I can't believe Christmas is in 19 days! Aaaagggg! I SOOOO procrastinate every year. I have bought nothing yet. Nothing I say! I do DESIRE to be 'on top of things' - maybe next year. Probably not, but we'll see.

We are having Christmas HERE this year. We have traveled to family for Christmas every year since James and I started dating (this will be out 10th Christmas together), except one Christmas when we were living in VT and we stayed there for Christmas that year.

We went out the other night to buy Christmas decorations for outside. That is something you are suppose to do the DAY after Christmas, but we needed them and actually ended up finding a good sale at the Hobby Lobby.

So, James' family is coming to stay with us the Friday before Christmas and my family will join us on Sunday. This will be the first time I've cooked a holiday meal. I've always had the luxury of having it cooked for me at someone else's house. Hopefully it will go well. I don't know how to plan it all out - the cooking, I mean. With one oven. I guess people do it all the time. I'll have to consult Megan. She'll know for sure.

The kids are great! Ava isn't sleeping all that well. She takes little cat naps during the day and then gets cranky and doesn't sleep well at night. She will start to sleep in her own room, in her own crib after Christmas. It's time for her to be kicked out of our room. Way time.

Nathan is eating better. He's doing so well with a spoon now. He says, "Mama keep it level" when I feed him and, "Nay Nay keep it level" when he feeds himself. I've been letting him play in the backyard by himself some these days. It is fenced in and mostly toddler proofed. I have to remind him SEVERAL times to leave Blossom's water alone. I can see him through the window at all times and feel pretty good about him being out there with Blossom. I know she is a dog and capable of aggression but I've never seen it in her before. If I was out there with him and (GOD FORBID) Blossom attacked him, it would take me a bit of time to get to him anyway. It wouldn't take me that much longer if I saw it happen from inside. I don't know why I am trying to 'defend' this. Maybe I should put Blossom in the garage when I let him outside. But he loves to play with her....

Anyway. I need to do some housework while Sesame Street is still on and Ava is napping.

Here are my two darlings.