Keepin' It Cool

I have started to write a post at least three times in the past couple of weeks, but it seems I always get interrupted and then I just don't have the determination to continue with it. Now, I have the opportunity, but my photos are not on this computer, so I will just have to post without them and slip them in at a later date.

Christmas is very low-key for us this year (at least until now). We didn't decorate or get a tree or hang any stockings. We haven't gone Christmas shopping, although I have made a few small purchases online.

That doesn't mean we lack the Christmas spirit. In fact, we have been enjoying ourselves with activities that celebrate the season. A week ago, we took the girls to see the Christmas lights at our local zoo and it was the perfect night, cold, but not freezing. They also had a train ride and a carousel ride and the girls had friends with them to share the excitement. Monday night was Chloe's pre-school Christmas performance and she was a star (literally speaking) in the play. She was really hamming it up and curtsying between songs. I could tell she was nervous when she first got on stage because her little tongue was really getting a workout. She was licking the cardboard star tied around her head and she kept sticking her fingers in her mouth. It's a very strange habit (the licking), but she settled in quickly and eventually kept her tongue in its proper place.

We also took the girls to see the Nutcracker and they both loved that too. During the second act, Chloe couldn't sit still anymore, so she danced in place to the music, much to the entertainment of the people sitting behind us (they could still see over her head). So many people in the audience were commenting on our girls and how beautiful they were. I was a little surprised, because nearly every little girl in the audience was dressed to impress and I don't have new Christmas dresses for the girls this year. I am embarrassed to admit that my sewing addiction has been waning the past couple of months and I didn't make anything special for Christmas.

Now for the fun part! We leave today for 16 days of vacation in beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea. We have rented a house and we will be getting into the Christmas spirit in a big way. Stay tuned for lots of pictures, adventures and fellowship with friends!