Thanksgiving Break! With lots of pics...

It may be true that I start listening to Christmas music exclusively on November 1st (and also for about a week in July), but I try not to go whole hog Christmas mode until after Thanksgiving.  This year was difficult, because Thanksgiving was so LATE and my Christmas break doesn't leave many free days before Christmas actually arrives, so we had to allow a little overlap.  Mainly, we had to go to The Festival of Lights good and early this year, which was a spectacular idea!

I was off on Wednesday, so I took the girls to Lexington to visit some friends, they napped all the way home (and then some), then we picked up Grammy and headed to the zoo in time for the fun to start at 5:00.  Last year, we went as a family of four for the first time.  It was freezing.  It was PACKED and we could barely walk.  I had to nurse Margot on a bench next to a heater and I swore I would never come to this stupid event again.  Then a year went by and I changed my tune.  Let me tell you - going before Thanksgiving and getting there early were GOOD MOVES!  It was still freezing, but we nearly had the place to ourselves!  We waltzed in to see Santa, hopped right on the train, had a lovely dinner INSIDE (in the new cafe which also includes - get this - a "nursing nest" which would have been very useful LAST YEAR!!!) saw the reindeer, and caught a surprise blacklight puppet show which Sylvia absolutely loved.  Here are the pictures - fun was had by all!

This lady was more magical than Santa!  Soft voice, nothing but love in her eyes, Sylvia was smitten.

Not a huge fan of Frosty, but she warmed up quickly.

The Main Man!

Margot wouldn't sit on his lap, but she did approach him long enough to steal a candy cane.

Cold train ride.

Warm snuggles.

We were well bundled!

"You look delicious!"

Sisters in the light tunnel bridge.  Good times!

Sidenote: I bought Margot's snowsuit from a neighbor at a garage sale in the middle of the summer.  Baby Gap.  Warm as can be.  Only worn once.  TWO DOLLARS!!  I don't visit many garage sales, but when I do, buddy, LOOK OUT!  It was a godsend that night.  She reminded me of the kid from "A Christmas Story," the one who shouts, "I can't put my arms down!"  But darn it, she was warm and she was cute!

Okay, on to Thanksgiving, the holiday that's supposed to come before Christmas, but whatever.  I do have a few pictures from our dinner at Dad's house.  It was delicious!

Don't be fooled, she's there for the cat.

A little after-dinner Bingo!  Sylvia won a bag of gummy bears!

Katie and Carrie.  Sylvia's BFF's.

Grandpa!!

Grandpa and his five kids.

These girls are awesome.  When they're around, I don't have to keep my girls busy.

We had another lovely dinner at Mom's house on Friday night, but alas, I forgot my camera.  Trust me, everyone had FUN! 

On Saturday, Sylvain and I had a date day (instead of a date night, because we're old and we have little wee ones).  We saw a MOVIE!  A real one!  In a theater!  It's been YEARS!!!  We had lunch at Morlein Lager House, which never disappoints, then we saw Ender's Game.  It was awesome and I loved it. 

Moving on!  Today was our big Thanksgiving Break finale with....lunch with Santa!!  Our church always does this on the first Sunday of advent and this year that fell on December FIRST!  Yikes!  We had not done it in years past, but Sylvia's pretty caught up in the Santa craze, so we thought it would be fun, and it's a fundraiser for our church, so I didn't mind buying tickets.  Lunch started at noon, so we went to the 11:00 mass, just like every other family with tickets, so it was a little crazy in there.  Father Jeff asked all the kids who were going to lunch with Santa to stand up at the end of mass.  I thought he was going to give them some words of wisdom about Jesus and "The Reason For the Season" or something, but instead he made the whole congregation clap for the kids because they were so good in church!  I love that guy to death.  Especially because Margot was louder than an ambulance siren for most of mass.  Surely he heard her, right?  Oh well, anyway....

Margot ate nothing but chips and cookies for lunch, which is probably why she puked after dinner.  Oops!

"You better not pout, I'm telling you why!"  She wasn't having it.

Waiting in line.  Apparently this much excitement warrants a head lock.

Good grief.  Poor baby!  Big sister's a pro, but Margot?  Not so much.  She'll learn!

All better!

Crafts with Papa!  Glitter happy gingerbread man was the THIRD craft she made.  So fun!

And here I sit on another Sunday night, with two girls in bed, wondering where the time has gone!  If I could freeze them both right now, I absolutely WOULD!  Three more weeks and I'm off for Christmas!  This year is going to be awesome!