Hank

Hank has been busy.

Getting some water, hanging around the fruit, and practicing good
oral hygiene 

Getting into the jelly bean jar

Having cookies and milk

Snagging ornaments from the tree

Staying up a little late to watch the Alvin and the Chipmunks
Christmas special

Lately

What have we been up to?  Well, I can tell you what we've NOT been up to, and that's using our camera.  Seriously, I don't know what the deal is but we have hardly any pictures from this month.  So let's see, weekend before last we went OKC with Gigi and Pepaw for a change of scenery and a little shopping and eating.  We managed to take a few pictures.

As usual, we had a happy girl. 

This weekend was my family's annual Christmas party.  And (fail) no pictures were taken.  None.  Sigh.  Oh, well.  There was lots and lots of food and Avery had a great time playing with her cousins.  She wanted to hang out with "the kids" the entire time.  

On the way to the party

What else have we been up to?  Well, we made a gingerbread house.  Which, by the way, is a lot harder than you might think.  Working with icing is not my forte, add to that a 2 year old bumping my elbow, and you end up with quite the monstrosity.  

I don't even want to talk about that snowman

I'm pretty busy this week preparing for Christmas this weekend.  Between holiday parties at work, work gift exchanges, Christmas shopping (yes, I'm still Christmas shopping), getting out my Christmas cards that failed to arrive last week, baking, and a myriad of other things, this week will be busy.  Fun, but busy.  

Crafts and Other Things

So what's been going on at the Thomas house the last couple of weeks?  Well, I crafted a few items.  I started the ornament wreath at Summer's house, but didn't have enough ornaments to finish it.  Yet again, all ideas come from Pinterest.

Ornament Wreath

Advent Calendar

Card Holder Wreath

So that's that.  I'm done crafting for a while.  I think what drives me crazy the most is that I don't really have a place to do it.  If something doesn't have a designated place in our house, it's in the way.  And I can't stand stuff all over the dining table.  Ugh.  Moving on.

Gigi gifted us with the Elf on the Shelf, so we've been having fun with that.  The elf goes back to report to Santa every night, so every morning he's in a different spot for Avery to find when she wakes up.

Sleeping on a present with a dish towel for a blanket

Avery made the naughty list

Sunday night we set out to drive around and look at lights.  As we were leaving, she said "wait!  I have to get my crown!"  Of course.

We were maybe one mile from our house and I looked back to this.

Oops.  A late night the night before, shopping all afternoon with Mimi, no nap, and this is what happens.  Oh, well.

Also, the teachers suggested Avery start wearing underwear to school and we took the guard rail off her bed last night.  Sigh.  Big girl.

Finally, Avery singing Jingle Bells.  Kind of.