"Vacation Week"

I had big plans for this week, and most of it actually got done, but it was not the peaceful, rested and happy time I had been envisioning. Henri's cold got worse so I was home with her for four days. And she was a tearful mess. Fortunately she'd improved to just a toddler hack by Wednesday so I sent her to school (where she had a wonderful time) and then I came down with the cold on Thursday morning. Needless to say, the house remains a wreck, gifts are still not wrapped, and crafting did not occur. But everyone was fed, laundry was done, and I have just one paper left to write for this semester! I've been baking today to get ready for our church's cookie and coffee night on Sunday when we have a special song service. The nutella sea salt fudge was splendid. My attempts at peppermint meringues appear to be a complete flop. I have two more kinds to go (red velvet whoopie pies and a Yugoslavian Christmas bar) so there's hope yet.

Most of these pictures where taken on the same day when H was looking cute and the sun was out, and as you can see the model was NOT cooperative. At least I'm giving an accurate representation of life in these parts :)

This is a few weeks ago when we went to get our tree; H loved how they smelled and kept hugging them :)

First snow!

I think she was watching Steve trim the base of the tree

My attempt at the Christmas light shot that makes kids look so angelic. Clearly a fail on many levels

Morning attire



We had differing visions of how this photo shoot would go....

Minimally cooperative....

And then full-out rebellion. How dare I ask her to sit for two seconds on the bench she normally loves to climb on?!?!?!?!?!

And once that gasping fit had slowed, another began because her hair was irking her....

But all was better once she spotted my water bottle and could "cheers!" hers against it...

Last weeks art project. I'd wanted painted letters in H's room, but getting enough to spell out Henrietta is a expensive, and I had a large wall to fill (I know, this photo doesn't show scale well), so I painted canvases and stenciled/painted animals to represent her name: Hedgehog, Elk, Newt, Rabbit, Ibex, Elephant, Turtle, Toucan, Ant. She likes to name them off before she goes to bed, though she thinks the hedgehog is a sheep and the elk is a cow. Pretty close, I think.

The hedgehog. I thought he was so cute, and as it's Papa's trademark animal, and as H inquires about her Papa at least a few times a day, I thought it was a nice tie in.

Back to a normal-for-us schedule this week with two on-call shifts at the hospital and one in clinic. I'm hoping to get out of my Sunday shift so we can spend some time with Steve's family for Christmas; either way it's going to be a super short trip :( I think we're going to Skype a "Happy Birthday" to Papa, and then plunk the young 'un in bed, and then bake some more. Have a lovely (warm) weekend!