Quick Christmas Notes

I know, I know, I have been horrible about getting all our Christmas posts up!! Seriously, where does all of the time go!! We were so busy during the week of Christmas! All the Christmas shopping and Christmas preparations!! For now, I will give you a quick run down of we did and then later I will post pictures and video.

On Christmas Eve., we all (including Nana) went to the family service at church. It was fun to sing all of the Christmas songs but the service itself wasn't too impressive - too difficult for Sydney to comprehend. After church we went home to prepare for Santa's visit. Sydney insisted that we leave Santa marshmallows instead of cookies. We carefully placed them in a small bowl on the table and then explained once again to Sydney that these marshmallows were for Santa to eat later that night when he came to bring her presents. She seemed satisfied with the explanation and nicely cooperated with her bedtime routine. The next morning, after our morning snuggles, we decided to go downstairs to see if Santa ate the marshmallows. Greg walked down ahead of us and started the video camera. Once Sydney and I got to the kitchen table I showed her the empty marshmallow bowl. She got so mad because the bowl was empty! I explained that Santa came and ate the marshmallows. She then got mad a Santa!! Then she got a glance of the Christmas Tree and saw that Santa left a play Kitchen. She exclaimed, "A Kitchen!!" and went running for the stairs down to the presents! She stopped at the stairs and kept screaming, "A kitchen! How did Santa bring me a kitchen?" She was totally bewildered and couldn't move. I told her it was okay to go down by her kitchen. She then ran over to the kitchen and was so excited!! Eventually, she started to notice all of the other presents and her huge teddy bear! We have it all on tape!!

After presents, we had sticky buns and played, played, played and played!! Later that day, everyone came over to our house for Sauce and Meatballs and family time. Nana, Paps, JoJo, Aunt Peggy, Uncle Mike, Brian, Annie and Erik all celebrated with us. It was a fantastic day and I felt (and still feel) so very blessed to have the Wades as my family!!

On the 27th, Brian gave Greg and I tickets to the Cardinals game and Nana graciously babysat so we could go. After the game, we went over to the neighbors for a birthday/holiday taco party. We kept Sydney up until 10pm!! The next day, I was very sick! Thank God Nana was in town and could help with Sydney! I had a stomach bug for almost three days!! I was sick on my Mom's birthday -

New Years Eve was a quiet night for us. Greg worked half the day and then came home and cooked a wonderful meal for us! We were in bed by 11pm!! Then next day I got up and went running - felt good to run again as I was down for awhile from being sick!

Yesterday, I took Sydney to the zoo. It was a last minute decision and one that I am so glad we made. The weather was perfect, the crowds were small!! I packed a backpack and put our walking shoes on and we were off. Sydney made it by foot for 3.5 hours!! We then went to the gym after her nap so she could play with the kids in the daycare - she loves it there! She had a hard time falling asleep last night with all of the activity of the day but boy did she sleep in!!

I promise I will get pictures and video up soon.

And a quick update of some Sydney happenings:
Words/phrases she says that are so cute:
"frinces" - princess
"ocean" - lotion
"I need some attention" she says when Daddy and Mommy are hugging or kissing each other