Gingerbread!

The day after Thanksgiving, while my family was still in town, we decided to make gingerbread houses.  Really, I'm the one who wanted to make them...the kids just wanted to eat them (yuck!  Everything is so stale and gross in those kits--who eats that stuff?!?  oh...my kids...)

See how well built the house is?  It came like that.  I know, genius.

All we had to do was decorate...and all I had to do was stop the kids from eating all our decorations!

Later that night, we received a surprise delivery from the north pole.  It was a little elf!  He is staying with us through Christmas--he keeps an eye on the kids and reports back to Santa each night.  This works REALLY well for Kennedy :)

After much deliberation, the kids came up with a name for him.  Bridger thought of: Christmas tree, candy cane, bell, stocking and firetruck (yeah, that last one doesn't quite fit...)  Kennedy thought of: princess, belle, pink, Charlotte and mermaid (surprise, right?)  They finally agreed on "Buddy" :)

Kennedy was smitten!  She thinks he is the cutest thing ever!  Although, after that night, the kids were no longer able to touch him--or else he would lose his magic. 

And since he goes to the North Pole every night, he is in a different spot in the house every morning.  So far, he has been in the Christmas tree, asleep in the bed in the dollhouse, on top of the kitchen cupboards, hanging from a star on the mirror, attached to the handle of the fridge and he even got on top of our fan!  He is a tricky little elf.  One night he even went back to the same exact spot--I think just to see who was paying attention :)

He always tries to stay up high--so Charlotte can't get her hands on him.  He doesn't want to be eaten...or worse...

This girl eats everything!  Bridger and Kennedy never put things in their mouth--I guess we were just lucky that way.  So far, I fished popcorn, a grape, a christmas ornament, a barbie shoe, cat food and a lego piece out of her mouth.  Who know what's already made it down the hatch!  She loves to stick a toy in her mouth and crawl around the house with it--she looks like a puppy playing fetch :)

And she is learning a few tricks: she can dance on command (especially to the tune of "follow the prophet' with the words changed to "follow the baby"), she can shake, she can 'bonk' heads, she says "hi" and she gives kisses.  She loves to be chased, tickled and play peek a boo.  But, what baby doesn't???  She loves to eat, eat, eat!  She loves to chase the cat and she loves her dad!  She is just such a bald little doll--we love her!

Little Charlotte Leigh--8 months old