It's beginning to look a lot like christmas

We've been very busy around here.  So in a lot of pictures and a few words, here's what we've been up to:

Mark started reading Harry Potter to Taylor.  In return, she reads her fairy chapter books to him.





Charlie spent last Friday with his Grandpa and the girls helped me to decorate the rest of our house for Christmas.




Taylor cheered her first game last weekend.








There weren't enough first grade coaches so she cheers on the second grade squad with her cousin, Grace.


I have not spent nearly enough time photographing the sights of Christmas, but I will work on that!


I did manage to orchestrate this photo.  I met a photographer when I was doing soccer pictures in the fall and have been following her on facebook.  When she first started promoting these Santa Mini Sessions, I hesitated.  But I decided it would be a fun, more magical experience than your typical mall santa encounter.  I spent the week prior to this brainwashing Morgan.  I'd point to images of Santa and tell her "you looove santa".  It worked.  She went right up to him and sat on his lap with no hesitation!  Unfortunately, it took a little longer for us to coax a smile out of Charlie.  Long enough for her to wonder how she got herself into this situation.  Still, I love the photo and can't wait to see the rest.


Morgan loves Mondays.  It's the one day I get to answer her request to go to school affirmatively.  Afterwards, we usually catch up on our grocery shopping.


Charlie helped me prepare sugar cookie dough so we could bake christmas cookies with his cousins.


This was his first time operating the mixer.  He seemed to enjoy the responsibility.


On Tuesday, I watched my sister's kids so she and my mom could set up the Santa Shop at Taylor's school.


Mmmm....




The rest of the week was busy with me working the Santa shop all day Tuesday and Wednesday.  I hate to say it, but I've snapped very few photos as a result.


This little guy joined our house on St. Nick night.  I had been boycotting this Hallmark tradition, but Taylor got the better of me.  She tried to tell me that magic wasn't real.  Then she said "well, if we got the elf on the shelf, and he moved on his own every night, and none of us moved him, then maybe magic is real."  That plus I heard her whisper to Santa that she wanted elf on the shelf.  So meet Elfie.


I absolutely love this time of year and will post more exciting photos soon, but for now, here's some of my littles in front of our tree.