whew, it's December

It's already the second week of Advent!  We're adding to our wall calendar in the morning and reading in the evening and last night we again assured John Paul that he won't be lighting any candles by himself.  sigh.  Seems Advent can't fill every desire of every heart; at least not in our home.  But the upside of those unfulfilled desires is that we might get through the season without any catastrophic candle-related drama! 

We've battled some nasty polluted days recently, but the sun is sometimes out too, and these trees are just beauty.  And they are everywhere!

Safely crossing busy streets is a big city skill and these guys are proud to be released from the requirement that they must hold someone's hand.... Keeping your feet next to Mommy's feet, that's the way we roll.  [Except here they are showing Daddy their new found freedom - check out those feet!]

In the afternoons I almost always sit at the kitchen table with these two and we do some "table work" before we start reading books.   We color.  We paint.  We stamp.  We cut.  We glue.  Monday we made Christmas trees to add the the front door decor.

The wrapping of gifts is in full force and the Sharpie is once again the perfect gift label-er! This year I am adding gift tags to a lot of gifts, but for my little people the Sharpie is the trick.  Luke picks all his gifts for his siblings and most of them come from the convenience store at the entrance to our complex.  The wrapping and labeling is a highlight, and also, his hair really is that white!

I've got another post with some pictures of the big kids coming right up!