Santa Claus Is Coming To Adalyn's Town...

CHRISTMAS!!! Adalyn has been waiting for this day for months now, and it's finally here! Santa has loaded his sleigh, Rudolph's at the helm, and they're ready to visit all the good boys and girls - and drop off a few items for Adalyn.

Somewhere, amidst all of these presents, is a Christmas tree...and a monkey.

Santa came!! Now it's time for The Cake to see what Santa brought her.

Adalyn LOVES her kitchen that Santa brought, but she can't decide what to cook first.

Coffee...for moi? Thanks, Adalyn!

Adalyn's pile o' loot.

It's a problem when Santa gives you awesome presents...it takes you awhile to open up the others.

Healthy food to cook in the kitchen. Mommy and Daddy expect lots of tasty dinners.

Ninja can't take all of the excitement.

Don't throw the kitteh out with the Christmas garbage.

Adalyn test drives all of her presents before giving her seal of approval.

"I love you, Big Bird."

Adalyn learns that Elmo laughs and talks...

It was love at first sight.

We were so busy opening presents that we didn't see the stuffed animals sneak off and steal some wine.

The chaos of Christmas.

The Sesame Street gang sings Christmas carols.

Adalyn made sure to play with all of her toys...including making some art.

Hans and Frans say, "Yah, if you were a Christmas present, Peeper, no one would open you, yah." Awwwwww...so sad, Peeper.

Playing with Christmas presents, Round 2.

Good thing monkeys don't get dizzy. WHOOSH!

Tea time for monkeys.

After working hard on Christmas Eve, this reindeer is ready to play in the snow.

What's Christmas without some snow? Adalyn, Mommy, and Daddy go into the mountains where the white stuff is and play.

Bonus kitteh pics:

So, so, so, so, soooooooo tired...and of course cute.

Christmas Preparations (and SANTA!!)

Christmas is the one holiday that requires the most preparations...there's food to make and eat, presents to wrap, a house to decorate, festivities to enjoy, Santa to meet...it can all be overwhelming for a two-year old.

"Mom, I need more food. I gave Rudolph my last Cheerio."

French toast...providing the energy you need to get through another day of Christmas preparations.

It's time for a Christmas parade!

Pretty much everyone's happy place with all of those decorations.

We can never forget about catching up on our favorite Christmas classics...

"He's grouchy, Mom."

Our very own little Cindy Lou Who.

The moment we've all been waiting for...time to see SANTA!!!

Adalyn goes out of her way to look nice and sophisticated for Santa.

Adalyn is so excited to see Santa that she forgot to tell him what she wanted for Christmas.

Adalyn has so much to show Santa.

"Take me with you Santa! I'll help you take care of your reindeer."

Adalyn tells Santa all of her secrets.

Adalyn is so excited to see Santa that it's affecting the way she walks.

Most kids just sit on Santa's lap for a photo...not Adalyn.

After visiting with Santa, Adalyn, Mommy, and Daddy take a stroll through the River of Lights at the Botanical Gardens.

Adalyn wonders how this poor dinosaur feeds himself - his arms can't even reach his mouth!

Lights...music...does a toddler need any other reason (or any reason at all) to start dancing?

The ant was cold...

Adalyn gives this ant a big hug.

Adalyn squeals, "IT'S NEON PEGASUS!!!"

Happy Thanksgiving

Bonjour, mademoiselles and monsieurs. I will be your server for the Thanksgiving holiday.

We have a wonderful menu tonight that will delight your every sense. Please join me on a journey of delicious, homemade dishes that will make your mouth explode with the sensation of Thanksgiving. May I present your menu?

 

Menu du Thanksgiving
 

Appetizers: Homemade Ranch Dip with Delicately Sliced Vegetables

                 Fromage Fort with Assortment of Fancy Crackers

Dinner: Free Range Spinach with Apple Cider Vinaigrette, Garnished with

                 Locally Sourced Pomegranates and Avocados

            Pork Roast with Luscious Onions

            Sauce a la Canneberge (Cranberry Sauce)

            Honey Wheat Rolls with Pumpkin Butter

            Sweet Potato Mash with Pecan and Brown Sugar Topping

            Garlic Smashed Whole Potatoes

Dessert: Blueberry Pie with Autumn Leaf Garnish

Bon appetit!

Thanksgiving, Behind the Scenes

Mmmmmmm...

Adalyn wonders how you get butter from pumpkins.

"Mom, I'm busy eating, don't disturb me. Oh, and it's delicious!"

Mommom and Adalyn give thanks for the delicious meal before them...and for the many awesome leftovers ahead.

Ah, Christmas Friday, the day after Thanksgiving which is spent fueled on leftovers preparing for the next big holiday.

The Goldilocks Tree - not too small for Daddy, not too big for Adalyn, but just right in between.

Ninja lends her wisdom but never her own paws.

Uh oh, a thief has run off with half of our Christmas tree!

It looks like Ninja is helping, but believe me, she never dirties her paws.

"Mommy, are you going to help or just stand there all day taking pictures?"

Oh no, Adalyn has glitterbombed herself with one of the ornaments!!

Mommy finally lends a hand to help decorate the tree.

If you look really hard, you can see a certain sparkle to Adalyn's glow.

TADA! Our Christmas tree! (Actual size)

It's a sad day when you realize your Christmas tree is in danger of being dwarfed by a toddler.

The holidays are hard work - especially with all that eating. Time to relax and unwind.

Adalyn crawls into bed with Daddy and giggles after stealing Mommy's side of the bed.

The monkey is so delicate and small that his bed consists of one pillow and one teeny tiny blanket.

Adalyn sings the hit song, "Honey Bunny, Tutti Frutti."

Uh oh, it's a big diaper walk!

Bonus kitteh pictures:

The Kitty Adventures, Part 1: Can a kitty climb so high up a tree that it is afraid to come down?

The Kitty Adventures, Part 2: The smell of nature