Christmastime in Norcross

"Oh there's no place like home for the holidays..."

Kate got to help Mom decorate for Christmas this year since we got to be down there a full week before Christmas.  My daughter definitely got the organizer genes that my sister also has.  They tackled the project together and had a fun afternoon of it.

Every time we go to my Mom's house, the kids want to 

go over to the Barnes and Noble at the Forum for storytime.

They've been so often now that they know Mrs. Anne, even though we don't even live here!

There is always a craft after the stories.

Followed by opportunities to play with an uber-cool train table set.

All the kids got new scooters this year courtesy of Mema and Pop.  Mom's driveway is too steep for me to be comfortable with the kids out there riding.  Solution?  Pull the car out and scoot in the garage.  I used to do the same thing way back in the day, except my wheels were rollerskates : )

My kids love to go and play with a whole different set of toys!

Many hours of my life, and theirs, have been spent at this kitchen table.  And I love how concentrated Hudson is on whatever great work of art he is producing in this picture!

Fun, new toys to play with right at her level?  Happy Mollie : )

Kate accompanying the snowman in serenading Mollie.  

Looks like it may be a lullaby for that sleepy baby girl.

We had to be sure and put her in the Johnny-Jump-Up 

since she'll probably be too big for it the next time we come to GA.

We're thankful for every opportunity we have to be in Georgia 

and to spend time with family and friends!

The Nutcracker

I love family traditions.

My mom has taken Daria and me to see the Nutcracker Ballet ever since I can remember. We've seen several different versions, in three different countries over the years, and now my little girl is joining us!

I've had to sit out a couple of years along the way, when my babies were new, and this year was one of those years. Kate went down with Mom and Daria though, and had a blast!

Reading up on the Nutcracker story while waiting for their lunch.

The show is about to start! What a sweet thing...I'm very thankful.

Dance Central

Josh and I were introduced to Dance Central this year, and it is so fun! Outrageously fun, actually. It's a game my brother-in-law Jim has for his X-box Kinect. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it somehow tracks your movements so you can see yourself on the TV as you practice and then 'perform' a choreographed song from a solid list of popular dance songs.

We spent several evenings over the Christmas break, late evenings,

dancing in Daria and Jim's living room!

Josh crankin' his soulja boy. He's such a good dancer.

He's got that natural rhythm and nails all the routines.

Black-eyed Peas "I've got a feeling, that tonight's gonna be a good night..."

This one was so fun that we all found a spot in the room to do it together! Ha!!

Can't remember what this song was...doesn't really matter...

they're all awesome.

These pictures make me smile.

(Thanks, Daria, for taking a break to snap some pics.

Love the faces in these!!)

We had such a great time with it, that when we came back home to Wake Forest, we searched online and found some channels on YouTube where people had videoed themselves doing the routines, and we dance along with them!

Does that make us dorks?!

Maybe so, but we don't EVEN care! We have fun, get in a little exercise,

and laugh our heads off!

And that's what I call a fun game : )

Wake Forest Christmas

We celebrated Christmas early at our house since we were going to be in GA for Christmas Day. It actually worked out well to do that because it gave the kids some time to play with their new stuff, which they really enjoyed! Fun day.

Dress-up clothes for Mollie

Trucks that can crash into stuff for Hudson

Camera for Kate

Already putting it to use!

Tent for Carter. Set up in their room, ready to go.

Mom shipped most of her gifts to the kids so we skyped with her and the kids opened their presents so she could see them.

And, surprise! Now everyone has a bike that fits them!

Endless entertainment, hours spent rearranging the nativity scene. Love that Kate brought Mollie along to watch. And that she pulled up chairs for them both.

A local shop in town does a deal during Christmas where kids can come shop in a special back room with an 'elf' to help them pick out gifts for their parents. We didn't think it'd be a good idea to let Hudson loose in there without one of us, so we sent Kate and Carter.

Success!

Child's Play

Kate and I started reading "Charlotte's Web" yesterday.

Later in the afternoon, this is how I caught her walking around the house.

Just like Fern and Wilbur.

I love seeing her imagination in action.

Look at my baby! Standing up to play like such a big girl!

She did take a moment to give me a smile : )

Then back to business.

Sword-fighting with Daddy is serious business, too.

You can see that Josh has already 'lost' an arm from the fierce battle. On guard!

Don't mess with this boy and his cars. He'd line them up for hours at a time if he could.

And what a treat for the Carson's to come over last night! They've moved to Greenville, SC to be a part of a church plant down there, but were in Wake Forest for a couple days. I was telling Carter that he and Laney met when we first moved here, when they were both still 1.

And now they've both turned 4?! Still big buddies though...

And here is Laney's lil' sis, Mattie. Pure cuteness.

Mollie at 7 months

Mollie is growing and changing so much! She hasn't cut any teeth yet, but is drooling like crazy and chews on everything she can get her hands on.

Except her baby food...still can't get her to eat.

Mollie is mobile! Look at her audience, cheering her on. I love how they love each other.

Tubby-time

Playing is serious business now. I love how she holds her mouth a certain way when she's concentrating hard on what she's doing.

She's pulling up to stand!? Already?! I walked in to get her from her nap, and she was STANDING up. I had to run and get my camera, and Mollie didn't like that too much...hence, the screaming face.

But, the best part of this picture is that Mollie is now sleeping in her crib! Kate had been camping out in the boys' room on the futon for a couple weeks while Mollie got used to her crib. We moved Kate back in and now she finally has her roommate that she's been waiting so patiently for! We had a few nights where Mollie woke up WAY too early (and then woke up Kate), but she's been successfully sleeping through the night for the last week or so. Praise the LORD!!!

This is a much happier face! I love how her personality is coming out more and more every day...