience to watch kid's movies, but I happily sat through this one just to see their enjoyment of it.  Layla seemed slightly concerned about the concept of staying behind at home by one's self, and stated insistently and repeatedly that she would not do that, but she would go with everyone.  :)