Kelsey's New Sleeping Position

above: playing piano with Pops!

TODAY was a busy day for "Kimberly's bridesmaids" (aka, Calla and Kelsey's aunts). We headed to get fitted for bridesmaids dresses. Jonathan and Uncle David went to the mall and took Calla along. Then we enjoyed one of my FAVORITE lunches of all time at Chick-Fil-A. Calla loved playing in the playland. Uncle David graciously stood with his hand through the window in the play equipment so that Calla could step on it so she could reach the high platform.

This afternoon, the girls napped. Kelsey was flexible and napped while we hung out at Aunt Kelly's house. We wanted to see Aunt Kelly's plump tree to take notes on how to keep a real tree alive!

This evening, Daddy and I had a rare night out for dinner while the girls stayed with their doting aunts. Aunt Katelyn and Mimi gave the girls a bath! Calla spent the entire evening playing "people" with Pops.

Tonight Kelsey watched "The Proposal" with her aunts. Well, she slept through it. She has a bad cough that I hope she recovers from soon!

below: Calla put Baby on the sofa I suppose.
below: Aunt Katelyn & Kels

below: Uncle David helping Kelsey walk

below: LOL!!!! Aunt Katelyn held Kelsey while I worked on my laptop and Kelsey held Aunt Katelyn's nose in her sleep!

Lunch at Grandma's

below: tilt your head bc these photos aren't uploading correctly - Grandpa and Kels

above: trying on grandma';s shoes

TODAY Aunt Kim and Aunt Rinnie went with some friends up to New York City for the day and so Uncle Caboo, Uncle David and Aunt Katelyn hung out with Calla. Calla did exercises this morning with Mimi and Aunt Katelyn and I, and then we consumed all the calories we had just lost during a big lunch at Grandma and Grandpa's. (Daddy was coaching basketball.)

It was so fun for Calla to visit Grandma and Grandpa. She played puzzles and colored and ate a lot of food. Kelsey took a nap on Grandma's bed. Aunt Kelly joined us, after taking a personal day off work. Kudos to Aunt Kelly for taking the REST of the week off work! Yay! Lots of time to visit.

This afternoon, Calla took a loooong nap and Kelsey hung out with her aunts and played. Calla had her personal favorite for dinner - pasta - and then played some more this evening. So far she is doing really well on the potty (at Thanksgiving she kept having accidents here). She even went a couple of times at Grandma's.

Aunt Katelyn is determined to teach Kelsey how to crawl while she is here. So far, not too much luck. Even getting the basics down....getting on all fours....seems to be a challenge! We will have to settle for our second goal - teaching Kelsey "sooo big!" She enjoys that it least!

We are planning on getting up early tomorrow to get fitted for bridesmaids dresses for Aunt Kimmi's wedding so I better get to bed! Calla will be a flower girl so we will be searching for those as well!

Christmas at Mom-Mom's

above: two girls

below: sitting pretty

below: telling stories with Pops

TODAY was church - we let the girls sleep in a little and went to the second service. Calla had a blast in Sunday school - I could hear her laughing in the hall when I left the service to feed Kelsey. Right after church, we headed to my Mom-Mom's house for Christmas with my dad's side of the family.

Calla did really great with the large crowd.....eleven aunts and uncles, thirty-three-plus cousins, and seven great grandchildren were there. Whew! We enjoyed a huge brunch while Kelsey took her first nap in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Kelsey took such great naps! Later on, after a long playtime, Kelsey got tired enough to take a second nap.

Calla LOVED playing with Rachel and Nadia, who are my cousin Adrienne's girls. They are only eighteen months apart so it was cute watching them and thinking about Calla and Kelsey at that age (they are 4 and 5). Nadia was so sweet to run around and play with Calla.

After Mom-Mom's we headed home and had a little birthday get-together for Aunt Katelyn (her birthday was on December 20th). We had pizza and ice cream cake....but Calla missed all the festivities! She was so tired after no nap that I put her right to bed at 7pm! I think I can safely say that's her earliest bedtime on record! She was sleeping within 5 minutes.

Callaism~

~ This afternoon, Calla was looking out the window at Nadia and Nadia's grandfather (my uncle) and said, "Look! It's Nadia and Nadia's Pops!" Haha.

below: A new photo of David and Katelyn and Kelsey (-:

below: Calla playing Play-Doh with Nadia and Aunt Corinne

below: Kelsey sitting by herself!

Roadtrip

TODAY, right now, we are headed in the minivan to Pennsylvania. Both girls are asleep for the night - Kelsey fell asleep at 7pm (which is actually 6pm central time...she was still recovering from a big day yesterday!) and Calla finally fell asleep at 9:30 EST.

Our chauffer (sp?) is doing a great job keeping us on schedule, although secretly I've been dying to notify him that I've had to use the bathrrom for the past hour and twelve minutes. (I guess - in an emergency situation - I could always use Calla's pink potty)

Speaking of Calla's pink potty, her using it was definitely the main activity of this road trip. She used it six times, one of which was a smelly deposit that was conveniently made as we were literally pulling into a rest stop for lunch! Impeccable timing, Calla!!

We only stopped twice...once for gas and lunch, which we ate in the car. And, secondly, for dinner which we ate inside. Ketchup and fries don't mix very well with eating in the car in the dark! ....So we opted to eat inside and lose about 35 minutes of driving time in the process.

Anyway, we are becoming experienced roadtrippers. Although Jonathan did admit to me that he hopped online this morning to see if there were any cheap flights! (There weren't.)

Unfortunately, I can't upload photos from my camera to my phone so this one of Calla on the potty in the car will have to do for today!

Merry Christmas!

TONIGHT it's late so I am going to save the Christmas commentary for tomorrow and just post some photos and videos from today:

above: reading the Christmas story
below: Calla showing Kelsey her first gift

below: opening a present from Mimi and Pops

below: Kelsey's favorite part (eating her presents)

below: Calla praying for our Christmas breakfast

below: Daddy did Calla's nails today for Christmas.

below: so happy in her Christmas outfit~!

below: don't know why this photo isn't flipping. too cute

below: Calla insisted on wearing this pink headband

below: on our way to Mema and Opa's, Calla had to take a potty break in the car. Good thing we keep her pink potty in there!

below: Kelsey LOVES Maverick

below: Kels and Opa

below: Calla smiling pretty on Poppi's lap

below: Uncle Stephen and Kelsey looking festive

below: showing a new outfit from Mema

below: Kelsey pulling Calla's face!!

below: awww Uncle Ben and Aunt Court with Kels and Calla

below: tricks with Daddy

below: family shot (this was the best of like 8 that Aunt Court took for us!)

below: happy Kelsey

below: Mema and Kelsey smiling pretty

below: snuggling

below: Kelsey in the middle of things

below: Calla lining up her "animals" at the buffee

below: definitely one of her favorite gifts...playing play-doh with cousin Stephanie

below: the Brust cousins

below: the girls with Mema and Opa

below: a sweet end to a sweet day...ICE CREAM with cousin Steph