holiday highlights

• beginning chronologically, laine's preschool Christmas program - particularly watching her swing dancing and singing "Navidad Rock" followed by almost endless repeat performances because I got such a kick out of it! anyone who has seen the hip-shaking rendition of "ven a mi casa, ven a mi casa, Frosty, por favor" will agree that it's worth seeing at least twice...and maybe more. this once expressive baby is now a very expressive preschooler, and her expression is worth seeing up close (just click on it, grandma.)
  

• skiing, skiing, skiing. even lainey got in on the action. she yelled the whole time, "faster! Mom, go faster!" so, what do you call a hurricane in the snow? it did turn ugly for a minute in between the screaming "my hands are frozen" stage and the hot chocolate in the lodge stage. luckily, hot chocolate has serious magic powers and can easily cure what ails a 4 year old. it's beautiful, and skiing lives to see another day!
  
• birth of the sled maniac. let me quote from her letter to Santa: "Dear Santa, I really wanted a dolly but since I don't have a sled then I really want one. Please get it." hopefully Santa won't regret bringing her what she asked for. this girl has no fear! backwards, forwards, sideways, upside down, rightside up, stand up, sit down, you name it, she tried it. she loved it.
  
• dueling harmonicas. thanks ben and dana! b&d are responsible for another family holiday highlight thanks to their new puppy, molly, who sadly has no picture, only a hilarious video that I don't know how to upload. so just imagine this hyper little puppy bouncing all over, lainey mostly ecstatic but sometimes uncertain, and romney hovering on the cusp between laughing and crying. laine's requests for a pet are now more frequent although they usually subside a little after a visit to molly. coincidentally, our neighbor gave the kids a gigantic stuffed dog which lainey promptly named lola, after the name molly didn't get. so now, we tell lainey she has a dog already and it doesn't even poop in our yard! the perfect pet.
  
• I know I mentioned it before, but it bears repeating: powder, powder, powder! seriously love it, especially with my family. here are some of my wonderful people, tearing it up at an undisclosed but very fine location. isn't it gorgeous?