True enough, this post is late. Way late. But, I didn't post this the first week in January, and we've been busy around the Denney house the past couple of weeks. So while there will be a Lila/Norah update soon, I have to post the holiday entry now or it will never be done.
We had lots of fun in and around late December/Christmas/New Year. Norah took the time to have several adorable pictures taken with some of her favorite people.
Norah and Grandaddy monkeying around.
Norah with Uncle David and Uncle Harold at Twisted Root enjoying some delicious food and great family time.
The week before Christmas, we met David, Tracey and Kaelyn at Northpark for storytime with Santa. The girls very much enjoyed hearing the big jolly man read stories to them, and even though Norah again chose to keep her distance from Santa, I do believe she might have told him a few times that she still wanted a Tricycle for Christmas. Did she get it?!?! The answer is below...
The Sunday before Christmas, we decided to take step 1 in getting Norah logistically ready for Lila (then called Baby Sister) -- moving her from the crib upstairs to her new big girl bed in the downstairs bedroom.
Unfortunately, we hadn't done anything to turn this room into a kid-friendly room in the preceding months because we had expected to sell the house by now. As that didn't happen, Norah has been relegated to a room painted in very dark blue for the time being. No matter, she has loved her big girl bed from the beginning. She hasn't had any problems transitioning at all! If anything, she is going to bed easier now than before. We have been quite blessed in this regard. On Christmas Eve, Norah enjoyed seeing the snow about as much as every other kid in the metroplex did. Immensely! Upon seeing the first snowflakes, she said: "Snow! My favorite! Thank you God for snow, Amen." This prayer was unsolicited and unbelievably cute.
Norah liked being outside in the snow, but she chose not to kick or crunch it, leaving that to Karen and me. "Mama, crunch the snow!" was a common refrain. It was a very special day indeed.
Christmas Morning!
Norah enjoyed looking through her stocking, and after being asked "what did you get" by Mama and Daddy repeatedly, Norah began saying "What my got?!" with each gift she pulled. "What my got" was probably the most uttered phrase by the monkey girl in December.
A Dora bracelet and necklace from Claire's, plus a super-cute headband!
The last piece of the Advent Calendar puzzle: putting Baby Jesus in his place.
Then on to the real presents, which included a few toys and books and clothes, and one big tricycle (which we didn't let Norah see until later in the day for fear it would prevent us from heading to Sachse for Christmas lunch in a timely manner...).
Lucy enjoyed the presents too.
Bram and Norah enjoyed cuddling with me after both had been bribed sufficiently with presents.
After we finished opening presents, we headed up to Sachse for Christmas lunch and presents with Uncle David, Aunt Tracey, Cousin Kaelyn, Mimi and Papa.
The next five pictures are a somewhat amusing sequence of Norah standing still (first picture) while Kaelyn starts the music on a train, and Norah's dancing instincts kick in (the next four pictures).
Kaelyn and Norah opened presents together on Christmas Day for the first time, but not for the last. Definite shades of the future.
Norah did not have on these Elmo slippers when we arrived in Sachse. Thanks Mimi!
One of my favorite gifts for Norah, from Papa. A baseball mitt and ball that she has shown quite an interest in over the past few weeks. And again, she keeps developing a very impressive overhand throw.
And finally, after naptime, Norah finally saw her big gift from Santa. Norah's feet can just barely reach the pedals of her Kettrike Tricycle, but she has enjoyed her new toy ever since receiving it, and certainly that was the case on Christmas Day.
One of the sweetest moments of Christmas happened that evening, when Kaelyn took Norah back to her room and, on her own, dressed Norah up as a princess (this also included undressing her first, and Norah was wearing clothes to begin with). Norah loved being dressed up about as much as Kaelyn loved dressing her. Just adorable.
Oops! Not so princess-like, Norah...
Kaelyn and Norah opened presents together on Christmas Day for the first time, but not for the last. Definite shades of the future.
Norah did not have on these Elmo slippers when we arrived in Sachse. Thanks Mimi!
One of my favorite gifts for Norah, from Papa. A baseball mitt and ball that she has shown quite an interest in over the past few weeks. And again, she keeps developing a very impressive overhand throw.
And finally, after naptime, Norah finally saw her big gift from Santa. Norah's feet can just barely reach the pedals of her Kettrike Tricycle, but she has enjoyed her new toy ever since receiving it, and certainly that was the case on Christmas Day.
One of the sweetest moments of Christmas happened that evening, when Kaelyn took Norah back to her room and, on her own, dressed Norah up as a princess (this also included undressing her first, and Norah was wearing clothes to begin with). Norah loved being dressed up about as much as Kaelyn loved dressing her. Just adorable.
Oops! Not so princess-like, Norah...
Two pretty princesses in a mirror. Timelessly adorable.
We traveled to Parker County for Christmas with the Coomers on the 26th, and Norah had a great time playing with her cousins and opening more presents: "What my got?!" Some of her favorite presents included a broom that she can use to help sweep the house when Daddy sweeps (much less destructive than the full-sized version she used to wield) and a cape formerly belonging to Kaylee. Not to mention a great haul of toys and books.
Raisin time with Kaylee!
Later that week we traveled to Brazil via North Dallas, as our friend Whit's Brazilian mother was in town to visit the Whitakers, and she cooked some delicious moqueca for us all. While Norah said the word "moqueca" perfectly, she did so in saying "I don't like moqueca." So, she didn't eat the delicious food, but she did get to dance and play with the Whitakers' new Wii. Her love of the Wii bowling game is a major reason we have yet to hook ours up. If she sees it, it's bye-bye to the outdoors for the next decade or so.
Later that week we traveled to Brazil via North Dallas, as our friend Whit's Brazilian mother was in town to visit the Whitakers, and she cooked some delicious moqueca for us all. While Norah said the word "moqueca" perfectly, she did so in saying "I don't like moqueca." So, she didn't eat the delicious food, but she did get to dance and play with the Whitakers' new Wii. Her love of the Wii bowling game is a major reason we have yet to hook ours up. If she sees it, it's bye-bye to the outdoors for the next decade or so.
Happy New Year everybody!
We celebrated the new year by getting really really cold at the Gaylord Texan's ice exhibit. The theme was the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Norah knew nothing of this story line, but she did have fun getting in a big blue parka, looking at the ice, and walking through an ice tunnel and sliding down the ice slide. Good times, indeed.
Happy New Year! Here's to more frequent posting in 2010...
