Ho Ho Ho

Wow -- I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post. It's been a busy week around here....yet I can't think of a single thing we've accomplished. Well....we still have 3 happy (usually), healthy (for the most part) kids --- that's a lot, isn't it?!?!!

We did put up our Christmas tree -- we put the tree up and strung the lights while the big girls were napping and when they woke up, we decorated. Olivia has declared the tree to be "a really big tree." They were very much in to it - I handed out the ornaments and Daddy or Grandma helped get them on the tree. Olivia was funny -- she kept hanging ornaments in the same place where she could reach. By the time she was finished, there must have been 10 ornaments hanging there! The tree looks nice (after some secret rearranging) and now we spend our days repeating "Do not touch the tree, please. Mommy said no, no."

We made a trip to the mall on Monday night and ended up making an unexpected stop to see Santa. The girls have quickly learned about Santa (I wonder if they would have learned as fast had he not been on Dora......hmmm.) and we were interested to see how they would do with a "real" Santa. There was no line (hence the unexpected stop) so we decided to stop. It was no surprise to me or to D that neither of the girls wanted to sit in Santa's lap. What was surprising was that Olivia went with me to see him and Sofia totally got scared and D took her out of the area to stand with Grandma. We expected it would be the other way around. Grandma ended up bringing Sofia back in and she looked at Santa from the safety of Grandma's arms - haha. So they chatted with Santa and gave him "five" and off we went. No pictures....there's always next year.

So funny story. I really wanted to get a picture of Santa holding Isabella:

(don't even get me started on the uncenteredness (totally a real word) of the picture)

So after we walked away from Santa with the girls, I decided I wanted said picture with Isabella. I said as much to D and he got this scowl on his face. Have I ever told you about how my sweet husband is a total germ freak? (Sorry, sweetie, but you know it's true). He so is. So I ask him why the scowl and he tells me that I'm not putting Isabella in arms which have held sick and snotty kids all day long (it was close to 8pm and Santa had been visiting with kids since 11). I opened my mouth to argue....and nothing came out. I really couldn't argue with his point. But I really really wanted that picture. D suggested we do it next year. I don't need to explain the scowl that came over my face, do I??!!!

So D leaves and my mom and I are walking through the mall with the girls and I'm contemplating the old "act now and ask for forgiveness later" thing. After all.....we'll never have this chance again, right?? With an infant, I mean.

Now before you go and get all "Oooohhhh she totally went back and handed Bella to the man with kid germs all on his sleeves..." let me finish! A solution that D couldn't argue with came to me!

I remembered that Santa started his day at 11am.....and it just so happened that I had a 10:10 appointment the next morning at my doctor......who is right near the mall. What are the odds?? So. I suggested that we make a quick stop by the mall after my appointment so Bella can be one of the first to leave her kid germs on Santa's sleeves. And it worked!

Everyone was happy and I have my (off-center) picture....but it's still cute!!