Days 27, 28, 29, & 30

November 27: I am thankful for our warm, cozy home (stark white walls and upstairs indoor/outdoor carpeting aside) that now houses a Christmas tree.  Chet and I had an artificial tree for five years, but we decided to ditch it in Jacksonville.  Last year we were minimalists and decided upon a real, tabletop Christmas tree.  This year we got a real, full-sized tree.  We bought it at Lowe's (we chose the very first one we looked at -- no messing around with us!), and it sits, undecorated, in our living room (hopefully we will have time to decorate it this weekend).

Sydney loved the little bottle of solution that's supposed to keep the tree alive.

She started dancing around with it.

Michael Jackson Move

November 28: I am thankful for children's ibuprofen.  I took Lorelei to the doctor Wednesday for her 2nd flu shot (she had to get two this year since she did not get one, as a newborn, last year) and that pneumonia vaccine that they were out of a few weeks ago.  She also had to get blood drawn to check for anemia (which is apparently standard for 1-year olds now...?).  Needless to say, it was not a fun visit to the doctor, but I'm glad it's done.  Anyway, she wasn't feeling great that night, but a dose of ibuprofen did the trick.

November 29: I am thankful for Sydney Jo.  There is a lot of personality contained in that tall, skinny body of hers, and she keeps us on our toes.  She teaches Chet and me more each day than we teach her!  (She really is super tall.  They keep trying to charge us for her meal when we go to Chinese buffets, and I have to convince them she's still just two.  They look at me skeptically, and I'm sure we're on some sort of Chinese buffet watch list.)

She loves puzzles.  The back of the house, near the computer and half bath, is the only place she can put them together away from Lorelei, who loves to "help".

She can put these 25-piece puzzles together lickety-split.  Maybe I'll get her a 5,000-piece puzzle for Christmas...that'll keep her busy (kidding)!

She's ridiculously cranky when I wake her up from a nap.

November 30: I am thankful for Jesus, whose birth is the entire reason we celebrate Christmas.  Without Him, we are nothing.