On why Thankful Tuesday won't work ... and catching up

Thankful Tuesdays won't work, not because I can't get my act together to write a Thankful Tuesday blog post each week, but because it dawned on me that that's about all I can post each week. And I don't want to look back at this blog in a few years and only see Thankful Tuesday titles on all of my posts ...

So, I will still aim for posting what I'm grateful for, but probably not in that format all of the time.

In other news, we've been busy with the usual things, plus Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving recovery, and gearing up for Christmas. Here's what all of that has looked like:

Anna Kimball donned Emery's "pilgrim" dress that she wore on her first Thanksgiving. In this picture she is holding the thyme that I forgot to add to the turkey, an omission I still count as a small victory because it's just about the only thing I think I forgot to take care of for the meal!

Anna Kimball has turned very picky when it comes to food, but since nearly everything on the Thanksgiving table was laden with butter, she had no difficulty cleaning her tray.

Love this shot of the girls watching something on the computer as the adults finished up dinner. They really seem like peers and sisters here!

A rare family shot that would be "perfect" if Emery hadn't plastered her face with stickers. But then it wouldn't be real, would it? 

Somebody wanted more dessert of course ...

As promised, as soon as Thanksgiving day had passed, Emery was granted allowance to wear her Christmas clothes, accessorized by her fairy costume and shades of course.

Anna Kimball was baptized last Sunday and Grammie and Grandpa were here to watch, which made us all very happy! Anna Kimball tends to be pretty frightened by men she doesn't know, so she didn't warm up to the pastor who baptized her, but again, a small victory that she didn't wail or really even shed a tear. And Emery played the part of the precocious 2-year-old sister who stated twice during the baptism "Anna Kimball wants to be baptized."

This was another first for Anna Kimball - riding in the "driver" with Emery. Love how this shot totally personifies their temperaments. Anna Kimball = ecstatic and showing it. Emery = ecstatic but you would never know by looking at her.

Decking the house for Christmas!

This is why you should always check on your child before turning in for the night - not really to see if they're doing ok, but because you never know what hilarious sight you might encounter. (yes, there is a head under that book)

Thankful Tuesday

Silliness, silliness, silliness ... that's on the top of my mind today as I think about what I'm thankful for. So thankful that the girls' antics (and especially Emery's) can bring levity to days that feel long and tiresome at times. Here's what else is making me smile this week:

• Warm, sunny afternoons even as Christmas decorations begin to surface everywhere 
• Not having to travel anywhere but to the grocery store (a couple dozen times, but only because I cannot make a good list or keep track of said list to save my life) for Thanksgiving.
• Elevator rides in the curtains ... Emery wrapped herself in the drapes the other day and said she was going on the "edebator" to Henny's craft room.
• Another kind neighbor who brought the girls back goodies, including some darling purses that will be much loved, from his recent trip to Vietman and Cambodia. Seriously, do we live in the best neighborhood ever? YES!
• A recipe for cabbage that's worth repeating. I'm not a big cabbage fan, but when the occasional recipe does call for it, I'm all kinds of frustrated at what to do with the remaining half a head of cabbage sitting in my fridge. Coleslaw is not always the right answer. This though, is. 

Thankful Tuesday

In an attempt to blog more regularly, I'm going to try to institute Thankful Tuesdays. Note I said, try. I'll be thankful if I remember to do this two weeks in a row.

Right now, I'm thankful for:

• An unexpected deluge of well-cared-for secondhand toys from a neighbor
• Matt's birthday tomorrow. Who doesn't love birthdays? It might be tricky convincing Emery that it's not her birthday, though.
• The new iPad we won at the health fair Matt's work sponsored. He should be thanking me for dragging us all there every year in order to get free flu shots, because look what that netted us this year! And he is.
• Play dates with friends 
• Little Green Pouches - Anna Kimball has recently made the 10-month turn toward ridiculously picky eating habits, but she hyperventilates with excitement over eating out of a pouch, so slowly but surely I'm sneaking in a wide array of foods to supplement her diet of waffles, rice and cheerios.
• Reading books with Emery and her rapt attention to them all
• Not really having to be anywhere in the morning, or afternoon for that matter, and the chance to enjoy this season of freedom with the girls.