It's Beginning....

It's been busy holiday times around here.
Friday morning we had our neighbors over to bake some cookies. Here are Henry and Anna decked out and working hard.
Here they are with their oven mits, which they didn't actually get to use, but they did enjoy waving them around.
Friday night was dominated by Clara becoming ill. Sometime around 10 or so we heard her coughing in her crib. When I went to check on her she had thrown up. We got her cleaned up, and then I sat with her upright for a few hours sleeping in the rocker. Eventually we went to bed and she threw up again there. Pete changed the sheets, I changed Clara again and we sat up in our bed for a while. She slept well when she was sleeping, and seemed otherwise fairly normal, but it was not a good night.
Early Saturday morning I had a dentist appointment, and Henry had his first ever cleaning. Here he is in the chair. He was very good for the hygenist and the dentist. He did tell me after the polishing, though "Mom, that bubble gum toothpaste didn't taste very well."
Clara continued to be sick throughout the day and into the night last night. Pete and I kept our plans to go to a party thrown by his boss. It was a nice time, but I had to change just before leaving because Clara had thrown up again. I was a little distracted at the party and we didn't stay very long.
The last time she actually got sick was at 1:30 this morning. Since then she's kept everything down. So we went downtown, as planned, to meet Pete's parents at the Drake. We've gone before at Christmas time for the tea, but this year we went for the brunch. Here's a family shot in front of the fancy tree.
And the kids with their Grandma and Bampa.
Pete was the coat guy.
And the nutcracker guy.
Clara even ate a few "Morning O's" (being the Whole Foods organic Cheerio).
Liz was caroling, and when they came by our table Clara was enthralled with her auntie.
Here's Pete and his parents.
Santa came around to say Ho Ho Ho and hand out some presents too. He told Henry how much he had grown this year.
Here is the present he pulled out of his bag for Clara. It was a "potty" book. (That's not like "potty talk" that Henry so much enjoys....)
Here are Henry and Bampa admiring the chocolate fountain. The food was amazing.
And here's the happy girl in her pretty Christmas dress. I'm so glad she felt well for the occasion!! Thanks Grandma and Bampa.
(Also- look how cute my husband is.)

When we got home we finally put decorations on the tree....I'll post some photos of that sometime in the next coupla days.