Super Duper "I-Have-Been-Busy" Catch Up Post

Yes, this is going to be my long, crazy catch up post.   The holidays start my world flying and I am just now getting back down to ground.  Since a picture says 1,000 words, I'll let my photos do most of the talking.  Unfortunately, our point and click camera malfunctioned just before Christmas so most of our Christmas photos are from the iPhone.

Back to November....

The girls had their annual Trike A Thon just before Thanksgiving.  Grace rode her bike while I pushed Claire around and around and around.

We spent Thanksgiving in Dallas with my family.   It was a bittersweet time saying goodbye to my grandfather and the girls' last great grandparent. 

My parents' 5 grandkids

2 seconds after getting to Dallas, Claire fell and messed up her forehead.

Perfect snow angels

We got back from Dallas and hit the Christmas tree lot.

 

 

Our Elf on the Shelf made a grand entrance and surprised the girls every morning.

 

Also in December, the girls had a gymnastics showcase.  Of course, I wasn't prepared and only had my iphone with little battery.

 

The girls have been so good so were completely spoiled this Christmas.  New bathing suits and swim Barbies were a highlight Christmas Day for the girls in light of our recently completed pool.

 

And no Vela Christmas post would be complete without our Christmas Card outtakes.  You would think it would have gotten easy, but it remains a challenge!

The Winner!

 Happy 2013!

Claire Turns 3!

Claire had a wonderful birthday.  She spent the morning doing her Celebration of Life ceremony at school.  She worked through it perfectly with confidence and for lack of a better word, "style" albeit "her style".

That evening she had more cake.  This time ice cream cake.

We have loved Grace's truck that she got for her 4th Birthday so much that Claire got one too.  Purple...her favorite color.  She still needs to perfect her driving skills, but it will come.

Claire went to the doctor this week and luckily no shots!  She is 29 pounds (32%) and 37.25 inches tall (50%).

There isn't a day that goes by that we aren't laughing at something she says or does.  As her teacher says, "she has sparkle".

  She is loved by all of us including her big sister.  She and Grace are each others' best friend and fiercest competitor.  If it isn't who takes their shoes off faster, it is who found the school bus first. 

 Enjoy being 3, Claire!!

Happy Halloween 2012

The girls' theme at school this year was "Children from Around the World".

Grace decided to be a girl from Holland during the day and then add a red hood and be Little Red Riding Hood for trick or treating.

Claire would not decide to be anything I could find, so I ordered a Geisha dress and wig for her.  Needless to say, she would not put this on come Halloween morning.  I finally coerced her into the dress but never the wig.

The girls presented the costumes in front of classmates and their parents.

And had fun playing games and celebrating with their friends.

Claire transformed into her favorite rockstar for trick or treating.  The girls took to the neighborhood in Grace's truck decorated for the occasion.  Glow sticks lit them up.