last ditch effort

While I was doing the dishes yesterday, Ella came strolling around the corner with a piece of computer paper and a few markers in her hand.

"Mom, can you help me spell some words for a letter?" she said.

"Sure."

She proceeds to ask me how to spell a few words . . . and while she was asking me, I couldn't help but have a smirk on my face, because I knew what she was writing.

It was a last chance letter to Santa . . .

She must have been thinking there might be a chance she would unwrap some coal this year!

We had a tough week here at the Adolphson house. 3 of the 5 of us had the stomach flu, and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty. But we're all healthy again and ready to have a Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

dazzle and awe

This past weekend was jam-packed with Holiday goodness. It all started on Thursday when my mom came down to join us for the weekend!

Friday after school, we all piled into the family truckster and headed to downtown Minneapolis. Our first stop was dinner on the 12th floor of Macys at the Sky Room. Not only was it delicious, but we also met Keith (Carl's brother) and dined with a skyline view.

After dinner, we all bundled up and headed outside for Holidazzle Parade! We have only seen it one other time when Ella was about Claire's age....I think we need to make it a yearly tradition! What is cooler than being downtown at night during the Christmas season and watching a parade featuring about a million lights?! We all had a blast!

here comes the circus train...


the giraffe has no idea why people are excited about her being in a cage... :)













Santa's coming!!!






After the parade, we headed back into Macys to see the Santaland attraction on the 8th floor. We were not the only people with that plan....so we waited in line for a little while. But, the wait was well worth it. There was so much to see the girls didn't even know where to look!

guess who else was there...


I finished up the weekend with Christmas shopping on Sunday. It's really beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.....everywhere you go. :)

it's coming . . . .

We are getting closer folks . . . the poly is down . . . the temps are dropping . . . have you sharpened your skates yet?








Get ready. It's coming.

catching up on some light reading

I'm not even really "potty-training" Claire yet, and she's got the whole number-two-in-the-pot-thing down cold. She hasn't really taken to getting her business done at Missy's yet, but it will come soon enough. I am waiting for a time when I can be home for a longer stretch of time to really tackle the potty training issue hard. Because once we start, there is no looking back :) Plus, the whole number-one-in-the-pot-thing is not really catching on yet :)

She likes the "independence" part of potty training the best. She always has to turn the light on using her step-stool first. Then she carries her step stool over to the potty. Then the undressing begins (she only needs minimal help), then she steps up, uses her little handles, and gets on all by herself. Usually, when I try to help, she let's me know my place!

The other day I walked past the bathroom and saw this . . . I had to get my camera!

Maybe the best part about it, was the book was actually about potty training :)

Busted!