ready for a new year...

In 2013 Tillie celebrated her first birthday and learned how to walk (and talk...and talk...and talk). Scout wowed us with her ever-expanding vocabulary and fashion sense, and Catcher started kindergarten and learned how to read. We visited Wisconsin for the summer and Virginia and Maryland for the winter. We roasted marshmallows and climbed trees; we swam and jumped on trampolines; we danced and sang Christmas carols in July. When my children grow up and tell me that I never took them anywhere or did anything, this is my proof that we had a pretty fun year:

glamour girls

As Scout and her cousins discovered this Christmas...Christmas is fun, but playing dress up is more fun.

christmas: parts 1, 2 and 3

return of the "it's a girl" virus

Four years ago on Chritmas I was pregnant with Scout. We were visiting Alex's family in Milwaukee, and I was struck with a violent, 24-hour bug as we were leaving North Carolina (I threw up in the parking lot at the airport). I was around 8 weeks pregnant, so at first I chalked it up to morning sickness...until it disappeared the next morning and Alex woke up with my symptoms. The virus then moved through every adult member of the family, so we nicknamed it the "it's a girl" virus of 2009 (it's a girl because I never had morning sickness with Catcher and the old wives say girls are the ones who cause nausea).

Fast forward to this Christmas when we are once again spending time with relatives from a-far, and up pops another little virus. My niece had it first, then my sister-in-law and now me (*disclaimer: no one is pregnant in this scenario). We're taking bets on who gets it next. Alex left this morning to go back to Texas for work, but I told him to watch his back.

P.S. I haven't showered and I have puke in my hair, but the holidays must go on.

still christmas in MD

Christmas in Austin yesterday. Christmas in Maryland today. Dressing up is Scout's new favorite thing. I'll be back to blogging soon...

almost here...

This is what we're doing on the eve of Christmas Eve.

Catcher (in Houston): sitting (with a semi-terrified look on his face) on Santa's lap.

Scout: hugging a butterfly sculpture.

Tillie: giving the stink-eye to her fellow shoppers at H&M.