Happy Holidays... from Thomas

"Santa, I love you. I love my new pet dinosaur and I love my new racecar track with Lightning McQueen and Hudson Hornet and I love my new car transporter Meredith gave me and I love my new clock and I love my new Spiderman slippers and I love my new Wall-E eyes and I love my new Tex Dinoco and I love my new board games and I love EVERYTHING. I slept with my new dinosaur today. I love you, Santa. I asked my mom why I got new toothpaste and she said you knew I was running low and that it was to use after I eat my mini M&Ms and other candy. I love my new Spiderman toothbrush. Daddy says I can take it with me to Grandma's house. Thank you, Santa. I love you! P.S.: My dad really likes the presents you brought me, too!"

Merry Christmas... from Bela

"Dear Santa Paws,
I like my chew toy, but I like this treat better. I know this hot chocolate mix wasn't in my stocking, but are you sure it wasn't for me? It smells really good and the girl doesn't seem interested in it. Please let me know.
Thanks,
Bela aka B.G. aka Bela-girl"

Happy Holidays... from Greta

"Dear Santa Paws,
I love my new chew toy! However, as you must know, it won't last long. I was having a great time chewing on it this morning but then she took it away from me and told me I would be pooping orange poop later today. I wish they would have let me take it to the boarding facility with me this afternoon. I chew on things when I'm nervous.
Thank you!
Greta aka Nubby aka Greta-girl"

Merry Christmas... from Meredith

"Hi Santa! This is Meredith. Thanks for coming to my house early and bringing me lots of good things. Daddy helped me with my stocking because it was so full and heavy. I really like my new Hello Kitty toothbrush, but I love my new kitchen the best. I've been cooking things all day long. My brother gave me a new cookware set so I have plenty of pots, pans and cooking utensils. I've also been enjoying all my new books. Mommy has read "The Eye Book" about a dozen times already. Next year you can bring me even more presents if you want. I'm really good at opening them! Thanks, Santa!"

20 months

This little girl is a fun one. She insists on dressing herself, can throw herself to the floor in a tantrum like no other (thank goodness they're the "silent protest" variety and not all-out screaming fits), is very independent and opinionated, an adventurous risk-taker and quite honestly seems like a much older girl than her 20 months. She adores her brother but has started doing things intentionally to irritate him. And she can be down-right bossy -- to everyone. We love you more than anything, Meredith, but I think your teen years are going to be very interesting for us all...

Holiday of Lights

the tunnel of lights was a family favorite

Tonight our family enjoyed a visit to Holiday of Lights which claims to be the largest animated drive-through light show on the west coast. I'm not sure if that's true, but the display is at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and it seems pretty big. None of us had ever been to something like this. Meredith is enjoying the holiday lights this year and most twinkling lights receive an "oh, wow!" reaction from her. Thomas got a kick out of being free to roam the vehicle as we drove through the light show. There were so many lights that sometimes it was hard for him to see things, but he had a great time nonetheless.

Santa was greeting kids at the end. Thomas loves Santa.

special delivery

With our plans to be in Portland for the holidays on hold due to weather conditions up there, we've been shuffling our plans. Things we were going to wait and do after the holidays we are doing now. One of this family's favorite things to do this time of year is take some special gifts to our furry friends at the local humane society. With a welcome break from the rains today, we ventured out donning Santa hats and carrying gifts for the sheltered animals.
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Both kids loved this outing. Thomas remembers it from last year, but Meredith was still a babe so this was especially fun for her. We visited the dogs, the cats, some very fluffy rabbits and a couple of rats. All these animals need home, but there was one in particular who really tugged at this mama's heart.
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Upon exiting the shelter I immediately called M and told him about her. She's a 6 year old Vizsla who reminds me of our Bela. A gorgeous girl who was dropped off at the night shelter just as Greta had been. She'll be waiting for her people to come pick her up but if they don't then she's available for adoption in one week. We really can't care for a third dog, can we...?

the texting toddler

Like all little ones, Meredith loves to play with my cell phone. She has called friends. She has sent her dad text messages and video clips. And this evening she sent her dad a recorded message. ??? I have never even sent a text message.

sun & snow for the holidays

Tomorrow morning we'll leave our sunny, 60 degree beach home for below-freezing, snow and ice-covered Oregon. Well, that's assuming we're able to even get there. Flights have been cancelled today due to lack of de-icing equipment at Portland and the forecast is calling for more wintery weather up there tonight and tomorrow morning -- just in time for our visit. It's going to be a very interesting day. Maybe next year we stay here and everyone come visit us instead...??

Cascabel aka "Jingle Bells"

T sings "Cascabel" from c on Vimeo.

PB&Js for all

Our 5-year-old neighbor had a PB&J-making party this afternoon for a local homeless shelter. It's nice to see all the different ways that people choose to "give back" and involving the kids in something fun like this was definitely a hit. Well, it was a hit for the neighbor and her 5-year-old girlfriends. It was a little lost on Thomas who, during the making of his one and only sandwich, put his finger in the peanutbuttered bread and put the plastic knife coated with jelly into his mouth. Half a peanutbutter sandwich later (of course he was hungry!), he was off jumping on the trampoline and climbing in the treehouse. Meredith had an equally good time but there wasn't much sandwich-making from these two today. And the eight 5-year-old girls? They made and bagged 100 sandwiches. Wow!

her babies

Meredith doesn't necessarily love dolls, but she loves strollers and other doll accessories. This past weekend a friend witnessed Meredith's obsession with the doll stroller and decided she must have her daughter's neglected doll stroller and accessories. She left them on our front porch this morning while we were out so it wasn't until after naps that Meredith discovered them. And oh, what a discovery that was! All her dolls have been going for rides in the stroller, taking naps, swinging, bouncing and are enjoying snacks in the highchair. Meredith is loving these "new to her" toys.

mmm... hot chocolate...

one weekend, three parties

"the preschool holiday party"

Pictured above: Thomas, sporting antlers and a green beaded necklace, enjoys building Play-doh snowmen with friends Michael and Sierra. Held outdoors at a nearby park, the preschool holiday potluck had lots of food and drink, a gift exchange for the kids and an appearance by the classroom aide's hairless dog. "Tina" was a very sweet nekkid little puppy.

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"the Saturday evening party w/friends"

Friends and their children gathered for a family holiday party complete with adult beverages like chocolate martinis (yum!), guilt-laden appetizers and desserts, an always-guaranteed-to-be-a-fun-time adult White Elephant gift exchange, and gift bags for all the children. One parent supplied personalized music CDs in each of the gift bags. Thomas loves his preschool music cd and I'm sure Meredith will love her toddler music cd, too. What a special treat!

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"the playgroup holiday party w/Santa"

Thomas loves Santa and when he showed up at Grace's house today with bells jingling and a sack full of gifts, well... the boy was beside himself with excitement. Santa read stories, sang songs, did some magic tricks (!?), and gave each child a special gift bag the elves made special for them. Plenty of photo opportunities with Santa today and Thomas loved it. Meredith, on the other hand, stayed far away from the big guy but we did manage to snap a few family photos with him. She had a great time pushing Grace's doll stroller all over the house and sneaking goodies off the food table.

I love her in red

her bean bag

A new bean bag chair specially made for Meredith arrived at our front door yesterday from Grandma. Imagine the surprise and delight for this lucky little girl! She's been seen laying on it, sitting on it and crawling all over it. Thomas has also been seen using it as a launching pad for other furniture acrobatic tricks that we must put a stop to soon. A new sectional will be arriving next month and there will be none of that silliness on this lovely new piece of furniture...

why daddies are special, reason #2396

Only a daddy would make a special breakfast like "Christmas eggs" while the mommy sleeps in. Thomas was super-excited by this creation his dad whipped up for him this morning.

holiday treats

The kids and I enjoyed doing a test run of some chocolate dipped marshmallow treats for their little friends today. I need to thin the chocolate, use different sprinkles, blah, blah, blah..., but these were tasty just the same! I think tomorrow we'll do another "test run" for an afternoon playdate. And then next week we'll make up a whole bunch, slip them into some cute packaging and distribute to their friends. Don't you just love the holidays?

tags and all

Thomas on our Christmas tree: "I see a snowflake... I see a gingerbread man... I see a tree... I see a racecar... I see some red balls... I see a candy cane... I see a tag."
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[Yes, the manufacturer's tag is still on the top of the tree. A nine foot tree is really about eleven feet tall with a stand and once that thing was assembled and plugged in... well, neither of us were going to get a ladder or take it all down just to remove the manufacturer's tag. M suggested it might not even be noticed because it's so high up and around the back and red like an ornament. Thomas notices everything.]

silly & sweet

fun with daddy's sunglasses

All Aboard Santa's Express

Last year Meredith liked Santa and Thomas didn't like him. This year Thomas likes Santa and Meredith doesn't. I wonder if they'll both like him next year?
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This morning our family boarded a special train ride down the coast and back with Santa Claus, his lovely wife Mrs. Claus, the Grinch and his dog, and countless elves. There were bumps along the way and the nearly 2 hour ride (unforseen delay by an Amtrak train) was long for these little ones, but in all it was a fun family holiday outing that only comes once a year...
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Thomas' favorite: Mrs. Claus

Meredith's favorite: seeing Santa continue on down the train

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gifts from Santa! ~ everyone's favorite: stamps
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cute Meredith ~ train engineer M ~ the grinch