Sleep Hangover?

Today, Michael and Traci were having fun playing with some of his baby toys on our living room ottoman when he suddenly passed out in a deep sleep. You might assume that he was probably just tired because he had not gotten enough sleep overnight. AU CONTRAIRE!! Let's hear a big round of applause for our little boy who finally slept through the night (9PM-5AM) for the first time in his young life! Hip-hip-hooray, say the suddenly clear-headed parents! From our experience with Katie, we know that we are a long way from this becoming the norm, but we'll take what we can get. WOW, did it feel good to be well-rested today. And, if sleeping through the night produces more spontaneous naps like these, then all the better!

Body of Christ?

Over the baptism weekend, Mike made the shocking discovery that poor little Baby Jesus had gone missing from this year's nativity set. After alerting the authorities (i.e., himself) and sealing off all exits, the missing person investigation unfortunately turned into a homicide crime scene. Evidence of foul play had surfaced with the gruesome discovery of a decapitated Messiah sitting atop a living room bookshelf. Several individuals have been identified as persons of interest...Can you help us determine who committed this horrible crime?

A) Katie (the obvious choice)

B) Grandma (the seemingly innocent visitor)

C) Connor (Katie's usual co-conspirator)

D) Daddy (gasp...the shocking plot twist)

Michael's Baptism

Sorry that it took us so long to get the baptism photos online, but it was a busy extended weekend! Grandma, Aunt Kathy and Uncle Jim arrived on Friday evening and we were lucky enough to have them stay with us through Tuesday afternoon. Papa and Grammy drove down from Pennsylvania on Saturday, which gave us the opportunity to get everyone together for dinner on Saturday night (see previous post). After the ceremony on Sunday, we had a small little celebration with family and friends (which was wonderful). Thanks to everyone who made Michael's baptism so special. Our pictures were spread out over several different cameras, but we threw those that we had quick access to into the photo album on the right. Please check it out...

G'Day, Michael!

All of Michael's grandparents, godparents, parents, and sisters assembled at Outback Steakhouse for a pre-baptism dinner this evening. Fortunately, everyone made it in safely despite the winter storms. It's great to be with family again...stay tuned for Michael's big day tomorrow!

Let it (Fake) Snow!

Our area is scheduled to get its first significant snowfall tomorrow. Of course, we're going to have lots of messiness just in time for everybody's travel for the baptism weekend. Oh well... In anticipation of tomorrow, Traci, Katie, and Michael visited a local Christmas display that included another Santa, lots of Christmas trees, some interactive Polar Express displays, and a big fake snow machine (situated in a cool giant snow globe). Katie loved the fake snow so much that she looked like a walking "Head & Shoulders" dandruff shampoo commercial by the time she left. She also loved watching all the little girls coming in with their special Christmas dresses for their pictures with Santa. (We skipped that portion this time...didn't want to pay for the pictures. Bah humbug!)

Here's Michael getting in on the fake snow action. Doesn't he look completely bewildered? Perhaps Traci should have put his little stroller hood up...who knows what that fake snow is made of? Anyway, we're all terribly excited for all of the family and friends visiting this weekend for Michael's big day. We'll post pictures soon!

In One Sleigh...HEY!

Today's post was inspired by a similar video put up on Facebook by one of our friends. Katie was so delighted to see another preschooler singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that she had to respond with her rendition of Jingle Bells. (This one's for you, Sam F.!) Notice how she re-works the final verse when she can't figure out the right words. Happy 22-Days Til' Christmas, Everybody! Remember, Santa is always watching.... (Katie certainly remembers!)

Santa Success!

Some of you may recall from last year that Katie had a MAJOR fear of jolly, ol' St. Nicholas. Let's just say that her first visit to a mall Santa did not go so well... Well, our little girl is all grown up now and completely understands that Santa Claus may be the key to her obtaining her coveted Disney Princess dolls! Traci, Katie, and Michael had a few hours to kill, so we headed to a local mall playground (which Traci knew would be situated right next to a mall Santa Claus). When we arrived, Santa was on an extended break; and Katie just played for awhile. Suddenly, we all heard the tell-tale jingle bells that signify that something very Christmas-y was about to begin. Katie was the first to spot Santa returning to his post, and she very excitedly asked if we could go talk with him. Before Traci could even determine whether the poor Santa-dude was ready to see kids yet, Katie had already marched over to him and said, "I WANT AN ARIEL!" He had no clue what she said, but he graciously led her back to his chair to chat while Traci got Michael ready for the photo ops. As you can see, both kids cooperated and now we finally have a great Santa photo! Now, we just have to talk to Katie about inserting some manners into her chats with Santa....