Twas the week before Christmas....

Okay, Yeah really not that creative. I have read my good friends cute posts using songs, rhymes and such and I am just not there. Kudos to you though Paula and Erika, I wish I were that creative.

Anyway back to the week before Christmas. After an exhausting week, I just wanted to stay at home on Monday in my PJ's and relax. But no, after an early morning phone call from our best friends and neighbors, we were headed to the mall for an early sitting with Santa Claus. We got to the mall relatively early, got in a short line to await our turn with the big man in red. Lily did NOT cry. Yippee! She tolerated Santa, she did NOT smile, she did not speak just looked ready for the candy and a quick dash. She did take a couple of decent photos for me and the other photographer.(The one I had to promise to buy the picture he took.)

After seeing Santa, and buying the appropriate photos, we headed to Starbucks cause the mommy's needed caffeine. 5 Hot Chocolates and 1 milk later we headed through the mall to the train. We did make another stop in The Disney Store, where the girls were in LOVE with everything there. Then we rode the train. Lily was in heaven, waving to the people as it drove through the mall. She kept repeating choo, choo train over and over.

On the train smiling for Ms. Lara

And this folks is a two year old meltdown. This is what happens when you have to get off the train because your $3 per person ride is over and there are more people waiting to get on the train. You cry, you scream and you kick your momma for taking you off that train.

We made it through a brief stop in a children's store that had a TV and a Chickfila lunch in the food court before mommy lost her mind and left the mall.

Tuesday we shipped gifts, did more Christmas shopping, and Grace and Daddy went back to the mall. Wednesday we braved the movie theater with friends and cousins to see Tangled. Grace loved it, I loved it and Lily well she loved running amok in the theater, up and down the aisles, army crawling(my skin crawls at this, germs ick PS her daddy doesn't know). Then the rest of the day seemed like more of the same, with each night involving laundry for our trip, Santa working hard on putting together presents and wrapping and several trips to Lily's bedroom. Whatever virus she had kept her from sleeping soundly and every night after several trips to her room, she would end up sleeping in ours.

Thursday we headed to Cheesecake Factory for lunch with Great Aunt Ann and Great Uncle Sam. It was fantastic, with the exception of Lily pulling her I refuse to sit and eat with the rest of you people. After lunch we drove to Children's Hospital to spread Grace's Good Will toward others. You see in her shopping experience we went to Walmart and spent about $100 on toys for the children and their siblings that would be spending Christmas in the Hospital. She wanted to donate to the Hospital that had helped her sister with heart surgery. I have to say this will definitely be a tradition. I only wish we had more to give. We were so proud of Grace doing this that we made sure Santa knew.

Then came Christmas Eve the last day with Kiersten and Leigh our elves. Grace was sad to see them go, Lily not so much. Grace thought all their antics were funny or silly, Lily would get pissed if they messed with her toys or things and throw the elves across the room. So of course they would mess with her things even more then. They even decorated a small Christmas tree with all the unmatched socks. Ah what fun....

But wait there is still more before Christmas and yes I know it is New Years Eve, deal with it!