Some fun with Grandma

Nana came up to help us for a week just before Christmas, and it was awesome to have her. She helped us get the rest of the painting done so we can sell the house. Here are the mitten cookies sent home with Alexa, I don't know if another parent made them or what, but they are awesome, with licorice ties and everything! She also brought us a cute ornament with her photo in it, and a tealight holder she painted, and a Winnie the Pooh calender.

Alexa decided to play with Nana's Christmas present, and she looked so funny and cute with a fancy scarf and no pants, that we had to take some pictures.

I realize that Mom isn't actually in any of these pictures, but she was present, and Alexa loved playing and reading books with her!

I have more pictures from Christmas, but I just wanted to note here that I got the first Julia Child cookbook for Christmas (anybody else in a bit of a French Cooking mode lately :)?) and made my first recipe from it tonight. It was cream of mushroom soup and though it took about 1.5 hours, it was amazing, and Alexa tried it, even though she hardly ever tries new things, and decided she liked it! She didn't like the mushrooms themselves, and it was hard for her to eat such a runny soup, so she ended up drinking it from the bowl with our permission and encouragement. I was so excited to get something with that much cream and butter in it into her, not to mention the homemade chicken broth!

Turkey

Here is one of the Thanksgiving art projects Alexa brought home.

And here is the outcome of a collision with the playground. She scraped her nose up and cut her forehead open. She got two stitches, which are coming out today. This was not very fun. David and I had to hold her down while he did them, and she was screaming bloody murder the whole time. We had a lovely Thanksgiving here with Adam and Lisa, Conrad and Marissa and Brendan.

This is Conrad's third Thanksgiving at our house, and we love to have him, so we're glad we haven't scared him off yet!