another update...

i wouldn't use the term "slacker," really, because i've actually been so busy that blogging is the last thing that i have time to do. but it would appear that i have some serious catching up to do.

here goes:

(1) i've made the blog non-private for a while, since christmas cards are being sent out, and our blog address is included. (therefore, swearing and questionable comments should be kept to a minimum. i don't want to name names, marty, but really.) (kidding, kidding.) anyway, if you're new at viewing this blog and want to continue, send me your email address, and i'll invite you. probably go back to private in february or something.

(2.a) thanksgiving was a great break, minus the fact that we were all sick. actually, paul and i were the worst off (which is preferable to watching your kids be miserable, right?). he took the entire week off, and, although it wasn't exactly a vacation, it was great to have him home and hard to see him return to work this past monday.

(2.b) notice that, in the turkeys that the kids made above, layla named hers "brittney." awesome.

(2.c) addelyn is WAY into herself lately. she was totally flirting with her image in the reflection of the toaster right before bathtime, laughing and cooing. and she's trying really hard to sit up and do stuff by herself -- i caught her almost rolling over today (trying to get closer to her reflection in a toy mirror, go figure). she's growing up super fast, and i'm trying to not let her (which, for me, is not typical. i have a tendency to want my kids to be at the maximum level of independence that their age and ability allows).

(3.a) carson continues to love to create and invent stuff. "projects," he calls them. most find their way into the trash within a half hour of their completion, but this was one he was particularly proud of. he made this car (see pics below) all by himself with a shoebox lid, some paper, and some tacks. the kid is so creative and nerdy. (don't know WHERE he gets it from.)

(3.b) layla has some sweet legwarmers and LOVES them. she looks scrumptious in them, too, so i'm all for it. kid-fashion rules.



(4) annual tradition: the smart family christmas tree hunt. we wandered around for a while finding nothing (actually, i found several that i thought were okay, but they didn't meet paul's standards). oh, but carson found a bird's nest in a tree and carried it sooo carefully for the rest of the time. he sacrificed his face, legs, arms, whatever to keep that little nest safe. it's now an ornament on our tree. and layla pretty much hated the entire experience (note photo below), at least until she went back and sat in the warm truck with gramma joyce and a cup of hot cocoa. with the kids back at the parking lot with gramma & grampa, paul and i were able to head straight up the mountainside to find the tree.



(5) we've been busy busy busy, and loving every minute of it, doing christmas projects and spreading christmas cheer. carson wanted to make one of these tie-snakes for everyone in his preschool class. cute, no? (brooke, how can i ever thank you for the awesome tie-snake idea? we've gotten a ton of mileage out of it.)



p.s. on the inset pic above, can you tell which "snake" is carson? (he was so so proud of himself and his grand disguise. nice.)

merry christmas season, everybody.