Christmas!!

 Merry Christmas, All!  Yea, this post is coming a wee bit into the New Year.  With all the holiday-ness going on,  this is my first chance getting back on the blog!  Forgive the lack of pictures.  I get so wrapped up in the holiday cheer, i forget to get out my camera.  I need to get better at having it out during holidays!!   

Nona, Beba, and Uncle Ross came down to celebrate this year!  With all the snow, we got in some good sledding down our front lawn!!   Nona and I also did a lot of baking and cooking with the girls, as well!  In big news...Layla actually walked herself and her sled back up the hill this year...WAHOO!!!  

Snow-pocalpse!!

Well, the earth didn't end in a fiery ball, but Wisconsin got a helluva snowstorm!!  19.5 inches fell and blizzard conditions made for a 2 day shut-in.  Schools, businesses, and roads were closed...which doesn't often happen here.   We managed to get out in the fluffy stuff after the first wave, but then temps dropped and 40mph winds picked up...way too cold for this mama!!

The Tooth Hurts

Well, if it can happen...it happens to a Riddlette!  Less than a week after Marley's adenoidectomy, Layla felt the need to work on her dismount!  While falling out of bed last night, she somehow managed to re-impact her front tooth.  Thankfully, nothing was broken.  The tooth will eventually re-erupt and life as we know should return to normal.  Ahh...scratch that...let's return to most other people's "normal".  

Sledding!!

We finally got some workable snow this past weekend!!  The girls enjoyed sledding and making snowballs with the neighbors.   

Adenoids Be Gone!!!

After 2 years, 8 months, and 13 days (but who's counting) of always being sick and never consistently sleeping through the night...the adenoids are GONE!!!  We are thankful everything went off without a hitch and to my mom for coming down to help out with Miss L!  We are hoping for a happier, healthier, and less sleep deprived New Year!!

One day post-op....she went from sleeping to licking frosting off beaters...to sleeping.  Hey...one's never too tired for frosting!

Rock The Vote!

Whew...what an election year!   In Layla's 4K class, they had the tough job of electing their new President!  Was it going to be Mr. Starburst or Mr. Skittles???  It was a close race, but Mr. Skittles was declared the winner.  Layla voted for "the other guy", but she took the loss in stride...wishing Mr Skittles a successful term (and eating part of his suit)!

Let It Snow!

The first snow of the season caused a lot of excitement around here!  The girls wanted to make a snowman and snow angels, but hard to do with just a dusting!   The time will come soon enough, where we are buried...so for now, we're enjoying the flurries and catching snowflakes on our tongues!! 

A Spook-tacular Hallow's Eve!

Halloween is HERE!!  The girls, especially, Layla, has been looking forward to this for a month!  What would a holiday be, without a craft?   The girls made a Spooky Gingerbread House this year...and could barely make it through without eating all the "decorations"!

The finished product!!   They were so proud!  (Note:  Clearly, Layla couldn't make it through, as evidenced by the black frosting around her mouth!)

It's Mother Gothel and The Good Witch!!  Layla has wanted to be Mother Gothel (from Tangled) for at least 6 months...no lie.  She was pretty happy with her costume...and even happier she got to wear it 3 times this year, for different events!

Our first house...trick o' treating at The Parkers, next door!

Hooking up with girls' besties from next door...Kiara and Avery...to loot the neighborhood!

After trick o' treating for about an hour,  Layla wanted to be in charge of handing out candy to the other kids!  This may have been a highlight of her holiday!  Such a big girl....

Layla and Nona manning the door.  Seriously, Layla wouldn't leave her post until we shut off the porch light!

Love my girlie...

Halloween Parade

Our neighborhood had a Halloween Parade the Sunday before Halloween!  All the kiddos dressed up in their costumes and we paraded around one of our parks.   Thanks for organizing, Jill, the kids had a great time!

Slack-tober

Wow!  October came and went so fast...I didn't even sneak a blog post in!  Big Time SLACKER!  We did do some pretty fun things, though...like the Pumpkin Patch!  I (and Stacy) chaperoned Layla and Dane's 4K Pumpkin Patch Field Trip.    Check it out:

We enjoyed a hay ride to get a pumpkin!

Checked out the baby chicks!

Took a ride in a boat!

Stuck a landing!

Tried NOT to get e.coli.

And, tried our hand at logging!

The kids loved it!  Honestly, I  just wanted to get back to the concrete jungle and Purell hand sanitizer!

4K

What's that??  One of the Riddlettes is old enough to go to school...on the bus...every day??  It can't be!!  Well, it is.  Layla started 4K this year and was super excited to join the big kids on the bus.  She could hardly sleep the night before and was up early!   The first week is down and it was a success.  She still likes it, still wants to ride the bus, and doesn't mind being away from Mommy every day of the week (admittedly, that part makes me a little sad).   However, I must say it's been nice spending some one on one time with Marley.  I had my reservations about being home, alone, with the littlest Riddlette....however, going to the grocery store with just one....has me singing a different tune.      

"Reading" her bus schedule.  She takes 2 buses each way...4 buses total!!  I can't even keep it straight, but she manages!!  

Watching for the bus!!

First walk down to the corner...luckily, her bus stops right on the corner by our house!

The Blue Ridge Trail corner kids!

My baby getting on the bus.  She didn't even look back...that's a good thing, right??  (sniff)