Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season!

Isabelle had a wonderful Christmas this year.  She is more aware of what is happening and can talk with us a little about what she thinks and what she does and does not like.  We traveled to IA to have Christmas with both families the weekend before Christmas and were able to have Christmas proper at our house this year.  I can't describe Izzy's reaction to going to bed Christmas night with the tree looking one way and then discovering new presents under the tree the next morning that Santa had left!  She yelled with surprise! 

Dan and I were lucky enough to be able to take some vacation over the holiday season.  How nice it was not to be stressed out about going to work, having to take Izzy to daycare or only having a few minutes to play after work before the supper, clean-up, bath, bed routine!  We played and played over break.  Honestly, we spent a lot of time telling Izzy that Magnum's toys were Magnum's and that he was allowed to play with them when she was upset when he tried to get them from her.  The other times, though they played with his toys together, having a grand old time.  Honestly....why did we buy Izzy kid toys?

Christmas Eve day was busy with making cookies for Santa, making our Holiday supper and then opening presents!  It was a bit much for the Iz-meister, but she thoroughly enjoyed all her presents on Christmas Day....AFTER she exclaimed over what had miraculously appeared under the Christmas tree over night.  Among other things, Izzy received a toddler band set, her very first sled, and a sparkly purse complete with sunglasses, lipstick, nail polish, perfume and cell phone!  It's a good thing that all the items that came with the purse were play things or Magnum would have ended up looking and smelling very pretty indeed.
 

 Izzy hamming it up by the tree

Before the Christmas Eve ravage...

 

Magnum enjoying getting the toys out of his stocking

 

Daddy working to free a toy from it's restraints while Izzy patiently looks on...supervising.

 

Izzy and her purse - trying out the nail polish already!

 

A farm set complete with crops that grow, a tractor and animals that make sounds!

 

Christmas morning...Isabelle exclaiming over her brand new sled!

 

An innovative way of combining the 2 hobbies of bowling and sledding...

 

 Bowling in the kitchen...we have since put the bowling ball up and are using one of Isabelle's less harmful bouncing balls for knocking the pins down.  Izzy thought it was a good idea to THROW the bowling ball instead of roll it.  We will try it with the real ball again in the spring.....OUTSIDE.