Haiti 1-12-10

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Kindercare Winter Gala

The girls daycare held something called "Winter Gala" this past Monday night. It was performances by each classroom singing Christmas songs. I assume it was not held in December because of time and everyone being so busy. Either way it was very cute, warm and crowded for us parents but as long as we all got to see our kids we were happy :) Lily's room came out first and sang Frosty the Snowman and they were supposed to be shaking maracas - Lily did a pretty good job licking hers instead.




Then suprisingly Rowan's room came out next - the did the Pledge of Allegiance and then sang a song called Five Little Snowman about snowmen who melt in the sun, Rowan got to play the sun! We found out later it was because she could not find her snowman so Miss Kathleen let her be the sun instead.




After that there were 3 more classes to watch and then it was done - but there were stations set up in other classrooms where the kids could make snowflakes, decorate cookies and make snowman out of rice krispie treats.

Happy New Year - way late...

Hey - remember us? Cannot believe how long it has taken me to update this page! So let's see, Christmas, New Year and the deep freeze to report on.

My parents arrived on Dec 22nd for Christmas and stayed a week. Christmas was awesome this year with Rowan. She was so excited she opened all of Lily's presents as well as her own. Santa was good to both girls, Rowan's favourite presents were the camera an guitar he brought her, Lily's were actually presents from Mom Mom and Pop Pop and were a talking broom and a walking popper.







My parents stayed at a hotel with a pool so Rowan went over there on her own once and Lily, Rowan and I went another time. Rowan loves swimming and Lily seems to like the water as well so even though it was a small pool it was big fun.




New Years Eve was spent with JoAnn and Paul again. We feasted on Alaskan crab legs and filet mignon. Delicious as always. Rowan stayed up with us again this year but paid for it the next morning - Lily tried to hang with us but gave up at dinnertime, which was around 930pm.




New Years Day for the first time in 10 years I did not watch one minute of the Mummers Parade - instead Angela and I got Rowan and Enaiya together and went to Giggleberry Fair at Peddler's Village - it was fun and a good way to start the year.




Since then January has kept our area in its very very cold grip with no signs of letting up. We have been battling colds and coughs forever it seems and I really wish we were going someplace warm but we have no plans.

Rowan's gymnastics session is over at the end of January and she has decided she does not want to return to it so instead we will be pursuing karate(!) classes for her. Lord help us.

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas

12-18 inches of snow they are calling for!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay - well it was more like 12 total but Rowan loved it and Parker loved our neighbour with the snow blower.

O Christmas Tree O Christmas Tree..

The tree is finally up and done!



The outside of the house last weekend when it snowed and looked all Winter Wonderlandy..

The Elf on the Shelf

Have you heard of this? It is, in a word, brilliant. It is an Elf that shows up in your home one day and is sent by Santa to watch to make sure everyone is being good before Christmas. Every night the Elf returns to the North Pole to report to Santa and is back before everyone wakes up in the morning. Every morning however the Elf lands in a different spot than the day before so every morning the hunt is on for the Elf!

Rowan's Elf showed up under her covers when we went to the tree lighting ceremony in Hatboro last Friday night. Rowan wanted to name it Marshall but decided the Elf was a girl so her name is now Marshelle.

Marshelle seems to like landing on or near our inside Christmas decorations, I guess that is because she is used to the North Pole.

I gotta give Rowan credit though - the first morning she looked in the fridge and then the freezer for Marshelle assuming she liked the cold!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

And the busiest which is why it has taken me until now to update from Thanksgiving! It was a wonderful 4 day weekend that would only have been better if someone had been able to go shopping with me on Black Friday - but I am getting ahead of myself..

Wednesday before the long weekend started the girls had their Thanksgiving Feast at daycare. Parents are invited and I have never gone before but this year I figure it being Rowan's last and Lily's first I would surprise them. Rowan was not as surprised as I hoped she would be but I think that is because when she saw me she was told by her teacher she was not allowed to leave the room to see me yet :( Lily was indifferent about the whole thing and only seemed concerned with getting as much food in her mouth as possible!






Thursday was the annual trek to Aunt Karen's for more food than should be allowed by law. Rowan unfortunately was not feeling well and slept on the couch through dinner but perked up a little after a rest and became a bingo fanatic with the ladies.



Friday - Black Friday - WhooHoo!!! Last year my mom was here and the two of us went out shopping - this year I was on my own - and out the door at 430am thank you very much :) Did pretty good, it was actually more fun by myself than I thought it might be, I hit a bunch of places, got some pretty good deals on things and was home by 9am!

Saturday the outdoor shopping plaza called Valley Square in Warrington had its annual tree lighting ceremony and this year there were free pictures with Santa - off we went! The wait for Santa was easy, the wait for the pictures was forever to the point where they suggested taking your own pictures so we did that too :)





This year Rowan had no reservations whatsoever about sitting on Santa's lap or telling him what she wanted - she even asked him how old he was and how all the toys get made! Figures - the year we don't do the mall Santa she becomes a Chatty Cathy.