Mase, Ry, and Elle Belle,

December was a special time where we really focused on Advent for the first time, while still doing many other Christmas things. We went to Pennsylvania one weekend, had two cookie baking days at Nonni’s, Nana came to visit, Grandma and Pap came here to celebrate Christmas a few days early, and then we had the typical Christmas Eve, Christmas day, and New Years Eve days full of fun. We also got in a long family walk/bike ride, the Awana leaders dinner, a lifegroup game night, Christmas shopping, Steelers games (boo- bad ending), a big snow day (and close to 5 hour trip back from Pennsylvania in the snow), and Mommy and Nonni making the 4 course meal for the people who bought it at the auction (and getting stuck in their driveway in the rain with bad tires!)

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Mason, you were happy to have a break from school, and I think you had fun being at home. There were a lot of loud and fighting moments, but we also had fun together. For Christmas, we got UNO, and you learned how to play it…and beat me several times! You also got to have a special date day with Nonni and Poppy and you got to spend the night! While there, you played dominoes a LOT, requested macaroni and cheese for supper, ate pancakes for breakfast, and played lots of baseball even when it was dark outside! You also did a painting and watched “the Wascally Wabbit.”

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Rylan, I don’t think there’s much new with you. You have moments of a fiery temper that quickly turn into a sweet apology and a hug. You adore Mason and want to copy everything he does. You have a hard time being nice to Elli, especially when she messes with your lego creations; but sometimes you have fun with her. We’re still waiting to see what you’re doing next year for school— kindergarten or not (which I hate— I wish I knew what we were going to do.) It seems like you’re ready to start, but we still might wait.

Elli, you are possibly starting your language explosion phase! It still seems tiny compared to most your age, but you added so many words last month to what you were saying before, and most exciting are all of the names! You now say “Nonni,” “Ry Ry,” “Bubby” (Mason was too hard….May-May sounded just like Mama), “Bah-Bah” (for Poppy…you can say “Poppy” if we’re working on it, but it doesn’t seem to come to your mind in conversation and you are consistently calling him “Bah-Bah.”) You say “shoes” in sign language (but upside down) and say something with it at the same time like “shees”. You also say “um,” “hey!”, “bee-bee” (for both “baby” and “boo boo” - we figure it out by context), “mine,” “all gone” (mostly in sign language but you say something audibly too), “tree,” “eye,” and something for “I want more” that sounds like “iii moooii!” You are sleeping so well still - in the play room. When the boys get you up from nap or bedtime, they tip you out of your pack n play - I might have mentioned that last month, but they still do that. You are very tough and you are very good at copying your brothers- in both their good and bad habits. And did I mention last month where you went through that phase of wiping off my kisses and putting your fingers in your ears when I talked?? Thankfully you got through that teenager phase pretty quickly, though. You also have suddenly decided that you like getting baths! That is a big relief….and it took a while. But I am very happy that you finally feel that way. Oh, and you like to give Bubby and Ry Ry kisses before you go to sleep; which is just about the cutest thing ever.

Here are this month’s quotes!